Day 64 - The Master Musicians of Jajouka

General Info
Biography:
The Master Musicians of Jajouka were introduced to the mass culture thanks to Brian Jones. Yes, the dearly departed founder of the Greatest Rock Band in the World, the Rolling Stones. They collaborated with the Stones on a cut from 1969's Steel Wheels, "Continental Drift". It's experiments like these, where the Masters open themselves up to Western pop culture, that makes Bachir Attar and his crew transcend barriers of geography, culture, and spirituality.

The Master Musicians of Jajouka come from the mountains of Morocco. Their music has deep roots that predate the Muslim invasion, and therefore their muse taps into pagan traditions. Becoming a member of the Masters is actually part of an ancient family ritual. Bachir Attar, the current leader of the Masters, is the son of Hadj Abdessalem Attar, leader of the Masters during the group's associations with the beat generation. The musical skills are handed down generation to generation, giving the group a strong connection to what has come before. Nothing runs deeper than blood.

Despite these old traditions, the Master Musicians are still eager to break new ground and collaborate with musicians from other backgrounds. Their newest album, The Road to Jajouka, teams the Masters with big names like virtuoso guitarist Marc Ribot, Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart, and Free Jazz pioneer Ornette Coleman. These collaborators, master musicians in their own right, clearly have fun with the challenges that such a pairing brings. The harmonious sounds that result are both unexpected and yet very natural. The Masters find a way to be in tune with their counterparts, the audience, and the universe around them. There's a reason why Timothy Leary was such a huge fan.

Selected Discography:

Brian Jones Presents the Pipes of Pan at Joujouka (1971, but recorded in 1968)
The Road to Jajouka (2013)

Sounds Like
Genre: World Music: Morocco
Similar Bonnaroo Artists: DakhaBrakha

Suggested Listening







Physical Reaction/Live Show
The anchor for this set will be the trademark Jajouka sound, complex polyrhythmic drums with twisty turny pipes. It'll sound cacophonic at first, and I'm sure many Bonnaroovians will pass That Tent with confused looks on their faces. But those who get sucked in will surely stay, because with Marc Ribot's celestial guitar skills and electronic beats programmed by DJ Logic and others, this will end up being one of the coolest trips you'll take in Manchester, with or without corn.

Interesting Facts
Marc Ribot is also performing his original score for Charlie Chaplin's The Kid in the Cinema Tent on Friday, just a couple hours before he'll be jamming with Bachir Attar and his crew.

Personal Notes
This is the closest thing Bonnaroo will get to a World Music Superjam this year. The guest artists working with the Master Musicians is incredible, just as rare and once in a lifetime as the Skrilly Superjam everyone is wetting their panties over. Just like the eclectic mix invading That Tent on Friday courtesy of GlobalFEST, Bachir Attar and his Master Musicians will be a great way to broaden your horizons and immerse yourself in this beautiful, diverse world we live in. Isn't that what Bonnaroo is all about?