Bab L’ Bluz is a Franco-Moroccan psychedelic rock band inspired by Gnawa and Hassani traditions.
Bab L’Bluz was created in 2018 in Marrakech and reclaims the blues for North Africa. The band’s name literally translates as “gateway to the blues” in Arabic. They want to remember that the blues, so closely linked to America, stems from African music.
The release of Nayda! in 2020 was positively acclaimed by critics: Mojo (Top 10 world Album of the year), Songlines Best albums of 2020, The New York Times, Vogue Arabia, BBC, Le Monde, Financial Time, Pan African Music, Uncut, Radio Nova… In 2021, Bab L’ Bluz won the Songlines Music Awards in the category Fusion!
Fronted by a Moroccan woman in a traditionally male role, the band is devoted to a revolution in attitude as seen in the ‘nayda’ youth movement – a new wave of artists and musicians taking their cues from local heritage, singing words of freedom in the Moroccan-Arabic dialect of darija. Ancient and current, funky and rhythmic, buoyed by Arabic lyrics, soaring vocals and bass-heavy grooves, Nayda! seems to pulse from the heart of the Maghreb.
Sfinks collaborates with international partners in a vision to build a uniquely hand-picked line-up each year.
The network of local specialists ensures that the latest evolutions and trends within the global music sector are shared, and that the partners can inspire each other in a kind of musical exchange project.
This is how Bab L’ Bluz was recommended by ‘Visa For Music’.
