They have been one of the most famous bands in Morocco for more than three decades, and the spirit of Nass El Ghiwane was celebrated this year at the 16th Gnawa Festival in Essaouria (pictured below).

But it is also a reference to Nass el Ghiwane, the 1970s North African band that Boussouf has said he sees as being in dialogue with the hip-hop groups of a similar period in the United States.

The orchestra, led by Rachid Regragui, performed classics from legendary groups like Nass El Ghiwane, Lamchaheb, and Jil Jilala. This traveling festival, which made stops in El Jadida, Aïn ...

This year’s lineup promises a musical journey spanning Morocco with the legendary group Nass El Ghiwane, Hungary with Saïd Tichiti, Algeria, and Mali with Kader Tarhanine and Imarhan Timbuktu.

In that vein, Boussouf’s inspiration comes from some crucial observers, the 1970s Maghreb Moroccan group Nass el Ghiwane, and its connection with social movements and the life of Morocco.