Berklee Returns to Essaouira for Second Edition of Gnaoua Festival

Berklee is back in Morocco prepped and ready to train Morocco’s next generation of musical prodigies.

Fez– In a powerful meeting of musical worlds, Berklee College of Music is returning to Morocco with the second edition of its immersive musical training program with Essaouira’s he Gnaoua and World Music Festival program.

From June 16 to 21, 2025, the coastal city of Essaouira will once again become a living classroom, where rising musicians from across the globe gather to refine their craft, explore new sounds, and tap into the deep musical soul of Gnaoua traditions.

Essaouira may be small in size, but it looms large in the music world. Once a quiet artists’ haven that hosted legends like Jimi Hendrix and Carlos Santana, the city has evolved into a cultural hotspot, thanks largely to the Gnaoua and World Music Festival.

Often referred to as the “Moroccan Woodstock,” the festival draws over half a million attendees each year and celebrates the spiritual, rhythmic, and historical richness of Gnaoua music, a genre deeply rooted in African heritage and seen by many as one of the ancestors of the blues.

Berklee’s program, part of its Berklee on the Road initiative, is designed for actively performing musicians aged 18 and above, with at least two years of experience on their main instrument.

The program is open to students from a wide range of musical backgrounds: from classical and jazz to pop, rock, and traditional Gnaoua, offering a rare opportunity to engage in high-level artistic collaboration and training within a global context.

“This pioneering training program in Africa offers a unique opportunity for musicians to expand and refine their artistic potential,” says Neila Tazi, producer of the Gnaoua Festival.

Classes will be held daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and led by a hand-picked team of Berklee faculty, including renowned professors and musicians such as Erini Tornesaki (voice), Fernando Huergo (bass), Godwin Louis (saxophone), Jason Camelio (Berklee Global), and Bri Tagliaferro (Berklee Global Partners).

Instruction will be in English, with Arabic translation provided, ensuring accessibility for a wide range of participants.

Professor Leo Blanco, a seasoned educator and researcher at Berklee, is the academic director of the program.

His teaching philosophy is rooted in merging diverse musical cultures and fostering active listening and mutual understanding. “Participants will be immersed in continuous performance and collaboration with peers from all over the world,” Blanco explains. “They will be guided on how to blend multicultural musical elements and refine their own voice through collective experience.”

Workshops will cover improvisation, musical collaboration, music technology, and the historical and spiritual dimensions of Gnaoua music.

Beyond technical training, students will receive free access to all stages of the Gnaoua and World Music Festival, an extraordinary way to learn not just from teachers but from live musical giants on the festival stages.

For any musician dreaming of pushing their limits, connecting with international artists, and studying in one of the most soul-stirring musical settings in the world, Essaouira is calling.