Gnaoua Electro Live

Performers	DeDeXgrande (AKA Efe Erdem) & Aziz Ozouss + Adil Smaali, Miloon & Lakay
Duration	145 min
Part of	Season 26-27

During Gnaoua Electro Live, the concept of hybrid music takes on a new meaning. Traditional North African sounds swirl together with modern electronics. Two live musical performances will get you dancing: Trans Sahara Electro and Elements of Baraka. Expect a tribute to the rich Gnawa tradition, progressive trance, jazz influences, warm acoustic sounds, choral singing, and outright innovative soundscapes.

Trans Sahara Electro

Trans Sahara Electro is a danceable musical performance in which North African history and current affairs meet, led by Efe Erdem (DeDeXgrande). With live electronics and trombone, together with musicians from the Marmoucha Orchestra and special guest Aziz Ozouss, it creates a never-before-heard sound full of jazz, rock, beats, vocals, percussion, guitar, and traditional North African instruments.

Elements of Baraka

Elements of Baraka celebrates the spiritual power of Gnawa music and the Sufi ritual of the hadra (communal singing, rhythm, and repetition). Adil Smaali draws you into an almost shamanistic trance, while—together with producer/trumpeter Lakay and percussionist Miloon—they build a hybrid sound. Here you hear overdriven guembri, tribal percussion, and subtle touches of dub and techno. Their modern approach shines a new light on the centuries-old hadra, while at the same time preserving the sacred essence of that musical tradition.

The music in Trans Sahara Electro is inspired by the historic Trans-Saharan trade route, from Casablanca to Cairo—a route where not only trade took place, but also an exchange of music, stories, and cultures. At the same time, this history also has a dark side, especially because of the slave trade. You’ll hear that layered history reflected in a live set of electronic music full of North African, Middle Eastern and Arabic influences.

Efe previously collaborated with great artists such as Marcus Miller and Tony Allen. In Trans Sahara Electro, he composes on the spot with live electronics, complemented by his trombone. Marmoucha Orchestra and Aziz Ozouss perform live as well, enriching their stories with projections that make current themes such as climate change and sustainability tangible. Come along on the journey!

Efe Erdem is a versatile trombonist and producer from Rotterdam. Since graduating, he has built an impressive career. He currently teaches trombone at Codarts Rotterdam (where he also studied) and collaborates with leading artists such as Candy Dulfer, Re:Freshed Orchestra, Di-Rect, and Doe Maar, as well as international icons including Marcus Miller, Tony Allen, and Roy Hargrove.

With his latest project DeDeXgrande, he brings together his passion for electronic music, jazz, and world music into a unique, boundary-pushing sound.

Aziz Ozouss, originally from Biougra in Morocco’s Souss-Massa region, is a virtuoso player of the taloutart and an expressive vocalist. Rooted in the Rways tradition yet constantly exploring new directions, he weaves authentic Amazigh melodies with contemporary influences such as jazz, rock, world music, and Gnawa. The result is a blend of playing and singing that bridges heritage and contemporary sound.

Adil Smaali and Lakay, two artists with rich and varied backgrounds, have combined their talents to create music that pays tribute to tradition while embracing modernity. With their project Elements Of Baraka, they celebrate the spiritual power of Gnawa music and the Sufi ritual of hadra through a first EP deeply rooted in Moroccan roots. This acoustic journey is a veritable ode to the spiritual values and mystical sounds of the hadra, enriched by subtle touches of dub, electronic music and progressive trance-inspired rhythms. These modern influences, skilfully balanced, bring a new dynamic, while respecting the sacred essence of this musical tradition.