Plunk! From Morocco with love.

July 28, 2021 6:24 AM

From Morocco with love... Hassan Wargui takes the Moroccan banjo-playing tradition to new places. '"I love the banjo, it’s my first instrument," says Wargui. His music is actually part of a hidden tradition of banjo music in the area that dates back to the 1970s: he learned to play by imitating groups like Archach and Izenzaren, who hold a legendary status in the Sous. "No one taught me, I learnt myself."'

The article features tons of context and rabbithole possibilities, including the Berber connection and the political nature of music-making in Morocco. And there's an easily clickable playlist!

posted by Sheydem-tants (9 comments total)

OK, so I don't hate ALL banjo music.
posted by kozad at 7:09 AM on July 28, 2021

Got to the 3min mark of Azerf and I was blown away. Great vocals and instrumentation.
posted by meltedcrayon at 7:21 AM on July 28, 2021

..someone should add to the archive in the Mumford thread.
posted by firstdaffodils at 7:32 AM on July 28, 2021

oh, this is amazing
posted by PinkMoose at 8:16 AM on July 28, 2021

This is great! Purchased on Bandcamp.
posted by TheKaijuCommuter at 8:18 AM on July 28, 2021

This is rather excellent. Scruggs rolls aren't the banjo's only trick
posted by scruss at 9:20 AM on July 28, 2021 [2 favorites]

Came for the killer banjo playing, stayed for the killer playing. But also stayed for the tree-climbing goats that were linked from the Bandcamp page.

Thanks for posting this!
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 9:51 AM on July 28, 2021 [1 favorite]

I was just asking a buddy who's a very accomplished banjo player if he ever played outside of the bluegrass/country tradition . . . now I have something amazing to tempt him ​with!
Thanks for posting!
posted by pt68 at 10:20 AM on July 28, 2021

Thanks, I love this kind of musical cross-pollination, and also the banjo. Always nice to find banjo stuff that is less rigid.
posted by nixon's meatloaf at 12:33 PM on July 28, 2021