Gnawa Diffusion bring three decades of Maghrebi fusion to the Festival de Hammamet
Algerian band Gnawa Diffusion, founded in Grenoble by Amazigh Kateb, perform at the Amphithéâtre du Centre Culturel International de Hammamet on Monday 20 July as part of the festival's 60th edition, with tickets priced at 80 TND.
Gnawa Diffusion perform on Monday 20 July at the Amphithéâtre du Centre Culturel International de Hammamet, the open-air stage on Avenue des Nations Unies that has hosted the Festival International de Hammamet since 1964. The concert is show 10 of 32 in the festival's 60th edition, and the sole Algerian entry in this year's programme.
Founded in Grenoble in 1992 by Amazigh Kateb — son of the Algerian novelist Kateb Yacine — the band fuses traditional Gnawa music with rock, reggae, rap, blues and chaâbi. Kateb leads on vocals, guembri and karkab, joined by Pierre Feugier, Salah Meguiba, Mohamed Abdenour, Pierre and Philippe Bonnet, Amar Chaoui and Blaise Batisse. Their lyrics move between Arabic, French and English and take in themes of identity, freedom and peace.
The group has built a following across the Maghreb and Europe over more than three decades and is a recognised landmark of the French-North African diaspora music scene. The Hammamet concert marks their return to a major Tunisian festival stage.
Tickets are priced at 80 TND and are on sale online. Purchases can be made by bank or postal card; the festival notes that virtual waiting lists may apply for high-demand nights. The start time for this performance has not been published on the official site at the time of writing; check before travelling.
Tickets and full programme details are available at festivaldehammamet.com.