Fez Sacred Music Festival - Highlight No. 2

Mnemba, off Zanzibar

It wasn't that long ago that Lumen found herself on the remarkably beautiful island of Mnemba, off the northern tip of Zanzibar. It's a privately-owned island with an exclusive lodge, a dive school and fabulous coral to explore offshore. One evening, Lumen went to the bar before dining alfresco on the beach and was blown away by the music playing ... it was Ismael Lô, and she's been a fan ever since. Hence Lumen is first in the queue for tickets to the final night of the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music, when Lô will be performing along with the Hamadcha Sufi Brotherhood.

Ismael Lô

Ismael Lô is from Senegal. He almost became a painter, but singing took precedence. He joined the successful group Super Diamono in Dakar, but eventually went solo. His music draws on mbalax - the rhythms of the Wolof people of Senegal - along with cool French ballads; he plays guitar and harmonica. A member of the Tijani Sufi brotherhood, whose saint is buried at the Sidi Ahmed Tijani Zawiya in Fez, he's enormously popular in France where he now lives, and was awarded the Legion d'Honneur in 2002.

Lô will be performing at the end of his set with the Hamadcha Sufi Brotherhood of Fez, led by Moqaddem Abderrahim Amrani Marrakchi. This brotherhood was founded by Sidi Ali Ben Hamdouch in the 17th century and is known for its spellbinding music, dance and trance.

The Hamadcha Brotherhood performs at Riad Zany

See the full program here: The 14th Fes Festival of World Sacred Music

Ticket collection service here: Ticket Collection

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