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The Belgian label Sub Rosa has released a series of albums that showcase some of the rawest, most passionate examples of Morocco’s greatest traditional music; the latest installment is by the Master Musicians of Joujouka, the famed group of trance musicians from a small village in the Rif Mountains. In the past their music has made converts of Brion Gysin, Paul Bowles, Ornette Coleman, Brian Jones, William S. Burroughs, and Sonic Youth’s Lee Ranaldo. Now our beloved Billy Corgan has joined the list of admirers. Corgan traveled to Joujouka this past March to watch the group perform in its native environment. His analysis: “This is the closest any other music comes to rock . . . . in its intensity.” Sorry Joujoukans, close but no cigar–a few months listening to Adore may do the trick.
