Moroccan band Groupe Mazagan, or simply Mazagan, was formed in the summer of 1998 by three teenage friends from El Jadida in western Morocco: Issam Kamal, Younes Ramzi, and Abdelhak Amal. In 2002, they added percussionist Ghefara Belattar on darbuka; Adnane on drums and Noureddine on bass in 2003; and percussionist Youssef in 2004.
Initially, Mazagan played covers of rai and Gnawa songs. Later, the group started composing its own material, combining popular chaabi music with contemporary elements and western and world music influences. Their melting pot included chaabi, Gnawa, rai, reggae, funk, zook, salsa, and more.
In 2005, Mazagan released its first international album, Introducing Groupe Mazagan in 2005 on the British label World Music Network. Issam Kamal produced the digital only album at his apartment in Casablanca
The album led to a series of concerts in Morocco and abroad.
Thanks to its increasing popularity, Mazagan started to collaborate with other artists, including Khaled. Together, they recorded the song Dima Labess.
Although Issam Kamal left to pursue a solo career, in 2021, Issam Kamal joined Mazagan again and recorded the song “Talayne”.
Discography:
Introducing Groupe Mazagan (World Music Network , 2005)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.