Master Musicians of Joujouka

Morocco's legendary trance music

Hamri Mohamed

Mohamed Hamri, known as “The Painter of Morocco”, was born in 1932 in Ksar El Kebir, the nearest town to Joujouka, at the southern end of the Rif Mountains. His father was a ceramics artist who painted his pieces following an ancient tradition. Hamri’s mother was born into a family of Joujouka musicians. Hamri attended school for a short time but disliked it. Whenever Hamri ran away from school he went to his uncle’s house in Joujouka. His uncle was the leader of the musicians there and the music of Joujouka had a strong effect on Hamri. As a boy he often danced as Boujeloud sewn into goatskins.

After World War II, life in Joujouka was very difficult as there was very little food available. Hamri helped the musicians avoid this famine by bringing them to Tangier to play. One day, when Hamri was fifteen years old, he was killing time outside the train station in Tangier by drawing in the dust on the ground. He was approached by the American writer Paul Bowles who admired his drawing. This fateful meeting was Hamri’s introduction to the sophisticated set that was attracted to Tangier. Bowles soon employed him as a cook. Paul and his wife Jane encouraged Hamri to paint and bought him his first set of watercolours.

In 1951 Hamri met the Canadian painter Brion Gysin. Together they brought the musicians of Joujouka to the attention of the Beat Generation writers and musicians as varied as Rolling Stone Brian Jones and the American jazz master Ornette Coleman.
Hamri continued to promote the music of Joujouka until his death in August 2000. He is buried in the centre of the village, close to the tomb of Sidi Achmed Sheich.