The Road to Jajouka

Led by the Attar family, the The Master Musicians of Jajouka have captured the imagination of countless musicians and fans over the years, ranging from Brian Jones (who released an album of their music) to William S. Burroughs (who called them a “4,000-year-old rock band”). Hailing from the Rif Mountains of northern Morocco—and existing in one form or another for a thousand years—the mythical group uses atonal horns and chattering drums that sound as old as the hills. They're so primordial that you could imagine this as the soundtrack for the start of life on Earth. It also makes fine fodder for collaborations and remixes. Headed up by producer Billy Martin, the lineup here includes many Western “Master Musicians,” and the resulting patchwork sounds both modern and ancient, haunting and comforting, Moroccan and global. Each track has its own strengths, but the groovy opener “Hand of Fatima,” the dubby “Ghaita Blues,” and the ominous “Djebala Hills” have a particular momentum and seamlessness to them. Money raised by this will go toward supporting The Jajouka Foundation, which was set up to look after aged band members in need of medical attention and generally support this crucial but endangered musical tradition.