Chair of Cross Cultures and Globalization

The Chair of Cross Cultures and Globalization is dedicated to exploring and promoting cultural hybridization through the unique lens of the Gnawa experience in Morocco. Positioned at the crossroads of African, Arab, and Afro-diasporic influences, Gnawa culture exemplifies the dynamic processes of fusion, adaptation, and dialogue that define contemporary globalization. By engaging with music, rituals, heritage, and identity, the Chair aims to create a space for academic inquiry, artistic innovation, and intercultural exchange—anchored in the living legacy of the Gnawa tradition.

Core Values of the Chair

Hybridization as Creation

Cultural hybridization is not a loss of identity, but a process of creation. The Chair embraces cultural mixing as a source of innovation, vitality, and artistic excellence, where diverse elements come together to form something new and meaningful.

Global Dialogue

Gnawa is local and global. It dialogues with jazz, blues, rock, and contemporary forms from across the globe. The Chair champions transnational collaboration, intercultural dialogue, and openness to difference as pathways to a more connected world.

Memory and Transmission

Gnawa culture is deeply rooted in oral traditions, embodied knowledge, and intergenerational transmission. The Chair values the preservation of memory and the responsibility to transmit heritage in ways that remain relevant to contemporary and future generations.

Cultural Sustainability

Hybrid cultures are living ecosystems. The Chair advocates for the sustainable development of cultural practices—supporting artists, safeguarding intangible heritage, and resisting commodification without community agency.

Dignity and Healing

Emerging from histories of displacement and enslavement, Gnawa music and rituals carry a deep spiritual and therapeutic dimension. The Chair promotes the recognition of cultural forms that restore dignity and offer pathways of healing—individual and collective.

Art as Knowledge

Art is not only an aesthetic product but a form of knowing. The Chair affirms artistic practices as legitimate modes of inquiry, and seeks to integrate scholarly research with musical, ritual, and performative expressions.

Mission of the chair

  1. Research & Documentation: Conduct interdisciplinary research on Gnawa culture and broader phenomena of cultural hybridization, in collaboration with ethnomusicologists, historians, anthropologists, and artists.
  2. Artistic Residencies & Collaborations: Host residencies, workshops, and experimental labs for artists exploring hybrid cultural forms and transnational dialogues—starting with Gnawa fusion projects.
  3. Partnership with Essaouira Gnawa Festival: Act as an academic and creative partner of the Essaouira Gnawa Festival, contributing to its programming, research panels, and documentation efforts.
  4. Education & Public Engagement: Design educational programs, exhibitions, and public talks to raise awareness about the role of hybrid cultures in shaping modern societies and identities.

Roundtables at the Essaouira Gnawa Festival 2025

Organized by the Chair of Cross Cultures and Globalization
Essaouira, June 19–21, 2025

As part of its inaugural programming, the Chair of Cross Cultures and Globalization hosted a special edition of public roundtables during the 2025 Essaouira Gnawa Festival, offering a unique platform where thought and tradition converged. These events brought together artists, researchers, and moderators in a spirit of open dialogue and interdisciplinary exploration.

Anchored in the Chair’s mission to explore cultural hybridization and global interconnectedness, the roundtables served as vibrant moments of exchange between ancestral knowledge and contemporary perspectives, with Gnawa music as a central focus.

Roundtable 1: Rituals and Resonances, The Spiritual Essence of Gnawa Music

This roundtable delved into the mystical, symbolic, and healing dimensions of Gnawa practices. Discussions explored themes such as trance, sacred rituals, and the historical roots of Gnawa spirituality.

Roundtable 2: Gnawa Remix, When Ancestral Rhythms Meet Current Trends

This session focused on the fusion of Gnawa music with contemporary genres. It offered insights into how Gnawa continues to inspire new artistic languages while maintaining its deep cultural identity.