Musicians in a hostel

Cities and Memory - remixing the world

This recording comes from a hostel in the medina of Marrakech. It records two Moroccan musicians, playing a guembri (a three-stringed instrument similar to a bass), drums and singing. Guests are clapping and singing along and we can hear talking and laughter. It conveys feelings of hospitality and the joy of a gathering. The music has repetitive, soothing and entrancing qualities.
The hosts of the hostel are playing and the guests are listening, but the lines begin to blur as guests join in. The musicians were not aware of the recording. Hostels often serve as essential stepping stones for people migrating to a new place.
Recorded by Thomas Ellison.
Part of the Migration Sounds project, the world’s first collection of the sounds of human migration.
For more information and to explore the project, see https://www.citiesandmemory.com/migration