Bab L'Bluz

• Gent Jazz
  Thursday 9•July•2026
  16:45•

Bab L’Bluz means 'the door to the blues’ in Darija, the Moroccan dialect in which the French-Moroccan group sings. It's the blues that lies beneath a heavy layer of psychedelia, yet remains ever-present in the music of singer and multi-instrumentalist Yousra Mansour and multi-instrumentalist Brice Bottin. The two met in 2018, bonding over a shared fascination with the gimbri—a three-stringed bass lute—and the traditions of Gnawa music. Their collaboration resulted in two albums that have since taken them around the globe.

Their sound draws on Gnawa—a traditional Moroccan style where repetition builds into trance-like rhythms—while interweaving elements of Hassani from southern Morocco and the intricate poly rhythms of Chaâbi. Layered with Mansour’s versatile voice, often exploring themes of freedom, the result is a psychedelic, hypnotic, and compelling landscape, charged with a raw punk energy and a strong political undercurrent. Ultimately, though, the music invites celebration and dance. Come prepared!

For fans of: Tinariwen, Mdou Moctar, The Zawose Queens, Les Filles de Illighadad

Line-up

Yousra Mansour : Lead vocals, electric mandolin, electric awisha, electric ribab, percussion
Brice Bottin : electric guembri, electric guitar, percussion, backing vocals
Ibrahim Terkemani : drums, sampling pad, backing vocals
Adrien Duterte: percussion, flute, backing vocals