Tangeri Cafè Orchestra

“The Tangeri Café Orchestra perpetuate an old and superb tradition originated during that period of “Happy Andalusia” when Hebrews and Muslims, hosts/guests of Christian Spain, created poetry and music in a symbiosis and complicity really exceptional.
It’s through art, through the grace of singing and music ‘metissé’ that the peoples can dialogue, get to know and recognize one another.
By listening to The Tangeri Café Orchestra conduced by Jamal Ouassini, by listening to the solo voices, beautiful voices coming from different countries and different cultures and religions, from so different and so similar horizons, you get moved and hope that this generous mingling of poetry, singing and music can be the prelude for the peace of hearts and souls just there where violence performs a horrifying score.
So thanks to these artists that allow us to believe that peace and harmony are still possible.” TAHAR BEN JELLOUN


The extraordinary urban atmosphere of Tangier is the wellspring from which violinist and composer Jamal Ouassini, who was born and raised in the city, has drawn his inspiration to create this new musical ensemble, the Tangeri Café Orchestra.

The Tangeri Café Orchestra takes its name from the Kahwa Tanja, the café of the same name, which in the 1970s was a favourite meeting place for musicians in Tangier. The orchestra comprises musicians from very different backgrounds - Moroccan, Spanish and Italian.

Taking Arabic and flamenco rhythms and melodies as their musical point of departure and keeping strictly to acoustic instruments, the ensemble has created a compositional style of its own.

The music of the Tangeri Café Orchestra can be described as gazing across the sea. It is a musical fusion with deep traditional roots in different historical and cultural heritages, yet one that weaves new sounds and new rhythms out of the dialogue between those different musical languages.

The Tangeri Café Orchestra has performed to great critical and public acclaim at major festivals in Spain, Portugal and Italy.

Among the events in which it has taken part in Italy are the Mantova Literary Festival, where it was introduced by Tahar Ben Jelloun and Khaled Fouad Allam, keen promoters and supporters of this new Mediterranean Orchestra.