Master Musicians of Jajouka

Jajouka is a small mountain town in Morocco, and the Master Musicians are the Arabic-speaking keepers of a musical tradition that stretches back in the town's history for at least 1000 years. The band gained currency in the west after seekers-in-exile William Burroughs and Paul Bowles heard the band in the 1950s, and Bowles recorded them for the Library of Congress. After Brian Jones (of Rolling Stones and death-by-pool fame) produced an album by the band, the floodgates were opened. The band has been remixed, collaborated with, and invited to guest with jazz greats like Ornette Coleman. Don't let this put you off; this band can be nearly biblical in their musical intensity. Multiple rhaitas (a reed instrument) shriek against a deep rhythm section.