فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
Fes News – The Moroccan artistic scene mourned today, Monday, September 8, 2025, the passing of artist and Kanawa master Mustafa Baqbou, who departed after a distinguished career full of creativity and dedication that made him one of the most prominent figures in Moroccan Kanawa music.
The late Baqbou belonged to the golden generation of Kanawa, playing a significant role in developing this spiritual musical genre and promoting it both inside Morocco and internationally through numerous participations in national and international festivals, most notably the Gnaoua World Music Festival in Essaouira.
He was known for his unique playing style of the hajhouj (a traditional lute) and a voice that carried the authentic spirit of Kanawa music. Baqbou also played a pioneering role in training new generations of masters, passing on the essence of this intangible heritage, which UNESCO has inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
With the passing of Master Mustafa Baqbou, Morocco’s Kanawa scene loses a key pillar and a distinguished pioneer, but his artistic legacy will remain alive in the collective memory of the lovers of this rich and ancient art.
May God have mercy on the deceased and grant him paradise. Indeed, to God we belong and to Him we shall return.
