Photo: Ahmed Soultan
On November 8th, Kulturkirken Jakob in Oslo will host an extraordinary performance by Ahmed Soultan, a Moroccan musical pioneer whose distinctive sound and commitment to social change have captivated global audiences. But for Soultan, this concert is more than just a showcase of his “Afrobian” music; it’s an opportunity to support the rural communities in Morocco that have shaped his journey.
Born in 1978 in Taroudant, an ancient city in Morocco’s Souss-Massa region, Soultan’s connection to his roots is profound. “I grew up speaking Amazigh, a North African language, not Arabic,” he shares proudly, emphasising how this cultural identity has influenced his music. “When you’re connected to the land, it reflects in your art. I wanted to explore the rhythms of my heritage and present them in a way that resonates with the world.”
This connection led him to develop “Afrobian” (literally African and Arabian) music — a fusion of Amazigh and Gnaoua traditions with soul, funk, and hip hop influences. Inspired by the neo-soul movement from Philadelphia in the late nineties, Soultan envisioned a sound that could bridge cultures. “What if I took the derbouka and pentatonic scales of my region and combined them with the live instrumentation of neo-soul? It was a way to make my culture accessible to non-Moroccan ears,” he explains.
Soultan’s mission to bridge cultures isn’t just about music. It’s also about breaking down geographical and social barriers. “The first community I wanted to reach was the Moroccan diaspora,” he says. An estimated five million Moroccans live abroad, mostly in France, Spain, and Belgium. “They struggle with identity in ways we don’t in Morocco. I wanted to give them something to feel proud of, something that represents their origins but is also accessible to their adopted countries.” That’s why he combines singing in multiple languages: Amazigh, Darija (Moroccan Arabic), French, and English, occasionally even Italian and Portuguese.
Ahmed Soultan and his band. “Most of them are from my region. so even if we tour the world, home is never far away.” Photo: Ahmed Soultan
This commitment to cultural exchange led Soultan to Sub-Saharan Africa, where he built connections with artists across the continent, from Senegal to South Africa. “I didn’t take the ‘easy’ route of pursuing a career in Paris, Dubai or Egypt, which most Moroccan artists do,” he recalls. “Instead, I went to Dakar in 2004. I wanted to unite North and Sub-Saharan Africa through music.”
Soultan’s pioneering efforts paid off. His work garnered international recognition, earning him two MTV Europe Music Awards and he is the only North African to win Album of the Year at the All Africa Music Awards to date. But despite his success, Soultan remains humble. “I’ve never wanted to be an artist chasing fame or awards”, he says. “I’m a messenger. My goal is always to use my platform to make a difference.”
This drive extends to his charity work through the Afrobian Association, which he founded in 2016. The charity focuses on improving the lives of people in the Taroudant region, tackling issues such as water scarcity, education, and rural development. “We’ve revived underground wells, refurbished irrigation systems, and installed solar-powered water distribution systems,” Soultan shares. “Some villagers waited 42 years for an irrigation system. I was so proud when we finalised the project in 2019.”
One of Afrobian Association’s key projects is a school bus service that transports 48 children from remote villages to the nearest school, a journey of 64 kilometers round-trip. “Without a daily bus service, their parents couldn’t send their kids to school,” Soultan says. He also frequently hands out bags, bikes, school materials, and food during the Ramadan period. “That has a very tangible, short-term impact, though in the long run, something bigger needs to change.”
Afrobian’s school bus takes 48 pupils to school every day. Photo: Ahmed Soultan
Therefore, Soultan aims to create sustainable income sources for the community through tourism and agriculture. One initiative involves transforming the village of Mezghala into a destination for cultural tourism, offering homestay experiences, and training locals in hospitality skills. “It’s about creating opportunities so people don’t feel the need to move to the cities in search of work,” he explains. An egg farm and an eco-lodge, complete with a music studio, will soon be established there, inviting fellow artists to come and visit.
If it is up to him, promising Moroccan creatives don’t even have to cross the border, nor travel to Casablanca or Rabat, to achieve success. Together with locals, Soultan set up the Winart Centre in Inezgane, a brand-new creative hub where youngsters can record music, make podcasts, edit videos or follow dance and theater workshops. “The talented people are in the areas where they struggle,” he says, explaining why he chose to establish the centre in the heart of southern Morocco. Soultan dedicates much of his time to provide local youth with access to professional guidance and state-of-the-art facilities, fostering their artistic growth. “The goal is to build twenty more centers like these in the next decade,” he says determinedly.
Looking ahead, Soultan dreams of expanding his charity’s reach and impact. Since the massive earthquake that struck the south of Morocco in September 2023, which destroyed many homes and claimed the lives of 45 people in Soultan’s area, more villages have been reaching out to Afrobian Association, asking for help. “It’s overwhelming, but it shows the need is there,” says Soultan, who’s last album Atlas was a tribute to the victims of the earthquake. “If we can make a difference in my region, we can replicate that success elsewhere.”
Up until the 2023 earthquake, Soultan have been raising funds for Afrobian Association all by himself, but since the demand grows stronger due to the consequences of the earthquake, he publicly invites people to donate. Soultan’s Oslo concert will therefore directly support his charity projects, with a portion of the proceeds allocated to one of Afrobian Association’s ongoing initiatives.
For Ahmed Soultan, music is not just a career—it’s a tool for cultural diplomacy and social change. And on November 8th, Oslo will get to experience this extraordinary fusion of art and activism firsthand.
Would you like to know more about Ahmed Soultan’s upcoming concert in Oslo? Check Kulturkirken Jakob for more information and tickets. https://www.jakob.no/program/ahmed-soultan-atlas-tour
