Five concerts showcase the contemporary pulse of Morocco's music, May 2011 in NYC

Sounds have long crossed Morocco, with the slow steps of desert dwellers or with the lightning speed of mp3s. They intermingled, forming layer upon layer of rich resonance, heady beats, and defiant songs. They became Andalusian virtuosity (Orchestra of Fes with Françoise Atlan READ MORE ; April 30), vibrant hip hop (Soultana; May 6), intense trance traditions (Master Gnaoua Musicians; May 21), Berber jazz and Arabic improvisation (Brahim Fribgane & Ibrahim Maalouf; May 5), the rush and melody of purring street corners (Soundwalk: The Passenger; May 9).

Five concerts in New York will map these travels, revealing how Arabic, sub-Saharan African, Berber, and European musics meet and recombine anew. Part of the French Institute Alliance Française's World Nomads Morocco Festival, these concerts celebrate Morocco's heritage-keepers and arts innovators, and explore cultural transits and dialogues across disciplines and borders.

Held at several venues around Manhattan (details below and at www.fiaf.org), these performances give striking insight into the past and present trajectories of Moroccan and Morocco-inspired artists' border-hopping expression.

Opening the festival will be an evening of Judeo-Arab Andalusian music performed by the Orchestra of Fes with Françoise Atlan (April 30; FIAF, Florence Gould Hall). Under the direction of conductor Mohamed Briouel and featuring star Sephardic Jewish vocalist Françoise Atlan, this rich musical tradition dates back to Medieval Spain and is loved by Muslims and Jews alike.

Brahim Fribgane, a multi-instrumentalist steeped in Amazigh/Berber tradition, and French-Lebanese pioneer on the quarter-tone trumpet Ibrahim Maalouf (May 5; David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center) team up to explore the free-ranging intersection of jazz, their shared trans-Mediterranean roots, and Arabic sounds.

Fribgane, a composer and artful oud player and percussionist, has no qualms about collaborating across genres and boundaries (he's played with everyone from Medeski Martin & Wood to Harry Belafonte). Maalouf is similarly open-minded: After learning the quarter-tone trumpet from his father, a horn designed to navigate the complexities of Arabic modes, he has carved a genre-bending career, working with musicians as varied as Marcel Khalife, Amadou & Miriam, and Elvis Costello.

Soultana (May 6; Joe's Pub) discovered rap at age 14 but got serious as an MC as a young woman, when she couldn't keep quiet about the frustrations of unemployment, poverty, and discrimination. With two other female friends, she formed Tigresse Flow, a group that swept several major Moroccan festivals, shocked conservative society, and won over thousands of young female fans. In her solo work, Soultana's taught flow and pared-down but solid beats form the perfect backdrop for unabashed, critical lyrics.

Soundwalk: The Passenger (May 9; FIAF, Florence Gould Hall) translates urban life into aural maps, creating layers of narration, atmospheric sound, and mysterious noises to conjure a location and hint at its history and character. For this commissioned work, the international sound-gathering collective will weave the noises and voices of Fes, Marrakech, and Tangiers into an evocative sense of place live on twelve turntables, and accompanied by striking visuals captured on film.

Master Gnaoua Musicians (May 21; FIAF, Florence Gould Hall) will give Americans a rare opportunity to hear several revered Gnaoua healers and performers. These musical elders can turn deceptively simple instruments and songs into a trance-inducing, polyrhythmic revelation, drawing on their sub-Saharan roots and profound spiritual commitment. The concert, curated by cross-genre Gnaoua-American innovator Hassan Hakmoun, will show how edgy and fresh long-held tradition can sound.

World Nomads Morocco is presented by the French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) under the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI and with the generous support of many sponsors and partners. (Full list here)

Orchestra of Fes with Françoise Atlan

Saturday, April 30 at 8:30 pm

Presented in partnership with Festival des Andalousies Atlantiques (Essaouira) and the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music

Venue: FIAF- Florence Gould Hall, 55 East 59th St. (between Park and Madison Avenues), New York, NY
Admission: FIAF Members $20; Non-Members $25

Brahim Fribgane & Ibrahim Maalouf
Thursday, May 5 at 8:30pm

Presented in association with Target Free Thursdays at the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center

Venue: David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center, Broadway between 62nd and 63rd Streets, New York, NY, Part of Target Free Thursdays
Admission: Free

Soultana
Friday, May 6 at 9:30pm

Presented in partnership with Joe's Pub at the Public Theater and the U.S. Embassy to the Kingdom of Morocco. Artist residency in partnership with IMAN (Inner City Muslim Action Network)

Venue: Joe's Pub at the Public Theater, 425 Lafayette St. (between Astor Place and East 4th Street), New York, NY
Admission: $12 for FIAF Members (use code JPTIXB3); $15 for Non-Members; joespub.com; 212.967.7555