Maâlem Mokhtar Gania is the worthy heir to the Gania dynasty; grandson of the late Ba Massaoud, son of that emblematic figure of Gnaoua music, the great Maâlem Boubker, and brother to Mahmoud. He is a major figure on the Gnaoua music scene, and his talent is known well beyond borders. Proud of his origins and well aware of his heritage, young Mokhtar has performed around the entire world with the Gania family as well as Randy Weston, Bill Laswell, Pharoah Sanders, Carlos Santana and many others. With his group, Gnaoua Soul, Maâlem Mokhtar Gania brought an innovative style at the edge of Gnaoua spirit to Essaouira. Great Eastern melodies from the Maghreb and vibrations of West African culture. His eponymous album, produced and recorded at studio Planet Essaouira and released in 2020, is composed of twelve songs that draw from Gnaoua tradition in an alliance with sub-Saharan groove and the orientalising melodies of the Maghreb.