From saintly veneration to world stage: curated authenticity and the afterlife of Jahjūkan sound

This article traces the competing trajectories of the Master Musicians of Jahjūka, a hereditary ensemble from the Jebala region in Morocco, and draws on the concept of curated authenticity as a lens for understanding how tradition is strategically managed under conditions of transnational visibility. This fieldwork-based study examines the schism between two ensembles—Joujouka and Jajouka—as a crisis not merely of artistic divergence but of representational authority. It argues that each faction curates its authenticity through selective decisions in repertoire, staging, and symbolic framing; shaped by sacred lineage, aesthetic commitments, and the demands of global audiences. Rather than regarding authenticity as a fixed binary or cultural essence, curated authenticity foregrounds the dynamic, situated labour by which performers assume agency in negotiating legitimacy, recognition, and coherence across uneven terrains of circulation. The Jahjūka case thus offers broader insights into how musical traditions are adapted, contested, and transformed within postcolonial global cultural economies.