Abderrahmane Kirouche (Paco)

Abderrahmane Kirouche, affectionately known as Paco, was a master craftsman and Gnawa initiate from Essaouira. Invited to join Nass El Ghiwane following the death of Boujmii in 1974, Paco's bass guembri became the rhythmic and spiritual engine of the legendary Moroccan band.

His performances on masterpiece anthems like Ghir Khoudouni, Al-Madi, and Mahmouma resonated across the Arab world, inspiring praise from Martin Scorsese, who called Nass El Ghiwane 'the Rolling Stones of the Arab world'.