When Moroccan virtuoso Mahmoud Chouki stepped onto the stage at Lafayette College’s Williams Center for the Arts in Pennsylvania, audiences anticipated a masterclass in cross-cultural guitar. What captivated them instead was a strikingly unconventional instrument: a handcrafted, 11-string Moroccan oud meticulously sculpted from a vintage wooden cigar box.

Acoustic Innovation Meets Cultural Diplomacy

Designed and built by artisan Brett Gardner, the custom instrument bridges rustic repurposing with classical precision. Despite its humble, upcycled shell, the resonator delivered deep, resonant microtonal cadences that carried the modal traditions of North Africa into dialogue with the harmonic structures of Western jazz.

Appointed as Lafayette College’s artist-in-residence for the 2026–2027 academic year, Chouki used his opening performance alongside six ensemble musicians to introduce selections from his landmark project, Caravan: From Marrakech to New Orleans. The initiative explores the shared transatlantic DNA connecting Maghrebi rhythms, Andalusian harmonies, and the rhythmic swing of Louisiana blues.

The New Orleans Connection

Chouki, who relocated to New Orleans in 2019, has rapidly become an essential fixture in the American music ecosystem:

  • Cross-Genre Collaborations: Regular work alongside jazz royalty, including drummer Herlin Riley and vibraphonist Jason Marsalis.
  • Civic and Institutional Roles: Serving as music director for public programming at the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) and educating students at the Lycée Français de la Nouvelle-Orléans.
  • Critical Acclaim: Recognized with the Best World Music Artist honor at the prestigious Big Easy Awards in 2022.

Lafayette College curators discovered Chouki during an exploratory cultural exchange in Louisiana, citing his ego-free collaborative spirit and distinct ability to translate ancient instrumental traditions into modern pedagogical contexts.

Looking Ahead to 2027

Rather than treating world music as an ethnographic curiosity, Chouki’s year-long tenure actively integrates diaspora music into university curriculum. His campus residency will culminate on February 27, 2027, with an expansive orchestral performance at the Williams Center—further cementing how innovative artistry can turn an ordinary cigar box into an international bridge of understanding.