Thus, this special edition, which will bring together more than 400 artists from 14 countries, offers some 53 concerts, a human rights forum, a training program with the prestigious musical institution Berklee College of Music, round tables on Gnaoua culture, as well as a large exhibition of Moroccan and renowned artists, in addition to numerous activities throughout the city, the organizers emphasize in a press release.
“This exceptional edition will open with two highlights that will leave a lasting impression, including the traditional and thunderous opening parade bringing together all the brotherhoods present. It is a colorful spectacle, led by the Maâlems Gnaoua, strolling through the streets to meet the Souiris and festival-goers, in order to celebrate together the launch of the 25th edition,” they explained.
The parade will be followed by a unique concert, a musical creation of the Festival which will celebrate transatlantic fraternity by bringing together musicians and dancers from Morocco, Brazil, Spain and the Ivory Coast.
According to the same source, it is a real musical and visual experience, an explosion of rhythms mixing the genres of Gnaoua, Brazilian Batucada, Flamenco and Zaouli to put their similarities into perspective.
“This show will also mark, for the first time, the extraordinary meeting between three genres classified on the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage (Gnaoua, Flamenco and Zaouli),” the organizers emphasize.
The great Malem Hassan Boussou and the fiery Maâlem Moulay Tayeb Dehbi will exchange their spiritual notes with their Brazilian alter-egos, the very committed Ilê Aiyê; a brilliant ensemble of percussionists who promote the African component of Bahian music.
The Dumanlé Company, which practices Zaouli (a popular Ivorian art which combines, in the same show, mask, costume, music and dance) will face the percussive zapateado of the Flamenco dancer Nino de Los Reyes accompanied by the percussionist Sergio Martinez.
A highly anticipated merger that will certainly go down in history, the same source continues.
This year again, the programming of the Gnaoua and World Music Festival has been carefully designed to offer a wide variety of musical genres and artists, making demanding and popular choices.
The Festival offers a bold and inclusive program, a hallmark of this event that provides a unique experience in the world. More than 400,000 festival-goers are expected this year, from around forty countries and from all over Morocco, the press release concludes.
2024-09-04 08:41:36