Gnaoua, Hmadcha, Aissaoua, Haddarates, Fantasias… on the program
Music lovers of the Gnaoua and World Music Festival will be able to reach the city of trade winds the day after Eid El Fitr. And for good reason, the Essaouira provincial tourism council is offering festival-goers a program of festivities spread over the days of June 27 and 28. According to Redwane Khanne, president of CPT-Essaouira, “the objective of this program is to pay tribute to the Gnaoua and World Music Festival, an international event which contributes to the influence of the city of trade winds and enhances the prestige and tourist positioning of Essaouira”.This invitation is intended to be a subtle transition to the 20th edition of the festival which will kick off on Thursday June 29 with the merger of the maâlems Mohamed and Said Kouyou and the Brazilian Carlinhos Brown. The provincial tourism council, in collaboration with the province of Essaouira, the provincial council, the city municipal council, the provincial tourism delegation, the Yerma Gnaoua association and the A3 Communication agency therefore invite the general public to experience a week of artistic discoveries which reflect the richness and modernity of the cultural heritage of Essaouira.
“The city of Essaouira is happy to return to the usual dates of the festival, namely the end of June, the period during which the festival has always taken place, apart from these last 3 years during which it was necessary to adapt to the calendar of the holy month of Ramadan. The end of June is a period that was chosen from the creation of the festival because it allows the summer season to be launched in a city where cultural tourism has become an essential activity for the local economy,” explain the organizers in this regard. And added:“This year, the festival taking place the day after the Eid El Fitr festival, the quality of the program offered will only encourage festival-goers to come in large numbers.
On the eve of this very special anniversary, we are happy to already inform the general public and lovers of the Gnaoua and World Music Festival and its unique atmosphere that the festival will be held next year from June 21 to 24, 2018. The proposed program celebrates the most beautiful mystical and popular traditions of Essaouira around Gnaoua, Hmadcha, Aissaoua, Haddarates and Fantasias. Free concerts and shows will be produced by a selection of Gnaouis and Issaouis maâlems as well as musical groups. To discover, Maâlem Abdelaziz Soudani, group of young Djembe musicians, Maâlem Lahcen Mhid, Maâlem Abdelmalek Alkadiri, Maâlem Sedik El Arch, Maâlem Lahcen Mhidi or Maâlem Khalid Amerhouch.
