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By Hajar Boutafi
Morocco World News
El Jadida, Morocco, December 31, 2012
As we turn the page of 2012, Morocco World News takes a look at some of the most notable cultural events in Morocco in the current year.
From the capital city of Art in the north of Morocco, Assilah opened its wide curtains on the Assilah’s Creative Women Festival; this latter embraced cultural diversity and tolerance, allowing national and international artists to exhibit their best of tableaus. A special Homage was paid to late Dounia Walit, a Moroccan contemporary artist who died suddenly in Germany. The festival was an occasion to build bridges between civilizations fond of art and maintain artistic connections with experts and amateurs worldwide.
Not far from Assila, The Festival of Sacred Music enchanted the stage of Dar Dbibegh in Fes with its music that addresses the human soul. A special tribute was paid to Omar el Khayyam, the great Persian poet. Fes explored a vast diversified repertoire of songs and rhymes of the cultures of the globe.
Far from Assilah, Marrakesh dominated the cinematic scene of the year making out of its history an icon of prestige, beauty and mystery. Rich, colorful and complicated, the Moroccan Caftan walks ostentatiously on the red carpet of Honor. With multiple designers, mostly Moroccans, The Caftan 2012 Festival guaranteed for itself a visa to the universe, competing among the master pieces of international traditional clothes. The festival in its 16th edition covered Marrakesh with a red chaperon of love, tolerance and enthusiasm.
Marrakesh was also the oasis of the year speaking Hindi this time in The International Film Festival. The festival in its 12th edition was marked by the commemoration of the Indian cinema which celebrates its centenary this year. Morocco has decided to pay tribute to this industry for its contribution in enriching the cinematic scene of Morocco for years and years, connecting Morocco as well the world to the lands of the khans. Bollywood unveils a rich history and a vivid cultural and religious diversity, creates with its marvelous décor and saris, its breath taking choreographies and its simple lives one of the rare harmonious cinemas that Morocco in particular loved heartily.
To Essaouira this time. The Festival of Gnawa in Essaouira twitted the region with sacredness. The festival assured the continuity of a sacred type of music: Gnawa. Aimed at creating a melting pot of Gnawi artists from different parts of the globe, the Festival succeeded in winning an international profile suitable for the pride of a kingdom like Morocco. Born in Africa, Gnawa addressed with music those who claimed that Africa had no culture; the music spoke instead and spirituality rose with it.
Mawazine was also a top hit this year; with Cheb Khalid, Maria Carey Jimmy Cliff, Evanescence and the Master of Latino Music Pitbull, the Souissi stage was a ball of fire For thousands of young Moroccans longing to see their favorite singers live. The festival also invited thousands of Moroccan music icons such as Naima Samih and Karima Skalli in addition to Arab divas like Nancy Ajram, Assala, Yara, Wael Kfouri, Fadl Shakir and many others.
The festival gave a life opportunity this year to young amateurs and artists to perform, under the guidance of RedOne, the Moroccan Composer of the Famous Lopez’s ‘On the Floor’.
As this year’s nice moments made our lives happy, sad moments touched our hearts too, making of 2012 unique par excellence’.
Morocco lost several names of weight in the cinematic and musical scene of the kingdom; some of the one of a kind people who built up this country step by step: Mohamed Sousdi, Mohamed Rouicha, Tayeb Laalaj, Aziz Alaoui and abderrahman Bakou.
