Essaouira Gnaoua Festival Reflects Morocco’s Commitment to Solidarity With Palestine

Essaouira – The 25th edition of the Gnaoua and World Music Festival has officially kicked off in Essaouira.

The musical grand mass opened on the evening of Thursday, June 27, and included a traditional parade where personalities from the political, associative and cultural world, as well as some members of the government, mingled with the crowd.

From Bab Doukkala to the gates of the Moulay El Hassan stage, many officials accompanied Neila Tazi, director of the Festival, on the parade route, including Mehdi Bensaid, Minister of Culture, Youth and Communication, among others.

The opening also saw the presence of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Former Prime Minister of Spain, André Azoulay, Advisor to the King of Morocco, and Puneet Talwar, US Ambassador to Morocco.

Once the parade made its final way to the Moulay El Hassan stage, Tazi took the floor for opening remarks, where she emphasized that the festival “nourishes the souls.” She also expressed pride in seeing that each year, more and more visitors, often from far away, join this “beautiful experience that upholds values of peace and coexistence.”

She also highlighted the festival’s commitment to the values of peace and solidarity with Palestine.

“This 25th edition is a very special occasion to thank all those who have contributed to the sustainability and the development of this fantastic festival,” Tazi remarked.

“Thank you to our public and private partners, (and) our sponsors, because we keep this festival free and open to all. Thank you to the media because they spread our message all over the world. Thank you to the citizens of Essaouira for hosting all these people in this magical atmosphere.”

For his part, Minister of Culture Mehdi Bensaid, praised the positive influence that the festival has brought to the city of Essaouira for 25 years, lauding its role in making culture central to the economic development of the city.

“The truth is that the festival, at the end of the day, is 25 years old, as you know,” Bensaid said. “Thank God, it has given a positive dynamic to the city of Essaouira, and Essaouira today, if you come to it on any day of the year, you will find a group of festivals.”

Bensaid also quoted King Mohammed VI, saying “culture is the human being”, underlining the importance of investing in culture as a means of investing in people.

The kickoff of this 25th edition anniversary was marked by an unprecedented fusion concert, bringing artists and dancers from Morocco, Brazil and the Ivory Coast together on stage.

This show celebrated for the first time the meeting of three musical genres inscribed on UNESCO’s intangible heritage list: Gnaoua, Flamenco and Zaouili.

Maâlems Hassan Boussou and Moulay Tayeb Dehbi exchanged their spiritual notes with those of their Brazilian counterparts from Ilê Aiyê, while the Compagnie Dumanlé faced off with the percussive zapateado of flamenco dancer Nino de Los Reyes and percussionist Sergio Martinez.

The performance was an eclectic and lively mix of infectious beats that picked up tempo, putting the audience under a rhythmic trance from start to finish.

Music fans from far and wide

Festival-goers, who came from all corners of Morocco and the world, expressed their happiness and appreciation for the unique atmosphere of the festival and the city of Essaouira in statements to Morocco World News (MWN).

Ira, coming all the way from Saint Petersburg, Russia was one such world music fan. Swaying to the music on the sidelines of the opening parade, she expressed she loved the culture has lots of Moroccan friends. She told MWN that she specifically has a love for the eclectic style that is showcased by festival goers, which is a mix of both the traditional and the modern.

Some fans came from abroad seeking out specific artists that reminded them of home. One such fan, Manuella, made her way to Essaouira all the way from Brazil, in order to see Ilê Aiyê perform for the first time. She told MWN that the band represents social justice and the Black power of the Gbaya people. Her keen interest in this group, and the genre as a whole was the driving passion to attend this year.

While some made the festival a destination, other fans did not have to travel far. Terry, originally from France, has been calling Essaouira home for the past two years. He told MWN that this is his second time at the festival, which he added is an incredible experience, that takes much time for the community to prepare for. He also added that the festival is an opportunity to share both friendship and love.

As the festival continues onto its next few days, it promises beautiful discoveries and musical encounters until its closing.