3rd edition of the Festival in
the City
May 29th to June 6th 2004
Concerts at the Bab Boujloud square
- Free admittance
-
Festival in the
City
During the entire period of the Festival and the Rencontres de
Fès Colloquium, the city of Fès, and more particularly
the Medina (the old town) come alive to the rhythm of a rich array
of concerts, Sufi evenings, exhibitions, literary cafes and educational
activities for young people.
Whether in the patios or the tiny streets, the Festival in the
City is a celebration of the arts and the spirit of the people
of Fès who, are the guests of honor.
Artists like Sabah Fakhri, the Salah Morsli Mouachchahats, the
Ahwach Ensemble directed by Mouha Oulhoussein maestro, Meher and
Sheher Ali, Hussein Al Adhami and Liz Mc Comb with the Arc Gospel
Choir of Harlem will perform in the Bab Boujloud Square, which
easily lends itself to open air concerts and is accessible to
many neighborhoods of the Medina.
In the traditional patio of Dar Tazi, where the head quarter
of Fès Saïss is currently located, Sufi evenings will
take place as well as a literary café. Arab-speaking writers,
poets, painters and musicians will gather here and exchange experiences
amongst themselves and with the public.
As for the young Fassis, they will be able to take advantage
of various cultural and artistic activities such as theatrical,
music and song workshops, which will be organized in the Al Qods
Cultural Complex.
Mohamed Azzelarab AMRANI
Director of the Festival in the City
Program
Saturday May 29th
- 5:30 PM
- Part I: The Fes Malhoun Orchestra, with the participation
of Asmae lazrek (Morocco)
- Part II: The Whirling Dervishes of Konya - Music and
Songs of the Mevlevi Sufi Brotherhood (Turkey)
Sunday May 30th
- 5:30 PM
- Part I: Mouna Assad and Mohamed Reda- Religious Compositions
by Aziz Housni (Morocco)
- Part II: Hussein Al Adhami - Iraqi Mystical Songs and
Poems (Iraq)
Monday May 31st - 5:30 PM
Religious Chants of Morocco
- Part I: Salah Morsli's Mouachchahat-s Ensemble (Morocco)
- Part II: Participation of Nezha Cheebaoui (soloist)
and Fouad Zbadi (soloist) (Morocco)
Tuesday June 1st - 7:00
PM
- Part I: Meher Ali and Sheher Ali - Qawwali Sufi Tradition
(Pakistan)
- Part II: Tagada Ensemble, Popular Spiritual Chants
(Morocco)
Wednesday June 2nd - 5:30
PM
- Part I: The Anaiki Men's Choir, Traditional and Scared
Songs of the Basque Country (France)
- Part II: Toktoka Chants by Mohammed Gorfty - Sacred
songs from the Moroccan Jbel (Morocco)
Thursday June 3rd - 5:30
PM
- Part I : Torat Ensemble -Rhythmic Dialogues (France
- Morocco)
- Part II : Mohamed Ali - Sacred Songs (Morocco)
Friday June 4th - 5:30 PM
- Part I : Moneim Adwan - Popular and Sacred Songs of
Palestine (Palestine)
- Part II : Amazigh Group from the Moroccan South, directed
by Raïs Damou - Amazigh Symphonies (Morocco)
Saturday, June 5th - 5:30
PM
- Sabah Fakhri - Songs of Spiritual Love (Syria)
Sunday, June 6th
- 5:30 PM
- Part I : Ahwach Group with maestro Mouha Oulhoussein
- Traditional zayan songs (Morocco)
- Part II : Liz McComb, accompanied by Harold C. Johnson
(Organ), and the Arc Gospel Choir of Harlem - Gospel (USA)
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Biographies of the Artists of
the Festival in the city
The Fès Malhoun Orchestra with the participation of
Asmae Lazrak (Morocco)
The Malhoun group was founded in 1956 by the Fès radio
under the direction of Mr. Mohamed Bouzoubaa. The group was composed
of great artists of this style of popular singing. Beginning in
1966, the great singer Haj Mohamed Bouzoubaa Junior assumed direction
of the group until 1997. Since this date, it has been directed
by Mr. Mohamed Alami. This young artist works with the goal of
preserving this art and promoting it through various international
styles. The orchestra will be accompanied by the young malhoun
singer Asmae Lazrak who has participated in a number of malhoun
festivals, including the Malhoun Festival of Tafilalet, and the
second annual Malhoun Festival in Fès. She has also participated
in several performances at the Mohammed V Theater in Rabat and
in the televised national competition Noujoum wa Noujoum (Stars
and Stars) where she won second prize. She represented Morocco
at the Tunis Festival side-by-side with artists of international
repute.
Mohamed Reda (Morocco)
Born in Fez in 1978, Mohamed Reda pursued a musical education
at the Conservatory of Marrakesh. A participant in numerous festivals
in Morocco in which he performed several songs which have become
great hits such as " Ma Madaa ", in 2000 he was awarded
1st Prize for Arab Songs for his composition " Arfoud ",
at the Festival of Casablanca as well as 2nd Prize at the Festival
of Dubai. Continuing to develop his artistic potential, Mohamed
Reda launched his first single " Mawada ". He has participated
in numerous celebrations and festivals in the Arab World and especially
in Europe where he did a grand tour with the stunning opera "
Compagnie Nationale de Théâtre et d'Opéra
", playing the role of " Garcia " in Bizet's celebrated
piece "Carmen". He also participated in the grand creation
and production of Olivier Déborde's " Le café
chantant ", integrating the Aljisre Group during its tour
of France. Currently, he is producing his first album which brings
together different musical styles and contains eight titles written
and composed by great Moroccan and Arab artists and arranged by
the maestro Moulay Rachid Eregragi, while at the same time pursuing
his artistic development in Morocco or during his tours abroad.
Mouna Asaad (Morocco)
Born in 1968, Mouna Asaad is considered one of the most promising
young voices of Morocco. Raised in a family of artists, she was
trained at the Music Conservatory of Rabat where she learned the
art of singing. She discovered in herself a vocation for singing
classical Arab songs, in particular those of Oum Kaltoum.
The Mouwashahat Ensemble of Salah Morsli (Morocco)
Founded in Casablanca in 2001, the Mouwashahat Ensemble brings
together artists and musicologists under the direction of Maître
Salah Morsli, Director of the Music Conservatory of Casablanca.
The group has shown a special interest in Arab music with the
view of preserving the heritage of the great Arab singers, particularly
in the style of Mouwshahat. The Ensemble has given numerous concerts,
including one on the occasion of the World Music Day with the
artist Adib Addayekh, and also on the occasion of the 27th anniversary
of the death of Oum Khaltoum. In addition, the group has participated
in the Fès Festival in 2002 and 2003 as well as in the
Festival of Rabat in 2003.
Nezha Chaabaoui (Morocco)
Born in Casablanca in 1968, Nezha Chaabaoui pursued her studies
in classical singing and Solfeggio at the International Institute
of Music and Dance. She won the Golden Microphone Award at the
Arab Union Festival of Rabat national Radio with the song "
Dilal achak " written by Mohamed Khadir Raissouni and composed
by Azeddine Al Mountassir. Her repertoire comprises over 30 songs
written and composed by a variety of poets and composers, including
Fath Allah Lamghari, Ahmed Tayeb Laalaj, Ali Haddani, Mustapha
Baghdad, and Mohamed Raouf.
Fouad Zbadi (Morocco)
Fouad Zbadi was born in 1955 in Meknès. Since his earliest
youth, his talent for singing was quickly recognized. Along side
his university studies in hard sciences, he continued to exhibit
a strong interest in art, eventually deciding to devote himself
entirely to singing. He has participated in several musical events
and festivals, such as the Cairo Opera, and the Tunis Festival
in 1999, the Rabat Festival in 2000, and the Jarash Festival in
Jordan. He earned the Jury's Prize at the International song Festival
of Cairo in 2000 and has given numerous recorded performances
for radios and televisions in the Arab World.
Ensemble Tagada (Morocco)
A Moroccan ensemble of stage and popular arts performers, this
group is highly regarded nationwide. Since its founding in 1972,
the Ensemble has devoted itself to the preservation of various
aspects of Morocco's cultural and artistic heritage. They have
produced several songs, theater pieces and television skits. The
Tagada Ensemble is also known for its talent in the domain of
song, where is holds a place of honor in Morocco and abroad. The
group has participated in a number of festivals, such as the International
Festival of Rhythm in India, the Ana Festival in the USA, the
International Festival of Malta, the Cultural Encounters in the
Arabian Gulf, the Festival of Carthage, the International Festival
of Dakar, among others.
Aziz Housni (Morocco)
A graduate of the National Institute of Music and Dance of Rabat
in 1988, Aziz Housni is Director of the artistic production and
distribution company Angham Al Houb. Having begun his performing
career in 1970, he participated in the first Moroccan song festival
in 1985, and has composed generic television programs and theatre
pieces. More than 40 of his songs can be found in the video archives
of Morocco's National television station (RTM) and at the Union
of Arab TV Channels. His compositions have been distributed to
Moroccan television stations for use as musical background for
televised dramas. Aziz Housni has collaborated with a range of
Moroccan singers, including Abdelhadi Belkhayat, Soumia Kaissa,
Karima Skalli and Mohamed Ali.
Mohammed Al Gorfty (Morocco)
Mohamed Al Gorfty was born in 1924 within the Beni Gorft tribe.
At the age of 7 he settled in the city of Tangier. He learned
the art of tektouka in an artistic café in the Souk Quarter,
which was frequented by some great masters. He subsequently participated
in the recording of songs at Radio Tangier, at that time under
the direction of Mustapha Abdellah. He was invited by the Minister
Moulay Ahmed Alaoui for the opening of the Radio and Television
broadcasting studios of Aïn Chok (Casablanca). Since then,
he has been invited to numerous national and international cultural
gatherings. He received the First Prize at the Arab Folklore Festival
at which all the members of his group were awarded medals.
The Torat Ensemble (Morocco)
Ali Alaoui was born in Fès, where he has practiced percussionis
since his childhood. He joined the National Radio and Television
Orchestra of Fès. Then, following five years of experience
with the Moroccan National Orchestra in Rabat he began to teach
at the Conservatory of Casablanca. At the occasion of the Year
of Morocco in 1999, he plunged passionately into interactions
with other artists, musicians, singers and dancers, thus broadening
his own cultural horizons. His playing exhibits great imagination
in the combination of rhythms and sound effects, an art which
he places at the service of the structure of the performance,
the musical arrangement as well as the dance. He then created
workshops for oriental percussion at Music'Halle and collaborates
with diverse instructional programs a the University of Musicology
of Mirail. His desire to promote the difficult but passion-inspiring
cross-fertilization of oriental and occidental cultures led him
to share his art with musicians representing a wide range of styles
including flamenco, jazz, traditional such as Vicente Pradal,
and with musical groups such as Tre Fontane, the Vielestic Orchestra,
as well as Saïd Chraïbi and Cheb Khaled.
Mohamed Ali (Morocco)
Mohamed Ali is considered one of the great interpreters of song
and music not only in Morocco, but all over the Arab World. A
descendant of Moulay Issa Ben Driss, of the Ait Aatab tribe, he
joined the Moroccan National Radio and Television Orchestra early
on with the support of the great composer Ahmed Bidaoui. He has
worked as a composer himself with some renowned singers, including
Samira Bensaïd, Ismaïl Ahmed, Bachir Abdou. An interpreter
of over 400 songs, he has received numerous national and international
distinctions.
The Amazigh Group of Southern Morocco, directed by Raïs
Damou (Morocco)
The composer Raïs Damou was born in Agadir in 1955 and boasts
a repertoire of more than 240 songs on different themes. He has
recorded concerts for the Moroccan television channels TVM and
2M and has participated in many national and international artistic
gatherings. Raïs Damou is an activist in the promotion and
preservation of Amazigh (Berber) culture; He is President of the
" Akaïn " Assocation for Amazigh culture and art
and President of the Moroccan Amazigh Symphonic Group. He is also
the representative in Agadir for the Union of Moroccan Musicians.
The Ahouach Ensemble with the Maestro Moha Oulhoussein Achiban
(Morocco)
The performer Moha Oulhoussein Achiban was born in Azrou in 1916.
He took part in the resistance that fought to win independence
for Morocco. In 1950 he began a long artistic career which has
earned him the title of "Maestro". He is considered
one the most eminent interpreters of Amazigh song of the Middle
Atlas. With the Ahidouss Ensemble, composed of 21 persons, he
was able to acquire great fame both nationally and internationally.
He is particularly noted for his frequent annual contributions
to the Festival of Popular Arts of Marrakesh. He was able to earn
a place of honor for the art of ahidouss in numerous international
cultural events in Africa, Europe and the USA. He has made a number
of recordings for Walt Disney in California.
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