The Gnaoua World Music Festival opened June 12th in Essaouira. Photo: Magharebia/Hassan Benmehdi
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* “Culture helps open up channels of dialogue and resolve the conflicts that tear apart and divide this continent.” *
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Magharebia, by Hassan Benmehdi (Casablanca, Magharebia, June 17, 2014) ― Every time it hosts the Gnaoua World Music Festival, the Moroccan city of Essaouira is transformed into a crossroads for world cultures and civilizations.
The 17th edition of the event was attended by musicians and artists from all over. The performers act as ambassadors for their countries’ heritage. An equally large number of international visitors travelled to Essaouira for the festival, which wrapped up Sunday (June 15th). The four-day event entertained the young and old.
Young participant Faicel Ladibi and his friend Zouhir Belmaati from Casablanca told Magharebia that the Essaouira festival gave them an opportunity to meet people from different cultures. “The Gnaoua Festival gives us a chance to experience moments of sharing and discover other civilizations,” they said. “It’s really cool.”
Another participant, Morad Badouz, said that after his baccalaureate exams, the Gnaoua Festival was a long-awaited opportunity for him to have fun with his friends. “My friends and I had our dose of Gnaoua music combined with other styles such as jazz and blues,” Badouz said.
Tandia M’bay, a tourist from Senegal, summed up her happiness as follows: “At this festival, I feel as if I’m at home.” Organizers focused on sub-Saharan culture in this year’s edition. They highlighted its role in reconciliation, sharing and peace in this region, which has fallen victim to terrorism at the hands of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.
“Through this year’s festival, we have tried to show that culture is a force for reconciliation between Africans and an effective tool to promote it among young people and combat violence and backward thinking,” event director Neila Tazi said.
The festival in Essaouira drew to a close on Sunday on Moulay Hassan Square with a fusion concert led by the Gnaoua Maalem, Hamid El Kasri. Accompanied by Bassekou Kouyate, a Malian master of the N’goni (an African traditional musical instrument), El Kasri offered music that delighted the audience.
During a meeting with journalists, Marcus Miller, the great bass guitar player, said that he had discovered a melodic style of music where fusion with another musical genre “gives nothing but happiness and harmony.” Fusion was the main attraction at the event.
At the top of the bill was the mix of music provided by Maalem Hassan Boussou, a Gnaoua musician who likes to mix it all up. French musician Didier Lockwood also performed for the crowd, while Foulane, who plays the Agadir rbab, added an Amazigh flavour to this Gnaoua celebration.
During a forum held on the side-lines of the festival on Saturday, the participants lamented the lack of interest in African culture. This situation needs to be challenged “because culture helps open up channels of dialogue and resolve the conflicts that tear apart and divide this continent,” they agreed. “We must turn our attention to reconciliation,” National Human Rights Council President Driss El Yazami told attendees.
US Ambassador in Rabat, Dwight L. Bush, who attended a portion of the forum on Saturday, said he was surprised by the cultural diversity of a city and a festival he had not been familiar with.
“By contrast with previous festivals, no big concerts were scheduled for this seventeenth run of the festival,” said Maalam Abdselam Alikane, the festival’s artistic director. “But the event did its job of reassuring fans by offering high-quality fusions and in particular by showcasing Gnaoua culture.”
During a speech at the opening ceremony Thursday, Moroccan Culture Minister Mohamed Amine Sbihi underlined his department’s commitment to supporting the coastal town in its role as a crossroads for world civilizations.
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