Mawazine 2024: Ateez and Alawn rock the festival with unforgettable performances. Credit: MAP
An unmissable event for music lovers and enthusiasts in Morocco, the Mawazine festival is considered among the largest cultural events in the world, offering a rich and demanding program: an anthology of certain concerts which attracted crowds on June 23 and 24
Between Balqees Fathi and Morocco, there is a great love story. An obvious fact which was confirmed and illustrated once again during his unprecedented performance in Moroccan colors, delivered on Sunday evening at the Nahda stage, on the occasion of the 19th edition of the Mawazine rhythms of the world festival, which continues until June 29.
Dressed in a sumptuous takchita richly decorated with gold and a selham Moroccan style, the famous Yemeni star made a majestic entrance to thunderous applause from a preconceived audience and ululations as is the Moroccan tradition.
From the first notes, the interaction between the audience and Balqees was immediate, starting with a classic song from the Moroccan repertoire, Hiya, Hiya of the late Hajja El Hamdaouia. Enchanted by his powerful and melodious voice, the spectators sang in chorus, creating a warm and friendly atmosphere.
During this memorable evening full of emotions, Balqees brilliantly performed a beautiful selection of the best-known Arabic songs and an anthology of hits from his repertoire, notably his songs in Darija which were a great success and a hit, accumulating millions of views on Youtube, namely Sabra (27M), Taala Tchouf (40M) and its most recent Tawaak Galbak (1.6M), released 5 days ago.
Delivering an exceptional performance, highlighting the richness of Moroccan music and culture, this star of modern Arabic song also treated his fans to emblematic pieces of national heritage, immersing the audience in a typically Moroccan atmosphere.
Perfectly mastering the darija, Balqees managed a fluid and subtle transition between his pieces and Moroccan songs, demonstrating his ability to fuse different musical styles, mixing traditional Arabic music with contemporary sounds.
The show reached its climax when she was joined on stage by a Moroccan folklore group who invaded the stage with their boundless energy with choreographies and songs drawn from the rich national heritage.
And to make his reunion with the Mawazine audience unforgettable, Balqees closed in style by performing the famous Moroccan song Aichi my country, while raising the Moroccan flag as high as possible.
Throughout the evening, Balqees, who spoke to his audience in Darija, did not stop expressing his love for Morocco which occupies a special place in his heart and his pride in performing in one of the largest festivals worldwide.
One of the hottest Arab artists, Balqees Fathi is a Yemeni singer and actress. Coming from a family of musicians, Balqees developed a passion for music very early on and began performing on stage as a teenager.
In 2013, Balqees released her first self-titled album, which was a great success and propelled her to the rank of star of Arab music. Since then, she has had a string of successes with albums such as Zai Ma Ana et Majnoun.
Balqees has received several awards since the beginning of her career, including Arabian Music Awards, Middle East Music Award, Arab Women Awards and Emirates Woman Award.
Survoltage K-pop
An avalanche of K-Pop beats fell on the supercharged OLM Souissi stage in Rabat, carrying the audience into breathtaking energy during a musical evening with two headliners.
DJ Alawn and the Korean octet Ateez, two icons of this flamboyant concert, gratified the audience not only with arpeggios and catchy rhythms, but also with beautifully executed choreographies, on the occasion of the 19th edition of the Mawazine festival Rhythms of the World.
As promised, Alawn opened the ball with a colorful K-Pop musical mix to rock the evening with hectic rhythms, in the presence of an audience who is passionate about Korean charm and culture.
Between the refined selection of songs and a harmonious beat juggling, Alawn ignited the stage to make young and old alike jump, while punctuating his arrangements with percussive interactions to keep the energy high.
This artist with a musical ear offered a musical palette as varied as it is dynamic, composed, among others, of Good Boy Gone Bad de Tomorrow X Together, Fantastic Baby de Bigbang, Seven by Jungkook (BTS) et Back door by Stray Kids, in addition to extracts of Moroccan music which exploded the stage with cries of joy, like Reggada et Colna Mgharba from the H-Kayn group.
In addition, Alawn reserved a surprise for his audience by inviting on stage the British artist based in India, Zahra Khan, who performed her Indian song Kusu Kusu, in addition to the famous hit Dynamite from the famous K-Pop group BTS.
And it’s Ateez’s turn to take over and further stir up the atmosphere brilliantly, thanks to a skillfully maintained stage presence and performances peppered with beats which resemble a formidable sound eruption.
Despite the absence of its member Woo Young, Ateez left nothing to chance to make his grooves heard and illustrate his precise, coherent and ultra-fast choreographies, like a work of art conceived with subtlety.
Guerrilla, Answer, Wave, Crazy Form, Arriba”or The real, a whole rich, high-intensity setlist that the group brilliantly offered to K-Pop fans who were deeply delighted by the superposition of melodies and grandiose stage performances.
Young people, adolescents and children accompanied by their parents, all gave in to the exhilaration in this breathtaking concert which featured the synchronization between the steps, the words, the beats, the jets of smoke and the directive light nets which crossed each other while crossing the stage space.
In the middle of their show, the members of Ateez, the first K-pop group to participate in Mawazine, said they were honored to perform on the OLM Souissi stage of this international festival, while expressing their gratitude for being able to connect Korea and Morocco through their music, to then carry the Moroccan flag to thunderous applause.
The tone rises to a crescendo, the tempo accelerates and the energy becomes more and more breathtaking, this is how the OLM Souissi scene vibrated to the rhythms of K-Pop. All things considered, no one needs to be an expert to see that this incredible concert captivated a large fanbase in the capital.
Born in France, Alawn is a multi-platinum producer with 24 Billboard #1 chart entries to his credit. Living between Houston and Los Angeles, Alawn began his business career with an artist/DJ project and then found his way into the world of K-pop, which solidified after his first trip to Seoul for a camp writing with SM Entertainment.
As for the K-Pop group Ateez, which debuted in 2018 with the album Treasure EP.1 : All to Zero, is composed of Hong Joong, Yun Ho, Seong Hwa, Yeo Sang, San, Min Gi, Woo Young and Jong Ho. The members of Ateez compose and create the choreography of their songs and continue to distinguish themselves through their artistic creativity, their unique concepts and their connection with their fans around the world.
Yamê and Luidji set the mood
In front of an enthusiastic and tireless young audience, the rappers and singers Yamê and Luidji delivered breathtaking concerts where rhythms and sounds blended to create an incomparable festive atmosphere on the Bouregreg stage.
Looking back on the highlights of his career since his Parisian Jams, Yamê, who launched his professional career in 2020, shared with the audience of the 19th edition of the Festival a succession of songs as catchy as they were striking in the beauty of their lyrics.
Revisiting the codes of trap and drill, the Franco-Cameroonian artist with a particular groove and captivating voice, immersed the audience in a unique atmosphere, where the tones and the frenzy of the rhythms captivated and made music lovers dance. .
With his excellent mastery of treble, his relaxed style and his multiple talents, the interpreter of Business, Bike et Call of Valhalla ignited his fans with a selection of tracks with diverse influences and deep messages.
For his part, Luidji made a sensational entrance for the “first concert in its history in Morocco”inviting the Festival’s bustling and inexhaustible audience to a unique moment of happiness and sharing.
Following his hit tracks, the Val-d’Oisiens rapper set the mood, particularly with the songs from his album Saison 00where he begins a process of introspection and delivers poignant messages.
Warm with his audience and charismatic on stage, Luidji delivered a unique performance, inviting his fans to reflect deeply on themselves as well as on the world, all against a backdrop of captivating rhythms and a unique flow.
Born to a musician father and a computer scientist mother, Yamê played in Parisian jams for several years as a keyboardist and singer. These stage experiences led him to perfect himself and develop his own style.
Luidji Jordan Alexis, his real name, became interested in rap and began writing his first lyrics at the age of 15. After recording, he shared his creations on skyblog and finally released his very first mixtape, Freshness in 2009.
His very US rap influences range from Snoop Dogg to 50 Cent via Eminem. He dropped out of higher education after his second year to devote himself to rap. He was signed by the Wagram Music label before founding his own independent label in 2015.
An air of Buenos Aires
The Argentine musical group Cuarteto Tafi thrilled the audience on the Chellah stage to the rhythms of Latin melodies.
In a serene atmosphere, the audience was treated to a musical show from Latin America, which brought together music lovers of art and music celebrating tolerance and peace.
The Argentine musical group, which is performing for the first time in Morocco and at Mawazine, one of the most important international festivals celebrating Arab and international art and music, ignited the audience with their dancing melodies mixing joy and peace, for the pleasure of their fans. On this occasion, Leonor Harispe wanted to thank the public present, adding that “This is the first time that we are visiting this magnificent and attractive country, with a sunny and refreshing environment, and a warm people with a great passion for music and art.”
The Argentine singer performed several songs alongside Ludovic Deny on bouzouki, Matthieu Guenez on guitar and oud and Frédéric Theiler on percussion and electronic programming, in addition to several popular Argentine dances of Latin American origin .
The public was also there during this unique show with a wide repertoire of Argentinian artistic heritage, which transported them to the discovery of Leonor’s radiant voice and a rich culture.
To close in apotheosis, the group did not fail to sing Pachamamma meaning the earth and the mother, a popular song performed by the group with a unique rhythm, since it is an engaged poetry and a song carrying messages of hope and which deals with social and human issues.
