Monday, November 18, 2024 at 5:06 p.m.
El Jadida – The first edition of the “Arouah Ghiwania” Festival began Sunday evening at the Saïd Afifi theater in El Jadida, with popular music concerts on the program until November 30.
Organized by the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, in partnership with the Council of the Casablanca-Settat region, this traveling festival takes place in El Jadida, Aïn Harrouda and Casablanca.
Paying tribute to the legendary Nass Al Ghiwane troupe, the festival offers a series of shows celebrating this musical genre deeply anchored in Moroccan culture. The opening evening remarkably captivated the audience with vibrant performances by the groups “Mesnawa” and “Derhem”, master Gnaoui Bakbou and artist Nabil Khalidi.
In a statement to MAP, Hicham Bahloul, Director of the Saïd Afifi Theater, affirmed that this festival seeks to make its modest contribution to the preservation of this typically Moroccan musical heritage.
“The Ghiwani phenomenon, a vector of social and spiritual reflections, challenges us all. We are counting on our youth to ensure its sustainability over time, from one generation to the next,” he said before adding that “this is a unique celebration of Moroccan musical soul, between collective memory and renewed creativity”.
Mohamed Derham, founding member of the Jil Jilala troupe, for his part, welcomed the organization of this festival exclusively reserved for this popular music.
“In a country as culturally rich as Morocco, where more than 150 rhythms coexist, this festival is a favorable opportunity for the promotion of this musical heritage as well as its transmission to future generations,” he told MAP.
For his part, Abdelfattah Derrazi, member of the group Mesnawa, emphasized the social scope and cultural charge of the messages contained in the songs of Nass Al Ghiwane, also insisting on the importance of making this musical genre better known. with new generations so that they can be inspired by it and perpetuate it.
Registered as part of the Regional Development Plan (PDR 2022-2027), this festival aligns with the strategic objectives of diversification and enrichment of the cultural offer in the Casablanca-Settat region, we learn from the organizers.
Organized in parallel with the Independence Day festivities, it highlights the importance of Ghiwanie music in Moroccan identity while exploring its revival in the face of contemporary musical trends.
For the evening of this Monday, the public will have an appointment with an exceptional evening hosted by Nass Al Ghiouane and Lemchaheb at the Saïd Afifi theater in El Jadida.
