Tangier festival celebrates Amazigh culture

03/08/2006

The second Mediterranean Amazigh Festival of Tangier is being held from 3-6 August. The event aims to recognise Amazigh culture in Morocco.

By Farah Kinani for Magharebia in Washington – 03/08/06

[File] The Touiza Association is holding its second annual Mediterranean Amazigh Festival of Tangier.

The second Mediterranean Amazigh Festival of Tangier is celebrating Amazigh culture from 3-6 August. The Touiza Assocation, which is hosting the event, says its hopes to encourage a spirit of citizenship, national unity and cultural dialogue.

After the success of last year's festival, the association expects the annual event to create a tradition of dialogue and communication between Mediterranean peoples, as well as attract tourists.

With a budget of 12m dinars in contributions from both the private and public sectors, including support from major national television and radio stations, the festival appears to be well on its way towards achieving its goal of reaching various segments of society.

Event organisers hope to celebrate Amazigh culture, the roots of which are African and Mediterranean, according to Agraw.com, an Amazigh website that sponsoring the festival. The organisers also said they are recognising "the values of citizenship and cohabitation".

Last year's festival included musical performances from Jura, Groupe Thidrin, Said Zerouali, Walid Mimoun, Allal Chilah, Firdaous Taziri, and Mimoun Ousaid. Some of the event's participants debated "the Amazigh question" and used the festival as a "place for dialogue".

This year's festival will continue with its tradition of dialogue and diversity, as exemplified by the addition of Libyan artists.

Agraw.com webmaster Mahamed Bounda feels all indigenous North Africans are Amazigh. Besides Rifians, Soussis and Atlassis, he also includes Kabylians, Gnawi, Canarians and Touaregs.

"We are all Amazigh. Those regional divisions were used … to separate us from each other," Bounda told Magharebia.

Despite Amazigh's lack of recognition over the years, the language and the culture still has a strong presence in Morocco, with evidence that Amazigh may soon share a similar status as French and Arabic.

The Moroccan government recently announced a project to create an Amazigh television station. National radio and television stations already feature daily news and television programmes in Amazigh language.

This festival is not the only one celebrating Amazigh culture. Last month, the Timitar Festival in Agadir hosted artists from all over the world.

Bounda still seems to think Morocco has a long way to go in giving proper recognition to his native language. "Amazigh should be taught seriously and be made obligatory in all Moroccan schools and also presented in all Moroccan public institutions," he said.