Tetouan festival places spotlight on Moroccan women

20/06/2008

Tetouan is gearing up to host the first "Voix de femmes, voies du future" (Voices of women, paths to the future) festival from July 3rd-5th. The event will pay tribute to the courage, creativity and dedication of Moroccan women.

By Hassan Benmehdi for Magharebia in Casablanca – 20/06/08

[Hassan Benmehdi] "Voix de Femmes" association President Karima Benyaiche said her July festival will pay tribute to the women of Tetouan "who have worked with dignity and great courage for twelve centuries".

The Voix de Femmes association announced last week that from July 3rd-5th it will organise the first "Voix de femmes, voies du future" (Voices of women, paths to the future) festival in the Mediterranean town of Tetouan.

The three-day festival will give the public an opportunity to discover a plethora of events highlighting women's contributions to Morocco's creation and development. The festival programme features a number of local, national and international artists who will entertain Tetouan and its visitors during the summer holidays.

Performances by top Moroccan singers Asmae El Menawar and Samira Said are expected to draw an enthusiastic crowd. Lebanese diva Majda Roumi will give her second-ever performance in Morocco after her appearance earlier this year at the Sacred Music Festival in Fez. Frenchwoman Enzo Enzo and Iberian group Hanin Y Son Cubano are also expected. Rounding out the line-up is a wealth of young Moroccan talent, including Rachida Talal, Khansae, Nouhad and Nabila Amaan.

Voix de Femmes association President Karima Benyaiche said the event has a number of objectives. Benyaiche said she hopes to get the "lifeblood of Tetouan" involved in an action-generating project promoting sustainable development and the values of openness, dialogue and cultural exchange.

The festival plans to accomplish this by paying tribute to all the women of Tetouan "who have worked with dignity and great courage for twelve centuries to build their town while preserving its authenticity and diversity".

Benyaiche also said the festival aims to lift the spirits of local women in varied fields who have been active for years.

"In today’s Morocco women play a major role in the process of building a modern and democratic society," she said, concluding that "above all, the festival is a tribute to women."

Saad Kettani, head of the Fondation 1,200 Ans en Maroc (1,200 Years in Morocco Foundation), said that the Tetouan festival will serve as a reminder of Morocco’s desire to continue promoting and taking pride in its history and cultural legacy.

Afifa El Ghoufali, a member of a women’s association in Casablanca, called on individuals and the authorities to support the festival and told Magharebia the event "gives women the opportunity to showcase their vision, their uniqueness and above all their talent."

The Voix de Femmes association was created in July 2007 to promote women's role in passing on Tetouan's cultural identity to future generations.