Mawazine music festival: Amr Diab, Nancy Ajram, talent competition and more
2008-03-31
Musicians from across the globe will come together in Rabat once again in May for the 2008 Mawazine World Rhythms festival. Jazz and gypsy music will be this year's focus, but listeners will hear music from many other genres over the course of the eight-day event.
By Imane Belhaj for Magharebia in Casablanca – 31/03/08
 [Imane Belhaj] Rabat will host the seventh annual Mawazine World Rhythms festival from May 16th-24th. Under a new festival head, the event aims to emphasize diversity and plurality through culture, music and art. |
For eight days this spring, the Moroccan capital of Rabat will host the seventh annual Mawazine World Rhythms festival, organised by the Maroc-Cultures Association (AMC).
This year's festival, to be held from May 16th-24th, is characterised by renewal, both in its programming and its sponsoring organisation. Mohammed Mounir Majidi, special advisor to King Mohammed VI, has taken over responsibilities as head of the festival, replacing outgoing director and AMC founding President Abdeljalil Hjomri.
The event's organisers have made certain changes to promote and develop the festival, which ushers the administrative capital out of its normal work-dominated atmosphere for a few days of culture and tourism.
Aziz Daki, Mawazine 2008 art director, said this year's event "will buzz to the rhythm of development and more openness towards others. An international symposium will be held in tandem with the festival, focusing on 'Music of the World and Cultural Diversity'."
The organisers explained that the Mawazine Festival has, over the years, placed emphasis on diversity and plurality in response to all tastes and views. The event promotes the values of unity, tolerance, love, security and peace, through the presence of artists from different countries, ages and languages.
The current edition will welcome artists from forty countries in more than 100 musical performances. Jazz music, and the music of "les tsiganes" (gypsies) will be featured prominently in order to encourage other musical genres classified as music of minorities or ethnic music, with special respect to African and South American rhythms.
Renowned American singer Whitney Houston is expected to sing at the closing ceremony of this year's festival. The opening ceremony of the event will feature performances from US guitarist and jazz singer George Benson.
In addition, there will be dozens of performances by musicians from Europe, Latin America, the Maghreb and the Middle East. Some of the artists include US jazz singer Dee Dee Bridgewater; Ziggy Marley, son of Bob Marley from Jamaica; Cheb Belal from Algeria; Amr Diab; Nancy Ajram; Asala Nasry; Saber al-Rubai; Diana Haddad; Fadl Shaker; and Natacha Atlas from the Middle East, as well as famous Moroccan singers such as Hayat Al Idrissi, Saeeda Fekri, Fatima Tihihite, Latifa Raafat, Nass El Ghiwane; Jil Jilala and Lemchaheb; and hip hop groups such as Darga, Fnaire, H-Kayne and Hoba Hoba Spirit, as well as a number of artists from Latin America.
In order to connect young musicians with veteran performers, the festival has held the "Mawazine Generation" contest since 2006. The contest gives the stage to aspiring musicians aged 15-30 to perform before a large audience and a professional jury. The winner earns the opportunity to produce an album and video courtesy of the National Radio and Television Company. The song and the album will be later distributed to national TV channels, and this year's winner will participate in the 2009 Mawazine Festival.
Ahmed Aydoune, chairman of the jury, said three awards will be dedicated to the arts of rap, hip-hop and rock, as well as new popular music.
Email to a friend
Print version
krox Posted 2008-04-01
Hello, I that we should review your classification of the groups of Darga, Fnaïre, H-Kayne, Hoba Hoba Spirit and several other artists from Latin America as “hip-hop”. I do not think Darga and Hoba are hip-hop groups, as you say.
adel bouazzaoui Posted 2008-04-05
I hope I get to go to the festival. I am from Oujda. I like Amr Diab so much. He is so graceful in his songs.
سارة Posted 2008-04-06
Honestly, the festival was nice.
latifa Posted 2008-04-08
Wait, were you serious when you said that Amr Diab is coming? No!? Are you really sure!!!??? If someone confirms this for me, you will have my thanks in advance. If he is coming, then I will personally go get a ticket right away!!!
dj pedro Posted 2008-04-12
I think that there will be David Vendetta, the international DJ, remixer and French producer, on 23 May.
mehdi lamharzi Posted 2008-04-19
I love Amr Diab and I don’t believe that he will come. Mehdi from meknes 072 62 72 65
mimi Posted 2008-04-20
Hi Everybody, I love Amr Diab’s music. Please, how did I reserve seats? I am in France and I do not know if there is a phone number to make reservations. Please, if you have one, I would really like to have it. Thank you so much in advance
abdou Posted 2008-04-21
Wow! Amr Diab! It can’t be true! He is wonderful. He is a great singer. His music is far out!
lubna Posted 2008-04-23
hiya nancy i love your songs can you please add me on msn love you ana ahible nancy ajram
monir Posted 2008-04-24
I love Amr Diab so much. I am from Morocco. Waw, it is nice.
s7telile froom mwaj fes Posted 2008-04-28
By God, Mawazine is very nice. I hope from God that I will be accepted as a candidate oh Lord. Amen.
meriem Posted 2008-05-03
I hope that Amr Diab comes. I am one of his fans. For me he is the top Arab. He has great songs and every album is different from the last. This is real novelty. I hope that he comes to Morocco.
ismail Posted 2008-05-04
I love the Mawazine festival.
mestre Posted 2008-05-07
Wow are you aware of what you said? Nancy and Amr Diab will come to Mawazine, cool. Of course I will come, I ask God that what you said is true, Nancy, Amr Diab and Fnaire wow...Thank you Mawazine.
amine Posted 2008-05-08
ooooooooohhh this is not true, I'm dying for Saida Fikri! With the will of God, I will come for you Fikri, I ask God to take a photo with her.
janat Posted 2008-05-09
Hi Nancy, How is it going? I love you! Your successes have just started! Good luck!
Houda Posted 2008-05-14
i like very much mawazine festival,hank you very much for your efforts to bring for us the most famous singers in the world.
omar Posted 2008-05-15
Hi Nancy, I hope that everything is going well for you and your mother. Good luck in Rabat. I would like to see you here with us in Marrakesh.
عبدو Posted 2008-05-15
I love musicians but I am not happy because the best Arab singer for the year 2008 isn’t on the list of participants in the festival. The famous singer I love is the musician Tamer Housni.
soukaina Posted 2008-05-15
No, it can’t be true! Amr Diab is here in Rabat! In my opinion, Amr Dian is the best singer in the world! By God!
mustaphaelabsi Posted 2008-05-16
I want the Lemchaaheb band, if possible.
ali Posted 2008-05-17
Amr Diab in Morocco, I can’t believe it! I promise to be one of the fans who will warmly attend, you’re the nicest singer and musician Amr Diab.
مروى Posted 2008-05-17
The festival is excellent but not everyone can attend the events because the ticket prices are very high. I personally don’t think that I will participate in it.
ali Posted 2008-05-17
I offer my warmest greetings to the artist Amr Diab. I want to tell him that Morocco is his second country and I am one of his fans. I confirm my attendance at his concert which I consider the opportunity of a lifetime.
Zouhair IHSANE Posted 2008-05-17
As for me, I would like to point out one thing and I would like to have a response. I am a concert lutanist (like Said Chraibi, Haj Younés, Nasser Chemma and so on) and I would like to one day take part in the Mawazine festival. You can see my blog. Why don’t they encourage these sidelined talents? May they give us a chance or even consider us beforehand!
nissrine Posted 2008-05-18
thanks a lot mawazine for your efforts and I am very satisfy because mawazine it"s in my city check chance for condidates and thank you definitely for the artists they pulls down and facts plisir thers are here
سهام Posted 2008-05-19
I always go to Mawazine and hope that the singer Cheb Bilal attends. Can anyone tell me if the singer Cheb Bilal will come or not??? Thank you.
abderrahim Posted 2008-05-20
Good luck to all the Moroccans.
sara Posted 2008-05-21
i just liked asslah and saida fikri and fadel chakir....those r the best singers and decents..... plz next year bring us shahrukh khan or someone from india ....india has soo many talent singers and actors ....or that dancer and actor "hrithik roshan" ohhhh god he is fabulous person he can dance much better than michel jackson....india got a lot to discover ....
hayat Posted 2008-05-21
I like Mawazine festival, I want to join you.
Hajroussa Posted 2008-05-21
Yay! Nancy and Amr Diab! I adore you. I adore you. I adore you both. I was there on Sunday and Wednesday. You were just… oh bravo, bravo! I was so happy to see you in my city, Rabat. Wow! It was unbelievable! Wow! Kiss kiss kiss. It was really fantastic! Congratulations... love you... Bye
nabila Posted 2008-05-22
Asala Asala Asala the star.
sara Posted 2008-05-23
i am verry happy i like assala and Amr Diab! I adore you. I adore you. I adore you both. I was there on Sunday and Wednesday. You were just… oh bravo, bravo! I was so happy to see you in my city, Rabat. Wow! It was unbelievable! Wow! Kiss kiss kiss. It was really fantastic! Congratulations..
wadi3 Posted 2008-05-23
Ohhh we love u Saida Fikri. Our Tawnati girl, always pride, military forever.
jihad chakroune Posted 2008-05-23
Hi, My name is Jihan. I am from Rabat. The Moroccan Mawazine Festival 2008 was very very beautiful. Thank you Amr Diab, Nancy Ajram and all the singers from Morocco and other countries. Thank you.
fashion-electro Posted 2008-05-25
Wow! I went to se Amr Diab and Vendetta. Frankly, I adore him. This was great. The festival was crazy. The two evenings I spent there, especially the one with Vendetta, were so cool! I lost it! I did all the tecktonic dance I know. I adore Amr Diab! He is such an amazing guy. He has a magnificent voice. In my opinion, he is the king of young people! Don’t forget that David is the king of teck! Wow! I will never forget these two evenings! Whitney is so romantic—more than even Haifa! Kisses all!
MOHAMMED Posted 2008-05-25
Salam alikoum. I am one of the fans of Mawazine festival. I wish it more success. I thank everyone who worked hard for its success and those who work in the backstage in particular. Thank you. Mohamed from Oudaya.
soukaina Posted 2008-05-30
I love you, Nancy and Amr Diab. Thank you for coming to visit.
zaki acbar Posted 2008-05-31
Hi Everybody, I really like the Mawazine Festival because it was a Moroccan festival. But, we need Moroccan artists. Usually, we listen to Cheb Bilal every year. We also need Cheb Mido to take a turn. He sings like Cheb Bilal, but offers a bit of a change. That’s all; I just like Cheb Mido. Thank you so much
bahija Posted 2008-06-10
I LOVE FADL CHAKER HE HAS LOT OF QUALITIES OF FAMOUS SIMGER I WOULD LIKE TO SEND HIM MY SALUTATIONS AND HIS FAMIILLY
michou Posted 2008-06-11
The party with Vendetta and Hay Rihad Rt was unbelievable. I truly love it so much. I hope they will come back again. Thank you, Vendetta!
michou Posted 2008-06-11
The evening with Vendetta at Hay Riad was unbelievable. The truth is I really loved it. I hope they come back again sometime. Thank you vdt.
reda Posted 2008-06-12
This festival was so cool! My Morocco is beautiful! Thank you, Lord!!!
mohamed Posted 2008-06-16
Hi Everybody, I think that Amr Diab and Nancy Ajram were the superstars of the Mawazine festival! Thank you so much for your efforts!
hassan Posted 2008-09-12
Hi Nancy Ajram. You are very beautiful and we are happy with you. Thank you very much.
Simon m. Amon Posted 2008-10-07
Iam amusician by the name mzugha from kenya my new album is ready, and i love listening to Amr Diab music his actually one of the best musician in the world i wish him wel
ayoub Posted 7 days ago
Bilal was fascinating. Always Bilal to death.
We welcome your comments on Magharebia's articles.
It is our hope that you will use this forum to interact with other readers across the Maghreb. In order to keep this experience interesting, we ask you to follow the rules outlined in the comments policy. By submitting comments, you are consenting to these rules. While Magharebia.com encourages discussion on all subjects, including sensitive ones, the comments posted are solely the views of those submitting them. Magharebia.com does not necessarily endorse or agree with the ideas, views, or opinions voiced in these comments. This is a moderated forum. Comments deemed abusive, offensive, or those containing profanity may not be published.
Magharebia's Comments Policy