- Opening hours: Mon. to Fri. 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
THE 2013 EDITION
At the heart of a world in motion, the 12th edition of the Mawazine Rhythms of the World Festival is once again preparing to highlight stars and new talents from the Moroccan and international musical diversity.
For nine days, from 24 May to 1 June 2013, thanks to an open and demanding programme, Mawazine Rhythms of the World will bring together millions of festival-goers around 7 iconic stages. Each will be reserved for a particular musical style. As a world capital of music, Rabat will also be a city in full effervescence with brass bands and troupes that will animate its streets.
Building on its unique history, Mawazine Rhythms of the World is part of the lineage of its previous successes this year. For nine days, the Festival will bring to the greatest number the richness of a world with multiple sounds, both modern and respectful of its traditions, in order to offer a moment of celebration for all Moroccans.
CONCERTS
Like Morocco, generous and open to the world, the 12th edition of the Mawazine Rhythms of the World Festival offers a programme at the crossroads and welcomes many international celebrities including the Barbadian star Rihanna. Alongside the R&B and pop icon, the main artists on the OLM Souissi stage are The Jacksons, David Guetta, Deep Purple, Jessie J, Mika, Sexion d’Assaut, Loreen, Enrique Iglesias, CeeLo Green and Taio Cruz.
Coming from the four corners of the world, many headliners will also perform at the Mohammed V National Theatre, including George Benson & the Royal Symphony Orchestra, Sara Tavares, Bond Girls, Toto La Monposina, Ana Moura, Sandra Nkakè, El Gusto, Lotfi Bouchnak as well as the great Moroccan star Abdelouahab Doukkali.
The La Renaissance hall will honour great figures of Moroccan, Maghreb and oriental music. Morocco will be represented by Abdelwahed Tetwani and Abdesslam Sefiani, but also Fattah Ngadi, Laila Lamrini or Haj Youness, Amir Ali & Rachid Zerwal. The Algerian neighbour will be embodied by Bariza Staifia, while Ziad Gharsa will carry the colours of Tunisia high. Coming from Egypt, Imane Abdelghani will rub shoulders with the Palestinians Jihad Akl and Alaa Azzam as well as the singer Loubna Salama.
The Nahda stage will also be dedicated to the oriental repertoire. The opening will be made by the 8 semi-finalists of the hit show "The Voice". The biggest names in Arab music will also be celebrated there, including the prince of raï Cheb Mami, the famous singers Sherine Abdel Wahab and Assi El Hellani. Rich in an artistic career of nearly three decades, the Voice of Egypt Mohamed Mounir will also be present, as well as the prince of Arab song Tamer Hosny, the Emirati diva Ahlam or the sun of Lebanese popular song Najwa Karam. Moroccan song will be represented by the talented Hoda Saad. As usual and with the aim of highlighting our young Moroccan artists, the novelty of this edition is that all the opening acts for the concerts on this stage will be hosted by budding singers: Mohsine Salahdine, Bouchra Khalid, Rabab, Abed, Zakaria Ghafouli, Shatha Hassoun, Hatim Ammor, Leila Al Maghribya and Ahmed Chawki.
Festival-goers will also be able to discover the greatest voices of the national repertoire on the Salé stage. On the programme: chaâbi, Gnaoui atmospheres, Ghiwani anthems and hip-hop with Don Bigg, Chaht Man, M.Boy, H-Kayne, Barry, Casa Crew, Hamid Kasri, Said Mouskir, Ghiwan Salwan, Jil Ghiwan Jalal, Siham, Aouatif, Mohamed Anbari, Fatim Zahra Laaroussi, Numedia, Atika Ammar, Mallal, Izenzaren Abdelhadi, Mohammed Iskandar, Rachid Lamrini or the Mountassir Orchestra and the legendary Najat Atabou.
On the Bouregreg stage, a whole continent, Africa, will be celebrated through the highly anticipated performances of the Tambours de Brazza and Tinariwen, but also Seun Kuti, Osibisa, Jupiter & Okwes, Amadou & Mariam, Bliz the Ambassador and Gnawa Diffusion – whose opening act will be provided by the group Africa United, winner of Génération Mawazine 2010.
STREET PERFORMANCES
A true highlight of the Festival, street performances will punctuate the city of Rabat throughout this 12th edition. The streets of the capital will be the theatre of unusual parades and surprising encounters between the public and troupes from several countries. Festival-goers will be able to savour the performances of the Moroccan breakdance group Halla KingZoo, double African champion of the discipline, and the Nomade theatre company whose show Cigognes features giant puppets in the colours of Morocco. Also on the programme: Overboys, the Moroccan percussion group and the Collectif Eclats de lune for the itinerant and evolving parade "Azalai".
Coming from Brazil, the music troupe Dudu Tucci & Brasil Power Drums will offer festival-goers a show directly inspired by the Afro-Brazilian tradition of Bahia. Coming straight from the Balkans, the Fanfare P4 will deliver electrified gypsy music full of creativity, humour and energy. Fanfaraï, the most atypical brass band in the Maghreb, will blend the traditional music of the region by confronting it with Latin and Afro-Cuban influences, while Tapha N'Diaye Rose will take young and old on a journey to the sounds of the best rhythms of Senegal.
CREATIONS
More cosmopolitan than ever, the 12th edition of the Mawazine Rhythms of the World Festival offers the Chellah stage an unprecedented programme dedicated to the musical adventure of the Silk Road, this network of trade routes that, for centuries, linked Asia to Europe. Presenting eight groups, this unique creation will offer a unique scenography within the exceptional environment of the Chellah site.
In order to immerse festival-goers in a magical journey through Europe and Asia, the stage will be decorated with an abstract map of the countries crossed by the Silk Road, as well as a set of monumental mirrors that will reflect the motifs of silks mixed with the carpets on the floor to the spectators.
Whether they come from Japan, Uzbekistan, Turkey or Italy, the invited groups are all representative of cultures and different regional styles: Patrizia Laquidara (Italy), Aynur (Turkey), the Zabit Nabizade trio (Azerbaijan), Homayoun Shajarian, Tahmoures & Sohrab Pournazeri (Iran), Yulduz Turdieva (Uzbekistan), Sharmila Sharma (India), the Dragon Ensemble (China) and the duo Shunsuke Kimura & Etsuro Ono (Japan).
On the stage of the Mohammed V National Theatre, the major figure of jazz and soul, George Benson, will perform with the Royal Symphony Orchestra on Saturday 25 May 2013. In addition to his greatest hits, George Benson will pay an exceptional tribute to the legendary American crooner Nat King Cole.
WORKSHOPS
Supporting talents in their musical expression, through their works or through words, remains the priority of the Mawazine Rhythms of the World Festival, which is responsible for revealing and helping people discover the cultural diversity of Morocco and elsewhere. The very rich programme of this 12th edition will once again go in this direction and will, again this year, give pride of place to meetings between the public and artists through several introductory workshops. The Tambours de Brazza will invite festival-goers to discover the music of Congo-Brazzaville. To the rhythms of the ethnic groups of the Congo and under the influence of resolutely modern drummers, this incredible group will offer spectators a music lesson where sounds, dances and colours will mingle. With, in passing, a universal message of peace, freedom and fraternity.
Source
: http://www.festivalmawazine.ma/
