It is with tears and hearts full of love that Jewish and Muslim Moroccans hugged each other at the Atlantic Andalusia Festival of Essaouira.
This 16th edition welcomed a massive number of attendances from all over the world, which excellently reflected the spirit of diversity.
Created by Essaouira Mogador Association and organized with different partners, the program of the 16th Atlantic Andalusia Festival touched Dar Souiri, Bayt Dakira, Zaouia Qadiria, and Place El Minzeh with rich knowledge and moments of unforgettable sharing.
The saved dates for the 2019 agenda were from the 31st of October to the 3rd of November. Each day was different than the other by its content similar through faith and love.
Essaouira succeeded in restraining her wind, to preserve people’s emotions from flying away. My preplanned schedule could only mark my attendance from the 2nd day, but I purely made sure to live each moment fully.
Each Moroccan can only be proud of the history and culture witnessed by the land. Each Moroccan should understand that this country’s identity is beyond individual differences and that our strength as a nation is manifested in our diversity.
Responding to the invitation of the Essaouira Mogador Association by attending the 16th Atlantic Andalusia Festival of Essaouira was one of my best 2019 decisions.
A red Moroccan carpet was unwrapped and settled at the entrance of PLACE EL MINZEH to welcome a queue of guests. The host organizer has arranged a large tent for the evening concerts of the 16th Atlantic Andalusia Festival, and three entrances for better planning: Artists Access, Access B for people with invitations, and Access A for the public.
Neat and tidy was the idea to close the A and B accesses when the chairs in the tent were full, and reopen them when a significant number of people leaves.
Moroccan decoration took over the tent, from the carpet to the chairs and the lanterns. The stage was black with rectangular screens to display Moroccan visuals, and the air smelled like a perfume of orange blossom.
Compañías Leonor Leal opened the evening of the 1st November with exquisite choreographies inspired by the paintings of Julio Romero de Torres. A divine show with incredible musicians and a singer.
The continuity of the evening was by Maestro Omar Metioui, who led Rawafid orchestra to perform pure Andalusian musical moments.
The fusion between Compañías Leonor Leal and Rawafid orchestra at the end of the concert was one cherished moment of the evening. The image of different cultures sitting together and clapping for the same matter is what each eye should witness at least once in a lifetime.
The morning of the 2nd of November was one of my best moments at the 16th Atlantic Andalusia Festival. Beautiful souls met at DAR SOUIRI to listen to a panel interview of inspirational people.
Chaired by Mister André Azoulay, each person of the panel shared thoughts about the school of Essaouira, the importance of the place, the importance of the bond.
The discussion began by describing the energy each person felt during the night of Zaouia Qadiria. Everyone agreed that it was spiritually intense, and nothing was more beautiful than seeing different generations sitting together.
Moroccan Muslim kids today are not having Moroccan Jewish families as neighbors like their parents, or grandparents, therefore, discovering the togetherness was precious. The cradle of coexistence is attainable with Art, so repeating Sufi songs together allows people from different religions to look at each other in the eyes with harmonious love.
« What kids experienced yesterday will determine their adult’s word, and that is priceless. »
-André Azoulay
People who lived the preproduction of the Atlantic Andalusia Festival of Essaouira revealed the uniqueness of this 16th edition because it finally showed the results of the vision of 20 years ago.
The team host led by Mister Tarik Ottmani and active members of the Essaouira Mogador Association were warmly thanked by Mister André Azoulay for their work and efforts.
Spain ambassador Mister Ricardo Díez-Hochleitner Rodríguez stated that these 3 days in Essaouira were probably the most remarkable of all his stay in Morocco.
Moroccan Jewish who left Morocco more than 50 years ago spoke up their gratitude for his Majesty, King Mohammed VI, and the strong inclination towards Morocco despite their absence.
A night full of magic was the last evening of the 16th Atlantic Andalusia Festival. The number of attendance exceeded the organizer’s expectations, but they specified such a possibility in the invitation, so no one should feel bad.
It was a challenging evening because it was chaotic compared to the previous one, yet it was well supervised by the organizers. The tent was full in the first 10 mins, and people were impatient for the performances.
The music started, and three principal singers of the evening were outstanding. Ben Omar Ziani, a well known Moroccan singer and musician who has created generations of popular songs, and Asmaa Lazrak for being one of the classiest Moroccan singers specialized in Andalusian songs.
The star of the concert was Raymonde El Bidaouia, a Moroccan singer who is famous for singing popular Moroccan songs. She has been one of the strongest pillars of the Atlantic Andalusia Festival because of her continued presence.
The best fact about the evening was seeing everyone standing up and dancing together. No difference mattered as long as love and respect were present.
It was sad to wake up the next day and see trucks carrying the festival’s decoration away. It was a pretty emotional experience for everyone.
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