Under the High Patronage of His Majesty Mohammed VI, King of Morocco.
The French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) invites you to join us for the fourth edition of our annual World Nomads Festival, which this year showcases the arts and culture of Morocco. The month-long, multi-disciplinary Festival, celebrating 21st-century transculturalism through the arts while advancing critical thinking and dialogue among cultures, will be held in May 2011.
Morocco is recognized worldwide for its distinctive and layered cultural identity. The country’s unique geographical location has made it a crossroad for ancient trade routes, and continues to contribute to its importance as a migratory highway for ideas and peoples. Today’s Morocco shines as a hub of traditional and modern creative expression, where ancient cultural practices thrive, kept alive by a full spectrum of master artisans, performing artists, and more, while innovations are woven into vibrant contemporary artistic forms. The World Nomads Festival arrives this year at a historic time for the region to celebrate the many facets of Morocco.
This year’s World Nomads Festival will explore the themes of Morocco’s parallel ancient/modern culture, sustainability, women, and the environment. Highlights include an inaugural concert featuring Judeo-Arab Andalusian music by the celebrated Orchestra of Fes led by Mohamed Briouel with star Jewish vocalist Françoise Atlan; master Gnaoua musicians Mustapha Bakbou and Mahmoud Guinea accompanied by Moroccan-American Gnaoua musician Hassan Hakmoun; the New York-based Moroccan musician Brahim Fribgane performing with French-Lebanese trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf; the break-out young Moroccan rapper Soultana; acclaimed classical pianist Marouan Benabdallah; leading contemporary Moroccan women visual artists Amina Agueznay, Safaa Erruas, and Najia Mehadji; Untangling Threads, an installation of carpets by women weavers; writers Mahi BineBine and Abdellah Taïa; architects Aziza Chaouni and Tarik Oualalou; an immersive audiovisual installation featuring sounds collected in Fes, Marrakech, and Tangier presented in a live concert experience from the international collective Soundwalk; and recent Moroccan films, among other preeminent artistic voices of contemporary Morocco and its diaspora.
For information on individual events, see our listings here on New York in French or at our website.
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