The 27th Fez Festival of World Sacred Music will be held from September 15 to 23 under the theme “The quest for the spirit of Al-Andalus”.

At this year’s event, placed under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Spain will be the guest of honor, to celebrate the historical and present-day ties between Spain and Morocco, says the “Esprit de Fès” Foundation on its website.

The 27th edition of this festival, a privileged moment for the spirit of living together, dialogue and tolerance, will be marked by a musical program bringing together several artists and troupes from both countries, who will express through their fusions and performances this particular dimension of openness, harmony and living together for a better future.

The event kicks off at Place Bab Makina with an artistic creation entitled “Zyriab or the fifth string”, a journey to the sources of inspiration of Andalusian music, between sky and earth, mountains and palaces.

This not-to-be-missed event, which has become one of the world’s leading cultural events, will also feature artists from Uzbekistan, India, the USA, Italy, Bulgaria, Israel, Tunisia, Turkey, Egypt and Ireland.

These include British star Sami Yusuf, Syrian-born singer Naïssam Jalal, Nedyalko Nedyalkov Quartet (Bulgaria), Khadija El Afrit (Tunisia), Walid Benselim, Young Musicians european orchestra, and Madalena (women’s choir), as well as Sufi nights.

The Fez Forum focuses on two major themes: universalism in the spirit of Al-Andalus, and humanism in the spirit of Al-Andalus.

For Abderrafie Zouitene, President of the “Esprit de Fès” Foundation, the peaceful cohabitation of Islam, Judaism and Christianity created a dynamic and diverse society in Andalusia during a period known as “The Golden Age”, which was the envy of the world.

“This story,” he writes in an introductory note, “serves as a reminder of what can be achieved when people of different faiths come together in a spirit of tolerance and understanding.”

Source: Agency Morocaine De Presse