A good-natured atmosphere prevailed this weekend in Mhamid El Ghizlane thanks to the two young singers Hatem Ammor and Laila El Barraq. Highly anticipated by the youth of this locality in south-east Morocco, on the occasion of the 9th edition of the International Nomads Festival, the famous Studio 2M winners spread joy. Once on stage, the rhythm stepped up a notch. The security system had to redouble its efforts to avoid any overflow from fans who were keen to greet them. The successes of Hatem Ammor and Laila El Barraq even had the right to a magnificent popular choir. To keep the momentum going, the two artists sang a popular repertoire, very well known to the crowds. Result: a communion between the public and the young artists. "It is indeed our wish and our objective to bring in singers from all horizons, without forgetting the Moroccan singers whose mark is engraved on the Moroccan artistic scene," confides Noureddine Bougrab, director of this artistic event. A successful bet.

Two Nigerien Tuareg artists performed last weekend in Mhamid El Ghizlane on the occasion of the 9th edition of the International Nomads Festival. And they are, moreover, brothers. The older one, Moussa Bilalan, already has a fine career. He has performed on European musical stages. "Tuareg I am, Tuareg I remain," he says. His songs are mainly intended to contribute to the preservation of this oral Amazigh heritage, which is in danger of disappearing. Guitar in hand, in traditional Tuareg costume, the man who insists on preparing his own tea reminded the public present of the other famous Tuareg troupe in the region, namely: the Tinariwen. In their honour, he sang one of their best hits. And in the same spirit of gratitude, he dedicated a song to the soul of his venerable master Abdallah Ag Oumbadougou. On the same stage, he also insisted on having his younger brother play, who is otherwise leading a solo career. Hama is following the same path as his older brother, but in his own way. His way of standing on stage is different, rhythmic, and much more dedicated to interaction. The subtle use of his favourite instrument: the electric guitar, is undoubtedly reminiscent of a Jimi Hendrix.

The 9th edition of the International Nomads Festival, which took place from the 8th to the 10th in Mhamid El Ghizlane, had local products as its centre of interest. An exhibition was set up, in the presence of producers from different regions: Figuig, Tata, Tiznit, Taznakht, Agadir, Laâyoune… visitors were able to appreciate the quality and the degree of maturity of the promoters of projects initiated within the framework of local products. Saffron, carpets, honey, dates and derivatives, henna, argan oil, olive oil… so many products of indisputable quality and impeccable packaging, but which lack outlets. This is why the organisers thought about marketing methods. Thus, on the sidelines of the artistic activities, the Social Development Agency (ADS), the Moroccan Network of Social and Solidarity Economy (REMESS), and the OCE organised an exchange and reflection workshop under the theme: "Social economy: a lever for local development". The objective of this meeting is to initiate a regional process of reflection and consultation around the social economy, to raise awareness among local community groups regarding the opportunities that this sector constitutes as a real lever for the creation of wealth, social integration, and the improvement of the living conditions of vulnerable populations. One of the speakers, namely Ahmed Aït Haddouth, emphasised cooperatives at the service of local development, the difficulties of marketing, and institutional and associative solutions to be undertaken.

One of the most important moments during this 9th edition of the Nomads Festival is the workshop organised around the theme of meteorites and the role of nomads in the preservation of this national heritage. Morocco remains, in fact, a favourable place for finding meteorites thanks to the vast territories of the Sahara. These areas are very dry with a semi-arid climate and very low erosion. The desert, therefore, can preserve these meteorites for years. Such data is a true heritage that must be archived. For this, a collective awareness is necessary today, in order to preserve and transmit this heritage, which is rich in information about our solar system, which the Saharan meteorites represent.

The fall of the Martian meteorite in Tata (Morocco) is a gift from the sky for scientific laboratories in Morocco, stressed Abderrahmane Ibhi, professor at Ibn Zohr University (scientist and meteorite collector): "To this day, no technology has succeeded in bringing back samples from the red planet. The only ones we have are those that arrived via meteoritic falls".

Nomads have acquired know-how in the collection of desert meteorites. In Morocco, they are behind all the great finds; and it is the nomads of the El Aglâb region who observed and found the Tata Martian meteorite. The latter remains the first observed fall in Morocco of a Martian meteorite and the fifth in the world. Historically, observed falls of a Martian meteorite only occur once every 50 years or more (1815 in France, 1865 in India, 1911 in Egypt, and 1962 in Nigeria).

“The Sahara, this ocean of stones and sand, is a great legend that will not be dispelled anytime soon. Le Clézio used to say that the desert is Light… It is true, in this desert, there exist pearls of light! Pearls of light… in the eyes of these women of the desert, of all the nomads, in the air of a stanza that ends languidly in the breath of our poets and so many others who fade away at the end of their breath in the heart of these oral traditions. It is also a heartfelt tribute that we pay today to the founding mothers of nomadic culture.

I cannot, therefore, help but think today of these nomads who hold high the values and culture of their fathers. The poet-president Léopold Sédar Senghor used to say that culture is at the beginning and at the end of all development.

Development that the Festival wants to encourage through its workshops and exhibitions of handicrafts and local products. I will finish by strongly saluting all our partners and sponsors who have shouldered this Festival and who will certainly continue their work, in order to support our nomadic culture and open new perspectives in a real approach to sustainable development.

I will not fail to also thank all the organisers, active members of the Association, and all the friends who ensured the setting up of this Festival. May this 9th Nomads Festival be a total change of scenery”!