An edition under the sign of exchange and novelty

More mature, more committed, and more eclectic, the Gnaoua and World Music Festival of Essaouira returns for a new edition. This year, from 14 to 17 May, it blows out its eighteenth candle and celebrates its age of reason. The most anticipated musical event of the year promises a beautiful edition placed under the sign of richness and novelty.The Festival, which has changed the destiny of an entire city and many Gnaoua artists, is finally receiving recognition. Neila Tazi, producer and director of the Festival, declares: "The 18 years mark the beginning of a new era. That of emancipation and public-private partnership for a project that, until now, had never benefited from funding from the city." Marking a new start, this news did not come alone. Morocco has just officially submitted the request to UNESCO to register Gnaoua culture as oral and intangible world heritage of humanity. The…