Organised from 29 to 31 October, the 12th Atlantic Andalusian Festival of Essaouira ended on Saturday. This edition gave pride of place to a new generation of artists who chose to revisit, in their own way, the repertoire of Andalusian music by focusing more particularly on the Judeo-Muslim aspect of this music.
The 12th edition of the Atlantic Andalusian Festival of Essaouira ended on Saturday evening, with a happening as the headliner for this closing evening with the voices of Benjamin Bouzaglou, the Afriat brothers, and Jacob Tordjman on the same stage for an anthology concert of Judeo-Arabic music. Liturgical chants and the most emblematic and popular pieces of this repertoire buried in the deepest part of the Moroccan imagination and all nostalgias thrilled the music lovers of Andalusian music who came in large numbers this evening to the main stage of the Essaouira sports hall.
A singer with exceptional vocal qualities, Benjamin Bouzaglou, originally from Casablanca, was born into a family of music lovers who knew how to transmit to him the love of Judeo-Arabic and Arab-Andalusian music.
He became an orchestra conductor at the age of 12 and learned the profession of cantor.
His third appearance in Essaouira as part of the Atlantic Andalusian Festival moved the fans of Andalusian music, who were captivated by his enchanting voice.
Natives of the City of Trade Winds, the Afriat brothers, Joseph and Daniel, grew up among music and the arts.
Their father, Moché Afriat, was at the head of the Andalusian orchestra of Essaouira, a true school and nursery for all Andalusian artists from Essaouira. Jacob Tordjman was also born
in Essaouira.
He quickly became a friend of the Afriat brothers. Together they discovered music, were initiated into singing, and worked with passion.
For years now, Jacob has united his voice with those of the Afriat brothers and a few other singers just for the love of Arab-Andalusian music.
It is to revisit this same register and this same heritage that Sanaa Marahati and Zainab Afailal met on stage, on this closing evening of the festival, all their comrades in a final bouquet full of colour and rich in all the sounds of this festival. Reunions that will make history and will be engraved in letters of gold in the annals of this festival.
In a statement to MAP, Kaoutar Chakir, the Secretary General of the Essaouira Mogador Association, organiser of this cultural event, noted that the 12th edition of the Atlantic Andalusian Festival of Essaouira was a success, whether in terms of artistic programming, the quality of the concerts, or the organisation which was 100% local, a real challenge.
The public was also there as they responded present and there are more than 10,000 spectators in total at the concerts, she added.
The programme concocted was rich and varied, including symposiums, concerts, film screenings, and an artistic residency, among others, she indicated, noting that this festival is an exception since it is the only artistic event that welcomes Jews and Muslims around the values of sharing, peace, and coexistence.
Organised from 29 to 31 October under the sign of openness, youth, and creativity, the 12th edition of the Atlantic Andalusian Festival of Essaouira devoted a large part to a new generation of artists who chose to revisit, in their own way, the repertoire of Andalusian music by focusing more particularly on the Judeo-Muslim aspect of this music.
