The 17th edition of the Jazz Festival at the Chellah, which will take place from 13 to 17 June, will be placed under the sign of cultural diversity. "This year, the emphasis has been placed on the variety of styles and there will not be two groups with identical sounds," affirm Jean-Pierre Bissot and Majid Bekkas, the artistic directors of the festival.

On the European side, 41 artists representing 14 different EU countries will be present during this edition, while on the Moroccan side, the emphasis has been placed on different facets of musical identity (guitar, oud, Gnaoua, etc.)

"The festival is evolving. From now on, there is a true identity of jazz linked to the Chellah," stresses Jean-Pierre Bissot.

The "Jazz au Chellah" Festival has been organised since 1996 by the delegation of the European Union in Morocco with the embassies and cultural institutes of the member states in partnership with the Ministry of Culture and the Rabat-Salé Wilaya.

Each edition of the festival is thus an opportunity for an intercultural dialogue between European and Moroccan musicians which is not limited to the framework of "Jazz au Chellah" but which then gives birth to new bands and new musical collaborations between the artists.

The 2011 edition, which honoured Moroccan youth with the presence of Nabyla Maan and Tarik Hilal, also consecrated the blending of European jazz and traditional Moroccan music (Toine Thys band and Farid Mayara, Pino Minafra and Mahmoud Guinéa, Soren Bebe and Faïz Lamouri).

Nearly 1,500 spectators flocked each day to attend the performances, making "Jazz au Chellah" a must-see among Rabat festivals.

There is no doubt that the 17th edition, which according to the artistic directors promises to be "tender" and which "will give back its place to the human", will once again be able to keep its promises and promote intercultural exchanges between the two shores of the Mediterranean.