Jun 02 - Gibraltar Celebrates Morocco – World Music Festival Full Program
Gibraltar Productions has announced the full program of the GWMF 2015 edition ‘Khamsa’.
This year’s edition will celebrate cultures of Maghreb and Morocco with world music, workshops and street parties with the support of the Government of Gibraltar, the Parasol Foundation, Tourism of Morocco, SG Hambros, Hassans, Hyperion, Deloitte, JYSKE Bank, Casablanca Beer, Ramparts, Margaux Philantrhopy, Royal Air Maroc and the Sunborn Hotel.
16th June – 20.00 at Leisure Cinemas
The Festival will begin on the 16th June with the screening of the documentary ‘Les Echos du Mellah: de Tinghir á Jerusalem’ directed by the French-Moroccan director Kamal Hachkar. This film is the fruit of a personal quest which has led Kamal for now towards the remaining traces of Berber diasporas, both Jewish and Muslim. This journey into the heart of his identities has taken him from the Moroccan Atlas Mountains to Israel via France and the Mediterranean and enabled him to assert and ascertain his position within this culture.
The Moroccan filmmaker Kamal Hachkar will also use scenes of Gibraltar in his new documentary, which will look into Moroccans abroad who have kept their heritage and will be a portrait of the third generation of artists who continue to perpetuate their way of common heritage.
17th June – 19.00 at Commonwealth Park
The Gibraltar World Music Festival is preparing an event at Commonwealth Park called ‘Le Souk’ that will give an opportunity to the population of Gibraltar and around to discover the sounds, smells and colours that Morocco can offer at its best. Loreto’s School choir together with Danza Academy of Gibraltar, Stylos Dance Academy, Sotogrande International School and the Centro de Arte Flamenco David Morales will participate in this street party. Food and drinks will be provided by local companies.
The musical program includes several concerts:
- Neta Elkayam will visit Gibraltar with The ‘Howa Jani’ Project inspired by archival recordings and old records of Jewish Moroccan musicians, and consists of their own arrangements of traditional Moroccan songs, as well as original compositions by Neta and her partner Amit. This is a project in which the ecstatic rhythms combine with nostalgic melodies of the Maghreb, and classic sound with contemporary musical sensibilities.
- Jazz Oil was created in July 2008 in Tunis by an unexpected duo: bassist Slim Abida and qanunist Nidhal Jaoua, both using their instrument as soloists. What this band proposes is use music as a link for cultures and territories and with this aim has played on numerous prestigious stages and festivals across Tunisia, France and Spain.
- David Morales is a Flamenco dancer and choreographer, whose strength is linked to a natural talent. He is a master of all flamenco styles. He is touring with his last choreography: Lorca, Madly in Love, that embodies the figure of the Andalusian poet Garcia Lorca, with himself and the memories that will engage and partner the public in this heart-breaking story of love that gives notice, for the first time, of the last affair of the poet and that might be the reason why he did not flee to Spain despite the fact that he knew his life was in danger.
Several tents with food, drinks, handcraft and workshops will available for the attendees at the boulevard located at Line Wall Road from 19.00 to 23.00 hours.
18th June – 09.00 at the Garrison Library
The Gibraltar World Music Festival in conjunction with the University of Gibraltar will organize its first ever conference at Garrison Library untitled "Meeting Morocco". The ambition is to propose to the people of Gibraltar an overview of Morocco's values and its current dynamics.
This event will welcome two speakers, all from Morocco: Driss Alaoui Mdaghri and Asma Chaabi. The conference (and Q&A with a panel) will be moderated by Michael Kirtley.
- Eclectic author Driss Alaoui Mdaghri is the founder of « La Fondation des Cultures du Monde » and "Come To My Home" concept (www.cometomyhome.ma) and of the Poetic and Musical Group of the same name. He multiplies experiments and modes of expression regardless of intellectual borders and territories. From his professorship (Former Director of ISCAE, the main Business School in Morocco, and professor) to public office, role as company builder and active figure in the Moroccan civil society, columnist and author of several books including collections of poetry ("En Quête de Mots", "Librement" and "Refugié Poetique") he does not hesitate to be on stage in a play ("Les Amazones du Crabe ») and to act in a movie or to paint with the same enthusiasm at the risk sometimes of disturbing conventional minds.
This experience mixes genres and cultures and precisely matches the values that Driss Alaoui Mdaghri grows and tries to share in Morocco and elsewhere, values based on the search for peace, dialogue, tolerance and openness to others that underlie all what he undertakes.
Driss Alaoui Mdaghri exercised many functions at the governmental level for nearly a decade. He thus held the following portfolios: Minister of Communication and Spokesman of the Government (1995-1998), Minister of Youth and Sports (1994-1995), Minister of Energy and Mines (1990-1994), Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in charge of the Arab Maghreb Union (1989-1990).
- Asma Chaabi is the first and unique woman to be ever democratically elected mayor in the history of her country in 2003. Her natural leadership, high energy, ambition, corporate background and international education came to a perfect synergy in the service of the Mystical City of Essaouira.
Before running for office, Asma Chaabi was and still is the Executive Vice President of YNNA Holding, one of Morocco’s largest privately owned conglomerations. Founded by her father, the self-made man Miloud Chaabi in 1948. Asma Chaabi serves on several Foundation Boards and non-governmental organizations that focus on women, childrens' issues, and the underprivileged in particular.
- Michael Kirtley is a Journalist, Photographer and an International Organizations Founder. On many occasions Michael has served as communications advisor to African leaders, most notably to the Moroccan government for almost a decade, to President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal, and to the Benin presidency.
In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, Michael founded the very successful organization The Friendship Caravan to nurture understanding among people of diverse cultures. In recent years, he initiated many exchanges between Americans and the people of the Arab World.
18th June – 20.00 at St. Michael’s Cave
The climax of the Festival will be the two main concerts that will take place at St. Michael’s Cave. Following to the successful 2014 tour, Dhafer Youssef will come to Gibraltar within his European tour, one of the most promising Jazz and World Music tour in Europe this year. His album “Birds Requiem” stayed 445 days in the top 100 of the Jazz Album on Amazon, his video’s concert in Izmir has reached 290,000 views on You Tube, he has 85,000 friends on Facebook who follow him actively. His unique voice, the alchemy of his cosmopolitan influences and his charisma make every concert a unique and amazing experience.
Prior to this concert, the Franco-Moroccan singer Françoise Atlan – who is in charge of the artistic direction of the Festival - will ensure the creation of a specially appointed concert entitled ‘Convivencia’. This concert is a tribute of Gibraltar to the Festival des Andalousies Atlantiques based in Essaouira. Musicians of all religions will perform in St. Michael's Cave and will bring the cultures on both sides of the Strait. The band Jazz Oil, Abir El Abed, Neta Elkayam, David Morales and Françoise Atlan have already confirmed their participation.
Tickets are available at Sacarello’s Coffee Shop and Restaurant and at 92 Irish Town at £30 (General Public) and £25 (Senior Citizens and Students). Tickets prices are inclusive of Shuttle Service to the Cave that will start at 19.00 from Public Market and Elliot’s Way.
For additional information, visit Gibraltar World Music Festival social media.
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