Rabat - Moroccan television channel 2M has decided not to air all of its weekend shows that fall under the entertainment category in the wake of the Tantan tragedy that claimed the lives of 33 people on Friday, April 10th.

This included Friday's episode of weekly late night show "Rachid Show" and a Caftan fashion show that was scheduled to be aired live from the city of Marrakech on Saturday, April 11th.

On Friday, April 10th, a head-on collision between a bus carrying nearly 50 people and a petrol-filled semi-trailer resulted in the deaths of 33 people, including 20 children who had just finished their participation at a national school games competition earlier this week.

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Rabat - Following are some unique photos, displaying the fabulous charm of the Moroccan life style in the 1960's and 1980's.

[caption id="attachment_155939" align="aligncenter" width="626"] Casablanca airport in 1963[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_155949" align="aligncenter" width="626"] Amazigh family[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_155941" align="aligncenter" width="626"] Miss Tahiti 1982 in Casablanca[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_155942" align="aligncenter" width="626"] Moroccan Goumiers in 1943. They were soldiers who served in auxiliary units attached to the French Army of Africa, between 1908 and 1956.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_155943" align="aligncenter" width="626"] Moroccan women from Tetouan with typical Moroccan dress[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_155944" align="aligncenter" width="626"] Moroccan female students in class learning embroidery[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_155945" align="aligncenter" width="626"] Moroccan students memorizing Quran, Muslims holy book[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_155946" align="aligncenter" width="626"] Swimming pool in Casablanca[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_155947" align="aligncenter" width="626"] Tangier beach[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_155948" align="aligncenter" width="626"] The rolling stones in Morocco in the 60s[/caption]

Credit: Happy Knowledge

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Fez - Maroc Telecom will become the official sponsor of The Gnaoua World Music Festival in Essaouira, after offering more money than Meditel.

Since its inception, Meditel, Morocco’s second telecommunications operator, has linked its brand to the Ganoua World Music Festival in Essaouira.

For fifteen years the company has spent millions of dirhams sponsoring the event, which welcomes artists and fans from around the world to celebrate Gnaoua music.

This year, however, Maroc Telecom takes over for the 18th festival, which starts on May 13.

Maroc Telecom has succeeded in tempting organizers to change their sponsor by offering double what Meditel was paying.

"Indeed, Maroc Telecom has made a more attractive offer than the contract we had with Meditel. We accepted and signed with them for three years,” said Neila Tazi, the festival director.

Tazi added that this change is good news for Essaouira. A socio-economic study found that for every dirham of sponsorship for the festival, Essaouira earns 17 dirhams.

Nezha also hoped that the Emirati sponsorship would not change the “spirit of the festival.”

© Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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Rabat- The 19th edition of the flagship event of Moroccan high couture "Caftan 2015", was organized Saturday night in Marrakesh.

Indicative of future trends in high Moroccan couture, this year’s edition of the Caftan show alternated, as in previous years, artistic fashion shows and highlights inspired by different musical tastes. A beautiful array of artists took part in the show, among whom were Moroccan Khansa Batma, Salma Rashid, Fnaïre group, Adil Kaghat, and Lebanese Ghazi El Amir. Artist Hamid Daoussi composed and performed the soundtrack for Caftan 2015. American movie start Nicolas Cage was also in attendance.

At the show, organized under the theme "Musically yours", each of the 17 designers who participated in the event presented to the public caftans inspired by different influences, enhanced by the creative genius of the fashion designers.

Abdelhanine Raouh, Meryem Boussikouk, Khadija El Houjouji, Siham El Habti, Amal Belcaid, Kacem Sahl, Nabila Shihab, Amina Boussayri, Radia Harmouchi, Meriem Belkhayat, Samira Mhaidi Knouzi, Nisreen Ezzaki Bakkali, Safae Ibrahimi, Meriam Bouafi, Naddia Boutaleb, Salima Boussouni El Houda, and Meriam Kissi all tried to meet the challenge of creating a collection of caftans that honor music.

The fashion designers competed to surprise the audience and highlight both the beauty of caftan and Morocco’s cultural richness.

17 Moroccan artists, including 4 young talents, were honored at this 19th edition. The guest of honor was Lebanese designer Antoine El Kareh, creator of several collections that have earned him positive reviews in world of fashion.

As one of the most important venues of Moroccan high couture, the Caftan show presents the world with the new trends in this traditional Moroccan dress and pays tribute to the genius and creativity of Moroccan stylists, fashion designers, weavers, and tailors.

© Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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By Jamal Belehcen

Rabat - The magical region of Imilchil is located in the eastern Atlas Mountains; a small region bounded by mountains. In the horizon, you will find a mighty mountain telling an ancient tale. The region's inhabitants have given each mountain a name bearing historical Amazigh connotations. In the middle of region flows a river with green banks surrounded by agriculture. Besides breeding, agriculture constitutes the population’s main source of revenue.

Economically speaking, the region is relatively poor, but rich in terms of culture and tourism. Its abundance in touristic qualifications makes Imishil a destination for many foreigners

who flock there each summer, but also Moroccans obsessed with mountain tourism; constituting a significant but seasonal source of revenue as the number of tourists dramatically decreases during winters.

[caption id="attachment_156115" align="aligncenter" width="837"] The lakes ‘Isli’. Photo: semprini.stefano/Flickr[/caption]

One of the main attractions marking Imilshil a touristic destination par excellence is the myth its mountains tell: a love story ending with the formation of the two lakes ‘Isli’ and ‘Tislit’. The region is also famous for the engagement season organized each year after harvesting. 

The origin of the word ‘Imilchil’

In the northern entrance of the region exists a place called ‘lchil’. According to its inhabitants, it was a place wheat and cereal were weighed and it is from here that the name was coined. The word ‘Imilshil’, in the Amazigh language, it is composed of two words: ‘Imi’ and ‘Shil’; literally, ‘the mouth of the weighing wheat place’. ‘Imi’ or ‘mouth’ in Amazigh is used to refer to a place in front of something, for example, the mouth of a cave. The second part of the word, ‘lshil’ means wheat.

Between mountains, a myth emerged

Less known than the romances of Romeo and Juliet, Qais and Laila, and Antar and Abla, ‘Imilchil’ is the source of an Amazigh love story. Once upon a time, there was a serious conflict between two of Ait Heddou's most important tribes: Ait Azza and Ait Ibrahim. Their problem revolved around irrigation and pastures, leading to a radical break between the two tribes. At the height of this conflict, a young man from Ait Ibrahim fell in love with one of the girls of Ait Azza. This was considered an outright defiance against the tribes though all that the two young people aspired was that their love result in a marriage sealing their pure love. But the growing enmity between the two tribes prevented their love, forcing the lovers to flee to neighbouring mountains. They burst into tears lamenting the impossibility of their union; the floods of their tears drowning them into two lakes: Isli and Tislit, forming the great tableau between the mountains. Since that time, the two tribes vigorously celebrate the marriage season, in an attempt to make up for their mistake. This tradition continues and has become known as the engagement season.

Imilchil’s Winter

After summer time in Imilshil, the rhythm of life starts to slow and the winter brings sub-zero temperatures that cover the region with a white gown. An eerie calmness prevails and transforms what was once a crowded village into an abandoned void. The streets are empty and the only movement seems to be chimney smoke coming out from the white houses. The happy tunes of Ahydous songs are replaced by the bleating of sheep and goats struggling to survive.

In this period begins the real suffering of the inhabitants of Imilshil and neighboring regions. Roads are closed, power is cut and villages are completely isolated from the world for days. Those who did not prepare well for the cold are likely to suffer as it becomes impossible to reach the weekly market to get the most basic necessities. The sick people either live with their sickness or die and bodies are transported in a coffin on the back of an animal; an animal which plays the role of an ambulance. The sick endure their ailments if they are lucky, but some, won't make it to the spring. Despite the challenges inherent to Imilchil, life goes on.

This article was originally published in Arabic on Morocco World News Arabic and translated by Najah Elyahyaoui. Photo: semprini.stefano/Flickr 

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By Nouha Habouria - Tunis

The world of its colors is bereft

Nobody is here. Everybody has left

****

I must start The Quest

But where’s the rest?

Nobody

Neither in the East nor in the West

****

I miss the feast

Or some sounds of life at least

Bad fortune

Fortuna, Aphrodite, and Apollo were slaughtered by The beast

****

Today

Is Mother Earth’s birthday

Yet, Mother Earth

Is not celebrating with mirth

Its residents did not recognize its worth

Extinction was the distinction of the end of the story

So sorry

So sorry for they did not worry

About the end of the story

They lusted, blindly, for glory

Now, Mother Earth is hoary

Witnessing the end of the story

No glory

The end is grim, ghastly, grisly, and gory

****

They blew out the candle flame

Darkness was the result of their unbridled thirst for the unholy fame

This is how ended their War game

Each of them says: I’m not the one to blame

Yet in the dreadful tragedy’s cast,

They are all the same,

The villains of the game

“Harmony, Democracy, and Peace were the aim”

That was the claim

Now, the world is lame

Humanity sunk in shame

****

Callous voices are all I remember

Greed, revenge and selfishness blinded both the offender and the defender

And none of them accepted to surrender

The earth’s heart was torn apart

And there was no mender

I wander, I wander, then I wonder

 ****

Why?

I look around me

Everything is dry

Even my eye

It can no more cry

Of all what happened

I feel so shy, but I have to try

Dear Earth,

It won’t be a good-bye

We won’t turn a blind eye

****

I promise that I won’t stop my quest

For those who still have merciful hearts not ruthless stones in their breasts

I won’t have a rest

Till I find the rest

Then I’ll request them to join my quest

People from the East,..People from the West

I’m calling for your help with zest

On earth, we are all residents not guests

To save it

We must do our best

On earth, there shall be no oppressed, no suppressed, no depressed and no distressed

By our earth, the galaxy shall be impressed

With its residents, it shall not be cursed but blessed

Unconditional love and eternal peace are my request

So, join me in my quest.

Video of Nouha Habouria performing her poem "The Quest."

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Rabat - Swedish singer of Lebanese origin Maher Zain will perform at Mawazine Festival on Monday June 1^st at Nahda stage in Rabat, Maroc Culture Association has announced. 

With his millions of fans, the star of modern Islamic music Maher Zain is one of the most influential musicians of his time.  Born in 1981 in Tripoli, Lebanon, his family later immigrated to Sweden when he was only eight. He completed his schooling there and gained a Bachelor's degree in Aeronautical Engineering.

In New York, he was linked up with Moroccan-born Swedish producer RedOne. He worked for him as a production assistant. He continued his music industry career in the United States producing for artists such as R&B star Kate Deluna.

In 2009, he released his debut album Thank You Allah, an internationally successful album with 13 songs and two bonus tracks. The albums has been certified multiple platinum by Warner Music Malaysia and Sony Music Indonesia. In 2010, the album became the highest selling album in Malaysia.

The 14 edition of Mawazine Festival which is scheduled to take place between May 29th and June 6th, 2015 in Rabat will also see the participation of Akon, Usher, American Pop Rock band Maroon 5, Pharrel Williams English Alternative rock band Placebo and AVICII.

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Rabat - A Performance by controversial French comedian Dieudonné M'bala M'bala scheduled for April 29th in Casablanca has been canceled.

The organizers of Dieudonné's act " La Bête immonde " (The Filthy Beast) have been contacted Thursday morning by representatives from the Mohammed V complex, the event's planned venue, who told them that hall was not available due to "technical reasons".

The Casablanca show was a stop on Diedonne's tour of a number of Arab cities, including Dubai and Beirut.

The show "La Bête immonde" contains strong language against Jews as it portrays the life of Ilan Halimi, a young Parisian Jewish phone salesman who was tortured and murdered in 2006 by a gang of kidnappers because he was Jewish.

Dieudonne has repeatedly faced convictions on charges related to anti-Semitism, Holocaust denial and incitement of racial hatred against Jews in France. He has also been subject of multiple executive bans against his shows in France for their anti-Semitic content.

He invented a quasi-Nazi salute which many have dubbed as an anti-Semitic gesture of hate, including French Prime Minister Manuel Valls.

The post Dieudonné’s Performance in Casablanca Canceled appeared first on Morocco World News.

By Amine Mechaal

Rabat - The National Foundation of Museums (FNM) in Morocco hosted a visit by the Director of the British Museum in London, Neil MacGregor, on Monday, April 13th in Rabat.

During this unprecedented visit to Morocco, Mr. MacGregor visited the Mohammed VI Museum (MMVI) of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rabat, accompanied by Mehdi Qotbi, the president of FNM, and Abdelaziz El Idrissi, the director of MMVI.

On this occasion, Mr. MacGregor had the chance to discover the modern, contemporary, and the temporary exhibition: "The Medieval Morocco: An Empire from Africa to Spain,” that was organized by FNM in partnership with the Louvre Museum in Paris.

“It is a pleasure to visit lthe Mohammed VI museum of modern and contemporary art and discuss the possibilities of collaboration between our institutions,” Mr. MacGregor said. By sharing collections and creating opportunities for staff to learn from one another in the future we can better understand and display our world histories.”

The visit was followed by a meeting, during which several avenues for collaboration were discussed; one of them was the possibility of co-organizing cultural events in both countries.

“We believe it is necessary in these turbulent times to promote better understanding between peoples and cultures. For this it is necessary to introduce our respective cultures by establishing mutual loans of works in temporary exhibitions,” explained Mr. Qotbi.

Great emphasis was also placed on the possibility of exchanging expertise between the two institutions, and establishing training programs in the field of museology in both countries.

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In a report recently aired on NBC, journalist Cat Greenleaf discovered with amazement Marrakesh souks, riads, its squares, grills, fresh orange juice and other mysteries of the ocher city.

The post Video: Marrakesh as Seen by an American Journalist appeared first on Morocco World News.

Taroudante - The performance of controversial French comedian Dieudonné M’bala M’bala scheduled for April 29th in Casablanca has been canceled apparently by demand of a French Jewish organization.

Although Moroccan officials offered no explanation for denying a permit for the performance, the Mohammed V complex, the event’s planned venue, said that the show had been cancelled due to “technical reasons.”

The decision may have been due to political pressure, however. The President of the National Bureau of Vigilance Against Anti-Semitism (BNVCA), Sammy Ghozlan, claims to have sent a letter to the Ambassador of Morocco to France demanding that the Moroccan authorities prevent Dieudonné from performing his show in Casablanca, according to Telquel.

"As soon as I learned that Dieudonné was going to perform in Casablanca, I immediately contacted Morocco's ambassador in Paris,” said Ghozlan, adding that he is satisfied with the decision made by the Moroccan authorities to ban the show.

According to Ghozlan, "Morocco has a large Jewish community. Allowing Dieudonné to perform his show is a real incitement to hatred against that community.”

The Casablanca show was one stop on Dieudonné’s tour of a number of Arab cities, including Dubai and Beirut.

The show entitled “La Bête immonde” (The Vile Beast), contains strong language directed against Jews. It portrays the life of Ilan Halimi, a young Parisian Jewish phone salesman who was tortured and murdered in 2006 by a gang of kidnappers because he was Jewish.

Dieudonné has repeatedly faced prosecution in France on charges related to anti-Semitism, Holocaust denial and incitement of racial hatred against Jews. He has also been the subject of multiple executive bans against his shows in France for their anti-Semitic content. The controversial artist invented a quasi-Nazi salute, which many, including French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, have dubbed as an anti-Semitic gesture of hate.

© Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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Rabat -During the Moroccan-American food week that ended Saturday  in Rabat, US ambassador to Morocco Dwight L. Bush expressed his love for Moroccan cuisine.

Bush named a number of his favorite Moroccan dishes. On top comes the “Meshwi,” (meat in skewers cooked over charcoal fire) fish tagine and Bastilla (an authentic Moroccan dish made of fine layers of almost transparent pastry called “warqa” and is stuffed with pigeon and almonds.)

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Taroudante- During the Moroccan-American food week, which ended Saturday on the shores of Bouregerg in Rabat, US ambassador to Morocco Dwight L. Bush expressed his love for Moroccan cuisine.

Bush named a number of famous Moroccan dishes that he enjoys most. His favorite Moroccan foods are the “Meshwi,” (meat in skewers cooked over charcoal fire), fish tagine, and Bastilla (an authentic Moroccan dish made of fine layers of an almost transparent pastry called “warqa” and is stuffed with pigeon and almonds).

The US ambassador also expressed his love for Moroccan cakes and cookies.  He said that he sometimes prepares American dishes by himself, especially pasta with cheese and seafood dishes, but he has never tried to personally prepare Moroccan dishes. Reda, my personal chef, “does not leave me learn anything".

During the Moroccan-American food week, held from April 10 to 18 at the initiative of the Embassy of the United States in Morocco, US chef Eric Hustad traveled to Morocco's major cities, including Tangier, Fez, and Marrakesh, in a cultural exchange of the secrets of cooking of both countries.

On the last day of the event, there was an outdoor dinner and a competition between the American chef Eric Hustad and the Moroccan chef Halima Mourid before a distinguished jury, including the US ambassador to Morocco, Dwight L. Bush, and Chef Moha.

This culinary showdown at the end of the Moroccan-American culinary week offered the public an exceptional gastronomic scene in which the two chefs did their best to prepare various dishes from the same ingredients, celebrating the culinary traditions of their countries.

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By Hadhami Walhazi - Tunis

She visits many old faces.

Some of them are quite quiet,

Exotic, yet exhausted,

With a sorrowful odour,

That cannot be identified.

****

Those stone-like unknowns

Are crying his death

Announcing the time of

Perishing civilization,

Burying love,

And planting fears.

****

Like a stranger, she walks

Between the black long shades

Thinking about his unknown destination.

****

That winter day,

An apocalyptic sun

Is lowering down,

Announcing the heavy onus

That should be carried.

****

The warm home becomes

A blue meaningless house.

She becomes invisible like a mirage.

She wants to have the same voyage.

****

Her father, He was
... Hers,

Her hope,

Her heaven,

Her happiness,

Her everything.

****

Under the sacred moon,

An unstinted nimbus,

And a bright aureole

Are surrounding his

Slumbering body.

****

It puzzles her to believe

In his sudden death

In her daddy’s death

It burns her to face

The necessity of his death.

****

Refusing this unfair destiny,

Rebuffing their mourning,

Rejecting his great loss,

She steps with serious pace

Towards her imago in the mirror.

****

She gazes at her reflection,

Waves of woes widen from within,

Hardly she, discovering

The bleak environment around,

Feeling dismembered,

Recognizes her new

Lonely uprooted self.

****

Her echoed screams are

Followed by despairing sobbing.

Outside, nature is weeping, too.

The thunder’s boom does not cease,

The storm’s roar does not stop,

Yet, it moves inside her head.

****

She furiously passes

In unceasing movement

In search of unity,

Looking for security,

Asking about meaning:

****

‘Life is a dispute between

The paper and a pen

Death is the ink of that pen,

Which blackens the paper.

****

No more to think have I,

Blue tears, stop darkening

My dreadful day.’

****

Barely she recognizes

The endless essence of the end.

She turns her face and sings

Until light go away.

She closes her eyes and writes

Until her heart slip away.

The post Her Daddy’s Death – Poem appeared first on Morocco World News.

Rabat - After a long absence, Abdelhadi Belkhayat, one of the pillars of the Moroccan and Arab music, is preparing to make his comeback on June 4th at the Mohammed V Theater in Rabat.

According to a statement by Association Maroc Culture, Abdelhadi Belkhayat will perform at the 14th edition of Mawazine Festival Rhytms of the World scheduled to take place between May 29th and June 6th, 2015 in Rabat.

The source added that to mark his return, Abdelhadi Belkhayat will deliver a unique spiritual concert marked by a repertoire of religious songs and invocations.

The Moroccan singer will be accompanied by a Sufi choir to perform songs such as "Al Mounfarija", "Asmaa Allah Alhosna" and "Ya Taliin Eljibal"

Born in 1940 in Fez, Abdelhadi Belkhayat quickly left his hometown to settle in Casablanca. Belkhayat is mostly remembered for successful songs such as "Ya Bent Nass", "Ya Dak L'Insane", "Qitar Al Hayat" and "Alkamaro al-ahmar". After these successful albums, he became an Imam and released a spiritual-themed album "Al Mounfarija".

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Taroudante- Moroccan music star Najat Aatabou has expressed her desire to perform the Hajj and put on the khimar, a long headscarf worn by some Muslim women, typically gathered or fastened under the chin and covering the body to a variable length, upon her return.

Speaking to Ridouane Erramdani on his show "Fi Qafass Al Ittiham" (In the dock), the Moroccan musician expressed her desire to make a new choice “to please God.”

"I pray to God every day to perform the Hajj. On my return, I would wear the khimar. It is a choice,” she said.

When asked about her decision, especially whether she thinks singing is "haram," she replied: “I cannot say that such a thing is haram or halal.”  Aatabou added that she did not chose to enter the world of singing, but rather “singing was imposed on me.”

“I am not really responsible for my choices. The only things within my power are to control my behavior, to have ethics and morality," she said.

“Man does not have free will, but he is determined,” she added.

Najat Aatabou’s songs were very famous in the late 80’s and 90’s. The singer is best known for her song "Hadi Kedba Bayna" (That is a blatant lie) which was reportedly sampled by the Chemical Brothers in their song Galvanize.

[video id="U-PyZof35Lo" type="youtube"]

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Washington D. C.- The City of Alexandria will host Moroccan Days April 26 through April 29, at Market Square, 301 King Street. Admission is free.

Morocco’s long and rich history have made it what it is today – a crossroad between, Amazigh, Sephardic, European, Arab-Islamic and African cultures; a true melting-pot in which diversity and tolerance have co-existed for centuries. This reflects on different facets of modern Moroccan life including arts and crafts.

Today, handicraft has become a major sector in Morocco. In addition to helping preserve the unique cultural heritage and identity of Morocco, it has also become economically significant. The sector employs more than 2.3 million people and generates 8% of the country’s total GDP. The sector creates sustainable jobs that benefit many families not only in urban centers, but also in rural areas where work opportunities are in short supply.

Having explored the local and national markets, Moroccan artisans are looking to share their art and talent with the rest of the world. They are ready to take a leap of faith and explore new horizons. In doing so, they have chosen the United States of America to exhibit the genius of its artisans.

It is in this spirit that Fatima Marouan, the Minister of Handicrafts & Social and Solidarity-based Economy, in accordance with the Royal directives, will launch the Moroccan Days in Alexandria in partnership with the City of Alexandria VA starting April 26 until April 29, 2015.

This initiative aims to provide the American people with an insight into Moroccan cultural heritage and artistic traditions. We are bringing Morocco to America.

The post US City of Alexandria to Host Moroccan Days on April 26-29 appeared first on Morocco World News.

By Ismail Bentamou

Ksar el Kebir - Pulka Physical Theater (PPT) troupe performed at the first-ever Festival National Theater in Ksar el Kebir, Morocco, March 23 through April 1, 2015.

This event was held at the House of Culture, sponsored by Association Nawaris. The purpose of the event was to provide entertainment and to bring awareness about the positives of theater. Groups from Morocco, Algeria and Lithuania participated in the event.

As evidenced by the number of awards it received, the best performances of the festival were by PPT. The Lithuanian group has performed in countries around the world for more than ten years. Consisting of two males, six females and one director, the group performs interpretive dance, which is acting through body movements and music. Through an avant-garde style, they have a unique way to present theater.

PPT’s interesting way of presenting a story puts together music and rhythmic movements of the body, often adding pictures or images on a screen in the background. For example, to portray an internal personal struggle, an actor was trapped in a suitcase, trying to escape, while two other actors were silently fighting with each other in the background. In another performance, a man was playing with his shadow and came to realize that his expectations about his “other side” were not what he had thought.

PPT’s performance at the event specifically addressed a social issue prominent in today’s societies, as performer Kestutis Grauslys says, that the dance is about a divided society, where Internet users, hiding behind their false identities, lose more and more personal communication and connection. These facades attempt to portray the ideal expression of self without any liability and seek to find pleasure by making others feel badly about themselves.

Several of the performances have a recurring theme: breaking free of something or someone. This theme might be attributed to something emanating from the history of Lithuania’s struggle with Russia or more simply, the struggles of youth. At times it was difficult to determine what the group was trying to portray, but that may be explained by something as simple as a difference in cultures; sharing cultures was a major point of this event.

Theater director and choreographer Andrius Pulka is a teacher of theater in a university in Lithius, Lithuania. He said about the festival, that the group was very happy to share Lithuanian culture with Morocco and was honored to be able to better know the people of Morocco. It was both a pleasure and a learning experience for the group to see Moroccan and Algerian styles of theater. Pulka said that he could feel emotions in their performances even though he didn’t understand the language being spoken. And, since art is about expression and communication of ideas and feelings, the exchange was very successful!

One of the cornerstones of this event was a symposium wherein ideas about theater were discussed and questions were taken from the audience and answered. There were some musical performances as well. On the last day, awards were given in many categories and PPT received the awards for best director, female and male actor and best theater group.

See full performance here

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Morocco World News’ editorial policy

The post Morocco: Shining Star at the Festival National Theater in Ksar el Kebir appeared first on Morocco World News.

Rabat - The Moroccan Jewish community in Toronto, Canada, celebrated the Mimouna religious festival in the grand Moroccan Sephardic center. 

The festival marks the end of the Jewish Passover holiday, which began in the evening of Friday, April 3 and ended in the evening of Saturday, April 11th.

Among the attendees at the Mimouna festivities are Morocco's ambassador in Canada Nezha Chekrouni and the kingdom's general consul Wassane Zailachi. They were joined by numerous personalities from the Canadian government in extending their best wishes for happiness and prosperity to the Moroccan Jewish community in Toronto.

During the event, Morocco's ambassador to Canada Nezha Chekrouni stressed the high solicitude of King Mohammed VI to the Moroccan Jewish communities around the world, adding that the monarch considers them as Moroccans residing abroad with all the rights as stated in the new constitution.

[caption id="attachment_156688" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Morocco's ambassador in Canada Nezha Chekrouni[/caption]

Ambassador Chekrouni added that Morocco's embassy in Canada is maintaining a close relationship with the Moroccan Jewish community of Toronto. She recalled that Moroccan Jews and Muslims are all the sons of Abraham and have the obligation and the duty to respect each other.

Attending the Mimouna festivities on behalf of the Canadian Prime Minister, Peter Kent, a conservative member of parliament, conveyed to the audience the greetings of Stephen Harper, the Canadian Premiere, and his congratulations on the happy occasion.

[caption id="attachment_156686" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Peter Kent, a conservative member of parliament[/caption]

Kent hailed the strong contribution of Moroccan Jews to the city of Toronto and also the rest of Canada since their arrival to the country and in all fields such as economics, finance, social, cultural, sports and other.

He also expressed to the audience the admiration and respect of the Canadian government to the king of Morocco Mohammed VI and his people, citing the close and friendly relations that Canada maintains with Morocco.

To wrap up, Simon Keslassy, the president of the Moroccan Jewish community in Toronto thanked the Moroccan and Canadian authorities for their presence in the festivities of the Mimouna.

The post Moroccan Jewish Community in Toronto Celebrates Mimouna appeared first on Morocco World News.

Rabat- Cannes Film Festival has picked Nabil Ayouch's film "Much Loved" to feature in the lineup of the Director's Fortnight (AKA la Quinzaine des Réalisateurs).

Much Love is a social drama that portrays the daily life of four marginalized women prostitutes in the city of Marrakech.

In an earlier interview with American magazine Variety, the director of Horses of God about the 2003 Casablanca bombings, said he began researching the topic 18 months ago, initially interviewing more than 100 prostitutes in Casablanca, Rabat and Tangier, talking about their personal backgrounds and what led them onto prostitution.

The film is a Franco-Moroccan coproduction, involving New District, a new Moroccan new company based in Casablanca, Ayouch’s production company, Ali n’ productions, and French production houses, Barney productions and Les Films du Nouveau Monde.

"We thought about finishing the film in July, but the Cannes selection has forced us to accelerate the process, Ayouch was quoted as saying.

"It was nice to hear "Much Loved" was done in very specific conditions. For the team and the actors who have demonstrated exemplary devotion to me, this Cannes selection comes as deliverance," he added.

Last December Ayouch said that he had presented his film twice to the Moroccan Cinema Center (CCM), but his request for funding ended up rejected on both occasions. He, therefore, decided to produce on his own.

The post Nabil Ayouch’s Film on Prostitution in Marrakech to Represent Morocco At Cannes Festival appeared first on Morocco World News.