Rabat- An audience of 180,000 people attended Pharrell Williams performance on Saturday in Rabat.

American singer and rapper Pharrel Williams gave a breathtaking concert on Saturday in Rabat on the second day of the 2015 Mawazine Festival.

Pharrel Williams who sings for the first time in Morocco sang a batch of his world-renowned hits including "Hollaback Girl", "Get Lucky"  and "Blurred Lines".

The concert featured dance sequences diligently performed by five dancers on stage to the delight of an audience of 180,000 non-stop screaming and jumping fans.

Held from May 27 to June 06 in Rabat, the 14th edition of the Festival brings together a galaxy of world renowned stars including Jennifer Lopez, Sting, Sean Paul, Akon and Usher along with other artists representing different eastern, western and African musical styles.

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By Jamal Laoudi

Washington DC - Rai star Kader Japoni was born Abdel Kader Haibraoui in Bab El Ouad, Algiers, on March 11th 1979. Though he realized his vocal talent at a very young age, he did not perform publicly until he was well into his teens. He went from singing to himself by locking his dorm-door during his tenure at University in the city of Bel Abass to performing for thousands and at the Zenith in France.

He is already a well-recognized name in the Maghreb region and among Maghrebi communities in Europe and elsewhere. Aside from his many hits and albums, his achievements include the 2010 best North African song at an African Music Awards, and Artist of the Year at the 2013 Algerian Music Awards.

Here is Kader with more:

How did you get involved in singing and what music genres did you grow up listening to?:

Kader Japoni: I discovered I enjoyed singing at a very young age. I recall gathering with my friends, siblings, or other family members and singing whatever was popular at the time. With that being said, I would not do so in the presence of my parents.

I listened to various styles of music and artists, but I favored Hasni and Nasro for Rai. As far as other styles, I enjoyed George Wassouf, Lionel Ritchie, and Charles Aznavour, among others.

What was your early work like? Describe the process of your artistic growth.

Kader Japoni: Like many of my predecessors and as is the path for Algerian Raimen, I started out performing at weddings, cabarets, private parties, and the like. Initially, I did not have my own material so I covered what was popular.

In 2001, when I was 17, I released my very first album with all original tracks. As a matter of fact, all my albums are original.  I try to release one album a year – Oscar, an album I released not long ago, is doing very well. My latest is entitled “Today” and was recently released.

Slowly, I started building a name for myself. I released albums from 2001 to 2006 but with very little success. I was still trying to find my niche. I released one album every two years. 2006 proved to be the defining year for me, with the release of the album “Ana Wana.” Doors began to open. I released albums in 2008 and 2009 and continued on that path.  I did the Zenith in Paris in 2009.

Rai, as a music genre, has had its up and downs. It seems now to be moving in an upward motion. To what do you attribute the previous decline?

Kader Japoni: True, there was a period of decline, if you will, but Rai bounced back. Algeria suffered a civil war, and when that happens, the arts are one of the first to take a hit. You are not going to record albums nor entertain audiences in concert halls during a civil war. I am glad to see that it is all over, and that the arts are back.  I hope that we will only improve over time.

If presented with all the artists that ever existed, and asked who would you want to do a duet with, whom would you choose and why?

Kader Japoni: This is actually easy to answer. I would choose the late (Cheb) Hasni. There is something unique about his ability to stir and evoke emotions from within that you may not have previously known were there. There is something about the combination of his lyrics; derived from real life events, his carefully chosen melodies, and his smooth, pure voice that made him stand out from the rest. He had the uncanny ability to make his audience part of the story in his songs. These characteristics are the reason behind my choosing him.

What brought you to the United States?

Kader Japoni: I am here for concert performances starting here in Washington DC.  It is a great opportunity for me to connect with my fans on this side of the Atlantic. I am also on a musical exploration mission. To stay current and evolve, one must explore, experiment, and continue to learn and grow artistically and otherwise. My goal is to also connect with established US-based artists in hope to collaborate on projects.

Last words?

Kader Japoni: Thank you, Jamal, for this opportunity. I hope everyone enjoys my performance and I look forward to visiting more often.

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Rabat- Following the opening of the Mawazine Festival in Rabat on Friday, May 29th, several Spanish media outlets have reported on the subsequent controversy surrounding the headlining performance of international pop star Jennifer Lopez.

45-year-old "JLo" was invited by the concert organizers to open the festival, which lasts until June 6th and showcases artists from all over the world.

However, musical diversity also comes with cultural diversity, which brings about differing values, attitudes, languages, and more.

In JLo's case, the cultural values that make up her iconic persona, such as seductive dancing and skimpy outfits, have upset the Moroccan public and government.

Abc.es reported that Moroccan Minister of Communication Mustafa El Khalfi described Lopez's performance as "reprehensible and unacceptable" for public broadcast television in a tweet on the Sunday following the performance.

20 minutos reported similar information, and also included that it had been debated whether or not Lopez would tone down her performance to better fulfill the values and expectations of the Moroccan public, something that obviously did not occur.

Both of these articles raise the question of whether or not the ethical considerations being put in place regarding the public broadcast of Mawazine are in line with Muslim values, and whether or not they should be reviewed to prevent similar uproar in the future.

El Pais, however, included some of the criticism of Morocco's reaction to Lopez's performance that has been floating around various media outlets in the past few days. The Spanish newspaper quoted a columnist for Moroccan news outlet Liberation said that Mustafa al Jalfi could have very easily gone to sleep instead of enduring three long hours of JLo's performance on his television. "We don't know if, deep down, Jalfi enjoyed the concert himself."

El Pais went on to state that the fury of the Moroccan public and government demonstrates how the prominent inequality of the sexes continues to be in the country and among its people.

"It is a society in which practicing pre-marital sex and homosexuality can land you in jail, but women's rights see almost no improvement from day to day," writes El Pais.

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Fez - Moroccan composer and musicologist Nabil Benabdeljalil and the Zakharif Ensemble delivered an outstanding performance on Thursday afternoon at the Batha Museum, marrying oriental and occidental melodies and taking the audience on a voyage across cultures.

The ensemble approaches music holistically and interprets it as a harmony of intricate, polyphonic compositions and arrangements that connect with the spirit of tradition. The ensemble plays jazz, Moroccan, Middle Eastern, and Arabic music, classical music of the Romantic era, and classical 20th century music.

Although the groups participating in the Festival this year may differ in name, kinds of music, and rhythm, they all share a pivotal theme in common: the journey of Hassan Al Wazan and his migration from Andalusia to Africa and back again to Europe.

Nabil Benabdeljalil and the Zakharif Ensemble emphasized this theme performing pieces from the classical Arab repertoire infused with western tunes.

Before the concert began, the organizers experienced difficulties due to rain and the heavy wind which blew tree leaves all over the tiled courtyard of the venue, causing a delay. Responding to the discomfort with the weather conditions, one spectator commented: “This is part of the sacred,.” urging listeners to smile.

Finally, the group appeared on stage to a warm applause.

The first two pieces were “Romance without Speech” and “The Impossible Dance,’’ both composed by Nabil Benabdeljalil. The pieces were deftly and musically played although they sounded as if they were composed of a hodge-podge of intricate musical notes, mixing Austrian, Egyptian, American, and Moroccan rhythms and tunes. The audience noticed the meticulous precision with which the group of artists played their instruments (piano, percussion, Ooud , saxophone, and percussions) to create the uncanny harmony of which Nabil Benabdeljalil is fond of. The quartet whetted the viewers’ appetite for more, transporting them to different parts of the world.

The Oud player, Ozzahr Noureddine, took the audience to the winding alleys of Egypt’s old Medinas with a stunning piece of music. which took the listeners to the winding alleys of Egypt’s old Medinas. The percussionist, Youssef Outamrich, leaving his instrument for a spell, perfectly sang a captivating Mawal "Ya Lili Ya Lili." He was much appreciated by the audience and precipitated several minutes of applause.

One of the best performances of the concert was, the group played a piece called “The Child from Mrirt” (enfant de Mrirt ). Mrirt is originally a name of a small city in the Atlas Mountains whose dwellers are purely Amazigh. This captivating piece, carried the audience back to Morocco and its sacrosanct and nostalgic Amazigh roots.

In an exclusive interview with Morocco World News, Nabil said that music goes beyond just entertainment. When asked about the connection with sacred music, he said that music should be spiritual in the first place, and then other indicia of the spirituality will follow.

Photo Credit: Zoubir Ali

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Rabat -  The concert of DJ Avicii attracted over 200,000 festival-goers, on Monday at the OLM Soussi stage of Rabat, as part of the 14th Mawazine Festival-Rhythms of the World (May 29-June 6), according to the organizers.

The fans were entertained by a memorable performance from DJ Avicii's rich repertoire, said on Tuesday Morocco-Cultures Association in a statement.

The same day but at a different location, the Nahda stage, Maher Zain, a Swedish songwriter and producer of Lebanese origin, offered an unforgettable show by mixing R&B and world music to sing for the Arab and Muslim cause.

Maher, who was discovered by Moroccan producer Red One, sang his hit song "Insha Allah" which was translated into French, Arabic and Turkish in front of over 40,000 spectators.

This year’s edition of Mawazine Festival is set to new records of attendance. 160,000 people attended the concert of American singer Jennifer Lopez at the opening of the festival last Friday, and 180,000 people attended Pharrell Williams concert on Saturday.

The festival’s organizing committee expect over 2,5 million people to attend the variety of concerts programed this year.

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Fez - Legendary Motown singing group The Temptations Review performed at Bab al Makina in the Fes Medina Thursday getting the audience on its feet to dance to the group’s old classics.

Fans flocked to Bab al Makina to catch the Temptations Review in their cameo main-stage appearance in the World Sacred Music Festival on Thursday. The concert was a lively reprise of many of the group’s classic hits, with leader Dennis Edwards, who replaced the legendary David Ruppen in 1968, getting the audience to sing along in a traditional (in the sense of both American gospel and Moroccan popular music) call and response.

[caption id="attachment_159944" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Photo credit: Omar Chennafi[/caption]

Edwards talked in a press conference beforehand about the group’s foundation back in the U.S. in the 1960s. The group won the very first Grammy award for Motown with the hit Cloud 9.

“I’ve been doing this for 50 years,” Edwards said. “The only disadvantage is that I still have to dance and do the moves [at my age], and sometimes I have to sit down. But fortunately right now I have the son of one of the original members singing with me, Paul Williams, Jr., and he can do the moves. I’m blessed to have had a long career.”

Asked about the how the Temptations got their name, he said, “We were a young group of singers in Motown. We tried to figure out how to stand apart from the other groups. We decided to do choreography and dance as well as the singing. We decided to use the name “The Temptations,” for being one of the greatest groups in the world. But a group in New York already had the name, so we bought it from them.”

What is the group’s message to the world? Our message is about striving for “being excellent,” he said. “Being called The Temptations stands for being the greatest group.”

Asked about how it feels to be in Morocco for the first time, Edwards said, “I looked out of my balcony today and it looks like a history class. Every place I go I take a little bit with me and take it back to my kids. There are good people here and it’s good place.” He added, “I love the temperature. I’m a singer, and the temperature here is good for my voice.”

[caption id="attachment_159942" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Photo Credit: Omar Chennafi[/caption]

Asked how the Temptations fit into a sacred music festival, Barry responded simply, “We’re a sacred group.” He explained that, “When we were founded, people were poor and without hope, and we gave people hope.” He continued, “Before every concert we join hands and pray. Tonight we are going to make it a spiritual concert.”

Talking about some of the challenges the group has faced over the last 50 years, he said, “When you’re with a group, it’s all about hard work and making it to the top. But the Most difficult part is when you make it to the top. So many things try to break you apart. People leave for whatever reasons, people die. One of the things Paul Williams told me is that, the game is still the same. Just the players change. The music stays the same; we just bring in new players and try to make it better.”

He goes on, “Singing with the original group was the thrill of my life. Now we are so close to the original group – we close our eyes and it feels like they are there on stage with us.”

[caption id="attachment_159946" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Photo credit: Omar chennafi[/caption]

He noted with regret that the group lost all of its bags in Paris with all of their fancy costumes. But, as he said, “The show must go on, and one thing for sure,” he added, “We are going to sing great tonight.”

And they did. Although they appeared on stage only in black t-shirts and sweatpants instead of their usual colorful regalia, they gave one of their typical high energy, fast moving, performances, complete with their trademark choreography and moves, and a reprise of many old favorites, including Aint too Proud to Beg, Ball of Confusion, Treat her Like a Lady, My Girl, and Papa was a Rolling Stone. They also paid tribute to and remembered four departed members with a moment of silence.

Although a few raindrops began to fall as they sang “Rainy Night in Georgia,” thankfully, the rain stayed away for the duration of the concert, and the audience was not disappointed.

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Rabat- The international "Blue Flag" label was awarded by Mohammed VI Foundation for Environment Protection, which is presided by Princess Lalla Hassna, and the International Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) to 23 Moroccan beaches out of the 28 candidates to the annual "clean beaches" program.

The Blue Flag, a symbol of the exemplary quality of environment, values every year resorts and marinas, which undertake a permanent and sustainable tourism policy.

In 2015, 23 beaches nationwide will flow the blue flag for the summer, says a release of the Mohammed VI Foundation for Environment Protection and FEE.

The following sea resorts obtained the ecology label: Achakar, Arekman, Ba-Kacem, Oualidia, Oued Laou, Saidia, Sidi Rahal and Sol in the Northern coastline, in addition to Aglou Sidi moussa, El Moussafir, Essaouira, Foum loued, Imintourga, Oum Labouir  in southern Morocco and the sea resorts of the following beaches located on the Atlantic shores between Rabat and El Jadida:  Bouznika, Skhirate, Haouzia, Ain Diab, Mme Choual, Safi, Souiria Lkdima and Cap Beddouza .

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Rabat - Four of the seasoned and talented faculty members of the University of Akron will be holding a Jazz Quartet Concert this weekend in Fez. 

The concert will be held on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. in the American Language Center-ALIF garden.

The Quartet, made up of four members from the Akron School of Music, started performing together in 2005. They toured in Chemnitz, Germany at jazz festivals, night clubs, and universities. They have recorded an album of jazz renditions of hymns, spiritual, and sacred songs titled “I Love to Tell the Story.”

Professor Jack Schantz, the Coordinator of Jazz Studies at Akron, has toured both the United States and Japan with various orchestras. He was Artistic Director of the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra from 1992-2009 and has been teaching at the University of Akron since 1996. He has recorded with Phil Woods, Joe Lovano, and Oscar Peterson.

Tim Powell, bassist for Playhouse Square Center Productions, has worked with Akron since 1993. He has recorded with Harold Danko, Paquito D’Rivera, Joe Augustine, and Rosemary Clooney.

Pianist and producer Rock Wehrmann has recorded with Pat Metheny, Herbie Hancock, and Chick Corea. He owns a company, Sudden Realizations, which produces music and designs sound for films.

Mark Gonder is a drummer and has been with Akron since 1996. He has recorded with Pat Pace, the Jazz Unit, and the Jack Schantz Quartet. He has also toured internationally with the Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey Orchestras.

In case of rain, the concert will be held in the Annex Auditorium. It is a free concert and open to the public.

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Rabat - Mark Zuckerberg has revealed his next pick for his A Year of Books project.

Thirty-one year old Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, made a New Year’s Resolution to read an important book every two weeks this year and then discuss it online with the Facebook community. His eleventh book is “Muqaddimah” (translated The Introduction) by the Arab historian Ibn Khaldun.

Ibn Khaldun is considered one of the founding fathers of modern society and historiography. He was well-educated and studied a range of topics including Arab linguistics, law, mathematics, economics, logic, and philosophy. He also memorized the Qur’an by heart.

“Muqaddimah” is Ibn Khaldun’s most famous work. Written in 1377, it focuses on classic Islamic history and elements of the early progression of humanity. Zuckerberg says that although most of the book has been disproven since its writing, “Muqaddimah” is still an interesting read.

“It’s a history of the world written by an intellectual who lived in the 1300s. It focuses on how society and culture flow, including the creation of cities, politics, commerce and science” he wrote.

The book gives a different prospective on worldview and was used by later historians to examine the growth and decline of modern empires.

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Taroudant- Mustapha Elkhalfi, Minister of Communication, said on Thursday in Rabat that the decision to ban the projection of Much Loved (Fik Zine Li) in Morocco serves to protect freedom of expression.

Speaking at the session of oral questions in the Chamber of Advisers, the minister said that his department made the decision to "protect freedom of expression, which absolutely does not mean freedom of absurdity and destruction in cinema.”

The minister added that banning the screening of "Much Loved" is implicitly refusing to grant the recommendation, endorsement or institutional recognition for this production, “as international charters stipulate that freedom of expression is governed by the law,” noting that the ministry has taken this legal decision after measuring the extent of damage this film would do to the image of Morocco.

Asked by the parliamentary group of the Popular Movement in the House of Advisors, the minister said that "the decision (to ban the film) was made under the law," while indicating that he had nothing "against art and freedom of expression."

Mustapha El Khalfi also indicated that the scenario presented by Nabil Ayouch in the design of the film and the one presented in the final version of the film are different.

El Khalfi said that the director of the Cinematographic Centre who saw the film was "surprised" to see that the scenario presented to receive the filming permit has nothing to do with the content of the film.

During his speech, Mustapha El Khalfi said that two films namely “Hate Crimes” and “The Apostle” were banned respectively in England and France for non-compliance with the law.

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Rabat-  Morocco TV channel 2M has decided not to air Wednesday's episode of its flagship interview program "Moubacharatan Maâkoum" that was meant to discuss the government's decision to ban Nabil Ayouch's film prostitution "Much Loved".

State-owned 2M channel was supposed to air the episode on Wednesday night but canceled it "due to the absence of calm and objective discussion".

2M has since apologized to its viewers for not airing the episode about "Much Loved", Nabil Ayouch's latest film which has created uproar in Morocco.

According to news website Hespress, guests who were expected to participate in the program received telephone calls from 2M telling them that the episode has been canceled.

The program, hosted by Jamaa Goulahsen, was to discuss the government's decision to ban "Much Loved" and the freedom of artistic expression in Morocco.

The Ministry of Communication said in a statement last week that it has decided to ban the film because "it undermines moral values, and dignity of Moroccan women, and [is] a flagrant attack on the kingdom’s image."

Picture credit: Alyaoum24.com

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Taroudant- A Moroccan lawyer filed an unusual complaint, on behalf of a client, on Tuesday, against both Jennifer Lopez and the president of the ‘Maroc Cultures’ association, under Articles 483 and 129 of the Penal Code.

The complainant said that on Friday, May 29, "he was walking in the area OLM –the place where Jennifer Lopez gave her performance - when a crowd of both sexes, mainly minors, attracted his attention near the Sofitel hotel.”

The complainant said Jennifer Lopez’s songs “of baseness and poor undeniable taste, with suggestive gestures and attitudes harming decency and morality” offended him.

The man added that the “offenses” were committed in the presence of an audience composed mainly of minors.

According to Article 483, any person who deliberately appears nude in public or performs obscene acts or gestures is considered guilty of harming public decency. The article of the Penal Code punishes the perpetrator with one month to two years in prison and a fine of 200 to 500 dirhams.

The Penal Code considers the offense public when it is committed in the presence of one or more unintentional witnesses or underage, or in a public place.

The American singer was harshly criticized for her “suggestive dances and sexy dress.” Many Moroccans went to social media to denounce Jennifer Lopez’s “immoral and revealing” performance on Mawazine, but this is the first legal complaint filed in Morocco thus far.

Mawazine Festival organizing committee announced last Saturday that Jennifer Lopez’ concert attracted 160,000 spectators, and her performance was broadcasted on Morocco’s state-owned television channel 2M.

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By Abdeslam Outaleb

Marrakech - As an Amazigh instilled with the sense of defending Timozgha as my identity, I sympathize with qualities that Imazighen hold as a part of their identities. One of these things is TaQrfiyt, a habit of the Ait Hdiddou tribes of the small Atlas Mountains. TaQrfiyt is the series of conversations that a man has with a woman during the courting phase of their relationship prior to marriage.

TaQrfiyt traditionally took place inside castles in public settings. The process occurs from around ten o’clock in morning to around four o’clock in afternoon with the primary goal of securing a marriage.

Performing TaQrfiyt comes with a strict set of rules and processes involving the nuance of conversation, with unwelcomed actions like touching spelling certain doom for both the man and woman. The public setting ensures that no improper behavior takes place. It is these public observers who actually participate in advising and influencing the couple to either marry or go their separate ways. Indeed, the old process of TaQrfiyt is one of the best ways to encourage marriage.

With the growth and social revolution of information communication technology (ICT), TaQrfiyt has taken on another form. Although it no longer occurs inside castles and other medieval buildings, it now takes places literally everywhere: in festivals, in fields, on farms, in schools, and on roads.

ICT tools such as cell phones have made a huge change in the process. Now, one may meet a girl and get her phone number and can talk with and meet her where no one can see them, removing one of the key ingredients of the old TaQrfiyt process. Now, couples run away to deserted areas where they may be caught and disciplined if discovered.

The TaQrfiyt process has been misunderstood by people who are not from Ait Hdiddou. Oftentimes TaQrfiyt has been skewed by outsiders and has led to men going to Ait Hdiddou to sexually harass girls and women. This new form of TaQrfiyt is a perversion of the original tradition and must be stopped.

The marginalization and isolation of the southeast section of the kingdom in which Ait Hdiddou exists and the illiteracy and ignorance of true Islamic law and culture are part of the reasons for the continuance of TaQrfiyt in the region. If this tradition is to remain, the tribes of Ait Hdiddou may need to revise this process for the twenty-first century.

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

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Rabat - The largest Moroccan cultural event opened Tuesday in Norway and is running through June 21 at the Beljit Center.

This event, organized by the Moroccan Embassy in Norway in collaboration with “Dar Sanee” and “the Norwegian Beljit Center,” highlights the bond of friendship between Morocco and Norway.

A number of Norwegian officials took part in this event, most notably Fabian Stang, the governor of Oslo, and Austin Orleen, director-general of the Norwegian Baljit Center. The event aims at exchanging expertise between Morocco and Norway, seeks the means to promote traditional products in the Scandinavian country, and contributes to the revitalization of Moroccan handcrafts.

This event sheds light on original Moroccan handcrafts, as well as the skills and creativity that they embody and unveils the talent of the Moroccan craftsmen and women, especially those who work in the medium of ceramic and copper antiques and jewelry.

During this event that will last until the end of June, traditional products and Moroccan handcrafts will be exposed; Moroccan music concerts will be held, as well as fashion and Moroccan traditional cooking shows.

Moreover, this manifestation is a fantastic opportunity for craftsmen and women from all parts of Morocco to expose the best of their creations in the field of leather goods, earthenware, silver, copper, wood, and carpets.

Souad El-Aloui, the Moroccan Ambassador in Norway, expressed her gratitude for organizing such a great cultural event in one of the biggest trade centers in the heart of Oslo city, highlighting that the aim of the showcase to deepen the understanding of Moroccan culture in the Scandinavian area.

She considered this event an opportunity to highlight the richness of the Moroccan culture and expose the great experiences of Moroccan handcrafters, as well as the cultural wealth of Morocco in the fields of fashion, music, and haute cuisine.

Further, El-Aloui stressed that this event is an opportunity to burgeon Moroccan culture in Oslo by introducing the Moroccan identity and the Moroccan heritage from the north of the kingdom to the south, as well as Moroccan lifestyle.

She also added that the event is about “celebrating creativity and cultural diversity that characterize Morocco and its long history with its different civilization and human dimension,” mentioning that artisanal craftsmanship in Morocco accumulated a “long history” of productivity and creativity.

She emphasized that the Moroccan artisans will display their masterpieces and their abilities to mix Moroccan authenticity with modern elements, and that the story ofMoroccan handcrafts is the story of hard work, diverse heritage, coexistence, and openness that have been preserved by successive generations.

In this context, El-Aloui mentioned the interest of the “Dar Sanee” institution in male and female handcrafters who took part in this event to expose the different aspects of handmade masterpieces and handcraft products.

Fabian Stang, the Governor of Oslo, welcomed the organization of such event in the Norwegian capital, referring to the cultural integration of Moroccans living in Norway. He also expressed his personal appreciation of Moroccan handcrafts, pointing at the necessity to valorize this product in the Scandinavian region.

The Moroccan caftan gained a great deal of interest in this cultural event. A show for this authentic dressing was organized by the Moroccan designer Samira El-Hadouchi, who exposed fashionable and modern samples.

Further, a concert was held by a variety of Moroccan bands that have performed samples from Moroccan folklore.

The opening of this event saw the presence of various cultural festivities, diplomats in Norway, dignitaries from political, economic, and cultural domains, as well as Moroccan resident in Norway.

This is the first time an event such as this has been held in the Scandinavian region, having previously been held in London, Paris, and Berlin.

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Rabat- One of my many talents as a United States citizen born and bred in the good old land of the free is the ability to sniff out a Big Mac from miles away.

Although I'm not a fan of the 530-calorie, 40% sodium concoction, I still feel a slight comfort when I spot the famous golden arches while traveling abroad. McDonald's makes me happy--as an American, it comes with the territory.

Although there aren't fast food restaurants lined up on every street in Rabat like there are in the United States, I wasn't too surprised to find a McDonald's only a few minutes away from my home in the medina since the new city is a relatively developed area bursting at the seams with a variety of restaurants and cafes. And it's McDonalds, the second largest fast food chain in the world, according to Food & Wine.

The real surprise came more or less about three steps into the actual McDonalds, which is far from a replica of the brightly colored interior of the McDonalds back home.

First off, the McDonalds in Rabat greets its visitors with a framed image of the king, Mohammed VI. In the United States, you are more likely to see a picture of one of the chains' celebrity endorsements such as basketball superstars Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Dwight Howard, Lebron James, and Kobe Bryant hung up on the wall.

Along with Justin Timberlake and many others, these athletes have partnered with the chain for multiple advertising campaigns and commercials over the years. These are the faces that McDonalds in the USA chooses to represent their brand, not the faces of the country's leader, Barack Obama.

Besides emphasizing the overarching (pun intended) power of advertising and product placement in the states, this idolization also suggests that Americans, or at least those targeted by McDonalds ads, look up to celebrities instead of political figures.

Once I reached the counter, I was pleased to see that the McFlurry flavors were all extremely appetizing: Twix, Mars Bars, M&M, and Kit-Kat. All candy I was familiar with, yet wasn't used to in a McFlurry. I ended up ordering the Mars Bars flavor and rate it a 10/10-- definitely would recommend. PS- Bring a water bottle, because that thing is SWEET!

I was beyond satisfied with my McFlurry, so I didn't order any of the Moroccan specialties, such as the newly added fish balls and "Fisherman Salad," which consists of fish fillet, tomatoes, corn, lettuce, cucumber, carrots, and black olives, of course. No bacon in sight.

I found that most of the sandwiches were pretty similar to those on a regular McDonalds menu, although they went by different names, such as the "Chicken Mythic" instead of a Crispy Chicken Sandwich, and "Royal Cheese" instead of a cheeseburger. Oh you fancy, huh Morocco?

Now, on to the "smaller appetite" menu. My favorite in this family were the "Croquettes Camembert," tiny croquettes sprinkled with pepper and cheese. These are also available with onions instead of pepper. Yummmm.

My only disappointment with my Moroccan McDonalds experience was the beverage selection. No mint tea?! I got pretty excited at the possibility of enjoying a happy meal with a cup of hot traditional mint tea.

It would've been an interesting example of two different cultures co-existing, and an even more interesting experience for my taste buds.

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

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

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By Nahla Bendefa

Rabat - British music veteran Sting performed for the second time at the OLM Souissi stage on Thursday in Rabat.

Sting, who first came to the Mawazine Festival in 2010, came back for a highly anticipated concert accompanied by a five-piece band.

The show opened up with 1993 hit-song If I Ever Lose My Faith In You before embarking the audience into a journey of discovery of his newest album The Last Ship.

With a set list made up of old and new songs, Sting and his band managed to enchant an extremely eclectic and heterogeneous audience.

Crowd pleasers were Message in a Bottle, Shape of my Heart, Walking on the Moon, and an interesting mashup of Roxanne and Bill Wither’s Ain’t No Sunshine.

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Rabat - 190,000 fans attended Akon’s concert in OLM Souissi on Wednesday in Rabat, Mawazine organizers said.

Akon delivered his second performance - the last one was in Casablanca nine years ago. During the concert, Akon added an African flavor to his international show and thrilled the audience with his melodic voice and rhythmic dance influenced by Africa’s rich, cultural diversity.

"Moroccan fans are the most authentic and the craziest," he said. Many of the fans were from sub-Saharan Africa and the flag of Senegal was seen floating near the podium.

Morocco’s famous producer Redone attended the press conference during which Akon revealed his intentions to collaborate with Redone in his upcoming album scheduled for release at the end of this year.

Akon showed his love for Moroccan fans in a madcap scene when he rolled into a transparent ball between the masses to excite spectators. Among the songs performed at the concert were "Ghetto," "Sorry, Blame It On Me," "Lonely," "Smack That," and "Work Hard."

Akon celebrated his African roots singing "Oh Africa" and praised the beauty and richness of the continent in "Mama Africa," before the concert concluded with the rhythms of "Freedom," a song which tells the story of the life of immigrant families in the United States and his attachment to his country of origin.

Morocco was amazing!!! #mawazine

A photo posted by Akon Official (@akon) on Jun 3, 2015 at 6:56pm PDT

The Senegalese-American musician was born in 1973 in Missouri, United States. His real name is Badara Akon Thiam. He studied music in Dakar under the tutelage of his father, Mor Thiam, a prominent jazz musician. At age fifteen he wrote and recorded his first song in New Jersey.

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By Nahla Bendefa

Rabat – The third Chefchaouen International Festival of Photography will take place from June 12 to 14, 2015.

The festival will be held under the theme “One world. Multiple visions,” and will spotlight the state of Palestine. Considered to be “Morocco’s first photographic festival,” this year’s event is set to bring together different photography professionals and scholars for a rich three-day event.

In store for this year’s festival: workshops on photography basics, photo walks around the city of Chefchaouen, and numerous talks on the different stages of photography.

Additionally, a photography competition is set to take. The judges will be professional photographers from Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, Spain, Iraq, and Morocco. In terms of participation, there will be 15 exhibitors, 20 competitors, and 150 participants overall.

The Chefchaouen International Festival of Photography aims at defining photography, giving it strength as a means of communication, and democratizing it by bringing it closer to the public.

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Rabat - American singer Usher expressed his happiness to take part in Mawazine by posting a video on Twitter with the caption “Best view in the World.”

Friday's Mawazine headliner Usher Raymond saw tens of thousands of fans dancing on their feet to the American R&B star's catalogue of international hits.

Usher entertained the crowd with new hits and old, including 2004 hit Yeah! Featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris, Dj Got Us Fallin' in Love, Burn, and Without You.

Concertgoers pulled out their phones and lighters and pointed them toward the stage. They created a phones' display that made the OLM Souissi stage light up like the stars at night.

Shortly after his concert came to an end, Usher took to twitter to express his delight to take part in this year's Mawazine festival. The 36-year-old posted a video from his Rabat concert with the caption "Best view in the world."

Best view in the world ?#mawazine #rabat pic.twitter.com/9QAYTS5lZu

— Usher Raymond IV (@Usher) June 6, 2015

Usher is not the only international performer who took to social media to express happiness to participate at the 14th edition of Mawazine Festival.

American diva Jennifer Lopez also took to Instagram posting a picture from her concert at the OLM Souissi stage on Friday, May 30th. She captioned it "Thank You Morocco for all of your love!!!!!"

Jamaican artist Sean Paul posted on his official Facebook page a video of his performance in Rabat with the caption "Take me back to Morocco for more of this"

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Rabat- The 14^th edition of the annual Mawazine Festival drew a record 2.65 million spectators, organizers said on Sunday. 

The Festival Mawazine Rhythms of the World, which was held in the Moroccan capital Rabat from May 29 to June 6, closed on a high note Saturday night with the performance of Maroon 5 group, artist Wael Kfoury and Chaabi Adil trio Miloudi Tahour and Daoudi.

Despite the controversy caused by the Jennifer Lopez on the opening day of the festival, this year’s edition was much more successful than previous ones.

Attendance to the different concerts on the program of the festival attracted more than 150,000 people in several occasions.

160,000 people attended Jennifer Lopez concert on the opening day, 190,000 attended Akon’s performance and 200,000 attended Avici’s concert.

The 14th edition of Mawazine Festival will saw the participation of a number of internationally acclaimed stars, such as Akon, Usher, American Pop Rock band Maroon 5, Pharrell Williams, British Alternative rock band Placebo and AVICII.

The 15^th edition of the festival is scheduled to take place on 20-28 May 2016.

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