The 20th edition of the International Festival of the Nomads wrapped up last night, Sunday, with a grand artistic evening that blended musical creativity and warm human encounters, attracting a large audience of visitors from various regions of the kingdom and beyond.
The evening took place at the covered square in the center of the city, showcasing several artists and musical groups in performances that reflected the diversity of local cultural creativity and its openness to contemporary artistic expressions, all within a festive atmosphere steeped in the spirit and rich culture of the desert.
The celebration began with a performance by Mohammed Ali Ayla, a native of the city of Smara, who, along with his band, delivered a musical piece that mixed authentic Hassani melodies with modern arrangements, resulting in a composition that resonated well with the audience.
This was followed by a performance from the Moroccan duo Sara and Ismail, who presented musical pieces celebrating Amazigh culture, and then Moroccan-Hungarian artist Said Chalban, who captivated the audience with enchanting Gnawa melodies. The evening concluded with a performance by Algerian artist Kader Terhanin, who delighted the audience with a musical interpretation rooted in Tuareg heritage and desert culture.
In a statement to the press after the event, Mohammed Ali Ayla expressed his happiness in participating in this event, stating that “the art he presents is inspired by the roots of Hassani memory and produced with a contemporary spirit that allows it to reach a wide audience both inside Morocco and outside.”
He added that “the Festival of the Nomads serves as a true space for pride in this heritage, helping to solidify it within the contemporary Moroccan cultural scene.”
Among the audience, Philippe, a French visitor attending the festival for the first time, expressed his admiration for the atmosphere surrounding this cultural event, saying, “I had heard about the Nomads Festival, but I did not expect to experience such a rich encounter. Everything here pulses with authenticity and humanity, from the music to the warmth with which the locals welcomed us.”
With this splendid evening, the curtain fell on an exceptional edition of the Nomads Festival, which for two decades has maintained the essence of its cultural and human message, continuing to celebrate the memory of nomadism and the desert identity as a vehicle for diversity and connection. This edition adds to the legacy of Mahamid El Ghizlane as a passageway and meeting place for souls that believe that culture is the truest bond uniting peoples.
