Morocco's Ahwash Festival Aims to Preserve and Promote Traditional Art
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The 14th edition of the National Ahwash Arts Festival is underway in Ouarzazate, Morocco, from October 22 to 24. The festival aims to preserve the authenticity of Ahwash art and ensure its continuity through generations, while also exploring possibilities for interaction with contemporary and international musical experiences.
The festival serves as an opportunity to celebrate Ahwash art, a prominent expression of Amazigh culture and a key component of Morocco's intangible cultural heritage. The event also honors traditional groups that preserve the art's rhythms, poems, and dances, as well as pioneers who have contributed to its continuity and the preservation of its oral traditions.
The theme of this year's festival, 'Ahwash Arts and World Rhythms,' reflects the organizers' desire to introduce this art form beyond its local boundaries and leverage its rhythmic richness to foster creative interactions with global musical experiences, thereby reaching younger audiences.
Artistic residencies organized as part of the festival have created spaces for dialogue between tradition and innovation. These residencies have brought together artists such as Naaman Lahlo with the 'Ahwash Taourirt' group, and Montasser Hamala with the 'Ahwash Sidi Daoud' group, as well as a performance by artist Lahcen Khokhto.
The festival's director emphasized the importance of local associations in ensuring the transmission of Ahwash art from one generation to the next. He cited the example of the 'Hamama Al Salam' association in Akdouz, which teaches young people the poetry and dance styles associated with 'Ahwash Afla N'Dera' art.
To safeguard this heritage, continuous efforts are needed beyond the festival period, extending to educational and cultural institutions. The goal is to introduce younger generations to this art form and reinforce its presence in collective consciousness, thereby enhancing the role of cultural heritage in local development.
CONTEXT: The Ahwash Festival is a significant cultural event in Morocco, highlighting the importance of preserving and promoting traditional arts. It plays a crucial role in maintaining cultural heritage and fostering intergenerational dialogue, which is essential for the sustainability of cultural practices.
