Festival Mawazine

Mawazine

Location(s) :Rabat, Morocco

Years active : 2001–present

Founded by : Maroc Cultures

Genre: World music

Ticketing : http://clubtickets.com/

Website : http://www.festivalmawazine.ma


Mawazine ("Rhythms") is a festival of world music that takes place annually in the Moroccan capital: Rabat, featuring many North African, Arab, and international music icons. There have Mawazines editions since the beginning in 2001.
Mawazine is one of several events which are intended to promote an image of Morocco as a tolerant nation, with a post on the event's website declaring that the festival intends to promote and support Rabat, as a city open to the world. However, it is controversial as some of the country'sMuslim politicians have criticised the event for also "encouraging immoral behaviour". Artists such as Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Shakira,Mika, Sugababes, Stevie Wonder, Kylie Minogue, LMFAO, Pitbull and Alicia Keys have performed at Mawazine.
Mawazine is organised by Maroc Cultures.

2001
Mawazine began in 2001.

2008
Mawazine was attended by 1.2 million people and was located in nine venues across Rabat. The festival featured many artists from all around the globe, including Whitney Houston, Juanes,Goran Bregovic, George Benson, Hoba Hoba Spirit, Tony Allen and Issac Delgado.

2009
The 2009 festival, a nine-day event entitled "Rhythms of the World", was the eighth edition and began on 15 May, attracting crowds of one million people from cities such as Casablanca,Marrakech, Fez and Tangiers to Rabat. Admission cost between 100 and 500 dirhams (15 to 70 USD)1700 performers performed in 2009.

The opening three days featured acts such as Kylie Minogue, Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder, K'naan, Hoba Hoba Spirit, Cheb Khaled, Najwa Karam, Warda Al-Jazairia, Ali Campbell (formerly ofUB40), and Johnny Clegg of White Zulu. Other musical acts to feature include Mali's Amadou & Mariam, Cuban musician Eliades Ochoa,The Joubran Trio, three brothers from Palestine,and Iranian ensemble Eshtiaq.

The festival opened with a concert by Ennio Morricone, accompanied by a Moroccan choir with ninety members, on the Bouregreg stage. This was followed by a Kylie Minogue performance on the OLM Souissi stage. Khaled's concert was attended by 50,000 people, whilst 40,000 and 30,000 attendance figures were registered for Kylie Minogue and Warda respectively.Stevie Wonder closed the festival on 23 May.

Najwa Karam's performance was the first in Morocco; it attracted about 60,000 spectators. Warda Al Jazairia was granted the Wissam Royal.

Setlist of Kylie Minogue (15th May 2009)

2010
The ninth edition of Mawazine took place from 21 May to 29 May 2010. Elton John and B.B. King performed at the OLM Souissi stage on the 26th and the 27th of May respectively. Julio Iglesiasperformed on 23 May. Sting closed the 10-day festival with a performance on Saturday, 29 May 2010. Other performers at the 10-day festival included Mika, Harry Connick Jr., Thievery Corporation, Al Jarreau, Deolinda, Angélique Kidjo and Carlos Santana.

The festival also brought famous Arab singers such as Najwa Karam, Tamer Hosny, Elissa, Wael Jassar, Majida El Roumi, Myriam Fares, Rami Ayach.

The Generation Mawazine competition launches the music career of promising young talent. This artistic competition, which has been run since 2006 as a fringe activity to the festival, sets out to find the talent of tomorrow and offers them a major springboard into the music business. Open to all styles of music, this competition gives the stage to new young talents and is judged along 3 predefined categories: rap/hip hop, fusion/neo pop and electronic music. This initiative gives unknown bands the opportunity to perform in front of the general public and media in a professional setting. The winning groups see their career launched in Morocco, produce an album and perform at the following year’s festival as established artists.

2011
The tenth edition was held from 20 May to 28 May 2011 at the OLM Souissi. The show was opened on the Friday with traditional and international performers. Notable performances which followed were Kanye West and Spaniard Ivica pica on the 21st and the English pogirls group Sugababes on the 22nd. The following days saw legends like Yusuf Islam, Quincy Jones, Joe Cockerand Lionel Richie take on the big stage. The event was again lightened when it had Shakira alongside Swiss DJ and producer Yves Larock on the last day.

Setlist of Kanye West (20th May 2011)
Setlist of Shakira (28th May 2011)

2012
The eleventh edition was held from 18 May to 26 May 2012 at the OLM Souissi as well as other stages on Rabat. The show was opened on the Friday with LMFAO during their Sorry For Party Rocking Tour. Also other following performances by Pitbull (Planet Pit World Tour), Evanescence (Evanescence Tour), Scorpions (Get Your Sting and Blackout World Tour), Jimmy Cliff, Nigel Kennedy, Khaled, Gloria Gaynor (in Mohammed V theatre), Lenny Kravitz who spent his birthday on stage, and without forgetting the epic finale: The historical performance by the American divaMariah Carey (exclusive concert "doesn't belong to any of her tours").

House DJs were Yolanda Be Cool, and DJ Abdel.
Setlist of LMFAO (18th May 2012)
Setlist of Pitbull (19th May 2012)
Setlist of Evanescence (20th May 2012)

Setlist of Scorpions (24th May 2012)
Setlist of Lenny Kravitz (25th May 2012)
Setlist of Mariah Carey (26th May 2012)

2013
Mawazine took place from the May 24th to June 1st.

International stars in OLM Souissi stage : Rihanna opened the festival as a part of her (Diamonds World Tour), that concert was the most crowded concert of all time with 150.000 people attended, that concert broke records, then Jessie J (Nice to Meet You Tour), MIKA, Sexion d'Assaut, The Jacksons (Unity Tour), David Guetta, Deep Purple (Now What? World Tour), Enrique Iglesias during his (Enrique Iglesias India Tour) featuring the Moroccan-Swedish pop star Loreen, the international R&B icon Cee-Lo Green is the opening act for the last night of the festival and finally Taio Cruz for the finale.

Setlist of Rihanna (24th May 2013)
Setlist of Jessie J (25th May 2013)
Setlist of MIKA (26th May 2013)
Setlist of The Jacksons (28th May 2013)
Setlist of David Guetta (29th May 2013)
Setlist of Deep Purple (30th May 2013)
Setlist of CeeLo Green (1st June 2013)
Setlist of Taio Cruz (1st June 2013)
Arab (oriental) stars in Nahda stage : Day 1) Walid Taoufic. Day 2) Mouhcine Salahdine, Sherine Abdel Wahab, Farid Ghennam. Day 3) Bouchra Khalid, Mohamed Mounir. Day 4) Rabab, Cheb Mami. Day 5) Abed, Najwa Karam. Day 6) Zakaria Ghafouli, Assi El Hellani, Mourad Bouriki. Day 7) Shada Hassoun, Ahlam. Day 8) Hatim Ammor, Hoda Saad. Day 8) Leila Al Maghribiya, Ahmed Chawki, Tamer Hosni.

Moroccan scene in Salé stage : Siham, Jil Ghiwan Jalal, Ghiwane Salwan, LooNope, Jbara, Mjid Bekkas, Aouatif, Mohamed Anbari, Fatim Zahra Laaroussi, Atika Ammar, Numedia et Mallal, Izenzaren Abdelhadi, M.boy, Barry, Casa Crew, Hamid Kasri, Chaht Man, H-Kayne, Don Bigg, Ben Moussa, Hajib, Rachid Lamrini, Mohammed Iskandar, Najat Atabou, Tarik Laamirat,Said Mouskir, Hamid Hadri.

Other stars in so many other stages : Haj Youness, Amir Ali, Leila Lamrini, Tinariwen, African United, Gnawa Diffusion, Amadou & Meriem, Blitz The Ambassador, George Benson, Bond Girls, Sandra Nkaké, Lotfi Bouchnak, Abdelwahab Doukkali, Patrizia Laquidara, Ensemble Dragon.

2014
To be announced later this year.