Posts Tagged ‘Souss Music’

Timitar Festival Agadir 8th Edition 2011, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Sunday, June 26th, 2011

Timitar Festival Sign June 2011

The Timitar Festival is held annually in Agadir, Morocco typically during the month of June or July. The 8th Edition of the Timitar Festival held this June 22nd – 25th, 2011 was the perfect morocco travel opportunity for those wanting to escape seaside as Timitar featured some of Morocco’s most admired artists, Hamid Inerzaf, Rayssa Naima, Rayssa Kabira, Bderrahim Souiri, Funk Atlas, Imazzalen, Ahwach Foum Lacen and Daoudia. Timitar also showcased International artists alongside its wide range of Moroccan musicians such as Lebanese superstar Najwa Karam, Malian greats Amadou & Mariam, Goran Bregovic from Serbia and Registan from Uzbekistan. Each stage at the Timitar Festival was filled to the rim with people and filed in as having excellent weather.

Hamid Inerzaf Live, Timitar Festival June 2011

Local Moroccans who live in the Agadir region attended the festival both wooed and welcomed their favorites such as Hamid Inerzaf and Lebanese songstress Najwa Karam. Many came out to just see the Amazaigh singers and the Gnaoua troupe while others preferred the international appearances of artists.

Najwa Karam, Lebanese Singer, Timitar Festival June 2011

Timitar features over 40 artists annually each year and there is an estimate of 300,000+ in attendance that includes mostly Moroccans with some foreigners. Timitar is unique for the fact it typically showcases traditional and modern Amazaigh “Berber music” alongside international artists from around the world. Considered today as one of the biggest festivals in the country, Timitar provides its audience with an event well rooted in and actively working towards promoting Souss Massa Drâa culture.

Group Musician Hamid Inerzaf, Timitar Festival June 2011

The district council of Agadir Under Massa Draâ initiated the Timitar Festival with the goal to set up a cultural project for the meeting between Amazigh artists and world musicians. The President of the festival is the agricultural tycoon Aziz Akhenouch.

What defines Timitar from other music festivals in Morocco is its special focus on Amazigh culture. Its permanent theme is “signs and cultures” and Timitar lives up to this tag by including performances by traditional and modern Moroccan musicians alongside those of contemporary international artists.

Each year the Festival Timitar honors artists coming from all over the world including Africa, South America, Europe and the Middle East in order to offer the Agadir audience the best of numerous works in Amazigh traditional music, modern music from the Maghreb and elsewhere, rap, jazz and hip hop.

Timitar Festival Stage, Live Music

Since its creation, Timitar has become a key meeting point, both on artistic and cultural levels. As part of Timitar, the Timitar OFF program, which consists of a colloquium and workshops on Deejaying and Veejaying practices for young people, emphasizes Amazigh culture and world music.

The majority of Berbers, also referred to as Amazigh, went unrecognized in North Africa until the mid-‘90’s when they pressed the King publicly for their cultural traditions to be respected and honored. Today not only is the Amazaigh culture recognized but as of June 2011 the language of Tamazight (also referred to as Berber) has been voted in and approved by King Mohammed VI as Morocco’s second language along side Arabic.

June 2011 marks the 8th Edition of the Timitar Festival Festival. Staged in three open-air venues throughout Agadir, music can be enjoyed at the central Place al Amar, Place Bijaouane and the Théâtre de Verdure.

For more information about the Timitar Festival or Agadir Tours

For more information about Travel and Tours to Morocco plus highlights on Moroccan culture visit Morocco’s Imperial CitiesSeaside Resorts,Sahara DesertBerber villagesA Taste of MoroccoMagical Kasbahs, Ruins & WaterfallsAbsolute Morocco, The Best of MarrakechFes, and Ouarzazate

Discover The Best of Morocco - Travel ExplorationTravel Exploration specializes in Morocco Travel.We provide Tours and travel opportunities to Morocco for the independent traveler and tailor-made tours for families and groups with a distinctly unique flavor. From Morocco’s Seven Imperial Cities, to the Magical Sahara Travel Exploration offers a captivating experience that will inspire you. At Travel Exploration we guarantee that you will discover the best of Morocco! Call Travel Exploration at 1 (800) 787-8806 or 1 (917)703-2078 and let’s book a tour to Morocco for you today.

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