Under the slogan "Unity in Diversity", the activities of the fifth edition of the World Folklore Days Festival were held in Marrakech, organized by the Heritage and Folklore Association - from 25 to 29 October / October - with the participation of 756 artists and 32 folkloric troupes from 23 countries around the world.
756 artists and 32 folkloric troupes from 23 countries will participate in the festival (Al Jazeera)
Humanitarian and solidarity program
Youssef Hosni, president of the Heritage and Folklore Association, which organises the festival, said, "The programme of this year's session is humanitarian and solidarity because of the Haouz earthquake that struck Morocco last September."
Part of the activities of the International Folklore Days Festival in Marrakech (Al Jazeera)
Hosni added – in an interview with Al Jazeera Net – that this solidarity was achieved through scientific and cultural seminars concerned with the Atlantic geographical heritage, and through the visit of foreign guests to the affected areas, as well as collecting donations and providing assistance to cultural and heritage associations in the Atlas.
This came within the framework of dedicating this year's edition to be an expression of solidarity with those affected by the earthquake, through a schedule of a number of artistic performances by foreign troupes held at the Haouz Youth Shelter in Marrakech, with the aim of making them happy and enabling them to learn about diverse cultures through the festival.
This year's edition of the festival was dedicated to expressing solidarity with those affected by the earthquake (Al Jazeera)
Unity in diversity
Hosni explained that the participation of 23 countries from different countries from around the world constitutes a living painting of cultural and heritage diversity, as each troupe highlights the traditions and heritage of its country through artistic performances with dance rhythms.
Teams from Morocco, Spain, France, Armenia, Poland, Germany, Austria, Portugal, Mexico, Ghana, Andorra, Mali, Togo, Bulgaria, the United Kingdom, Italy, Ireland, Indonesia, Hungary, Switzerland, Colombia and India will participate in the festival.
The festival witnessed the participation of 23 countries and constitutes a living painting of cultural and heritage diversity (Al Jazeera)
The President of the Association for Heritage and Folklore considered that this diversity, with the participation of several teams from Africa, Europe and Asia, "is the most prominent security and stability enjoyed by the Kingdom of Morocco", noting that the slogan of this session reflects the diversity and multiplicity of cultures and tributaries that the Kingdom abounds in.
Under the slogan "The Atlas Mountains, the cradle of Amazigh cultural heritage", the fifth edition of the festival celebrated the Amazigh cultural heritage of the Atlas Mountains, the region affected by the earthquake, by holding a day celebrating Morocco's rich heritage.
The festival attracted more than a thousand tourists from artists and representatives of diplomatic missions (Al Jazeera)
The festival also attracted more than a thousand foreign tourists, including artists, their companions, representatives of diplomatic missions of the participating countries, as well as Moroccan tourists and the public following the event, all of which are data for a strong economic and tourism index.
Hosni concluded by saying that the association has begun preparing for a major event next year, to choose Marrakech as the capital of Islamic culture for 2024, and many seminars, conferences and events will be prepared, and coordination with many Arab countries to participate.