Latest news with #Mouride
Khaleej Times
26-05-2025
- General
- Khaleej Times
Senegal: 11 killed, 7 injured as building collapses in city of Touba
Eleven people were killed and seven others injured when a three-storey building collapsed in Senegal's second biggest city of Touba, firefighters said Monday. The building was under construction when it collapsed on Sunday afternoon, local media reported. National director of construction, Moussa Tine, blamed "non-compliance with construction standards" for the collapse in a statement to local press. Touba, in central Senegal, is the capital of the Mouride Muslim brotherhood, one of the most important in the West African country. Undergoing large-scale demographic and economic growth, as is the capital Dakar, Touba is also experiencing an explosion in the construction sector. But much of that growth is haphazard with some buildings lacking official authorisation. Building collapse is common in Senegal and is often caused by non-compliance with construction standards, experts say. In early May, two people were killed in the collapse of a building in Dakar. In January 2024, a similar incident left seven dead. In July 2023, two buildings under construction collapsed in neighbouring Guinea, killing five people.
Morocco World
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Morocco World
Senegal's Mouride Brotherhood Brings Spiritual Power Fez Festival
Fez – On the fourth evening of the Fez Festival of Sacred Music, the serene Jnan Sbil garden echoed with the deep, devotional sounds of Senegal's Mouride brotherhood. Represented by Cheikh Ahmadou Bambandaou and his ensemble, the performance offered an intimate look into one of West Africa's most influential Sufi traditions; rich in rhythm, reverence, and rooted spirituality. Hailing from Dakar, Bambandaou and his group are spiritual artists devoted to the teachings of Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba, the 19th-century founder of the Mouride order and the holy city of Touba. Their performance was far more than a concert, it was a living form of prayer. Through layered chants and lyrical praise, they brought to life panegyrics dedicated to the Virgin Mary, written by Bamba himself. The result was a powerful blend of devotion and musical mastery that captivated both seasoned festival-goers and newcomers alike. 'We were responsible for delivering this sacred chant,' Bambandaou told Morocco World News 'to honor a moment of shared reverence through the lens of our tradition.' The Fez Festival, now in its 27th edition, is known for bringing together diverse spiritual voices from across the globe. Yet there was something especially moving about this Senegalese performance. The Mouride brotherhood's deep-rooted Sufi philosophy, centered on surrendering to God, renouncing material excess, and emulating the Prophet's example, resonated strongly with Morocco's own Sufi heritage. 'Fez is a magnificent city,' Bambandaou said to MWN. 'We were touched by the warmth and openness of the people, and by the cultural similarities between our communities.' Jnan Sbil, with its fountains, ancient trees, and twilight atmosphere, was the perfect setting for such an encounter. As the chants rose into the night air, they seemed to dissolve borders: geographical, linguistic, and even religious. This kind of performance is what the Fez Festival does best: it reveals common ground through sacred sound. Bambandaou and his group didn't just share their music, they invited the audience into a living tradition, one shaped by spiritual discipline, artistic continuity, and cultural pride. And they left an impression. As the final chant faded and the applause echoed through the garden, it was clear that something meaningful had transpired, something that spoke not only to the past and present of Senegalese Sufism, but also to the future of global spiritual exchange.
Morocco World
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Morocco World
Fez Festival of World Sacred Music Celebrates Africa's Spiritual and Cultural Renaissance
Fez – The 28th edition of the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music opened tonight night at the historic Bab Makina, launching nine days of performances that honor Africa's enduring spiritual legacy and contemporary creative energy. This year's theme, Renaissances, reflects the continent's ancient traditions and their eclectic evolution in modern times. For centuries, Fez has stood as Morocco's spiritual and intellectual capital – a crossroads of Sufi mysticism, Islamic scholarship, and Andalusian musical heritage. Its ancient medina, home to the world's oldest university, Al Quaraouiyine, has long been a sanctuary for sacred arts, where music serves as prayer and bridge between cultures. The Fez Festival of World Sacred Music draws from this legacy to transform the city into a global stage where traditions converge. The festival's artistic director noted Africa's central role in this year's programming. 'We are celebrating Africa as a living civilization,' said Abderrafia Zouitene, President of the Fondation Esprit de Fès. 'From Morocco to Mayotte, from ancestral rituals to contemporary fusions, these performances show how tradition breathes new life into our global cultural landscape.' Friday's opening ceremony set the tone with a spectacular production that put together North African and sub-Saharan influences. Bridging eras through sacred music Over the coming days, audiences will experience everything from the devotional Sufi chants of Senegal's Mouride brotherhood to the earth-shaking drum ceremonies of Burundi's master percussionists. Each evening at Jnan Sbil garden, different spiritual musical traditions will take place, including Morocco's Aissawa and Hamadcha brotherhoods and Mali's legendary Master Musicians of Jajouka. Several artists, if not all, consider the festival as a connecting bridge between generations and genres. Malian musician Adama Sidibé, perhaps the last living master of the sokou, a traditional one-stringed instrument, will perform alongside French jazz violinist Clément Janinet in a groundbreaking collaboration. Haitian-Canadian saxophonist Jowee Omicil will present his unique fusion of Afrobeat, jazz, and Caribbean spiritual traditions, while Ghanaian harp virtuoso John Kwame Osei Korankye demonstrates how ancient instruments can speak to contemporary audiences. The festival culminates on May 24 with 'The Great Night of Griots,' featuring Mali's Ballaké Sissoko Orkestra alongside artists from across West Africa. These hereditary musicians and storytellers will perform epic narratives that have been passed down through centuries to connect modern audiences to the grandeur of the Manding Empire and Ashanti Kingdom. South-South unity Beyond the formal concerts, the streets surrounding Bab Boujloud will pulse with free performances, including the mesmerizing Zaouli mask dances from Ivory Coast and spectacular stilt-walking displays. The festival transforms all of Fez into a living celebration of sacred artistry and prove that these traditions remain as vital today as when they first emerged centuries ago. The Fez Festival of World Sacred Music continues through May 24, with performances daily at multiple venues throughout the city. The festival's celebration of Africa's cultural renaissance aligns with Morocco's longstanding commitment to South-South cooperation, a cornerstone of King Mohammed VI's foreign policy vision. By featuring artists from across the continent and its diasporas – from Senegal and Mali to Burundi and Mayotte – the festival creates a dynamic platform for cultural exchange that strengthens ties between African countries. This cultural diplomacy mirrors Morocco's broader efforts in economic and developmental cooperation across the Global South, particularly in Africa where the kingdom has invested significantly in infrastructure projects, educational exchanges, and interfaith dialogue. This African-focused edition reinforces the festival's and Morocco's roots in the continent while advancing a vision of cooperation that transcends geographical and linguistic boundaries. Tags: Fez sacred music festivalsacred musicSufi music
Morocco World
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Morocco World
Fez Sacred Music Festival Opens with a Spellbinding Tribute to Renewal, Sacred Beauty
Rabat – The 28th edition of the Fez Festival of Sacred Music opens this Friday with an ambitious creation that promises to leave a lasting impression. This year's theme is all about 'Renaissances, From Nature to the Sacred', and it conveys more than just the start of a globally acclaimed cultural event. A lyrical journey into what it means to be human, to evolve, and to reconnect with the sacred awaits those who will attend. This year's opening act brings together dozens of musicians, dancers, narrators, and visual artists from across Africa and beyond. At the heart of it all stands Fez's Bab Makina, the monumental gateway that has become a canvas for the festival's now signature projection mapping. As night falls, its ancient walls will light up with vivid visuals, wrapping audiences in a unique performance. What will bind all performances together is the idea of Renaissance in all its splendor and depth, and not just as a historical period or artistic style, but as a living force. Fez embodies that force. It once gave birth to Al Quaraouiyine, the oldest existing university, and for centuries shaped religious and intellectual life across Africa. Today, it continues to inspire, drawing a line from its multilayered legacy to the rebirths, spiritual, artistic, and cultural, that still define our age. The show draws from its depth and diversity: from the hypnotic rhythm of Burundi's drummers to the ritual dance of the Ivorian Leopards, from the poetic chants of Senegal's Mouride brotherhood to the sacred feminine voices of Mayotte's Deba tradition. Each performance speaks to a different expression of the sacred. Sometimes solemn, sometimes playful, always alive. The stage will also welcome voices from beyond the continent. Omani Sufi chants will echo alongside the mystical Sama dance of Meknes. Corsican mezzo-soprano Battista Acquaviva will breathe new life into Renaissance hymns. Malian actor and storyteller Habib Dembelé will guide audiences through the evening as narrator, grounding the spectacle in the power of spoken word. The result is a carefully crafted narrative, one that moves from elemental nature to spiritual awakening. This opening night stands as a continuation of that effort and as an invitation. Fez does not just host a festival; it opens a space where cultures meet, where memory breathes, and where the soul finds room to rise. The sacred music event will welcome the public on Friday, May 16. Doors open at 6:00 p.m., close at 7:15 p.m., and the show begins shortly after at 7:30 p.m. At its core, the Fez Festival of Sacred Music has long acted as a living platform for South-South dialogue, and the organizers plan for this year's edition to deepen that commitment. The inclusion of spiritual traditions from Mayotte, Oman, Ivory Coast, Senegal, and Mali is no mere happenstance. It shows a deliberate effort to foreground connections between southern societies whose sacred practices often intersect and echo across borders.
