For its 16th edition, the festival renews its commitment to the continent by    showcasing Africa’s best artists on the Bouregreg stage

Rabat, Sunday, March 5th, 2017 – In 16 years since its inception, one can proudly say that Mawazine Festival has come a long way. Over the years, the festival is proud to have been able, to bring to Rabat so many virtuoso artists, legends of African music, amazing blending and fusing of music styles and also new bands. Thanks to all this, the audience of the festival saw itself growing to the sounds of the music of the African continent. One after the other, great artislts like Youssou N’Dour, Mory Kanté, The Drums of Burundi, Salif Keita, Manu Dibango, Angelique Kidjo, Rokia Traoré, Keziah Jones, Mokhtar Samba, to name a few.enchanted the public.

Enlightened by His Majesty King Mohammed VI vision, Mawazine has been, since 2002, consistently and constantly celebrating the values of sharing and tolerance throughout Africa. By showcasing major African artists in one of the most beautiful sites of Rabat; namely, the river bank mythical Bouregreg stage, each year the festival introduces its audience to talented African artists: singers and musicians playing on sophisticated or antique instruments and capable of producing the most modern rhythms or the oldest traditional sounds.

From trances of all types, percussion orchestras, modern blues, urban poetry, female emancipation to Citoyen Rap, like free electrons, this music ripples outward, embraces all, and makes sparks fly in every Mawazine festival edition. As in the previous years, Mawazine will once again remain true to its love for the continent, offering nine full days of African music to illuminate Morocco and beyond!

For this 16th edition, the Bouregreg audience will, on May 12th, enjoy the music of Panache Culture, a band that combines roots-rock-reggae, a triad whose sources are a100% fusion music.

On Saturday May 13th, it will be MHD’s turn, a French rapper of Guinean and Senegalese origin and former member of the Parisian collective 19 Réseaux. The show will feature a hybrid combination of rap and dance inspired by Davido and P -Square, the Nigerian artists.

On Sunday, May 14th, Amadou and Mariam will play their musical notes, with the same credo: uplifting music and lyrics celebrating solidarity, love and tolerance.

Monday May 15th, will feature the great Bonga. He will be the headliner of an evening in honor to the key figure of Angolan music and one of the biggest icons of African belonging.

Representing the African music diaspora, Ibibio Sound Machine, an Afro-London collective, will perform on Tuesday May 16th to impress its audience with fusional cocktails, mixing highlife and electro, post-punk and disco.

Coming from the Congo and settled in Belgium, Baloji will be on stage the following day, Wednesday, May 17th, for a concert of a mixed style, with influences ranging from traditional to African-American music (soul, funk, jazz), discovered through culture Sampling and electronics.

From Ghana, Pat Thomas & Kwashibu Area Band will prove on Thursday May 18th that they are the most interesting afrobeat band today. With his unique and smooth voice and songs from the fanti and ashanti twi dialects, Pat Thomas is unquestionably today one of the greatest voices in Ghana,

Another Mawazine regular guest, Calypso Rose, who already performed here in Rabat back in 2012, will sing on Friday May 19th some of the most beautiful airs of calypso, this carnival music reminiscent of the beaches of the West Indies and of Tobago colors.

Last but not least: the great Alpha Blondy will close the program of this 16th edition with a mythical concert on Saturday May 20th. The father of African reggae is coming back with committed music and texts, advocating freedom, unity and love!