• The superstar Martin Garrix will ignite the OLM Souissi stage

• The Kayser of Arabic music Kadim Al Sahir will touch the hearts of the Nahda stage

• Ihab Amir, Cravata and Aminux will wear the colors of Morocco in Salé

• The legendary Ebo Taylor will celebrate the best of Afrobeat at the Bouregreg venue

• The brilliant violinist Ara Malikian will captivate the audience of the Mohammed V National Theater

Rabat March 29, 2018: The Maroc Cultures Association is pleased to present the scheduled concerts for the opening of the 17th edition of the Mawazine Festival  Rhythms of the World, organized under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI and will be held from June 22nd to the 30th, 2018 honoring Morocco, the Netherlands, Iraq, Ghana and Armenia.

The sounds and lights of the prodigy Martin Garrix will dazzle the public on the stage of the OLM Souissi on June 22nd. After a career of just five years, Martin Garrix has risen to global stardom in pop as well as electronic circles – and yet he’s far from being done. Now aged 21, Dance music’s freshest talent has headlined festivals around the globe, founded a label and mentored other artists and won the #1 spot in DJ Mag’s Top 100 twice. His passion, ambition, drive and maturity remain unmatched in the world.

The same evening, it is the Kayser of Arabic music Kadim Al Sahir, who will perform on the Nahda stage. The Iraqi with 100 million albums sold and more than 40 million fans on social networks, is considered as the most famous singer of the Arab world. The songwriter and composer from Mosul is expected for a performance during which he will demonstrate his perfect vocal mastery, drawing on a repertoire that favors romantic ballads, maqamats, poetry and committed lyrics.

As it is tradition in Mawazine, over half of the festival’s programming will be dedicated to Moroccan artists. And it is once again the Salé venue where the best talents of the country will be performing. The opening night will see a trio of singers among the trendiest of the moment. At 22, Ihab Amir is considered as one of the most promising singers of his generation. A native of Safi, he won a MEMA Award and was nominated for a gold MUREX in the category “most popular singer in the Arab world”.

Amine Temri, also known as Aminux, one of the most viewed Moroccan artists on YouTube will also be part of the same evening. As well as Salim Bennani, whose band Cravata takes the rhythms of Moroccan folklore and the greatest international hits and turns them into festive and crazy soundtracks that become very popular on social networks!

On the Bouregreg stage, fans of African music will meet at the same time with the Ghanaian Ebo Taylor alongside Fela Kuti, one of the promoters of the transformation of highlife style into Afrobeat. The gifted guitarist and arranger will plunge with his big band into the heart of regional traditions. He will be surrounded by exceptional musicians and will feed on the great blends of musical mixes that have been going on since the 1970s in this part of the continent.

At the Mohammed V National Theater, the audience will be immersed in the musical universe of another legend: the violinist Ara Malikian. An incarnation of the cosmopolitan artist, this genius Armenian grew up in Lebanon before studying music in Germany, then moved to Madrid, offering breathtaking shows around the world.