Rabat, June 23rd 2018: For its second day, the Mawazine Festival Rhythms of the World has once again kept all of its promises and with a fully packed venue for the concert of a faithful among faithfuls: Karim Kharbouch, better known under the name of French Montana, who was born in Rabat, and has delivered on the stage of the OLM Souissi a performance that the public will not forget anytime soon! Collaborator of the greatest rappers, including Drake, Rick Ross and Lil Wayne as well as Nicki Minaj, Snoop Dogg, Scarface and Ne-Yo, the iconic artist of the rap scene has released his great game to the delight of his fans…

Another highlight of the day, the performances of both the Lebanese Marwan Khoury and Saad Ramadan have made a great impression! A renowned singer, composer and arranger, Marwan Khoury has produced numerous titles for artists such as Magida El Roumi, Najwa Karam and Saber Rebaï. For his part, Saad Ramadan has conquered the public thanks to his unique voice and incomparable scenic charisma. A great moment of oriental music that was at its height with the surprise arrival of the great Cheb Khaled, who delighted the audience with his song “C’est La Vie”.

Change of style and atmosphere: Hiba Tawaji gave the crowd an anthology performance at the Mohammed V National Theater. Undisputed star in the Middle East and in all French-speaking countries, the one chosen in 2016 by the producers of the musical “Notre-Dame de Paris” to play Esmeralda, has literally captivated festival-goers with her sublime voice….

The second day of Mawazine also made a detour to Mali, in the presence of the beautiful Oumou Sangare. Malian singer and one of the most famous among the Western public, the star has brilliantly expressed her convictions through her ample and vibrant tone that have made her an icon of African music in the world.

Moroccan music has not been left out, since the Salé scene has brought together three rising stars: Nadia Laaroussi, a singer influenced by the “guercifi” style, Badr Soultan, who regularly takes part in many shows on television, and Ibtissam Tiskat, a singer from Fez who made a name for herself during her visits to Arab Idol and Star Academy.

And that’s not all ! Pushing its taste for experimentation and the most creative compositions, Mawazine went to search for the greatest traditional repertoires from the five continents with a new musical creation on the magnificent site of Chellah. Around the theme “From tar, sitar to guitar”, the day honored Alireza Ghorbani, former soloist of the National Orchestra of Iran and great interpreter of songs of the classical Persian tradition.

Finally, the streets of Rabat were at the mercy of Moroccan troupes and fanfares with the shows of Groupe Soleil, a troupe created in 2012 by young artists from Salé and composed of acrobats and stilt walkers trained at the Shems’y National Circus School. The troupe Timing Boys, founded in Salé, also brought together a dozen percussionists on unrestrained rhythms of samba, hip hop, salsa, house and chaabi!