Culture

Moroccan Nomads Festival returns after two years’ absence

Published

2 years ago

May 3, 2023

A popular Moroccan Nomads Festival which was rested two years ago following the global outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic has returned.

The festival, which normally holds deep in the desert lasting three days, is aimed at “keeping alive the old ways in a fast moving society dominated by new technology”, according Festival Director, Nourredine Bougrab.

The annual event is taking place in the small town of Mhamid El Ghizlane in southeast Morocco,
famous for its rich heritage and legendary hospitality.

“The international nomads festival is looking to connect with various activities all linked to nomadism,” Bougrab said.

“This festival is coming back this year with a rich programme: exhibitions and activities all linked to nomadism such as the camels race and preparing then cooking bread loaves in the sand,” he said during the opening ceremony on Wednesday.

Going by the history of the festival, the event is central to nomadic culture of the camel, an animal that played a major role both in war and establishing trade routes through the desert.

“It’s thanks to camels that the Arab and Islamic culture was spread over the Sahara, from Essaouira to Cairo and Tangier to Timbuktu. For me, the role of the camel is endless. The camel keeps the nomads heritage alive,” according to the Director.

“Since the year 2000, it was made an intangible heritage by the UNESCO,” Issa Dicko, Director of the Tumast Cultural Centre in Bamako, Mali, a special guest of honour at the festival added.

“For the first time, the festival invited three storytellers from Mali, France and Morocco who captivated the audience with their tales.

“Nomads and the Moroccan society in general, were basing the education of their families and children on storytelling. At night, the grandma used to gather her family to tell them stories she learnt herself from her mother and grandmother
She was telling them stories full of strong messages”, said Moroccan storyteller, Nabila El Fahmy said.

Related Topics:Camels Coronavirus Featured Morocco Nomads Festival Pandemic

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Culture

South African anti-apartheid writer Breyten Breytenbach dies at 85

Published

1 hour ago

November 25, 2024

Isaac Dachen

South African anti-apartheid writer and poet, Breyten Breytenbach, has passed away at the age of 85 after a long battle with ill-health.

A statement by his family said Breytenbach who was a staunch opponent of the county’s white-minority government’s apartheid policy of racial oppression, died in Paris on Sunday.

A citation by a South African news platform describes Breytenbach as a celebrated wordsmith and a leading voice in literature in Afrikaans, and a fierce critic of apartheid that was imposed against the country’s Black majority between 1948 and 1990.

“He moved to Paris but on a clandestine trip to his home country in 1975, he was arrested on allegations that he assisted Nelson Mandela’s then-outlawed African National Congress group in its sabotage campaign against the white-minority government,” the medium wrote.

“He was convicted of treason and served seven years in prison. French president Francois Mitterrand helped secure his release in 1982.

“Upon his release, Breytenbach based himself in Paris, becoming a French citizen, and continued his anti-apartheid activism.

“Breytenbach is best known for “Confessions of an Albino Terrorist,” his account of his imprisonment and the events leading to it.

“His work addressed themes of exile, identity and justice, his family said in a statement on Sunday. Known for his masterful poetry collections in Afrikaans, as well as autobiographical works such as “The True Confessions of an Albino Terrorist” and “A Season in Paradise,” he fearlessly addressed themes of exile, identity and justice,” his family said in a statement.

Born in the Western Cape province in 1939, Breytenbach was a poet, novelist, painter and activist whose work touched on and influenced literature and the arts both domestically and abroad.

He joined Okhela, an ideological wing of South Africa’s African National Congress, in exile, but remained deeply connected to his South African roots, his family said.

Culture

Nicki Minaj eulogizes Davido for collaborating with her on new song

Published

1 day ago

November 24, 2024

Isaac Dachen

American rapper, Onika Maraj, popularly known as Nicki Minaj, has poured encomium on Nigerian Afrobeats superstar, David Adeleke, aka Davido, for featuring in her track, ‘If It’s Okay”, which, according to her, gave the song an authentic Afrobeats tempo.

Nicki, who expressed her gratitude to the Nigerian singer, had, on Friday, taken to her X page to show love to Davido by posting “Thank you Davido” along with the visuals of the track.

To further show her appreciation, Nicki, while responding to a question from an X user, Tae, said the “Unavailable” singer gave the track the Afrobeat feel.

Tae had written: “What drew you to Davido for the song ‘If it’s Okay’? In my opinion, he was an ideal choice for this incredible masterpiece! He was speaking that ish.”

Responding to Tae, Nicki wrote:

“That man is an incredible writer and melody maker. It’s always a pleasure working with him because of our mutual respect for one another.

“I asked him to be a part of it in order to bring out the Afro beats tempo/feeling in it a bit more. Naija to the world.”

The track, “If it’s Okay” is part of the 10th-anniversary special edition of Nicki Minaj’s iconic album “The Pinkprint”, which was originally released in 2014.

The commemorative edition features four brand-new tracks, including collaborations with Swae Lee (Turn Ya Cap Back), David Guetta and Davido (If It’s Okay), and the late Juice WRLD (Arctic Tundra).