Rabat – Spain’s ambassador to Morocco Enrique Ojeda Vila emphasized the importance of the Fez World Sacred Music Festival as a hub encouraging dialogue and better understanding of other cultures and civilizations.
The festival will take place from May 24 to June 1. Expressing pride that Spain will be featured as a guest of honor this year, the ambassador added that the festival has “surpassed its regional scope to establish itself globally.”
The festival will honor several music genres, including general Ladino songs and Spanish Flamenco.
The Spanish diplomat further noted that his country will be strongly represented during the ten days of the festival through scheduled musical performances, including that of the renowned flamenco guitarist Vicente Amigo.
The Spanish ambassador also emphasized the cultural relations between Morocco and Spain, noting that the two countries also enjoy geographical proximity and personal comradery.
“This proximity between the two countries facilitates the implementation of joint creative projects in the fields of art, music, education, and scientific research,” he said.
The ambassador also cited events jointly organized by Spain and Morocco towards enhancing intercultural dialogue, such as the Tarifa-Tangier African Film Festival in Tangier.
Vila also expressed satisfaction with the significant increase in demand among Moroccans for learning Spanish both at the Cervantes Institute and at Spanish schools and Moroccan universities.
In addition, he also commended the contribution of Moroccans living in Spain, which account for the largest foreign community in the country.
The Fez World Sacred Music Festival was established in 1994.
The event’s Forum was established in 2001, the same year that the festival was designated by the UN as one of the significant events contributing to the dialogue of civilizations.
