Fez – You know it’s going to be an interesting evening when the Swiss ambassador casually tells you that his hometown is represented here in Fez.
No press releases, no protocol, just genuine pride and a soft smile.
That’s exactly the energy Swiss Ambassador Valentin Zellweger brought to Jnan Sbil Gardens last night, where he joined festival-goers for a truly unique performance by “Ensemble Zenaida”, a vocal group from Switzerland that somehow made sacred music from the 15th century feel alive.
The Fez Festival of Sacred Music has never been short on moving performances or profound cultural moments.
But this one hit a little differently. Maybe it was the intimacy of the setting, maybe it was the fact that no one was checking their phones, or maybe it was just the Swiss precision paired with the Renaissance soul. Whatever it was, something clicked.
The group “Ensemble Zenaida” is made up of young vocalists who met during their master’s studies in Switzerland.
They specialize in sacred music from the Franco-Flemish region, which, if you’re not familiar, is the kind of polyphonic magic that makes you feel like you’ve time-traveled straight into a medieval chapel.
Except here, the chapel had palm trees and a soft Moroccan breeze.
“We perform from the original manuscripts,” said Jorge Scutia, one of the singers, to Morocco World News (MWN), as he gently held up a centuries-old facsimile.
“That’s what makes our work different. These are not modern scores. We’re trying to recreate something as close as possible to how it was originally meant to sound.”
Scutia, who’s originally from Mexico, seemed genuinely taken by the Moroccan setting. “We went to Medina, and it reminded me so much of home,” he said.
“It’s a different culture, yes, a different language, but the people, the energy…I feel practically at home.”
That sense of unexpected familiarity echoed something Ambassador Zellweger said earlier that day.
“There’s a fundamental similarity between Switzerland and Morocco,” he noted. “Both are at cultural crossroads, and both have found ways to hold that diversity in balance. I think that’s what connects us.”
He’s not wrong. While Switzerland may be famous for its neutrality and punctual trains, it’s also a patchwork of languages and traditions; German, French, Italian, all coexisting in one neat country.
Morocco, for its part, is a masterclass in cultural layering: Amazigh, Arab, Andalusian, French, Sub-Saharan, Mediterranean, all woven into one rich, ever-evolving identity.
It’s no wonder the ambassador sees culture as more than just a diplomatic footnote. “Culture is the one thing that glues everything together,” he said to MWN.
“There are things you can’t always express in political or economic terms, culture lets you say those things.”
So what exactly was “Ensemble Zenaida” saying last night?
Something reverent, for sure. But also something strangely grounding. The music, performed with an almost sacred calm, didn’t ask for applause so much as presence.
Each note hung in the air like a question you’re not supposed to answer but only feel.
The program was built around Renaissance sacred music, mostly unknown to the general public, and presented without theatrics or modern frills.
No dramatic lighting, no sweeping entrances, just voices, pure and intertwined, rising into the Moroccan night.
This wasn’t Switzerland showing off. It wasn’t about flag-waving or soft power. It was something quieter, more thoughtful: a cultural offering rooted in mutual respect.
It was also a reminder that diplomacy doesn’t always need a podium, sometimes it just needs a stage, a few voices, and the willingness to listen.
Backstage, there was none of the usual stiffness you sometimes get at official events.
The performers were laughing, taking selfies, wandering through the gardens like tourists who’d accidentally found themselves in a UNESCO World Heritage site.
And somewhere among the trees, standing quietly with the crowd, was Ambassador Zellweger.
Not at a head table. Not behind a mic. Just present. Watching. Listening.
When asked if he was excited to be there, he didn’t hesitate: “Of course I’m excited. It’s a fantastic opportunity. And personally, it’s even more special because this group is from my hometown. To see them perform here, in Fez, at this festival, it’s meaningful.”
And that’s the thing. Culture isn’t just policy or programming. It’s personal. Sometimes it sounds like six perfectly tuned voices floating over an ancient garden.
Sometimes it looks like a Swiss ambassador smiling quietly in the crowd. Either way, last night in Fez, it felt like something worth remembering.
