Casablanca – After four jam-packed festival days in the red city of Marrakech, the National Festival of Popular Arts (NFPA) closed its 52nd edition with a final performance from popular groups at the Royal Theatre.
The day before, some of the participating groups paid a visit to children in an orphanage as well as the elderly in a retirement home.
Along with Moroccan folklore and Rhany’s performances, foreign groups were also invited to introduce their bands such as the African troup “Momar and Afro Band Fusion” and the German “Unterbiberger,” proving the popular adage that “music connects people.”
Among the attendees for the final show was Arnaldo Ruben Yanez, known by his entourage as “Ruben,” a member of Rhany’s accompanying band who plays the charango.
“The instrument I play is called the charango. We also call it the ‘charanguito,’” he told Morocco World News.
Ruben informed MWN that it’s an instrument from both Peru and Bolivia. He himself is from Peru; that’s where Rhany found him and brought him back to Morocco with him. They’ve been working together since 2004.
All along the show at the Royal Theater, Ruben seemed to enjoy every bit of the performances. He looked especially mesmerized by the Regaada of Oujda. He kept clapping along the Tabla of Marrakech’s show and following the rhythms with his head. He looked amazed by the crowd’s overwhelming response to the group.
“My favorite group is Guedra of Goulimime,” Ruben told MWN. 
Ruben, a member of Rhany’s accompanying band
Deeply impacted by Moroccan folklore, the Peruvian musician contributes to Rhany’s music by adding latino notes to Moroccan lyrics and beats. A sample of his work is visible in songs like “Jabni Mjiba” and “Mamia.”
Ruben enjoying the final show
The 52nd edition of the NFPA was the opportunity to remind ourselves about the simplicity of popular groups, Rhany argued during a press conference. “These people don’t need boosts. They don’t care about views, YouTube, social media promotion,” he said of popular groups, adding that they live from their art and only demand an enthusiastic public who cherishes and appreciates their heritage.
Music can also remove barriers: Rhany removed them literally and symbolically during his second concert at the Harti Garden when he invited his fans over and told police officers to remove the barriers separating him from them.
Finally, music connects different cultures, traditions, beliefs, nationalities and people together. The NFPA presents itself as a great opportunity to get hold of such a feeling on a yearly basis, not to mention its role in preserving Moroccan heritage and further enhancing Marrakech’s status as the cultural capital of Morocco.
