It was to have been a wonderful cultural exchange - Moroccan Music at The Kennedy Center, Washington, DC. The Kasbah Band & Sounds of Morocco with special guest Amir Ali at the Kennedy Center playing Moroccan music, traditional as well as modern - music that is derived from Arabic, Jewish, sub-Saharan, and Spanish influences.
The performance was part of the Genesis at the Crossroads cultural exchange program; ARTSLINK, 2006 Governor’s International Arts Exchange Program Grant Recipient, Arabesques Arts & Culture and the Washington Moroccan Club.
As The View From Fez reported yesterday, Maestro and lute player Haj Younes was going to be part of the performance but could not attend due to difficulties with his US Visa. As a follow-up, here is the clarification from the organisers:
Greetings friends,
We would like to clarify that Haj Youness was not able to make it for his Chicago Concert on Thursday and will not make it for the Washington DC concert on Monday for a reason that is beyond the reach of Haj Youness or the organizers. Haj Youness will not be with us because the US Department of Homeland Security has not yet granted a clearance for him to obtain his visa. This clearance could have been expedited by the Department of Homeland Security but it was not despite active lobbying and support aggressively voiced by the Governor of Illinois, the Mayor of Chicago, Senator Durbin's office, the Kennedy Center and even the US Cultural Attaché in Rabat. The Genesis Foundation did all it could to get him into the country for this very important project that is Art Link Casablanca. Genesis will still bring him in as soon as his visa is granted however we would like to note that the US Government keeps on blocking goodwill gestures aimed at bettering US - Arab relations. Worthy of not also is Haj Youness' US visa is still valid until December of 2007, but that one could not be used as his Moroccan Passport expired and he had to obtain a new one. The good news is that Haj will still perform in the US very soon once this red tape issue is resolved, in the meantime we urge you all to join Friends of Haj Youness: The Kasbah Band, Sounds of Morocco & Amir Ali at the Kennedy Center for a Concert worthy of the richness of Morocco's cultural classical and contemporary heritage.
Best Regards Kader Rhanime,
President.
Arabesques Arts & Culture
Hassan Samrhouni ,
Washington Moroccan Club
Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb news
1 comment:
He had a valid visa on a previous passport?!! Unbelievable!
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