Fes Festival of World Sacred Music - BREAKING NEWS!

Fes Festival of World Sacred Music
All change again?

The Director General of The Fes Festival of World Sacred Music and The Spirit of Fes Foundation has resigned after less than a year in the job. Naima Lahbil Tagemouati– a former professor of Economics and a champion of the Fes medina heritage – was appointed in 2007, following the departure of the founder of the festival, Faouzi Skali.

Rumours of bitter rows at senior management level and resignations by key team members circulated widely after the 2006 festival. By the time Faouzi Skali’s resignation was announced, it came as no surprise to both Moroccans and other nationalities working with the festival on both a voluntary and paid basis.

There has been no official announcement of Mme Lahbil’s resignation, but she has confirmed that she is leaving. So far facts behind this development have not been revealed and no explanations have been offered.

Naima Lahbil took on the job of making the 2007 festival happen at a stage when the organisation was in considerable disarray. During her short time at the helm she earned the respect of many people connected with the festival and was admired for her informal management style.

Another significant change is the return of Gerard Kurdjian as Artistic Director. He held this position from the start of the festival in 1994, but was replaced by Cherif Khaznadar, the founder of La Maison des Cultures du Monde in Paris, for the 2006 and 2007 festivals.

Clearly more developments within the festival organisation will emerge in due course. The View From Fez will keep you updated as and when they are revealed.

Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news