This year's Fes Festival of World Sacred Music has the theme Journey of Initiation: from mystery to revelation.
Mohamed Kabbaj, Director General of the Festival, explains the theme as follows:
'The journey of initiation is concerned with learning about the world, discovery of the other, knowledge of the self, the quest for spirituality.
We all know of the great mystical figures, those emblems of each religion, such as Ghazali, the poet of the Revelation; Maimonides, exiled to Fez; Charles de Faoucalut in the solitude of the desert; the Buddha and his enlightenment. Knowing about such world figures has nourished civilisations.
'Man knows here what he doesn't know there', wrote Ibn Arabi, whose entire work encompassed a journey of initiation. This great mystical poet cconsidered every journey as being towards God: 'from Him, in Him, towards Him'.
The 16th annual Fes Festival lies within this realm of the journey towards initiation.'
Please note that there are some slight changes to the programme of events at the Festival.
For the programme in English, see here, and in French, see here.
2 comments:
It is an ambitious programme, both in theme and in performance. If the 16th sacred music festival manages to turn words into reality -- generate genuine meaning and experience, rather than just entertainment -- I will be both delighted and astonished. I have known the festival since 2003. In my view it peaked in 2005 and has gone downhill ever since. This year's event is clearly an attempt to regain its credibility. But -- do the people who run the festival walk their talk? Do they act with insight, wisdom and compassion? Are they REALLY motivated by spritual values? Do they REALLY empathise with the esoteric traditions?
I agree with you that the festival peaked and has gone downhill ever since. I've been attending since 2002.
Faouzi Skali walked the talk. But since he was kicked out, the festival has been run as a tourist attraction, and it shows. No spiritual values that I can see.
I think it should be allowed to die so that something better can rise from the ashes.
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