Festival of World Sacred Music
Rites of Passage
June 4-12, 2010
Experience the internationally renowned Festival of World Sacred Music, where artists from around the world gather in the ancient city of Fes to share music and dance from the spiritual traditions of their homelands. The theme for this year's Festival is "Rites of Passage," and features the soulful sound of Ben Harper, a whole evening of the music and poetry of Rumi, the royal ballet of Cambodia, morning ragas under a giant barbary oak in the courtyard of the Batha Museum, the traditional gnaoua music of Morocco, and so much more. Visit the official website for details.
For the last two years we've taken large groups of people on trips over two weeks long and toured many parts of the country with our families from both continents. As rich and rewarding as these trips have been, this year we've decided to try something a little different. We've listened to requests that we have a shorter, simplified trip with a focus on having a deep experience of the Festival of World Sacred Music in Fes. So this time around, Masankho Banda, Diane MorningStar Ault, and Mohammed El Hakim will be facilitating a small group experience with just a handful of people who will meet at a beautiful riad in the heart of Fez for the concerts (more than 60 of them this year!), get to know the city with an experienced cultural artist, and enjoy a more flexible schedule, with more time for creative reflection/expression and relaxation. Zouhair and Sara Jane and their children will also be in Morocco this year at the same time, but will be spending most of their time with Zouhair's family.
Over the last two years we've gained considerable knowledge, and have a web of relationships and connections with the city and its renowned Festival. This year we intend to co-create with you an experience that is based on your unique interests and desires. The trip will be limited to just 6 participants. We are particularly asking musicians and artists of all kinds to join us this year, so we can immerse ourselves in the holy sounds of the world, and be inspired to create and share our own art and music with circles of people we will bring together between and around the concert sessions. If you want a unique and transformative travel experience, cultural immersion in an extraordinary city, concerts you will never forget, and an opportunity for deep inspiration for your creative work, this is the trip for you!
You can see our photos from previous trips here, and several of us turned up in the official photo gallery for last year's Festival, which you can view here. Contact us for more details and claim your spot today!