Eastern Folk Arts

Location: Berkane/Oujda A Brief Outline of the Festival: The primary aims of the festival are to restore the honour of traditional cultural heritage, preserve intangible heritage, and support the groups and artists who have dedicated their lives to these arts in Easte Morocco. This festival serves as an initiative to safeguard and protect the heritage of the Easte region, while also promoting it inteationally, especially since it has recently been inscribed on ICESCO’s Islamic Intangible Heritage List. The Easte Arts: The Easte region of Morocco is the birthplace of a rich artistic heritage, performed by groups that have inherited these arts through oral transmission and continue to preserve their cultural traditions. The arts feature authentic musical instruments from the region, such as the kallal, zammar, kasbah (wood fife), and occasionally the ghita. Key artistic expressions include the anhari dance, arfa group performances, l’elawi, lmengoushi, and reggada. These arts have evolved in a region historically influenced by the Hilaliens and Zenata tribes.