This 20th edition of the Fes World Sacred Music Festival confirms that what started as a small local celebration is now one of the leading events of its kind in the world, and accommodation in Fes must be booked well in advance for those dates. This year, the subject of the Festival will be the Sufi tale of The Conference of the Birds, written by a Persian mystic poet in the 12th century.
In this allegory, the birds of the world (each species representing a human fault, passion or vice that prevents man from reaching enlightenment) decide to embark on a journey to find their king; after many adventures and vicissitudes, which cause several of them to abandon their quest, they cross seven valleys, until only thirty birds arrive to the land where their king, called Simorgh, is said to live; there they find nothing but a lake and their own reflection on the waters of it, and understand that the king they are looking for is no one but each one of them, and their transcendent totality – Simorgh, in Persian, is the name of a mythical bird similar to the Phoenix, but it also means ‘thirty birds’.
This allegory is central to Sufism and points at the Sufi conception of God as an entity that is not external to the universe, but rather the totality of it. The various performances scheduled during the Fes festival will include groups and artists from Northern Europe, Mali, Spain, Israel, Morocco, India, France and US amongst others, displaying a great variety of styles (from flamenco to jazz, from ancient Andalousian Jewish music to rock) with the aim to prove the universality of the spiritual experience, and promote a sense of brotherhood between all races and peoples.
Mountain Voyage Morocco can help you with all your clients’ arrangements including tickets if they wish to integrate this wonderful event as part of their itinerary. A great opportunity to experience Fes at its best!