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From the Fez Festival of Sufi Culture in Fez, Morocco

Mohammed Bennis
and the Hmadcha Ensemble

Saturday, April 18, 8 pm
Sunday, April 19, 7 pm
U-M Museum of Art

A champion for preserving Moroccan Sufi traditions, artistic director Mohammed Bennis founded the Hmadcha Ensemble as way to preserve traditional Sufi chanting in the Hmadcha tradition of Fes. This performance will attempt recreate an authentic, late-night performance that is featured at the Fez Festival of Sufi Culture in Fez, Morocco. Specific Fez traditions and customs will be honored as part of this event.

Program
· TouHit Allah (God the One) : Introduction celebrating the oneness of God
· Aroubi (The Peasant) : Psalmody and praise for God
· Tsalilya (Prayers for the Prophet) : A festive song for the Prophet
· Aita Hamdouchiyyia (Hamdouchi Call) : Short songs accompanied by the guenbri guitar, leading the believers to a trance

LECTURE: Back to Morocco: Stories from Inside the Fez Festival of Sufi Culture

Saturday, Apr 18,
1 pm
U-M Museum of Art Multipurpose Room, 525 S. State St.

UMS's presentation of Mohammed Bennis and the Hmadcha Ensemble attempts to recreate the authentic, late-night performances that are featured at the Fez Festival of Sufi Culture in Fez, Morocco. Zeyba Rahman, who served as the Fez Festival of World Sacred Music's North American Director from 1997 to 2007, will give a behind-the-scenes multimedia presentation on what it is like to participate in this historic festival.

In addition to her work with the Fez Festival, Zeyba Rahman is currently the Project Director for New York City based 'Muslim Voices: Arts and Ideas' which launches in June 2009 as a pan-Islamic festival of performances, film, literary arts, visual arts exhibitions with a themed companion conference in conjunction with the Asia Society, Brooklyn Academy of Music, and New York University Center for Dialogues.

A collaboration with the U-M Museum of Art

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The Performing Arts of the Arab World Series is supported in part by TAQA New World, Inc.; The Mosaic Foundation, Washington D.C.; and the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan and Bustan al-Funun Foundation for Arab Arts. Made possible in part by the U-M Islamic Studies Initiative.