Lyon: Moroccan consulate marks Unity Day with Al Ala music concert

Morocco’s Consulate General in Lyon marked Unity Day on Monday evening with a concert of Al Ala music performed by the Orchestre Abdelkrim Rais de Fès, conducted by Mohamed Briouel. The consulate organised the event in partnership with the Auditorium de Lyon.

The programme centred on the classical Noûba repertoire, blending Sufi chants, poetry and spirituality with traditional instruments. Before a packed and enthusiastic hall, the musicians drew on the lute, violin, qanûn and târ to take the audience to the crossroads of Arab, Amazigh and Andalusian cultures.

Morocco’s consul general in Lyon, Rajae Benchaji, told MAP the evening carried particular meaning, coming only days after October 31, when Unity Day was celebrated for the first time.

“Al Ala music is a living memory, handed down from generation to generation, because it embodies the plural identity of the Kingdom and bears witness to the richness and depth of our history,” she said.

Benchaji welcomed the strong turnout of Lyon city officials, members of the consular corps and civil society representatives, as well as the large number of members of the Moroccan community living in the metropolis.

Those attending included Lyon’s deputy mayor for culture and the deputy mayor for international affairs, along with several elected officials, university professors and students.