Fes Festival of World Sacred Music to be presented at Purdue

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Fès Festival of World Sacred Music: Paths to Hope tour, the international touring component of Morocco's Fès Festival, will present an evening of music and dance from several world religions at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 19 in Loeb Playhouse.

The performance is presented by Purdue Convocations.

In 1994, Morocco began its celebration of the human spirit with the Fès Festival of World Sacred Music. Launched shortly after the first Gulf War, the theme of the Fès Festival was to unite communities to build a culture of peace. Now, 12 years later, it has become a movement using the combination of music and ongoing discourse to communicate hope and a sense of shared brotherhood to melt boundaries.

In recognition of its success, the United Nations named the festival in Morocco one of seven events in the world that are "Unsung Heroes of Dialogue," having reached out to different cultures. The Fundationé Laboratoré Mediterraneo honored the festival with its highest El Premio Mediterraneo Culture 2005 award. This year, the Geneva-based Ousseimi Foundation gave the festival the Ousseimi Prize for Tolerance. The 2005 recipient was Nelson Mandela.

The "Paths to Hope" tour of the Fès Festival continues the dialogue begun in Morocco about the power of art, culture and spirituality as a humane response to pressing global issues. As part of the tour, world musicians are traveling to communities throughout the United States to celebrate the human spirit and cultural diversity and to bring awareness to the distinctions and shared common ground within cultures.

The concert program will focus on artists from the three Abrahamic faiths - Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Performing artists span three continents - Africa, Asia and those from the United States - highlighting the tour's diversity.

In one segment, Moroccan-American vocalist Gerard Edery, representing the Sephardic Jewish tradition, will collaborate with percussionist Jamey Haddad, from the Lebanese-American Christian community, and oudist Zafer Tawil, from the Palestinian-American Muslim community.

In another, India's vocalist Aruna Sairam, representing the ancient Hindu sacred tradition, will collaborate with Susan Hellauer, a founding member of the United States- based ancient music ensemble Anonymous 4. Southern Morocco's Daqqa, representatives of the southern Morocco's Sufi tradition will close the program.

Patrons who arrive for the performance early can attend a free screening of Terrance Grace's film "Sawt-e-Sarmad: The Sound that Intoxicates Man." This short film captures the sights and sounds of Fès, Morroco. The film will be show at 6:45 p.m. in Loeb Playhouse. A ticket to the performance is required.

Tickets for the Fès Festival of World Sacred Music: Paths to Hope are available at the Elliott Hall and Stewart Center box offices at (765) 494-3933 or (800) 914-SHOW. Tickets also are available through Ticketmaster outlets.

Tickets are $25 for adults and $16 for children 18 years and younger, Purdue students and Ivy Tech Lafayette students. Group discounts for 10 or more are available by calling (765) 494-9071.

Writer: Christy Jones, 9765) 494-1089, christyjones@purdue.edu

Source: Kerry Schutt Nason, Purdue Convocations director of marketing, (765) 494-9071, knason@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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