A Casa do Alentejo, in Lisbon, will be the stage for the presentation of the Islamic Festival of Mértola 2023, which will take place the next day 15 April, Saturday, at 18:30.
Officials from the Executive of the Municipality of Mértola will be present at this ceremony, the President of the Municipal Chamber of Mértola, Mário Tomé and Vice President Rosinda Pimenta, the President of the House of Alentejo, João Manuel Rato Proença and the President of the Regional Tourism Entity, Victor Silva.
The presentation of the Islamic Festival of Mértola at Casa do Alentejo (Rua Portas de Santo Antão, No 58), is open to the public and will include the performance of the group “Cus Cus Flamenco” in a small preview concert of the Festival’s concert program. In addition to this musical note, there will be a tasting of traditional Alentejo and Moroccan sweets.
The Cus Cus Flamenco ensemble was created in Granada, Spain, in 2016, by Moroccan singer Hamid Ajbar, Licensed by the Rabat Conservatory as a specialist in Andalusian and Oriental music. With a musical proposal based on the concept “two stories, a path” that proposes a meeting between the music and dance of two cultures that seem to converge in time and place, “Cus Cus Flamenco” provides a fusion concert where the depth of flamenco singing joins the aesthetics of Arabic-Andalusian song-poems and the beauty and passion of flamenco dance.
every two years, the Islamic Festival of Mértola, which is now in its 12th edition, transforms the village of Mértola, to celebrate and make known Islamic culture and its ties with Portugal. During the days of the Festival, which this year takes place between 18 and 21 May, Mértola is home to a large Islamic community from North Africa, from countries like Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, beyond Spain and Egypt, among other geographies.
The Islamic Festival of Mértola is one of the most relevant events in the district, which aims, in addition to disseminating knowledge about the history and heritage of Mértola, particularly from the Islamic era, promote knowledge, the dialogue, tolerance and citizenship between cultures; disseminate Islamic culture and contemporary production; strengthen cultural ties, social and economic links with the Mediterranean and to develop the Muslim friendly tourist offer.
with free entry, the Islamic Festival of Mértola counted last year with 50 thousand visitors over the 4 festival days, expecting to receive this year more than 60 thousand. In 2023 the souk returns to the “old” and “new” towns of Mértola to receive the most varied products such as handicrafts, sweetmeats, Alentejo regional products and fabrics, from morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Spain and Alentejo. In addition to the market and the traditional Arab ritual of haggling for good prices, the festival also features music and art that complement the charm of the street market.
More information: https://www.festivalislamicodemertola.com/
