The 24th edition of the European Music Festival opened on Thursday evening in Algiers with a concert featuring Belgian representative, singer Lubiana, and the desert blues band Tikoubaouine.
The festival, held at the Mahieddine Bachtarzi National Theatre from June 27 to July 3, is themed “Europe Africa.” The opening night showcased performances by Belgian-Cameroonian singer Lubiana, representing Belgium, and the Tikoubaouine group, representing Algeria and the European Union delegation.
The first evening of this event, which fosters beautiful exchanges between Africa and Europe, saw the attendance of European Union delegation ambassadors Thomas Eckert and Alain Leroy of Belgium, along with representatives of various diplomatic missions accredited in Algiers and from countries invited to the festival.
Lubiana, visiting Algeria for the first time, expressed her “delight to come and sing in Algiers in front of the hospitable audience,” revealing that she is the only woman in Africa who plays the kora. She performed around ten musical pieces, including “Djèbi,” “Red Earth,” “Dji,” and “Mamy Nyanga,” which were met with prolonged applause from the audience.
The Tikoubaouine band received a warm welcome, delighting the audience with their diverse songs and lyrics in the Tamasheq language. Among their performed pieces were “Tiniri,” “Ana Sahraoui,” “Ligha Zaman,” “Mazwan,” and “Amzag,” reflecting the rich cultural heritage of Algeria.
This cultural event features participation from 13 countries, including Belgium, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, and Slovenia, which is participating for the first time.
Since its inception in 2000 by the European Union delegation in Algeria, in coordination with the Ministry of Culture and Arts, the National Office for Culture and Information, and the Mahieddine Bachtarzi National Theatre, this annual event aims to promote intercultural dialogue.
Friday night’s program includes performances by Sweden with the duo “Sousou and Maher Cissoko” and Italy with “Tommy Cuti.”
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European Music Festival in Algiers
