By John Owoo
(Agadir – Morocco)
The Timitar Music Festival 2025 offered one of its most emotionally charged moments with the performance by Egyptian vocalist Marwa Naji alongside the Hicham Telmoudi Orchestra at the Théâtre Verdure in downtown Agadir.
Set against the festival’s celebration of Amazigh and world music, the evening unfolded as a dialogue among tradition, virtuosity, and contemporary reinterpretation. At the heart of the performance was conductor and violinist Hicham Telmoudi, whose refined musical direction anchored the orchestra with sensitivity and precision.
Telmoudi demonstrated a rare ability to balance discipline and freedom, guiding the ensemble through intricate arrangements that remained faithful to the spirit of classical Arabic music while embracing innovation. His leadership ensured cohesion, allowing each musical phrase to breathe while preserving its emotional gravity.
Telmoudi’s violin work stood out as a defining feature of the night. Moving beyond conventional expectations for the instrument, he took the audience on a sonic journey across Morocco, weaving together unfamiliar rhythms, scales, and beats. Drawing on diverse traditional styles, including Deka Marrakchya, Issawa, Al Aita Jablya, Soussi scales, and Sheraoui influences, Telmoudi seamlessly fused these musical languages with the violin.
Each stroke revealed a new texture, transforming the instrument into a vessel for Moroccan rhythms and melodies rarely linked to its sound. Indeed, the performance felt intensely personal—at times declarative, at others enigmatic—elevating music into a language of shared feeling.
Equally commanding was Marwa Naji, whose sumptuous, powerful voice filled the space with authority and grace. Known for her operatic background and her rise to prominence as a finalist on The Voice, Naji demonstrated remarkable control and emotional intelligence.
Together, Naji and Telmoudi crafted a performance that transcended nostalgia. Their collaboration transformed memory into motion, inviting the audience not only to listen but also to feel. Undeniably, at Timitar 2025, the concert stood as a testament to the enduring power of musical heritage when reimagined with respect, courage, and artistic vision.
