Regional President Doumou hailed the 2005 festival, believed to be the first of its kind in the Arab world, as a resounding success. “We were delighted and honored when my good friends Harry Thomas and Tim Landis accepted our invitation to come to Marrakech to join with us in celebration of our long-standing friendship with the people of the United States. Over the past three days, we have seen the universal language of music unite our people and cultures in a way that was both gratifying and encouraging for future cultural and economic exchanges.”

Thomas agreed, stating: “We were simply overwhelmed by the warmth of the reception we received from the Moroccan people. Each of the artists performing at the event had stories of new relationships that were developed as a result of Friendship Fest. Those in attendance truly blessed us with their heartfelt encouragement and enthusiastic support.”

Set on a sandy field last used to celebrate the marriage of Moroccan King Mohammed VI’s daughter, the 2005 festival began each of the three nights at 6:00PM local time. By the time the dessert sun had begun to set an hour or so later, tens of thousands of Moroccans had gathered in front of the stage to see American artists perform alongside some of their favorite Moroccan musicians. The crowd was animated and enthusiastic, responding to invitations to dance, jump and even sing along. “The only thing that was translated were the introductions of the performers”, said Thomas. “The universal language of music translated itself.”

According to festival organizers, the purpose of Friendship Fest is to “use the universal language of music to bridge cultures and make friends - to show that people of different cultures and faith traditions can be friends and live in harmony with one another.” When asked for his view regarding whether or not these goals were achieved in 2005, Regional President Doumou responded: “The goals of Friendship Fest were most definitely achieved. We strengthened our relations with our American brothers and sisters and set the stage for ongoing discussions and future cultural exchanges between our countries. We truly believe that this event represented an historic opportunity for Americans and Moroccans to celebrate together, through music, in friendship and peace.”

About Friendship Fest

In early 2004, Harry Thomas (co-founder of American music’s Creation Festivals), was invited to Morocco to meet with top Moroccan government and religious leaders including Prime Minister Driss Jettou. During the visit, Thomas developed a friendship with Marrakech Regional President Abdelali Doumou and Marrakech Wali (Governor) Mohamed Hassad, who asked Thomas to present a Human Rights award at a major event to celebrate the achievements of women. The ceremony, called Khmissa 2004, took place as part of a program that was televised throughout Morocco, to much of the Arab world and also to France. At the ceremony, Thomas presented the award to Assia El Qouadie, a woman who worked with prison reform. During the presentation, Thomas referred to Scripture, stating that those who work with the poor touch the face of God. His remarks were warmly received by the audience.

Shortly after Thomas returned to the United States, he received a letter from Moroccan Ambassador Aziz Mekouar confirming an invitation he had received verbally from Regional President Doumou to bring American music to Morocco to promote friendship between the people of the United States and Morocco.