The countdown has begun for the opening of the cultural travelling exhibition Hijos de Al-Andalus (Children of Al-Andalus), which begins its journey from 17 to 26 March in the town of Vejer de la Frontera, Cádiz.
The initiative, which focuses on the Andalusian legacy, is organised by the Diversitas association together with the Grupo Califa de Vejer, the Amigos del País association and the Bridge2Connect production company, with the collaboration of the Fundación Provincial de Cultura de la Diputación de Cádiz, the Mancomunidad de La Janda, Tugasa, as well as the town councils of Tarifa, Chaouen and Tetuán.
This is the program:
- On Friday 17 March at 20:00 the exhibition Children of Al-Andalus will be inaugurated at the Hotel Convento San Francisco, an event which will feature a performance by the comparsa ‘Lacal’, led by Juan José Ruiz, ‘Rucho’.
- The activities continue on Saturday 18 March at 17:30 with the screening of the documentary Children of Al-Andalus, which will be attended by its creators, Hicham Ghalbane and Rick Leeuwestein, from the Dutch production company Bridge2Connect. The film will also be part of the next edition of the Tarifa African Film Festival. Invitations for the private screening of the film can be requested at hijos@vejer.com.
- On Sunday, 19 March, at 12:00, the programme of events will close with the round table discussion El legado andalusí, moderated by Antonio Muñoz, professor of history, researcher and president of the association Amigos del país. The event will feature the participation of Muhammad Benaboud, historian and professor at the Abdelmalek Essaadi University of Tetouan; Amal Karioun, descendant of an Andalusian family; and the researchers and authors of the exhibition, Rick Leeuwestein and Hicham Ghalbane.
The exhibition will be open to the public until 26 March and can be visited from 11:00 to 14:00 and from 17:00 to 20:00 at the Hotel Convento San Francisco in Vejer.
The exhibition was presented to the media last Tuesday at a press conference held at the Diputación de Cádiz. In the picture above from left to right: Antonio Verdú, president of the Diversitas association; Desirée Di Nitto, communication manager at Grupo Califa; Antonio González Mellado, provincial deputy for Culture; Antonio Muñoz, historian and president of the Asociación Amigos del Pais de Vejer and James Stuart, director of Grupo Califa.
A wide-ranging exhibition, audiovisual and cultural display, complemented by academic contributions and the soundtrack of Andalusian music artists.
“Although the empire of Al-Andalus fell in 1492 in the Iberian Peninsula, its legacy did not, and it is still preserved around the world today. That is why the aim of this project is to revive such an important past, in a tour of cities that maintain this cultural identity”, says Antonio Verdú, president of the Diversitas association.
Vejer is the first stage of this itinerary, a town very much marked by its Arab past. “We could not have chosen a better location to begin this journey through the legacy of Andalusian culture. The Moorish atmosphere of the town remains alive both in its popular architecture and in the urban planning of some neighbourhoods such as the Jewish quarter or emblematic buildings such as the Hotel La Casa del Califa”, says James Stuart, CEO of the Califa Group in Vejer.
In addition to Vejer, the initiative will tour different locations such as Tarifa, Tetuan and Chaouen whose dates will be announced shortly.
