Rayas or La Esperanza reaches the final in Mawazine competition 2009. Rayas is most known under the name La Esperanza, which is just the translation of the word Rayas in Spanish. Rayas is a young group of talented musicians from Al Hoceima that work together to promote the Amazigh music, and especially the Rifian one. The name Rayas means Hope in Tamazight. The group went through three stages in this competition: Selection, Semi-Final, and Final that took place in Rabat on Sunday, 17th May 2009. The group played a 30 minute concert in front of the jury. The songs they played are composed by the group itself. Rayas is composed of seven Musiciens, playing several instruments ranging from Guitar, Adjou, Bass, Percussions, Dram, Raqraqab, Derbouga, and others…
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A two days concert had taken place on the 26 and 27 of June in Al Hoceima to celebrate the opening of the new PLAZA DEL RIF, which was redesigned lately. These two days concerts featured some of the most prominent bands in the Al Hoceima including Massinissa, Thaghrast, Esperanza (or Rayas) Syphax, and Tifyur. What made these concerts remarkable is the radical change and evolution that these bands have witnessed. All bands have made very magnificent concerts at all level, which just encourages the other local artists to take the same path.
Timazighin of Nederland Association , for women and Amazigh cultural aspects, are organizing several workshops during the month of June on Saturdays about the poetic Rifian heritage: IZRAN. Anyone interest to participate in this subject, please contact Timazighin at 
Imetlaa gave a very successful concert on Sunday, 17th May 2009 in Mawazine festival. Imetlaa sang most of of their famous songs, such as Ag Ijj n U3echi, Nachin Dhimazighan, Izran, Ameqnudh, Seqsix Xam Thaziri, in addition to that Imetlaa sang a new song for the first time on the stage entitled Thlullucht Idurar. As it is part of Imetlaa current project: the bridge between tradition and modernity, the group was accompanied with a member of the Amazigh Rap group Intersection, who was joining the stage from time to time to sing some of his rap and hip hop songs. The transition from Izran to Rap was very exciting and harmonious.
Thaghrast, a group of young talented musicians participated in Mawazine Festival on the 18th of May 2009. The group was programmed as it was the winner of 2008 Géneration Mawazine, a competition organized by the Association Maroc-Cultures, which is also the organizer of Mawazine Festival in Rabat. Thaghrast rocked the audience with their unique rhythms ranging from Gnawi, Gharnati, Reggae, Amazigh and other world music styles. Even if the lyrics were in Tarifit the audience danced to the melodies played by Thaghrast.