Mawazine: Sting achieves a "happy adventure" with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra...

British star Sting took the stage before a packed audience for one of the shows that brought this 9th edition of the "Mawazine-Rhythms of the World" festival to a close.

Sting, sporting a brown jacket with red stripes, a white T-shirt, and streaked hair, was simultaneously down-to-earth and charismatic.

Standing in front of a microphone reminiscent of those found on 1970s radio stations, this musical giant had the imposing Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and his regular percussionist, Moroccan Rhani, behind him, ready for a beautiful musical journey featuring old hits, including those by The Police, in a new way.

The orchestra's director gave the starting signal, and from the very first seconds, we knew that these musicians were going to excel, accompanying a Sting in top form, who had confided a few hours earlier during a press conference: "I hope my experience with the Moroccan orchestra will be another happy adventure."

The only downside was that the sound system was too weak at the beginning of the concert, particularly for those at the front of the stage. "Sono, Sono, Sono!" exclaimed the musicians, who didn't want a technical glitch to prevent them from enjoying a beautiful cover of "Roxanne."

This inconvenience was only temporary, and the artist continued with more hits, including the rocking "Next to You" and "Message in a Bottle," which completely got the audience in the mood.

The emotion then reached its peak when he treated fans to his magnificent work "Every Breath You Take," this time performed by a full ensemble: strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion.

In short, sounds and a voice that warmed the hearts and ears of those determined to enjoy the moment. Sting was also accompanied by his favourite percussionist, Rhani, a native of Essaouira.

Things moved very quickly for the young man, who one fine day in 2003 picked up his cell phone and was surprised by the voice of Sting's manager, who informed him that he was the star's percussionist.

The romance continues today, much to the young man's delight and as a tribute to Moroccan art and artists.

"I love Morocco; it's a wonderful and picturesque country, and its people are lovely. I was there twenty years ago with rocker Bruce Springsteen. We were in Casablanca, Rabat, and Marrakech.

At the time, no one recognized us; it was great fun," the artist said a few hours before his show.

(c) aufaitmaroc.com