Jerash Festival
About the project:
The Jerash Festival is an annual cultural event held in the historic city of Jerash, established in 1981. It showcases a diverse programme of artistic performances, including music, theatre, dance, and opera, featuring leading Arab and international artists. In July and August 2025, the festival presented a curated selection of folk, pop, and jazz performances. Among the international acts, Olicía—a duo consisting of Fama M’Boup and Anna-Lucia Rupp—brought a distinctive and contemporary sound to the programme. Their performance blended multiple genres, including folk, pop, avant-garde soul, spoken word, and jazz. Through the use of synchronized loop stations, layered vocals, and live instrumentation such as piano, synthesizers, guitar, and clarinet, the duo created an immersive and improvisational live experience without relying on pre-recorded tracks.
Goal of the project:
- To enrich the Jerash Festival programme with innovative international musical acts
- To promote cultural exchange between Jordan and Germany
- To introduce audiences to experimental and genre-fluid music practices
- To support live performance as a platform for artistic innovation
- To enhance the diversity and international dimension of the festival
Timeline:
July – August 2025
Target group:
Festival audiences, music enthusiasts, and the general public in Jordan, as well as those interested in contemporary, experimental, and international music.
Process/ Schedule:
- Inclusion of Olicíain the Jerash Festival programme
- Coordination with the Goethe-Institut for international participation
- Live performance as part of the festival lineup
- Engagement with audiences through an experimental live music set
Participants:
- Olicía (Fama M’Boup and Anna-Lucia Rupp)
- Festival organisers and artistic programme curators
Partner:
Jerash Festival