• About Us
  • Readers Write
  • Our People
Carthage Magazine
  • Home
  • Things to Do
    • Leisure
  • Food & Drinks
    • Taste Tunisia
  • People
    • Interviews
    • No Sugarcoating
    • Environment
  • Style & Travel
    • Attractions
    • Trip Planning
      • Travel Information
      • Hotels in Tunisia
      • Cost of Living
      • Tunisia’s Language
      • Tunisia’s Weather
      • Tunisia’s Currency
      • Tunisia’s Visa
    • Transport in Tunisia
      • Traveling Around
      • Local Transport
      • Flights to Tunisia
      • Ferries to Tunisia
      • Tunisia Overland
  • Local History
    • Museums
    • Monuments
    • Heritage Sites
    • Historical Figures
  • Education
  • Tech & Startups
  • Editors’ Picks
Editors' PicksPeople

Interview with Imed Alibi, Director of The International Festival of Carthage7 min read

By Editorial Staff June 16, 2021
Written by Editorial Staff June 16, 2021
Imed Alibi

The International Festival of Carthage (FIC), regarded as Tunisia’s most phenomenal festival, is actually one of the most important festivals in the region and perhaps even the most important. Everyone is hoping that the actual prestigious annual festival, cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is going to take place this year and live up to expectations.

For anyone interested in Music and Art in the Arab world and the Mediterranean, the International Festival of Carthage is a prominent place to stop and look. There is always an excellent chance to discover some new talents and to enjoy the world’s popular artists at the festival.

The team surrounding artistic director Imed Alibi has now presented the program for the prestigious festival’s 56th edition.

Throughout the months of July and August, despite the short period that is available to release the festival’s program, a total of 24 performances on the festival days have been scheduled, including orchestras, theater productions and concerts, as well as other supporting events — way more shows than expected. Opening with homage to Ennio Morricone and the closing with amazing and talented artist Dhafer Youssef.

The 56th edition of the International Festival of Carthage will take place from July 8th-August 17th, 2021. In the following interview with Imed Alibi, FIC Artistic Director, we discussed the event and its programming.

Suggested Read: 15 Historical Photos Show the Splendor of the International Festival of Carthage

Imed Alibi.
Imed Alibi, FIC Artistic Director.

Full Interview (June 15, 2021)

► Who is Imed Alibi?

Imed Alibi is a known Tunisian renowned Artist. He is a proficient percussionist and musician. Born and raised in Tunisia, he started playing percussions from a very early age in popular and classical North African and Middle Eastern orchestras.

Later, in the early 2000’s, Imed took the decision and moved to Montpellier, France in order to pursue his studies in his preferred field. A graduate of Paul Valery University, Imed played in a variety of musical University groups and clubs such as Flamenco, Eastern Balkanic and even brought his musical talent in dance and theatre.

Since a young age, Imed has been very active in the art and music industry. Imed was a part of several music bands, He played with accomplished and revolutionary musicians worldwide. He also worked on albums for famous international musicians, and produced music himself for several known movies. He also had the opportunities to work as a music consultant in a few occasions.

Having brought his work to more than 60 countries, and as holder of prestigious music Awards and a bright career, Imed Alibi has been chosen to be one of the ambassadors of the Tunisian and Mediterranean music to the world.

Imed is also highly experienced in festival organization. He worked on the organization of several domestic and International musical festivals.

With a global vision and a brilliant career of over 20 years of experience now, in 2020, Imed Alibi was named as the Artistic Director of the International Festival of Carthage 2020.

Imed Alibi, FIC Artistic Director.
Imed Alibi, FIC Artistic Director.

► You are a very active person in the art and music industry, you have a brilliant Resume with great achievements over the years, and you are considered to be one of the most successful and productive people working right now. How do you balance working as the festival director and as a producer?

Those roles are complementary to each other. The experience I have, the work that I previously done, and what I am doing right now have helped me a lot to bring the best for the festival.

► Considering the rich career you have and the past experience you carry in the art and music industry, what areas of the festival are you hoping to improve?

Along with known international artists, this year’s event will feature high quality productions with a new visual approach, showcasing the country’s artistic talent and reaching a broader global audience.

Despite its regional and historical importance, FIC is not yet recognized as one of the top international festivals in the field, this is something that we are working on. We want to promote the festival and take it to the next level.

I am very hopeful the festival can have a way broader global reach considering all the projects and agreements that we are working on, most notably the new agreement that allows for virtual visits to art and cultural sites and high definition art viewing.

In addition to all of that, one of the big projects that we worked on is having the Digital archives of the festival, which began in 1964, created in order to make the event available to researchers, artists, impresarios and the general public, locally and internationally. We finished working on the Mediafic project and it turned out to be a big success.

This was a great way to preserve the festival’s materials and contents, make them more accessible, and to highlight one of the most glorious periods of the festival, especially its 60’s and 70’s editions,

We truly want the festival to create awareness on cultural heritage and to promote all what the country has to offer.

► What are the main challenges that the team and yourself are facing?

Obviously, the Coronavirus pandemic that has shaken the world, worldwide economy, and the Tunisian economy in particular. All the Coronavirus restrictions that we have in place are highly affecting our activities but we are working to overcome all of that.

We have no 100% clear visibility on what awaits us due to this very particular situation, however, we are hopeful that everything is going to take place as it is planned.

The Carthage festival is a great opportunity to help the sector recover this year. We should never forget that a festival like Carthage is not only an artist who reproduces on stage, it is a backstage, technicians, workers, agents and all that revolves around that.

Some of the artists cancelled, not available because of the situation. We have been trying to have a balanced artistic program in a very special context, which is tricky.

► What is your working relationship like with the press agent? Do you have a specific plan to support the press at the festival?

We work closely with all our partners including in the media field. We invite members of the national and international press from certain publications as well as sometimes independent journalists.

Obviously, we have a high number of Tunisian journalists that cover the festival. We are very open to the world, we care very much about communicating with the press, and we try to make our press releases available to be distributed to both Tunisian and international journalists.

We also encourage members of the press to try coming to the festival if it is possible for them to do so.

Ourselves, we have already had our first press conference last January, and it was a great occasion to present the vision, the new visual identity and the broad lines of the programming as well as the production and co-production projects and the spring programming that will precede the summer of 2021.


  • Festival’s 56th Edition Program: festivaldecarthage.tn
  • Imed Alibi’s official website: Imedalibi.com

If you would like to comment on this article or anything else you have seen on Carthage Magazine, leave a comment below or head over to our Facebook page. You may also message us via this page.

And if you liked this article, sign up for the monthly features newsletter. A handpicked selection of stories from Carthage Magazine, delivered to your inbox.

Interviews
0 comment
5
FacebookTwitterEmail
Editorial Staff

Editorial staff account at Carthage Magazine, Tunisia's premier English lifestyle magazine with thousands of page-views per month and over 200,000 social media followers.

previous post
Tunisia Visa – Visa Policy, Types of Tunisian Tourist Visa
next post
“The Pre-Incubator” is BACK! OST is Calling for Application for the Second Cohort

Related Articles

Ons Jabeur Becomes the Highest Ranked African &...

June 28, 2022

Ons Jabeur Rises to New Career-High No. 3...

June 20, 2022

Tales from the Past | Part II

June 17, 2022

Tunisian Swimmer Nejib Belhedi To Swim 155 KM...

June 14, 2022

Boukha: Tunisia’s “Water of Life” Fig Liquor

June 14, 2022

Entrepreneurship in the Times of Pandemic: My Boutique...

June 10, 2022

Tales from the Past

June 7, 2022

Tens of Thousands of Jews Celebrate Unusual Coexistence...

May 16, 2022

Tunisian “Gâteau Courant d’Air” – A Household Sweet...

May 9, 2022

Jaafar Guesmi, Tunisia’s Pierre Cadault?!

April 30, 2022

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Flavors of Tunisia

Taste-Tunisia-Tunisian-Cuisine-3

Want more top stories?

Carthage Magazine Newsletter

Sign up today and you’ll get our latest stories delivered straight to your inbox.

Quizzes

Quiz: How Well Do You Know African Countries...

QUIZ: Think You’re a Know-It-All? Try Naming These...

Just For You

  • 1

    Tunisia COVID-19 Entry Requirements: Latest Updates for Travelers | June 2022

    March 2, 2021
  • 2

    DNA Analysis: Only 4% of Tunisians Are Arabs

    December 30, 2019
  • 3

    5 Things Tunisians Will Never Say Sorry For

    September 26, 2020
  • 4

    Tunisian Swimmer Nejib Belhedi To Swim 155 KM from Italy to Tunisia

    June 14, 2022
  • 5

    Ons Jabeur Rises to New Career-High No. 3 After Winning Berlin

    June 20, 2022
  • 6

    Ten Things I learned from Living Alone in Tunis

    April 21, 2020

Latest

  • Ons Jabeur Becomes the Highest Ranked African & Arab Tennis Player Ever

  • Ons Jabeur Rises to New Career-High No. 3 After Winning Berlin

  • Tales from the Past | Part II

  • Tunisian Swimmer Nejib Belhedi To Swim 155 KM from Italy to Tunisia

Sections

  • Editors' Picks
  • Education
  • Environment
  • Food & Drinks
  • Local History
  • News
  • No Sugarcoating
  • People
  • Quizzes
  • Real Estate
  • Style & Travel
  • Tech & Startups
  • Things to Do
  • Videos

E᙭ᑭᒪOᖇE

Carthage Magazine

We’re on a mission to create content that inspires people about experiences, places, products and people in Tunisia!

 

— About Us

— Adverstising

— Transparency

— Contact Us

Facebook Twitter Instagram Linkedin Youtube

ᗯᗩᑎT ᗰOᖇE TOᑭ ᔕTOᖇIEᔕ?

Carthage Magazine Newsletter

Sign up today and you’ll get our latest stories delivered straight to your inbox.

ᔕᑭᖇEᗩᗪ TᕼE ᗯOᖇᗪ

Spread the word

Our goal is to get these stories out in the public arena, and by doing this, keep promoting Tunisia and changing attitudes towards the MENA region.

 

— Ambassadors

— Readers Write

— What You Can Do to Help

EᗪITOᖇᔕ’ ᑭIᑕKᔕ

  • Tales from the Past | Part II

    June 17, 2022
  • Boukha: Tunisia’s “Water of Life” Fig Liquor

    June 14, 2022
  • Entrepreneurship in the Times of Pandemic: My Boutique Rides

    June 10, 2022

© 2019 - 2022 Carthage Magazine. Privacy Policy

Carthage Magazine
  • Home
  • Things to Do
    • Leisure
  • Food & Drinks
    • Taste Tunisia
  • People
    • Interviews
    • No Sugarcoating
    • Environment
  • Style & Travel
    • Attractions
    • Trip Planning
      • Travel Information
      • Hotels in Tunisia
      • Cost of Living
      • Tunisia’s Language
      • Tunisia’s Weather
      • Tunisia’s Currency
      • Tunisia’s Visa
    • Transport in Tunisia
      • Traveling Around
      • Local Transport
      • Flights to Tunisia
      • Ferries to Tunisia
      • Tunisia Overland
  • Local History
    • Museums
    • Monuments
    • Heritage Sites
    • Historical Figures
  • Education
  • Tech & Startups
  • Editors’ Picks
Carthage Magazine
  • Home
  • Things to Do
    • Leisure
  • Food & Drinks
    • Taste Tunisia
  • People
    • Interviews
    • No Sugarcoating
    • Environment
  • Style & Travel
    • Attractions
    • Trip Planning
      • Travel Information
      • Hotels in Tunisia
      • Cost of Living
      • Tunisia’s Language
      • Tunisia’s Weather
      • Tunisia’s Currency
      • Tunisia’s Visa
    • Transport in Tunisia
      • Traveling Around
      • Local Transport
      • Flights to Tunisia
      • Ferries to Tunisia
      • Tunisia Overland
  • Local History
    • Museums
    • Monuments
    • Heritage Sites
    • Historical Figures
  • Education
  • Tech & Startups
  • Editors’ Picks
© 2019 - 2022 Carthage Magazine. Privacy Policy

Read alsox

Rotaract — Tunisian Young Leaders in Action

December 10, 2019

Tunisia’s Roman Ruins of Sbeitla (Sufetula) Majestically...

April 6, 2022

Tunisia Wildlife: National Parks & Nature Reserves...

January 22, 2021