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Next Morocco Festival … The Gnawa (gnoua) Festival is Essouaria

admin — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 09:21:46 +0000

Now that the Sefrou Cherry Festival has concluded (see a nice wrap-up at Vagobond.com) it’s time to let you know about the next great Morocco Summer Festival.

The Festival Gnaoua has been rocking the beautiful seaside town of Essouaria since 1998. This year the Gnawa Festival will take place from June 25, 2010 -June 28, 2010. The official site and program can be found at
Festival-Gnaoua.net

Here is a little bit of the history of the Gnawa Festival in Essouaria

Every June thousands of ecstatic fans swoop down on the usually peaceful coastal town of Essaouira. The Gnaoua World Music Festival, brings incredible music, excited fans, and makes it nearly impossible to find accommodation.

Through the years the festival has been visited by such celebrities as Orson Welles, Jimi Hendrix and Mick Jagger. Each year there are scores of brand new acts and returning stars. This is the premier event in the world for Morocco’s most famous music.

Recently, the United Nations named the site where the event takes place a world heritage site. Included in the venue are nine stages where headliners play and two outdoor ampitheatres where free shows fort the public take place. As if that is not enough, there are also several acoustic tents and a couple of small outdoor stages where you will find yourself within intimate range of some of the best world music on the planet.

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Sefrou Cherry Queen 2010 Crowned

admin — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 21:49:35 +0000

We’ve translated this article from Sefrou.org from the original French for those of you who don’t read anything but English.

The Sefrou Cherry Queen elected this year to the 90th edition of the Cherry Festival is Sefrou Lubna Al-Bakri, the representative of the city of Marrakech. She was crowned on Friday alongside Sara Bahar and Bouchra Dou dauphine representatives respectively of Rabat and Casablanca and Jihane Al Ismaili and Noor Huda Boujr, married local Amazigh representatives of Meknes and Immouzzer.

Results strongly contested by Sefriouis claiming that the Cherry Queen should be from Sefrou as has been customary since the launch of the festival 90 years ago.

Nearly 22 local associations also threatened to stage a sit-in protest today on these results and also for having been excluded from the organization of a festival they regard as the heritage of the province of Sefrou. “The choice has been done very professionally, based on criteria including beauty, general culture and elegance. This was done transparently by the Jury members who account associative operators, local officials and media representatives, “says Ouafae Khaber, the commission official Cherry Queen in response to challenges to certain players association. But these divergences haven’t spoilt the 90th Festival of Cherry Sefrou and it remains a festive time with different cultural aspects, sustainable development, arts and sports.

The program for this event, this year entitled “The icing on the cake of development” was also punctuated by lectures, given by national and international stakeholders, including on the cherry and its medicinal properties, exhibitions of local produce (cherry, endive, honey, olive oil …), display of regional crafts, cultural evenings of poetry, history, homage Screening of a documentary on the ancient history Sefrou and exposure to Sefrou’s unique heritage.

This year the festival had the participation of countries such as Turkey, Spain, France and Jordan.

The highlight of the festival remains, the election and the inauguration of the official Cherry Queen with a parade of Cherry Queen, thematic carts, marching bands, torchlight. The idea Jamal Tazi, president of the association Sefrou Event, organizer with the provincial council of the festival is to not only this event, an enjoyable, festive, but convert it into a real engine of development city.The festival has happened since 1920.

It is considered the oldest popular festival in Morocco. Its just different and human nature makes it a locomotive for the development of the city. “If it is still there today, thanks to the tenacity and commitment of many volunteers, all committed to the unique spirit, friendly and bold this event. Today the festival has new look, “says Jamal Tazi. For him, the priority is to create, through this type of event, a socio-cultural, artistic event likely to give impetus to development throughout the province. Better yet, the organizers of the festival have the ambition of cherries on the list of intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO.

Maâzouz Abdellatif, chairman of the council said at a press conference a few days ago in Fez, that the Cherry Festival in Sefrou is part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Morocco. Morocco ratified an agreement to safeguard that with UNESCO in 2006. For him, the Festival of Sefrou has many features to become an “intangible cultural heritage”.

Benchmarks
• Event: 90th Festival of Cherry
• Date: 17-20 June 2010
• Location: Sefrou, Morocco
• Targets: 400 000-500 000 visitors every CSP confused mainly Moroccan
• Owner: Municipality of Sefrou
• Owner representative: Event & Hab Sefrou lamlouk
• Sales: 2,000,000 DH Festival’s budget

A 2 million DH budget was devoted to the 90th edition of the Cherry Festival, 2010. Besides the support of City Council, the association has the support of sponsors for this successful edition, which marks the return of one of the oldest events in Morocco, which dates from 1920.

By Rachida Bami

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Sefrou Cherry Festival 2010

admin — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 07:42:27 +0000

Culture Vultures, the winner of the 2010 Best Moroccan Culture Blog Bombie, has a couple of nice posts on The Sefrou Cherry Festival for 2010. If anyone has more information, please let us know.

Culture Vultures

Sefrou Cherry Festival 2010
17th,18th,19th and 20th of June

This oldest Festival in Morocco, Sefrou’s Cherry festival celebrates 90 years since the first festivities to celebrate the once harvest of cherries. This year, the 2010 comeback of the Festival promises to stimulate and entertain Sefrou town and its region’s inhabitants. The four day gala of a festivities include a procession led by this years Cherry Queen, (5 pm Satuyrday)live music in the main square (10 pm Thurs/Fri/Sat), a fantasia every morning, poetry, theatre, clowns for children and a gather of local associations and craftpeople’s creations and activities.
seFest, Sefrou’s Association for the Contemporary Arts, has gathered close to 40 images of visual artist’s works from Sefrou or those who have been inspired by the ancient beber/jewish town. These representations are printed on large-scale supports and placed on the building around the medina and new town; a homage to the visual art that has derived from Sefrou, before and now.
25 kilometres from Fez the streets are being painted, gardens put into place, tents are being erected and the banners are flying high.

On the road towards Boulemane mountain region lies the enchanting town of Sefrou. Once known as the ‘Garden of Morocco’ and its multi racial population of Muslims, Jews and Christians, Sefrou town celebrates the harvest of cherry crops in June.
Despite living much from its past reputation, Sefrou town still holds much charm and charisma. This year’s cherry festival promises to make a healthy comeback after last years break.
Now programmed to free up the calendar away from the Fes festival, Sefrou Cherry Festival will be held from the 17th – 20th of June.
With Cherry Queens and Princesses, live music, fantasias, processions, stalls of arts and crafts, contemporary and historical exhibitions and the possible honor of the Kings presence, C.V also recommends this event for the local’s participation in this delightful ancient market town.
There are a few hotels in town if you wish to stay over night. The best for personality and location is Dar Attamani, an old Rabbi’s house restored in great rustic taste in the heart of the old medina.

Sefrou Cherry Festival – 17th – 20th of June.

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Moroccan Holidays by Moroccan Students

admin — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 10:34:40 +0000

Last term I asked some of my Moroccan Students at the American Language Center in Fez to write about their favorite Moroccan Holidays. Here is what they had to say, I asked if they wanted me to post them here or at Vagobond.com and they chose here. (Sorry it took me a while to post them guys ~Mr. V)

Zaineb – 16 years old
My favorite Moroccan holiday is Ramadan because it changes our lives for a month every year. In that month we live a different way. Our time schedule changes. We study from 9am to 4 pm. We cook a lot of delicious dishes. We pray a lot, we sleep a little bit but we enjoy doing it. All the families get together. We visit our relatives and a lot of great things like that.

The most important event this month is the fasting. Every day Muslims get up before the al fajr prayer. They eat somethiningand then they stop eating and drinking until the evening call to prayer. Ramadan is a time of reflection and worship of Allah. Muslims make greater efforst to follow the teachings of Islam and to avoid bad things.

Ramadan ends with another great holiday which is Eid al Fitr. So in fact, Ramadan is my TWO favorite holidays in Morocco!

Dounia Age 15

Mother’s Day is celebrated in countries around the world but not always on the same day. In Morocco we cleebrate it on the 2nd Sunday of May but in some countries it is celebrated on the 8th of March which coincides with International Women’s Day.

More important than the date is the feeling behind the celebration. Many people celebrate Mother’s Day in different ways; for example, children prefer to draw cards themselves or to make hand made gifts to show thier respect and affection for their mothers. Grown up children honor their mothers by buying gifts and having family gatherings. Some also thing that it is the right time to aplolgize for all the trouble they’ve given their moms and to let their moms know they are dear to them.

I love my Mom and Mother’s Day.

Salma Age 16

I like L- Fitr best because its the first day when we eat after 30 days of Ramadan fasting. It’s special too since my father visits all of our relatives and my mother cooks a lot of traditional sweets (like kaob gzal, briwat….mmm) It’s an interesting holiday too because it is the only day of the year when I wear my kaftan. It’s also the day when people buy new kaftan’s and djellabas…and parents give money to their kids! It’s a very happy day!!!:)

Hamza 15 Years Old

Eid al-Adha or Eid al-Kabir is one of the most important holidays in Islam. The name is from the Islamic Hadith and means ‘feast of sacrifice. This Eid marks every year the end of the hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. It falls on the 10th month of Dhu al Hijjah, the last of the Islamic calendar after the station on Mount Arafa.

This holiday commemorates Ibrahim’s submission to God, symbolized by the episode in which he agreed to sacrifice his son Ismael at the order of God, sending it the last time a sheep through the Archangel Gabriel to replace the child as a sacrificial offering. In memory of this total submission to the God of Ibrahim, the Muslim families sacrifice a sheep or a ram, but sometimes other animals like cows or goats, in the slaying, lying on the left flank and his head turned towarad Mecca, then offer the prayers and the Sermon of the Eid.

Majda 16 years old
Achoura is a famous Moroccan Holiday where children buynew clothes and lots of toys and they play with tambourines and drums. Also families visit each other and cook couscous with six or seven kinds of vegetables. Girls have special habits on this day, they cut their hair and sing songs and give alms. Some families don’t celebrate Achoura because they don’t have children.

(All comments are printed with permission from the students.)

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Fes Festival of Sacred Music – Videos and Updates

admin — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 10:05:45 +0000

The hottest topic in the Morocco blogosphere right now is the 2010 Fes Festival of Sacred Music. We’ve been checking out a few shows but really there is just too much for any one or two people to see all of.

We’ve compiled a short list of sites that you can check out to catch the latest on this extraordinary event. And we’ve pulled a couple of videos for you too.

Of course, our friends at The View from Fez are giving their usual great coverage to the entire event from teh cancellation of Ben Harper due to a skateboarding accident to day by day reviews of shows and events. There is a reason they won the 2010 Best of Morocco Blog Awards for both News and Overall…they rock.

Of course to get updates from all the greatest Morocco Blogs you can go to our Morocco News Page with feeds from just about every English language blog worth reading.

And for information on the festival including updates, ticket information, and more you can visit:
http://www.fesfestival.com/

Now, enjoy the show!

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June Travel Contest Entry #2 – Win 2 Nights in Fez

admin — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 00:02:30 +0000

Below is the second entry for our June Morocco Travel Contest.

The contest will run for the entire month of June and the winner will receive 2 nights accommodation at Dar Othmane in the Fes Medina.

It’s a simple contest, just tell us about your favorite Morocco destination. Read all the details of the June Morocco Travel Contest

This entry comes from Nathan. He didn’t include a picture so we took the liberty of finding a nice one on the net because we love pretty pictures.

My favorite place to go in Morocco is to the mountains around Chefchauen in the Rif. Everything is there, beautiful cascades, nomadic tribes, forests, jagged rocks for a climbers dream, and not to mention the smoke. Everyone around there smokes kif it seems, at least the men and in fact, even some of the women. I love sitting on the edge of some remote stream and smoking weed with a Berber guy that I’ve just met from one of those long funky pipes they carry so carefully. I’m not going to give away the secret of my favorite places but trust me, if you come, you will find some favorite places of your own and some killer weed.

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Blog de Rachid Jankari – Je partage, donc j’existe

admin — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 09:56:41 +0000

The French language blogs in Morocco often offer something that we miss in the English blogs, a sense of what it is like to be Moroccan. Rachid Jankari’s blog while being primarily a personal blog, also offers insight into the world of technology, news, and politics, from a Moroccan perspective.

http://www.jankari.org/

A recent post shows why I believe the future of Morocco lies in technology:
(French)

La version anglaise de ce post sur Talk Morocco

Que faut-il pour qu’une liberté réelle de la presse, puisse s’établir au Maroc? Une question épineuse. Mais qui s’impose surtout dans un contexte préoccupant. Les atteintes à la liberté d’expression dans les médias et sur internet semblent prendre un tournant préoccupant ces deux dernières années.

Certes, le Maroc a enregistré un élargissement du périmètre d’expression au niveau de la presse écrite et internet depuis le début des années 2000. Néanmoins, l’enjeu est de taille. S’agit-il d’un retour en arrière ou bien d’embûches de parcours compte tenu des affaires récentes qui ont secoué la sphère médiatique marocaine.
La situation des libertés au Maroc est comparable à celle d’une grossesse de huitième mois. Un mois critique qui risque d’entraîner une fausse couche faute de réformes courageuses et de respect des libertés.

Ma préoccupation ne se limite pas à l’espace réel des médias “traditionnels” : presse écrite, radio, TV…, mais j’estime qu’il faut préserver la liberté d’expression et de “navigation” et de publication sur la toile pour enrayer le label “pays ennemi de l’internet”.
Au-delà de la réforme du code la presse, qui s’impose, c’est une prédisposition des acteurs politiques, du plus haut niveau, à réaliser une mutation vers une approche démocratique et constitutionnelle qui transcende la logique de sacralité vers celle de l’Etat de droit. C’est le seul moyen en mesure de permettre au Royaume de consolider et booster son leadership régional.

La réforme politique doit être aussi la résultante d’une action concertée et soutenue de la société civile et des acteurs de l’écosystème des médias et de l’internet. Cette action de pression et de plaidoirie doit explorer tous les moyens légaux en mesure de faire prévaloir le cahier revendicatif lié à la préservation de la liberté d’expression offline et online.

Comparé à beaucoup d’autres pays arabes et musulmans, je pense que le Maroc a beaucoup d’atouts pour aller de l’avant dans la dynamique de développement humain, économique et politique. Nous devrons profiter de nos pré-requis pour conquérir une place de choix dans échiquier régional et international d’ici l’horizon 2050. Un objectif qui ne peut être atteint sans liberté de presse et accès libre à l’internet. Une liberté online et offline à la hauteur de nos ambitions.

English (translated)

What does it take for a real freedom of the press to settle in Morocco? A thorny issue. But who needed especially in a context of concern. Attacks on freedom of expression in the media and the Internet seem to be turning a worrying past two years.

While Morocco has seen a widening of the scope of expression in the press and internet since the early 2000s. Nevertheless, the stakes are high. Is this a step backwards or many pitfalls of course given the recent cases that have rocked the Moroccan media sphere.
The situation of freedoms in Morocco is similar to that of an eighth month of pregnancy. One month review that could lead to a miscarriage because of courageous reforms and respect for freedoms.

My concern is not limited to the actual space of “traditional” media: print, radio, TV … but I think it must preserve freedom of expression and “navigation” and published on the Web to stop the label “enemy country to the Internet.
Beyond reform the press code, which is needed is a predisposition of political actors, the highest level, to achieve a transformation to a democratic and constitutional approach that transcends the logic of sacredness to that of the ‘rule of law. It is the only means able to allow the Kingdom to consolidate and boost its regional leadership.

Political reform must also be the result of a concerted and sustained civil society actors and the media ecosystem and the Internet. This action of pressure and advocacy must explore all legal means in a position to uphold the terms of demands related to the preservation of freedom of expression online and offline.

Compared to many other Arab and Muslim countries, I think that Morocco has many strengths to move forward in the dynamics of human development, economic and political. We will take our pre-requisite to gain a place in regional and international scene by 2050. A goal can be achieved without freedom of press and free access to the Internet. A free online and offline to match our ambitions.

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From Rabat to Tunis

admin — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 09:53:18 +0000

Flavors of Maghreb is a fun travel blog that offers insights on tourism, travel, and life in the maghreb. Lots of videos, culture, and fun to be found here, plus a lively and personable writing style. We like it!

Check out this recent post on the Spring and Summer Festivals in Morocco.

If you happen to be in Morocco this spring/summer, why not try visiting some Moroccan festivals?

Festival of Sufi Culture will take place in Fes between 17th and 24th April. This year it will have the theme “Mystery and Poetry” and the whole event will include various discussions and presentations in addition to Sufi music concerts. Check out the festival website for more information: here.

Another spirituality-related festival will also be held in Fes a bit later. That’s the famous Fes Festival of Sacred Music, which includes musicians all over the world. This year it has the theme “Journey of Initiation: from mystery to revelation”. If interested, visit Fes from 4th to 12th June.More information in the official website: here.

However, if spirituality and contemplative music is not your thing, Morocco offers several completely different events.

Mawazine is one of the biggest events in Morocco, taking place in Rabat and featuring both local and international stars. This year the festival will be held between 21st and 29th May and possibly include even Elton John, Sting, Santana, Mika and Julio Iglesias, as well as Arab pop icons like Ramy Ayach and Elissa. The organizers announce that Mawazine 2010 will also offer chaâbi, gnawa and Amazigh music and feature more Moroccan and Maghrebi artists than ever before. The official site, however, still has no updates.

Another urban music festival is L’Boulevard, held in Casablanca and usually more associated with the alternative Moroccan scene. This year it will include the famous Brasilian metalists “Sepultura” as well as many local bands. The festival will take place in the second half of May, but we’ll have to wait a bit for its detailed program.

Probably the most popular Moroccan festival among foreign visitors is the World Music Festival in Essaouira, also known as Gnawa festival. It attracts thousands of gnawa lovers, world music lovers and just free spirits from both Morocco and abroad. This year it will run from 24th to 27th June. The official site seems to be down at the moment, but I’m sure the details will be clear soon enough.

That’s it for now, but the list will grow, I hope!

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Moroccan Clothing – From Fez to Djellaba

admin — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 14:35:46 +0000

Moroccan Clothing

Morocco is a country rich in history, traditions, people, and culture. Every part of these aspects influences how Moroccan people are dressed. Among the variety of clothes you will find in Morocco,
The Djellaba and Gandora are the most common.These fine garments speak of the luxurious clothing style of the country.
The djellaba, a typical robe that you cannot miss from the very first few seconds after arriving in Morocco. According to the many people we have met who have professed to be experts in many areas, there are three basic types of djellaba for men and two basic everyday options for women. For both sexes, the machzania or “government” djellaba is the most common throughout the country. For the men, there are also the northern and the southern djellaba, and for the women there is the kaftanlamic religion of Morocco is also a key factor in the way that Moroccan people dress. The djellaba covers the whole body and is therefore an acceptable modest outfit.
The Gandora unlike the djellaba dosn’t have a hood,and normally has short sleeves.This Gandora has strong embroidery on the neck and sleeve openings,a pocket on one side and a slit on the other. Like the Djellaba the Gandora is a very traditional moroccan garment.

The traditional dress

The traditional dress for men is called a djellaba, a long, loose, hooded garment with full sleeves. For special occasions, men also wear a red cap called tarboosh and mostly referred to as Fez. Nearly all men wear babouches soft leather slippers with no heel, commonly in yellowbut also in many colours. Many women do as well but others wear high-heeled sandals, often in silver or gold tinsel.
The distinction is the djellabas has a hood, while a Gandora does not. The women’s djellabas are mostly of bright colors with ornate patterns, stitching, or beading, while men wear djellabas in plainer, neutral colors. Women are strongly attached to their “Moroccan wardrobe”, despite the financial costs involved. The production of such garments is relatively expensive, as most of the work is done by hand. Despite the costs involved most women purchase a minimum of one new kaftan or “tk’chita” every year, normally for a special, social event, such as a religious festival or a wedding. Nowadays, it is an unwritten rule that Moroccan dress is worn at such events.

The Gandora is very simular to the Djellaba the differance being the Djellaba has a hood and short sleeves. Masculine embroidery on the front around the neck and arms openings. For a convenient use, this garment has one slit on side and one pocket on the other side at the waist level.This gandora is made with cotton and is more suitable for summer use.

The origins of the fez, or “tarboosh” in Morocco, is not clear. The design may have come from ancient Greece or the Balkans. In the 19th Century it gained wide acceptance when the Ottoman rulers moved to modernize traditional costumes. The brimless hat did not get in the way of a Muslim’s daily prayers and was cleaner and less cumbersome than the turban. The name fez is believed to come from Fez, the city, which once produced the hat’s red dye, made from crimson berries.For more info on Moroccan dress visit Shop Morocco

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Museums of Morocco

admin — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 12:52:51 +0000

This is another site that while not really a blog, offers information that we think is valuable to both tourists and residents of Morocco. The site lists all of the museums in Morocco including in the cities of Marrakesh, Rabat, Casablanc

http://www.maroc.net/museums/

If someone were so inclined, we think that this would make an excellent blogging topic. Here is a short excerpt:

Inhabited since prehistoric times, with a culture that goes back thirty centuries, at the cross-roads of Roman, Berber and Arab civilisations, Morocco is rich in museums overflowing with treasures.

These magical places are entirely devoted to admiration. The touch of a master transforms the humblest objects into masterpieces. Carpets, pottery, garments or arms, here everyhting is a work of art. As the representation of humans or animals is contrary to the teachings of Islam, artists have channelled all their creative effort into producing infinite variations of abstract, geometric or stylised motifs.

Moroccan museums are very often monuments in their own right. Even empty, they would be well worth a visit.

For the shimmering quality of the colours, the richness of materials and the subtleties of form, a visit to the museums of Morocco is not merely an introduction to part of humanity’s heritage; it is in fact an opportunity to experience a total enchantment of the spirit and the senses…

National museums are generally closed on tuedays.
Those museums located in government office buildings may be closed at weekends.

Opening hours vary from one museum to another. They open between 08.30 and 09.30, and close between 17.30 and 18.30, usually closing for one hour at lunch time (check locally).

For more information, please contact:
Ministry of Culture
Avenue Mohamed V, quartier des Ministères, Rabat
Tel (212 7) 76 60 54 / 73 80 37
Fax. (212 7) 76 88 14

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