Yes! Jazz in the Riads is actually happening. After a deafening silence and a marked lack of publicity - The View From Fez finally received an official link to the website that has the dates and venues - and the performers.
Sadly the organisers have left it very late to get the word out as the information arrived today for a festival that starts tomorrow. That slight niggle aside, we can all heave a sigh of relief that it is actually taking place. However we will not be able to cover the entire event as no media kit is available and no press passes organised.
The Festival Program.
8.30 on Thursday night - Dar El Ghalia is the venue for Ton Ton Salut.
Dar El Ghalia is an 18th century palace also known as "Palais Hadj Omar Lebbar". It is currently named after the late Hadj Omar Lebbar’s favourite wife El Ghalia who was responsible for the education of his three children. Admired and respected because of her strong personality - when she shouted the walls began to shake - she directed the whole household with an iron hand.
The palace is situated in the heart of the medina of Fez, in the fascinating Ras Jnane district so full of mystery where the Arabs and Jews settled down after they had been chased from Andalusia during the Inquisition. The Arab and Jewish medieval cultural elite strongly influenced this district in developing and maintaining at the same time its architectural, social, religious and cultural traditions.
11.30 pm - and it is jazz with Carl Bobbish and Friends at the Hlacademy - Majestic. The official website has a link with directions but unfortunately the HLacademy website is not functioning.
On Friday (17th) Oncle Strongle is playing at the Place Bab Boujeloud at 4pm.
At 5.30 at Riad Misbah you can catch Ton Ton Salut. (The official site has no link or directions)
Also at 5.30 Thsama Swing are playing at Riad El Andalous. There is a link but no English translation (Construites au début du XX ème siècle, les deux maisons Dar Al Andalous appartenaient à une grande famille de notables Fassis.
De style arabo-andalous, leur transformation en maison d’hôtes en 2002, a préservé leur caractère original tout en y apportant le confort indispensable.
Le luxe et le raffinement ambiants, l’accueil, la gentillesse et l’efficacité discrète des propriétaires de leurs collaborateurs contribueront à faire de vos séjour un événement mémorable.
Dar Al Andalous jouit d’un emplacement privilégie au quartier Batha de la Médina de Fès, à quelques minutes à pieds du fameux musée et splendide porte de Bab Boujloud.)
5.30 also is the time for a visit to Riad Mabrouka - This luxurious guest house, meticulously and faithfully renovated according to the local traditions -both in its architecture and decor- offers you a haven of confort and tranquility from the flurry of activities of life in the "Médina". The interior courtyard with sculpted plaster work on the columns, magnificent cedar wooden doors, it's babbling fountain and the colourful and typical Moroccan mosaïcs opens onto a fragrant garden of roses and citrus trees and a small but inviting swimming pool. However if it is too cool for a swim the music from Le Son de Song should warm you up!
And Riad Fes also has music at 5.30!
The rest of the Festival program is less cluttered and can be found at http://www.jazzinriads.com/
As several visitors to Fez observed - festival organisers need to send out information well in advance and in English as well as French. The huge numbers of English speakers visiting the Medina could have been a great audience if the organisers had been ... er... organised.
Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb news
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