Musical Journey through the Fez Medina

The View from Fez recently reported on the Night in the Medina planned for Monday 7 June as part of the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music. We now have the full programme:

Ben Danan Synagogue, Mellah, Fes el-Jdid at 20h00 and 21h30 - Gülay Hacer Toruk and ensemble from Turkey: Sacred and popular songs of Anatolia


Gülay (pictured above) was born in Turkey but has lived most of her life in France. She has dedicated her life to the music of Turkey and the Balkans, and also works with Greeks, Bulgarians, Azeris, Armenians and Iranians.

Riad Mokri, Oued Souafine, Ziat at 20h00 and 23h30 -Ustad Gholam Hossain and his ensemble from Afghanistan: Rabab lute and Sufi songs

In partnership with the Aga Khan Initiative for the Music of Central Asia (AKMICA) this concert will be held in one of the most beautiful riads in the medina.

Riad Mokri at 21h00 - Camille and Clement Ducol from France: 'God is sound: prayers of the world', and Bach, 'Le Canon Perpetuel

Camille Ducol

Dar Adiyel, Oued Rchacha, Guerniz at 20h00 and 22h00 - Epi from Mongolia: Nomad songs from the Steppes

Dar Adiyel serves as a music conservatory. Epi plays a horse-head fiddle and performs overtone and undertone chant.

Dar Adiyel at 21h00 - Rajab Suleiman Qanun Trio from Tanzania: Oriental music of Zanzibar

Rajab Suleiman

The most famous of all taarab musicians in Tanzania, Rajab's concert will include taarab songs, traditional ngoma tunes and rhythms, references to the classical Arab and Turkish qanun compositions and taqasim (solo qanun) pieces.

Dar Pacha Tazi, Derb Sidi l'Khayat, Batha at 21h00 - Musicians of the Nile from Upper Egypt: Tanoura and stick dance by the Mizmar Baladi ensemble from Luxor.

Les Musiciens du Nil.

This group is very well known in world music circles, having performed with Peter Gabriel and many others. The mizmar is the Egyptian hautbois or type of oboe and the tabla baladi is a large double-skinned drum. They also play the arghoul, a type of clarinet of Pharoanic times.

The circular Tanoura dance recollects the whirling dervishes of Konya. The dancer wears multicoloured robes that swirl out around him as he turns in ecstatic trance.

Batha Museum at 21h00 - Kiya and Ziya Tabassian: sitar and tombak music from Iran.

In partnership with the Canadian Arts Council and the Conseil des Arts et des Lettres of Quebec, this concert promises both ancient and contemporary Iranian music.

Batha Museum at 23h00 - The Constantinople Ensemble and the Barbara Furtuna Ensemble.

Corsican ensemble Barbara Furtuna

These two ensembles will join forces with Kiya and Ziya Tabassian for a concert entitled 'Canti di a Terra'. The Constantinople Ensemble from Montreal (who performed at the Festival some years ago with Francoise Atlan) features a quatuor and offers Corsican polyphonic song from the heart of the Mediterranean as well as ancient Persian music.