Songs for Fez - Free Concert

Musicians Jesse Mandell, Hosna el Hadi and Noureddine Ismag

Three musicians combine their talents to create original and enchanting sounds this Saturday December 3 at 7pm in a free concert at a new venue in the old Medina.

At first glance, a keyboard player, an African drummer and an oud player from Fez may not appear to have much in common - until you hear them play together. The result is magical.

In the concert Songs for Fez, Jesse Mandell from Minnesota, Nourredine Ismag from Cornwall in Canada and Hosna el Hadi from Fez will playing together and solo, while photographer Omar Chennafi and members of the ALC-ALIF Photography Club provide a series of images as visual metaphors for what is happening on stage.

"We play together at the beginning and end of the hour long concert, and in the middle we will play solo pieces," says Nourredine. "We start with a piece Jesse wrote."

Jesse's opening piece is influenced by Brasilian Bossa Nova, and later they play one of his Andalusian style pieces. The twenty-two year old is currently a student at the Arabic Language Institute in Fez. "I've played the piano since I was five," Jesse says. "I grew up learning classical and jazz and then really got into ragtime when I was fourteen...All the styles reflect different emotions and have a really different feel." Nowadays Jesse meshes ragtime, rock and hip hop to create his own unique style of playing.

Nourredine, 30, is also in Fez temporarily, accompanying his wife, who is studying at ALIF. "I originally come from Marrakesh and I've been living in Canada for four years," he says. Nourredine started playing djembe and conga drums at school and later joined a band called General Electryc, which has become well known around Ottawa and Toronto for their upbeat mix of blues, jazz and funk. "The first time I played with Jesse and Hosna it sounded really good, so we decided to do something together," he says.

Hosna, 27, is a music teacher based in Fez. She has been a soloist on the oud and guitar since she was thirteen. "I love it...I've done a lot of concerts," she said. While Hosna often performs classical oud, she is enjoying the musical collaboration with Jesse and Nourredine. "I like playing jazz and lots of other types of music," she says. "It feels more free."

Photos will be projected behind the musicians as they play. "Everyone has selected photos they want to play with (when they do their solo pieces), says photographer and concert organiser Omar Chennafi. "They help to create an atmosphere; a feeling. The elements come together to create harmony."

Songs for Fez is sponsored by the American Language Center and Arabic Language Institute in Fez & Cafe Clock. The concert will be held in the newly renovated riad which is the Sidi Muhammad ben Yousef cultural complex, in Layounne in the Fes Medina.

To get there, go down the hill beyond Riad Alkantara and keep turning left. Go via Oued Souafine and left onto Akbat El Firane. The complex is on the left, just down the hill from the College Sidi Muhammad El Fassi. However, you can accompany a guide - see below.

The free concert, Songs for Fez, is on Saturday December 3 at 7pm at Sidi Muhammad ben Yousef cultural complex (open air). To get there, meet in front Hotel Batha at 6:30 and a guide will show you the way.


Story: Suzanna Clarke   Photos: Omar Chennafi

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Moroccan Inspired Music Wins ARIA Award

Back on August 17 2010,  The View from Fez ran a story about the music of the late, great, Australian musician, Billy Thorpe. Now Thorpe's album Tangier, recorded with  L'Orchestre Symphonique Royal du Maroc in Casablanca in 2006 has become a major hit and an award winner in 2011.

 Our Music critic, Ibn Warraq, was as friend and long-time fan of Thorpe and reports now on a posthumous award for the musician's greatest album - Tangier.

Lynne and Billy Thorpe were married for 34 years, so it was fitting that Lynn and her two daughters Lauren and Rusty were able to stand in for Billy when his final album won the ARIA Award for Best Adult Contemporary Album.

The ARIA Awards are the top Australian music awards and collecting the first ever ARIA to be awarded posthumously, Thorpe's wife urged her husband to "keep rocking in heaven".

Tangier was a life's labour for Thorpe and was finished after his death in February 2007 thanks to the co-operation of musicians, including Mick Fleetwood, record labels and friends.

The late Billy Thorpe

The album was recorded with L'Orchestre Symphonique Royal du Maroc in Casablanca in 2006 following several trips by Thorpe. He was often accompanied by wife Lynne, who on Sunday said she never fully understood the allure of Morocco.

"I don't really know what it was but something got under his skin," Lynne told journalists after accepting the award. "In Tangiers he saw himself as a young boy sailing through the Straits of Gibraltar on his way to Australia. "It was all very poetic and magical for him and the first thing he did when we got there was pick up a guitar and start writing."

Australian music promoter Michael Chugg, who was heavily involved in the project to finish Tangier, said his old friend Thorpe completed the main riff to the song Tangier within hours of arriving in Morocco.

See our original story: Tangier inspires - from beyond the grave 

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Story of Women and Water in Morocco

La Source des Femmes is a visually appealing and heartwarming film. Set in Morocco, at its centre is a story about the way change is affecting even the smallest village, and the forces of tradition that are marshaling to resist it.

Leila, (French actress Leila Bekhti), is a twenty-something woman who has married the local school teacher. Later, it becomes clear that she had other life choices, in the form of a city based journalist, who seeks her out.

The opening scene shows the women as they carry water from a well high above the village, burdened with wooden yokes and trying to avoid spilling every precious drop as they clamber over rocks. In the meantime, the men of the village are content with their lot, hanging out in the local coffee shop and going home to cooked meals and obliging wives.

Leila is the force for change, as she points out the inequalities the village women are forced to endure, as they congregate in the local hammam. Many of the other women are reluctant to challenge the existing order, believing suffering is part of their lot. But slowly Leila, with the help of a strong matriarchal character played by renowned Algerian actress, Biyouna, wins them around. The scene where the women sing about what they want, such as “a fridge, medicines and a Mercedes”, as they dance for a group of foreign tourists who have no idea of the words of their song, is one of the funniest of the movie.

The story is based on Aristophanes comedy Lysistrata, about a woman calling for sex strike to end the war between Athens and Sparta, and that is exactly what happens. The women resist the advances of their men folk in order to lobby for a well in the village, rather than far above it, while the men try in vain to get them to conform.

The local Imam points out the error of their ways, but is argued around by Leila, who knows the Koran better than he does. However, salvation when it comes, is in the form of a man: the journalist.

I won’t give any more away, other than to say that this is a delightful film with a strong sense of humanity. It portrays the village people without patronising them.

La Source des Femmes is in French, Moroccan Arabic and Berber dialect, and the lead actors are mainly French and born in the Maghreb.

Romanian-born French director Radu Mihaileanu (Train of Life;Va, Vis et Deviens; The Concert) has succeeded in creating a metaphor for changing attitudes towards and by Islamic women. But more than that, it is an entertaining piece of cinema which does not indulge in polemic.

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Free Concert in Fez

To find the Sidi Muhammad bin Yousef Cultural Complex - go down the hill beyond Riad Alkantara and keep turning left! Go via Oued Souafine and left onto Akbat El Firane. The complex is on the left, just down the hill from the College Sidi Muhammad El Fassi.

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The Moroccan Elections - Provisional Results

 A month after Islamists won Tunisia's post-revolution election and days before their predicted surge in Egyptian polls, their Moroccan counterparts claimed to have achieved a similar breakthrough without bloodshed. The surge in support for the Islamist PJD raises interesting questions. 

The head of Morocco's moderate Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD), Abdellah Benkirane,   claimed victory on Saturday and, aware of international attention, said he wanted a coalition government to promote democracy and good governance. "The nub of our programme and of those who will govern with us will have a double axis, democracy and good governance," he said.  "Today what I can promise Moroccans is that I am going to try, I and the team which will work with me, to be more serious and more rational."

Abdellah Benkirane 

 Even with more than 100 seats, the PJD will have to form an alliance with other parties to govern. Analysts said that even if it heads a governing coalition, the party would not be able to impose any programme on the assembly. It would have to appease its coalition partners and the international community on whose investment and tourism the country relies heavily.

The Islamist party's main rivals in the polls were Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi's centre-right Independence party and in third place, the Coalition for Democracy, an eight-party pro-monarchy bloc that includes two of the five governing parties. Though the Coalition for Democracy, led by Finance Minister Salaheddine Mezouar, have amassed roughly the same amount of seats as the Islamists in the preliminary results announced, because they are a coalition, they cannot form government as it is the largest single party that is able to do so.

"The public powers did everything to ensure that this vote was a healthy and transparent democratic moment," Communications Minister Khalid Naciri said after polling stations closed on Friday, adding that "electoral competition was tough".

Latest Figures:

PJD 80 seats

 Istiqlal 45 seats

 Coalition for Democracy 38 seats

Provisional interior ministry figures put the turnout at only 45 per cent. Although this is up from 37 per cent from the last parliamentary election in 2007, it is lower than the 51.6 per cent turnout recorded in 2002. Analysts said that a higher voter turnout would have given credibility to the constitutional reform. The low turnout is a blow for the Moroccan establishment and resulted even though the state had saturation television commercials on Friday urging Moroccans to "carry out their national duty" by voting.

Morocco's pro-democracy February 20 protest movement, responsible for the protests staged just before the King announced his plans to reform the constitution, had called on voters to boycott the elections. It will be interesting to see if future analysis shows if the boycott played into the Islamist PJD's gains.

With official results expected on Sunday, PJD parliamentary bloc leader Lahcen Daoudi described the result as an  "historic turning point", saying, "The figures which we have say that we will have over 100 seats."

Under the new constitution, if the predicted results are confirmed, King Mohammed VI will have to name a prime minister from the PJD. The PJD's Benkirane acknowledged that his party would have to tailor its programme to appease its coalition partners and the international community. "As far as alliances are concerned, we are open to everyone, I have always said that," he said. "From now on, Moroccans will feel that the state is at their service and not the other way about. That is very important for us."

At that polling station, at least 16 percent of the ballots were either blank or invalid, often because voters had crossed out every party in protest at the choice. In 2007, 19 percent of ballots were invalid. Analysts are suggesting that if people voted for the bloc of traditional loyalist parties, that would suggest they want to maintain the status quo, while more votes for the PJD would indicate a desire for greater change.


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Tribute to a Friend of the Fez Sacred Music Festival

The sad news from Barcelona yesterday was that the superb Catalan soprano, Monserrat Figueras, passed away at the age of 69. For the last year she had been struggling with an unnamed illness.

Monserrat Figueras: photo Suzanna Clarke

Monserrat Figueras was born and grew up in a musical family in Barcelona. For the last forty years she and her husband, the viola da gamba master and conductor Jordi Savall, introduced generations of listeners to music that spanned many centuries and lands, from the Middle East to Latin America. In pursuit of their shared artistic vision, the duo founded three ensembles: Hesprion XX (now called Hesprion XXI), La Capella Reial de Catalunya and Le Concert des Nations.

Figueras and Savall at the Batha Museum: Photo Suzanna Clarke

Audiences at the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music will remember Figueras and Savall delivering some of the most outstanding concerts the festival has witnessed. Back in 2006, Monserrat’s authoritative interpretations of medieval, Renaissance and Baroque music demonstrated why she had become world famous. At the concert at the Batha Museum she delivered a powerful and flawless performance. Her ability to switch between languages, (Berber, Arabic and ancient Spanish dialects, to name just a few), with seeming ease, and her mastery of ancient singing techniques never became technical, but rather a springboard for her own personal style.

Figueras and Savall returned to the festival in 2010 to present Jerusalem - la ville des deux paix, in which their music retraced 3,200 years of the history of the sacred city. It was a major work with around 25 people on stage, including soloists from the Capella Reial de Catalunya and invited musicians from Europe, the Near East and the Maghreb. Montserrat Figueras, Jordi Savall and their Ensemble Hesperion XXI delivered what Jordi described as, "a magical journey outside of time, of Sufi music and Hebrew lamentations". The concert was one of that year's highlights.

Figueras recorded more than 70 albums, and the couple established their own record label, Alia Vox. She was named an officer of France's Order of Arts and Letters in 2003; in 2008 she and her husband were named "Artists for Peace" by UNESCO. In recent years, their artistic family has come to include their children. Their son Ferran, is a talented theorbo player and singer, and their daughter Arianna is an excellent harpist and singer with a striking resemblance to her mother.

The View from Fez extends its condolences to Jordi Savall and his family.

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Faith in the Future - the outlook for tourism in Fez

A new view of Seffarine

There is no getting away from the fact that Morocco has suffered a tourist downturn due to a variety of factors -  from the Arab Spring to the global financial crisis. However, some Moroccans are resiliant and even optimistic in the face of the downturn. While some simply complained about the lack of tourists, others used the quiet months of August and September to embark on upgrades, renovations and even new projects.

Tourist numbers are on the increase again and optimism about the future is being voiced around the Fez Medina.

A large new luxury hotel is under construction adjacent to the Palais Jamais. The hotel is yet to be named, and is a project of the Lebbar family. It is slated to be a five star establishment.

Dar Imam has been beautifully renovated

The guest houses of Fez have also been using the slow season to good effect. Dar Imam has a make-over and is now looking in great shape. Dar El Hana has gone a step further and added a gorgeous new room.

A valuable addition to Dar El Hana

Asked why this was the time to expand, Dar El Hana owner, Josephine Kwan said, "I decided while it was slow it was time to invest, so my guests wouldn't be bothered by the building noise. Recently I've noticed an increase of interest in people coming to my website and the fact that they are looking means that they are thinking about travelling again."

Things are also moving on the cafe and restaurant scene. We recently reviewed the Cafe Barcelona with its interesting fusion of cafe and antique gallery.  Faisal Lebbar, who runs the cafe, is planning to open a restaurant on the top terrace within six months.

The nearly completed restaurant Seffarine

Place Seffarine has always been a favourite square for locals and tourists because of the small cafe and tea house, La Cremerie La Place - the perfect spot for watching the passing throng to the accompaniment of the clanging of the coppersmiths. Now Place Seffarine is to get a Restaurant Seffarine.

Mustapha is optimistic about the future of tourism in Fez

Restaurant Seffarine is the brainchild of the owners of Cremerie La Place. Mustapha, who runs the Cremerie, told The View from Fez that Seffarine needed a proper restaurant. "Not expensive. Main courses around fifty dirhams and they get the spectacular view for free!".

The roof of the ancient Seffarine hammam

Mustapha is right about the view, From the terrace the panorama takes in Place Seffarine, and the beautiful old Seffarine hammam.

Restaurant Seffarine will be open in about fifteen days.


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Understanding the Moroccan Elections

To try and comprehend the complexities of the Moroccan elections is a difficult job for a non-Moroccan lay person. Thankfully there is a superb blog that unpacks the elections and makes understanding a little easier.

The blog by "The Moorish Wanderer" has been running a series of well written articles under the title of "Moroccan Elections for the Clueless".

While we would be first to admit to the "clueless" tag, we are, after reading the articles, at least aware of the depth of our ignorance.

Taking time to read the posts is a valuable exercise and The Moorish Wanderer is to be congratulated on the effort and expertise that have gone into the blog.

7102 Candidates, 32 political parties and 92 districts

The blog delivers some wonderful insights such as the statistics about the educational levels of the candidates -

The good news is, we shall have at least 80% of the next batch of Representatives (on local ballot) with a decent education degree: only 200 of these have no education, and realistically, only 23 to 50 can get into parliament. So on education requirement, the next parliament might well be more prepared to deal with the difficult task of representing the public. 90% of head ballot candidates have at least a High School degree – all 1,422 of them.

Though there is a national ballot list, women are campaigning for local ballots as well, though it is worth pointing out only 5% of those are Women-led. Diversity with ‘young’ candidates (it is a bit of stretch to consider all those 35-yo when the median age among adult population is closer to 30, and overall median age is 20-24) and Women -who are way under-represented with respect to their relative share in total population, i.e. 50.8% of total population, 48.7% of adult population. Perhaps local lists are diverse enough to try to attract gender and demographic votes, but the ballot system is such only n°1 and n°2 are guaranteed a seat if their win is large enough, the others have a much lower chance to make it to Parliament house.


Read more and become informed here : The Moorish Wanderer

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The Eleventh Marrakesh International Film Festival

The 11th annual Marrakesh International Film Festival runs from December 2nd to the 10th.

The festival jury will vote for the Golden Star for best film, a jury prize and kudos for best actress and actor.

This year's Competition selection includes 15 films from 15 different countries, including 10 titles from first-time directors. Signourney Weaver will also be in town presiding over the Cinecoles Short Film Jury. Several high-profile titles will screen out of competition including David Cronenberg’s A Dangerous Method, Sam Levinson’s Another Happy Day, Jean-Jacques Annaud’s Black Gold, Ami Canaan Mann’s Texas Killing Fields, Cristina Comencini’s When the Night, Gerardo Naranjo’s Miss Bala, Faouzi Bensaidi’s Death for Sale and Philippe Lefebvre’s Paris By Night.

The festival will pay tribute to Mexican cinema with several special screenings and will also screen several Moroccan films.

PUBLIC SCREENINGS IN DJEMAA EL FNA

A handful of films will screen for the public at the city’s central squate the Place Djemaa El Fna including earlier works like Jean-Jacques Annaud’s The Bear from 1988 and Jim Jarmusch’s Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai from 1999 and more recent titles such as Karan Johar’s My Name is Khan from 2010 and Roschdy Zem’s Omar Killed Me from 2011.

Miss Bala

 

TITLES IN THE COMPETITION

180° by Cihan Inan - Switzerland - 1st film
BABY FACTORY (Bahay bata) by Eduardo Roy Jr. & Almon L. Derla - Philippines - 1st film
 BELVEDERE by Ahmed Imamovic - Bosnia Herzegovina - 2nd film
DEATH IS MY PROFESSION by Amir Hossein Saghafi - Iran - 1st film
DON'T BE AFRAID (No tengas miedo) by Montxos Armendariz - Spain - 8th film
I CARRIED YOU HOME by Tongpong Chantarangkul - Thailand - 1st film
LAND OF OBLIVION (La Terre outragée) by Michale Boganim - France, Germany, Poland - 1st film
LOUISE WIMMER by Cyril Mennegun - France - 1st film
OUT OF BOUNDS (Labrador) by Frederikke Aspöck - Denmark - 1st film
RIVER OF GOLD (Rio de oro) by Pablo Aldrete - Mexico - 1st film
SEVEN ACTS OF MERCY (Sette opere di misericordia) by Gianluca & Massimiliano De Serio - Italy - 1st film
SNEAKERS (Ketcove) by Valeri Yordanov & Ivan Vladimirov - Bulgaria - 1st film
SNOWTOWN by Justin Kurtzel - Australia - 1st film
THE RIF LOVER (L'Amante du Rif) by Narjiss Nejjar - Morocco - 4th film - Opening film
WITHOUT by Mark Jackson - USA - 1st film

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Moroccan Photo of the Day - Omar Chennafi

For those who think that Morocco is all kasbahs, camels and carpet souks...

Photograph by Omar Chennafi

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Travel Writing About Morocco ~ #33

What do you do if you are a travel writer at a major newspaper and your travel editor decides that you should go and do a story about Marrakech? It's a tough call. Almost everything that can be said about the 'kech has been said.

Of course you have the option of descending into Orientalist cliches - mysterious, exotic, an Aladdin's cave; One Thousand and One Nights - or you go for the glamour and glitz of the beautiful people sunning themselves in luxurious surrounds beside the pool, before heading out for another night of clubbing. Ho hum. Or, you can dig deep and come up with a new angle.

Sadly, the British Daily Mail, published a "City Break" travel feature, which uses the Rolling Stones as the main thrust of their story. What is surprising is that the writer is actually a man with great credentials and a list of books and plays to his name that any writer would be proud of. He was, however, a bit off the mark (or out of touch) with Marrakech.

Philip Norman will be known to many as the author of Shout!: The True Story of the Beatles (1981)and, more importantly for our story, The Stones: The Acclaimed Biography (2002).

He starts the article with the amazing claim that, "the spirit of The Rolling Stones haunts Marrakech". It may do for Philip Norman, but as someone who lives in Morocco and frequently visits Marrakech, I can say, the Stones' ghosts have long gone. The claim is as fatuous as the urban myths that have grown up around Jimi Hendrix and Essaouira (see our story on Essaouira and the Jimi Hendrix myths, here).

Norman's insights into the Stones are fascinating but he lets himself down in this article when he talks about Morocco. "Its three most renowned cities ... are like insalata tricolore: blanca the white, Fez the green and Marrakech the red." Does anyone call Casablanca "blanca"? The local diminutive is "Casa". And "Fez the green"? The symbolic colour of Fez is blue.

Then he says, "It was not only rock stars who fell under the spell of traditional Moroccan art and design. It was also inspirational to the French fashion designer Yves St Laurent, especially the luscious Berber blue." - Philip, that would be "Majorelle Blue", after the painter you rightly mention.

Philip Norman missed out on the joy of staying on one of the beautiful riads that Marrakech is so famous for, instead bunking down at the La Mamounia at £460 (and up) per night. One wonders if it was a junket, although there was no disclosure saying that was the case.

Given Philip Norman's talent as a writer, it seems a pity that he didn't dig deeper.

To read the full story, go here: Gimme shelter: Rolling into Marrakech, the city that completely enchanted the Stones

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Marrakech Palm Groves Under Threat

"This legendary and emblematic site that gives the city of Marrakech its identity and specific mark is nowadays exposed to incessant degradation, due to the combined factors of drought, human activity pressures, the lack of maintenance and the aging of palm trees, and the absence of replanting," ~ HRH King Mohammed VI

Those words by King Mohammed VI were spoken back in March 2007.  At the time the King was drawing attention to the dangers faced by the famous Marrakech palm groves. Their degradation, due to human and natural factors,  was an obvious problem, and the King was calling for action to preserve them as they are part of the Moroccan cultural heritage.

In the speech, read by his sister, Princess Lala Hasna, chairwoman of Mohammed VI Foundation for the Protection of the Environment, the Monarch called for an-all out mobilization to protect the palm groves.

The vast groves provide employment for large numbers of people and have, for centuries, been a source of dates, food and thanks to the oasis, water. Now, sadly, that is all changing.

Despite the 2007 plea from the King, the vast palm groves of Marrakesh are still in danger from urbanisation, massive tourist projects and even golf courses.

The latest figures suggest that the oasis, which stretched over 16,000 hectares, has decreased by30% of its surface area in the past 20 years, according to experts.

A recent article from Agence France-Presse quoted experts pointing to the tourist attractions constructed at the heart of the palm groves at the expense of the environment. These sites swallow up lots of water, upset the ecological balance and lead to the degradation of the palms.

"The tourist projects, for all the good sides of what they generate, take enormous resources. This has a negative effect on the ecological balance," Nour-Eddine Laftouhi, a hydro-geologist at the Marrakesh faculty of sciences, told AFP.

"Personally, I consider the irrational spread of golf courses to be a crime," ~ Nour-Eddine Laftouhi

Today Marrakesh has 10 golf courses, two of them in the palm groves, and construction companies are waiting for authorisation to create about 10 more, which would use a great deal of water. While nobody questions the existence of the old Royal Marrakech course, considered a gem, the newer ones are causing much concern with their need for irrigation and water features.

The tourist appeal of Marrakesh has led Club Med to push into the palm grove with its golf course and a centre hosting three swimming pools.

The Royal Marrakech Golf Club was opened in 1923

La Palmeraie - with many water features

The degradation of the palm groves arouses feelings of bitterness and nostalgia among original inhabitants of the palm groves, who are becoming fewer and fewer.

"The spring welled up right here, where I am standing. Before, there was a stream," said Boujemaa, a resident of a grove. "There used to be a spring over there and another beside it. Everywhere, this place was full of springs. But once they began to build the villas and hotels, the water disappeared. It's over."

THE 2007 PALM GROVES PROTECTION PROJECT

As The View from Fez reported in 2007, the local authorities in Marrakesh, prompted by the King, launched a large-scale program, with the goal of planting 430,000 palm trees within a six year period. The King called on all the agencies concerned to work together in order to protect the city's palm groves.

According to the monarch, protection of the palm grove environment was only possible through the joint efforts of replanting, improving techniques for management and maintenance, and awareness raising of the environment and sustainable development, in addition to the creation of an eco-museum to give the saving action an international scope as part of an international exchange network.

The King also stressed the importance of continuous monitoring and evaluation of the project in order to better assess results and shift priorities if necessary, highlighting the critical role played by the civil society and citizens, along with governmental organizations, in carrying out work necessary to safeguard and increase the number of palm trees.

With a sum estimated at 96 million Moroccan Dirhams (USD 11,5 million), the Palm Groves Protection Project, launched by the Mohammed VI Foundation for the Environment, extended over six years and provided for the building of a natural ecosystem covering an area of 12,000 hectares, planting 43,0000 additional palm trees and building a waste water purification station. The project also aimed at strengthening laws relating to the protection of the palm groves.

THE PRESENT

"Thanks to the water treatment plant, opened in 2010, and to the wells that are already operational, large quantities of water will become available," said Abdelilah Mdidech, the director of the programme to safeguard the oasis, steered by the Mohammed VI Foundation for the Environment.

Hundreds of workers plant new trees each day and take care of those that are getting old.

"We have already planted 415,292 young palms (...) and these young plants are doing well, with green leaves and fine crowns," Mdidech said, and added that he wanted to be "realistic but optimistic".

"I know that we lack the means, particularly in water supply, to recreate a verdant oasis. That's realistic. But thanks to this project, it can be saved. I am an optimist."


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Transparency and Monitoring of the Moroccan Elections

Morocco's special accreditation commission has approved the final list of national and international organizations that will supervise the 25th of November legislative elections in Morocco.

The National Human Right Council in Morocco (CNDH) has indicated that the list includes 16 organizations and a total of around 400 observers.

On a national level, twelve organizations have been accredited: the Election Supervisory Association, CNDH, the Individual Rights Centre, the Moroccan Democratic Civil Forum, the Alkarama Forum for Human Rights, the Moroccan Human Rights Institute, the Youth Alliance for Reforms, the Urban Initiative Association, the Chourouk Centre for Democracy, Information and Human Rights, the Federation of the Democratic League of Women's Rights, the Women's Creativity Association and the Touiza Association.

Four international NGOs have been accredited: the National Democratic Institute, Gender Concerns International and The International Research Group for Trans-regional and Emerging Area Studies.

The commission has announced that it has “rejected a number of applications by organizations that did not comply with the conditions set by law 30.11 about independent and neutral observation of elections”.

In addition to teams of national observers that are expected to be present in the field, the elections will undergo international scrutiny, notably from the Europeans. The Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) say that the legislative elections of the 25th of November are set to be perfectly transparent.

The PACE delegation, headed by Tomas Jirsa, a Czech Senator, has already visited Morocco in order to prepare for the elections. The visit, which started on November 9th, came within an agreed framework for the observation of Morocco's legislative elections. Following the delegation’s pre-electoral visit, the PACE, which has already participated in the observation of 140 electoral events, will deploy up to twenty observers to oversee Moroccan polls.

The PACE, comprising 318 members of parliament from the 47 Council of Europe member states, has granted, earlier this year, the status of 'Partner for Democracy' to the Moroccan parliament as part of a move aiming at establishing institutional co-operation with parliaments of non-member states in neighbouring regions.

CITIZEN WATCH

In addition, the Moroccan Human Rights Association (OMDH) recently created a website to serve as an online monitoring centre for the elections.

 Launched on September 26th in a trial version, Marsad.ma is a platform that enables people to find information on the elections. More importantly, it allows citizens and observers to monitor the vote by reporting and learning about incidents, failures or irregularities associated with the election process. Reporting can be done via a number of methods including Twitter, email and sms.

The full site is now up and ready for the poll.

 "This year, given the changes occurring across the region and the importance of the internet as a citizenship tool, we decided to explore digital technology and new media," said Mounir Bensalah, an observer and member of the Marsad team.

 More specifically, the website will enable local OMDH observers to gather, process and check information. "It's also a special tool that offers better and wide coverage of the country by encouraging citizens to get involved in the observation process," Bensalah added.

The initiative draws on the experience of similar projects in several countries around the world, such as the Kenyan site Ushahidi.com. The Kenyan civic monitoring website was launched in the aftermath of the bloodshed that followed the 2008 presidential elections.

 The Marsad project arose out of feedback from the OMDH and civil-society groups, which have monitored elections in Morocco since 2002.

The Masad website in French, English and Arabic, is here: MARSAD.MA

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The Hotel Barceló - Azahar Restaurant Review

Less than a decade ago, there were only a couple of restaurants in Fez offering more than the Moroccan standards. After all, most Fassis eat at home. But with an increasingly mobile population and with an increase in visitors wanting more than chicken and preserved lemon or lamb with prunes, has come the welcome addition of stylish restaurants like Maison Blanche and L’Italien. Now another joins their ranks...

The Azahar is part of the new Barceló Fes Medina Hotel. It is not, as the name would imply, actually in the Medina, but situated in a prime spot in the Ville Nouvelle at 53, Avenue Hassan II.

The hotel is one of a chain operated by the privately owned Spanish group Barceló Hotels & Resorts, controlling 185 hotels in 17 countries in four continents.

The Azahar is at the rear of the hotel, on Hassan II. I assume their signage is still to arrive, as the only thing that denotes it is a set of swinging glass doors.

Inside, the décor is designer chic, in red, black and pale green – international style with a nod to traditional Moroccan culture in the form of geometric divider screens. (A traditional form which lends itself perfectly to contemporary style.)

While the seating is comfortable and stylish, the music veers towards muzak – it aims to blend into the background rather than provide the soundtrack for a memorable evening. It ranges from jazz covers to inoffensive instrumentals to emotive Spanish pop songs.

However, the menu – in French and Spanish - is comprehensive, offering a selection of cold entrees (60-80 dhs), such as aubergine tart with smoked swordfish and basil oil, and hot entrees (50-75 dhs) including Moroccan dishes like chicken pastilla with almonds.

During pre-dinner drinks a couple of snacks appeared to whet the appetite; kebabs with a delicious savoury sauce and tortilla with tomato coulis and a balsamic reduction.

Artichokes with goats cheese and a creamy saffron sauce 

For starters, I shared artichokes with goats cheese and a creamy saffron sauce with The View From Fez editor, and we were not disappointed. It was beautifully presented - a work of art in yellow and black. The fresh artichoke hearts, oven roasted with marinated tomatoes and black olives, was topped by mature goats cheese and proved an imaginative and unexpected combination.

Pasta dishes on offer (70-90 dh) include chicken pate with marinated vegetables, olive oil, wasabi and soy sauce, and tagliatelle with mixed seafood, olive oil and garlic.

However, we bypassed these for one of the fish courses (120–140 dh). While my partner chose a fillet of St Pierre, I selected the tranche of tuna, with orange sauce.

 Fillet of St Pierre

Both pieces of fresh fish were pan fried perfectly and the servings were generous. However, I was disappointed with the vegetables that accompanied them, which were overcooked and bland. It seemed as though they had been sitting in a pot and re-heated.

Given the overall quality of the food, and the abundance of fresh produce in the local markets, it is a pity the meal was let down in such a way. Perhaps it was to fit in with local Moroccan cuisine, which tends to cook vegetables far more than we would in the West. But to prepare them in such a way destroys the flavours and does not suit the delicacy and care which went into the otherwise excellent meal.

Also on the menu were meat dishes (110-160 dh), which ranged from a fillet of beef with mushrooms, to traditional cous-cous with lamb, to a hamburger with egg and cheese.

 Tarte Tatin

From the dessert selection (65-75 dh), we shared a Tarte Tatin, which was fresh and authentically French. The pastry had the right mix of flakiness and crunch and the apples were beautifully caramelised, accompanied by vanilla icecream.

The wine list was mainly Moroccan, (200-290 dh per bottle) with the usual suspects such as Sahari Reserve, both red and white, and Medillon. It also listed a couple of Spanish wines, such as the Antioni Barbadillo.

We had a S. Sirour Chardonnay, which was dry and full bodied without being overly oaked.

The verdict? Well presented, international style cuisine with a good menu range. However, those who value their vegetables will be disappointed. Despite this, it is reasonable value for money.

Review and photographs: Suzanna Clarke

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Fancy a Weekend Break in Libya?

Royal Air Maroc Resumes Flights to Libya

Those of you who have been hanging out for a weekend get away in Libya will be pleased to hear that Tripoli is now back on the tourist map.  Royal Air Maroc will its resume flights to Libya on November 21st.

On Thursday, Royal Air Maroc (RAM),announced it would resume its flights from Casablanca to Libya. This comes after the reopening of the Tripoli International Airport.

Tripoli International Airport

RAM says it would resume flights to Libya from the Mohamed V airport in Casablanca with three flights per week -- Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.  Return flights to Tripoli from Casablanca were suspended for more than seven months because of the Libyan crisis.

A WEEKEND IN TRIPOLI

Tripoli is worth a visit, with several major attractions. High up the list is Tripoli's Jamahiriya Museum. Set in a castle in the centre of the city, the museum houses artifacts from as far back as 6000BC including cave paintings and rock carvings. The collection also has Punic, Greek and Roman statues and articles collected from sits around Libya but mostly from Leptis and Sabratha. The museum is well laid out and can take a whole morning to explore. The top floor, which is visited less frequently, deals with the Berber and Arab heritage and a few Ghaddafi trophies but is still worth a visit. Note: the museum is closed on Fridays.

Green square or Assaha al Khadra as the local taxi drivers know it, is always a busy place to visit , except on Friday mornings when it is perfect for photography. On other days the constant traffic can be a real problem.

Just off the Green Square you will find Tripoli's Medina. While it is not at all as well preserved as the other North African Medinas, it is worth a vist to check out the jewelry and gold souqs. Red Jasper is particularly fine here,

There are 38 mosques inside the Medina, and at last report they do not mind tourists entering them and even taking photos. There are also three working hammam and several good restaurants. Try the one in the old Clock Tower and the Tripolis Restaurant near the harbor on the second floor of a restored courtyard.

The Red Castle at night

Also off the Green Square, you will find the very well preserved and virtually intact, Assai al-Hamra - the Red Castle.

Further afield explore the Pottery Stalls of Gharyan. Gharyan is approximately one hour south of Tripoli. You will find a huge selection of local as well as Tunisian and Moroccan pottery for sale

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A Guide for Women Travelling Solo in Morocco

One of the most frequent questions The View from Fez receives is "how safe is Morocco for women travellers travelling by themselves?" - Our response has been that it is safe if you dress and behave in a sensible manner. Now we can bring you a point of view of a woman who has been travelling solo in Morocco. 

KJ is the author of a fascinating blog Global Socialite - A one woman expedition to discover the world. And KJ is not just another travel blogger. She studied International Relations for years, has worked at the UN and other international development institutions, and thrives on travelling (often on her own) to the places in the world where the action is happening. Here is KJ's report on travelling as a solo woman in Morocco.

Morocco is really a pretty safe place for a woman on her own, as well as being a fairly easy place to get around. The buses between cities (supratours and ctm) are a darn-sight better than anything you’d find in the UK, the people in hotels and riads are really helpful and full of advice on where to go and what to do, and it can be really easy to meet other travellers, particularly if you book on a tour or stay in one of the hostels/budget riads (I loved Riad Fantasia in Marrakech and the 3 day group desert tour was brilliant for meeting people).

However, let’s not kid ourselves. There is sadly a bit of a stereotype about Western women which does not do us any favours when it comes to travelling in North Africa and the Middle East. You are female, on holiday, and therefore some men will think it is totally legitimate to persistently try their luck. Therefore, you’re likely to get some attention.

Now, when balanced against the amazing landscapes, great food and incredible value for money, having people regularly approaching you to buy stuff / chat you up might not seem like such a big deal. However, while I should probably have a thicker skin by now, there were times when I did find this attention pretty annoying. Luckily, there are a few simply steps you can take which will help to minimise the attention you get, so you can walk down a street without feeling on your guard and get on with having a wonderful time.

1) Dress like you live here

Now, I’m not saying you need to don a kaftan. To be honest you’d probably look a bit silly if you did and may actually end up getting even more attention than you bargained for. But I am saying leave the ‘holiday wardrobe’ at home. Those little summer dresses and tube tops might work wonders on the beach, but will turn you into a moving target in the medinas. Jeans / over knee skirts and long sleeved tops / shirts are your best bet; and although t-shirts are broadly ok, I noticed a significant increase in cat calls on the days I didn’t have my arms covered.

You might also want to try out a headscarf. It’s by no means obligatory and many Moroccan women don’t wear them, but it does send a signal that you’re a woman giving (and deserving of) respect, as well as being a fairly useful way of keeping the sun off your head. I got very little chat on the days I bothered wearing one.

2) If you don’t feel like laughing it off, accessorise

If you can just find it all a bit amusing, then you’re onto a winner. However, for those moments when it gets a bit much, try the following (not necessarily at the same time) : dark sun glasses, ear phones, pretending to talk on your mobile. All of these things send a signal that you’re otherwise engaged and not open to every invitation. Obviously they are not always practical – you’ll look a bit silly wearing your Ray Bans at 10pm – but all can be useful to have on hand if you feel the need to get from A to B hassle free.

3) Walk with confidence

Being confident and walking with purpose makes people think that you know the city/town well and you have somewhere to be. They can therefore deduce that perhaps you might not be in the mood to peruse ceramics. However, if you don’t know where you’re going it can also be a sure-fire way of getting lost, quickly, so use with caution.

4) Respond or not to respond

Really this one’s your call. A lot of people will say you should just ignore any advances and keep walking, which works perfectly ok, but to me it just felt a little rude and made me feel even more on guard as the calls of ‘hello, excuse me, how are you?’ followed me down the street in every language known to man.

I found it was better to simply say hello back, to keep on walking, and just say ‘maybe tomorrow’ to whatever request might be presented to me. It felt less rude and sometimes led to some mildly amusing exchanges.

And last but not least…

5) Go out at night; but stick to the well lit areas

Not so much to do with hassle this one, but really just a note to say you do not need to hole yourself up in your riad at night time just because you’re travelling alone. The main square in Marrakech was as bustling at night as in day time and I felt perfectly fine having dinner on my own in one of its restaurants/street food stalls after dark.

However, I did find it was incredibly easy to meet people in Morocco, whether from your riad or on a tour, so finding a group to go out with was never much of an issue. Plus, most riads will provide an amazing dinner for you, so you don’t need to run the gauntlet if you don’t feel like it.

So finally…

Don’t listen to those people who might warn you off travelling on your own to Morocco. With a bit of preparation and decent a sense of humour, you’ll have a fine old time.

The View from Fez would like to thank KJ for allowing us to repost her article. You will find her blog here: Global Socialite

If you are still unsure about travelling by yourself, it is possible to join other women on women only Moroccan tours such as: Roam Like Queens


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Moroccan Independence Day

The late King Mohammed V returns from Madagascar

Today Morocco celebrates the anniversary of the return of the late King Mohammed V from forced exile. The return which heralded an era of freedom and independence after the struggle of tne and the people to achieve liberation from colonial rule.



For 43 years Morocco had been under French and Spanish occupation since the announcement in 1912 of the Protectorate. Moroccans achieved independence after a long and laborious resistance by the King and the people which lead to the exile of the late King Mohamed V and the royal family for about three years during which time they were in Madagascar. You can read more about this exile in our earlier story HERE

The liberation struggle was initiated by people from all regions of the Kingdom,and the colonial authorities were left in no doubt that any attack on the person of the Sovereign would not be tolerated .

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY

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Morocco's Parliamentary Elections ~ November 25th

The official campaign for the parliamentary elections scheduled for November 25th was launched on November 12th. The campaign has been particularly low-key at a local level, but there have been large, peaceful, demonstrations, particularly in Casablanca.

Morocco’s pro-democracy activists threaten to boycott the legislative elections in which voter turnout is seen as critical to reforms made by King Mohammed VI in wake of the Arab Spring.

BOYCOTT OR APATHY?

The protestors' call for a boycott of the election may have some impact in further lowering the participation rate. If recent history is any guide, the voter turn-out may well be low, not withstanding the boycott call. The last Parliamentary elections took place in 2007 and only 37% of Moroccans voted as many saw little point in voting for a body that they say has few real powers.

Photo: Mideastposts.com

 Others agree.  A parliamentary delegation from the Council of Europe noted there was "little enthusiasm" in the country just two weeks prior to the election and expressed concern about voter turnout. The Council of Europe delegation spent a week in Morocco talking with politicians and party officials and found that many were worried that these elections would see similarly low levels of participation. “The delegation noted that the electoral campaign, which officially begins Nov. 12, has not evoked much excitement among voters,”

There has been little outward sign on the streets, such as campaign posters, to show that elections are imminent. In Fez, for example, even the main election poster sites, displayed only one or two party candidates.

Plenty of space for party posters

These elections come less than five months after the referendum for a new Constitution proposed by the King Mohamed VI in a bid to avoid the social upheaval that reached neighbouring North African countries (Tunisia, Egypt and Libya).

The new Constitution strengthens powers of the Parliament and of the Prime Minister. However, the “February 20 Movement” pro-democracy activists are not convinced that this political move will lead to the deep political changes they have been calling for.

Photo - Al Arabiya

BASIC FACTS 

Morocco has a bicameral Parliament (Barlaman) consisting of the Chamber of Counselors (Majlis al-Mustacharin) and the Chamber of Representatives (Majlis al-Nuwab).

The upcoming vote is for the Chamber of Representatives (the lower house of parliament), which is elected for a five-year term. The upper house, the Chamber of Counsellors, with 270 seats is elected indirectly by local councils, professional organizations and trade unions for nine-year terms, is not involved in this election.

The Chamber of Representatives  has 395 members, 305 of whom are elected in 92 multi-seat constituencies from electoral lists put together by the parties.

Under the "closed-list" system, voters can only chose between the party lists, and cannot modify the order of candidates on them.

Of the remaining 90 seats, 60 are reserved for a national list of women. A further 30 seats are newly earmarked for candidates under the age of 35, in a move widely seen as a concession to the largely youthful pro-democracy activists.

About 13.6 million Moroccans have registered to vote.

The vote will be monitored by 4,000 observers (accredited by the electoral authorities) from 16 Moroccan and foreign bodies.

THE MAIN POLITICAL PARTIES

Istiqlal (Independence) Party - The party was founded in the 1940s as the main opposition to French rule over Morocco, the centre-right Istiqlal is one of the country's oldest parties. It has been a member of numerous government coalitions in the past few decades, having softened its traditionally critical stance towards the monarchy.

The party leader is the Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi, who has headed a five-party coalition government since the party become the largest in parliament at the last elections with 52 seats.

Justice and Development Party (PJD) -  The  largest moderate Islamist force, and won 46 seats to become the second largest party in parliament at the last elections. Modelling itself on Turkey's Islamist-derived governing party of the same name, the PJD is widely tipped to make further gains this time around, following the victory of the similar Ennahda party in Tunisia's elections.

The party leader Abdelillah Benkirane has said his party is "ready for the responsibility of government".

Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP) -  The main centre-left force. The USFP is currently a member of the government. Formed in the 1970s, it is, along with the rest of Morocco's left, widely seen as a fading force. The party won 38 seats in the last elections, down from 50 five years before.  In the run-up to the 25 November poll it has cooperated closely with two smaller centre-left parties - including another member of the governing coalition, the Party for Progress and Socialism (PSS - 17 seats) - in a bid to revive the left's fortunes.

The party leader is Abdelouahed Radi.

Alliance for Democracy

The Alliance for Democracy, a loose eight-party pro-monarchy electoral bloc, was formed on 5 October in a move widely seen as aimed at countering the predicted rise of the PJD. It includes two of the current five governing parties - the centre-right liberal Popular Movement, which won 41 seats in the last parliamentary polls, and the royalist National Rally of Independents, which won 39.

Also part of the alliance is the Party of Authenticity and Modernity, which was founded in 2008 - a year after the last elections - by one of the king's right-hand men, Fouad Ali al-Himma. It subsequently won 19% in local elections, prompting speculation that it might become a significant new force in Moroccan politics. It says it wants to avoid the "Balkanisation" of Morocco's already fractious political landscape.

TRAVEL WARNINGS

Some travel websites are posting a travel advisory warning saying that... people currently in Morocco or planning to travel to the country in coming days are advised to avoid places where demonstrations could occur (city-centres, areas near governmental buildings). Avoid all public gatherings as they may turn violent at short notice. Travellers should monitor local and international media in order to get updated information. Avoid the poll stations during the elections. Local feeling is that this advice is an over-reaction and point out that foreign visitors are not the target of protests.

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