Paul Boulangerie In Fez ~ Still Work To Do On Service

The new Paul store in Fez...getting off on the wrong foot

For months Fez locals have been watching with keen anticipation building work progress on the new Paul boulangerie and patisserie in the Ville Nouvelle. It opened this week. So what is the verdict? 

The exterior of the French franchise Paul looks very smart, and a lunch time crowd filled the outside tables. Inside is an extensive display case with a multitude of luscious looking cakes, baguettes and quiches with delicious fillings. However, according to a local identity, the service leaves a lot to be desired.

Our source visited Paul yesterday. After choosing her two sandwiches (39 dh), she was offered an upgrade to "Classic" specials, which included an additional cake and drink with each, for a total of 49 dh. She accepted, and the staff did a beautiful job of packaging the items.

It was when she reached the checkout the trouble began. The total bill came to more than that for two "Classic" specials. When the customer inquired as to the reason for the price increase - the price was prominently displayed on the wall behind the young woman serving - she was told she had chosen another type of special, which was more expensive, and that the type of sandwich she had selected was not offered with the "Classic".

However, there was no mention on the advertising poster that the "Classic" offer was restricted to any specific type of sandwich, and a staff member had offered it to her knowing the kind of sandwiches the customer had chosen.

Naturally the customer disputed the price increase. Instead of acknowledging their mistake, or offering her an alternative type of sandwich, staff refused to discuss it. They simply took away the items from the till, unpacked the boxes and returned the sandwiches and cakes to the display cabinet. So the Paul store lost the 98 dh sale, the customer her purchases, and - more importantly - any goodwill she had towards the new venture. She suggests you wait to visit until they have ironed out their customer service issues.

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The Vanishing World of Moroccan Storytellers

Back in 2011, The View from Fez reviewed Richard Hamilton's book of stories from the few remaining storytellers in Marrakech (see our review here). Our regular contributor Derek Workman reports that there is now only a single storyteller left in the Jmaa el Fna

When you walk through Jmaa el Fna on a regular basis you become accustomed to all the performers that give the square such a lively and special feeling; the snake charmers, gnawa musicians, the water carriers and girly-boy dancers who flash their eyes at you from behind tasselled scarves. At one time you could have included storytellers in that list, but, almost unacknowledged, they are dying out, and it seems that there is only one traditional storyteller left in la Place, and he doesn’t perform on a regular basis now.

I was at a book reading recently of The Last Storytellers by Richard Hamilton, and it saddened me to hear that without realising it Marrakech has all but lost a tradition going back almost a thousand years. And unfortunately, in these days of TV, DVD and pirate videos, once it’s gone we’ll never get it back.

Richard has worked with the BBC World Service as a broadcast journalist for fifteen years, and spent a year in Rabbat as their Moroccan correspondent. While he was there he travelled regularly to Marrakech and became so intrigued by the storytellers in Jmaa el Fna that he suggested to the BBC he did a programme on them. It was while he was recording the programme that he realised that within a very short space of time there would be no-one left to entertain the audiences with their fanciful tales. He kept returning to Marrakech over the next couple of years, searching in the Medina for the old storytellers, who were mostly dead or retired by then, so he could record their stories before they were lost for ever. The result was The Last Storytellers – Tales From the Heart of Morocco.

“Marrakech is the heart and lifeblood of Morocco’s storytelling tradition, and there have been storytellers gathering their audiences there for almost a thousand years. The stories from Marrakech are particularly rich because they are influenced by traditional Arabic stories from the Middle East, then there’s the Berber civilisation that has filtered down to these stories, and some of them have influences from sub-Saharan Africa, so I think that’s probably what makes them so rich.”

These tales would once have had a huge educational, religious and moral impact on their audiences, and they can often be understood on varying levels, but as much as anything they gave the listener a short break from the realities of life.

The Storyteller Jemaa el Fna 1984
(Courtesy Dar Balmira Gallery, Gzira Fes Medina)

“These are really morality tales in which the underdog, the poor, the down-trodden beggar, succeeds against the evil, rich, scheming sultan, vizier or corrupt judge, and that was very important for the original audiences of these stories because they would be poor themselves, and in their own lives they wouldn’t have had any success or power or status. So I think that was their form of escapism, a bit like modern-day cinema where people go to dream, and this is what people gathered around a storyteller for.”

Unfortunately, we’re never going to be able hear the stories Richard Hamilton gathered from the storyteller’s mouth, but you can enjoy a wonderful selection of Moroccan fables in The Last Storytellers. Richard has kindly given us permission to re-print one of his tales.

The Birth of the Sahara as told by Ahmed Temiicha

A long time ago, when the earth was very young, it was one huge garden covered in tall palm trees and perfumed jasmine, and the songs of nightingales flooded the landscape with their gently melodies. At this time, all men were loyal, trustworthy and honest. In fact, the word ‘lie’ did not even exist.

But one day, someone told a lie. It was a very small lie and of no importance, but it was the end of man’s childhood and the age of innocence.

So God summoned all the men on earth together and said to them, ‘Each time one of you lies, I shall throw a grain of sand onto the earth.’

The men looked at each other, shrugged their shoulders and said to themselves, ‘A grain of sand? What difference will that make? You can hardly see a grain of sand.’

And so lie after lie, little by little, the Sahara gradually came into existence, as God threw grains of sand onto the earth from the heavens above. But here and there the odd oasis can still be seen. These are the traces of the original garden, because not all men lie.

Derek Workman is an English journalist living in Valencia City, Spain – although he admits to a love of Morocco and would love to move here. To read more about life in Spain visit Spain Uncovered. Articles and books can also be found at Digital Paparazzi.

This post first published on the Villa Dinari web site

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Old-Style Fessi Gnawa Ritual at Riad Zany

This Friday The View from Fez is extending a public invitation to a rare Gnawa event in the Fez Medina. Old-style of Gnawa music is seldom heard these days and there are few people who understand and perform the rituals. Members of the public are welcome at Riad Zany (a donation will be requested) and the ceremony begins at 2pm and will probably run until 10pm. Mint tea will be served. As this is a courtyard performance it is recommended you dress warmly and bring a blanket! 

Gnawa musicians in Tangier - a different style than the music in Fez

Malem Aziz wuld Ba Blan is the sole remaining Gnawi here in Fez who exclusively performs the old local style of Gnawa music. The Gnawa use their music to repair relationships between people and saints or spirits. They move through a series of musical segments, each praising and welcoming a group of these spirits into the ritual space, inciting trance in adepts. The nature of these spirits is the subject of much headed debate, as practitioners and detractors locate them in local Islamic history or sub-Saharan devil worship, respectively. The possessing spirits, grouped and labeled by color, have preferences for specific incenses, songs, and even foods, making the event a sensory, and spiritual, journey through an evening.

While most Gnawa Laylas (nights) extend from the late night into early morning, Friday's event will be an Ashiya, an evening. This shorter ritual, from 2:00pm to somewhere around 10:00pm, is a condensed form of a ritual that used to last three days, even up to a week. We begin with the dakhla, an entrance that uses large drums (tbal) slung over the shoulders of the musicians. With candles and blessed foods, the group processes into the home, dancing and singing praise to the prophet Mohamed and other saints. Dance and entertainment prepares the ritual space and invites the spirits while recounting the Gnawa's history in slavery. We then enter the Shourfa', the segment dedicated to the descendants of the prophet, holy men of God who wear white when they re-animate their trancing adepts. At this point, the ritual has begun and we watch the group work with the various other spirits. Sidi Musa dances with a bowl of water balanced on his head, the forest spirits bless the foods of the woods and play with fire, Abraham may dance with prayer beads while reciting the Quran. The women, including Lalla Aisha, conclude the ceremony under the dark of night.

Two generations ago, this music began to change. Malems, Gnawa musicians who lead the ritual, from the medina, Fez Jdid, and near the palace in the Moulay Abd Allah neighborhood played this heavier style of Gnawa music until some youth began to notice new sounds coming from the Casablanca region. Aita, Moroccan popular music from that area, was taking hold across the country. High singing and faster rhythms were changing people's tastes, and the Gnawa were loathe to be left behind. Before long, and thanks to a few specific malems of that era, this pop music influence percolated through the allegedly unchanging Gnawa ritual. Malems began to tune their instruments a little bit higher, tightening the strings and stressing the upper ranges of their voices. Rhythms creeped into quicker tempi and dances became more acrobatic. Requests for popular songs gave malems reason to learn a wider variety of Moroccan music, finding unique ways in which to import diverse melodic ideas into the aural sensibility of their ritual.

The heavy, older Fessi style all but disappeared. While this happened only within the past few decades, the transformation has been nearly complete. A few individuals still remember a handful of the old versions of these songs, but the market for them has diminished. Malem Aziz finds work now as a specialist, catering to those who still desire the Gnawa ritual of the past. He rarely steps onto stages and, like malems of past generations, has other full time work. His family line is one of the respected chains in local Fessi Gnawa history.

Trancing to Gnawa

Friday's performance will be a complete ritual. My purpose is to create a recording for my own research on aesthetic changes in Gnawa music and interactions between this ritual, those of other brotherhoods, and popular culture. The event is open, and will be hosted by The View from Fez. Donations to defray the costs to the hosts will be accepted. Come, and strongly consider preparing to stay for the entire event. The length (7 or 8 hours) is part of the sensory experience, just as important as the colors, sights, smells, and tastes. The courtyard will cool down, especially in the evening hours, so bring a good coat or blanket to wrap up in. Even if you have seen Gnawa music previously, this open ritual will emphasize the spiritual and musical heaviness of the experience, as lived here, in Fez.

Text:  Chris Witulski

See our photo essay of the event here

Venue: Riad Zany, Laayoun (enter via Rcif)
Starting: 2pm
Ending 10pm
info: 067 27 65 657
Respond: Facebook Events 

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The art of living in the Fez Medina - A Public Talk

Join Suzanna Clarke, author of A House in Fez, as she shares her experiences of living in and exploring the Fez Medina – where art, design, architecture, music and ceremony are an integral part of everyday life.

Suzanna has amusing stories to share about her experience of renovating a 300 year old house, as well as offering insights into the history and culture of this rich and vibrant city through words and photographs.

When: Tuesday February 26 at 6.15 PM
Where: ALIF Residence, 28 rue Mohamed Diouri, Ville Nouvelle, Fez.
(Opposite the American Language Center. Ask the security guards.) 

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Moroccan News Briefs #88

Moroccan tourism sets sights on Italian market

Morocco wants to reclaim the Italian market. "Italy is an important market for Morocco as a destination," said Tourism Minister, Haddad, on a visit the ILO in Milan. It is the third best performing European economy, the fourth economic partner of Morocco, the euro gives it a high purchasing power, geographical proximity to the Kingdom, and a large Moroccan community are all important are assets that the Department of Tourism thinks can assist bringing Italian tourists to Morocco.

Italians are great travellers and of its 60 million inhabitants, 50% go traveling. Italy is the third largest tourist source for Morocco after France and Spain.

However, because of the economic crisis in 2012 there was a drop in Italian tourist arrivals in Morocco from 233,224 in 2010 to 196,186.  The Ministry of Tourism is confident this can be reversed. This drop in numbers was mainly due to the closure of Val Tour in Agadir. According to Haddad, the crisis can be an opportunity for Morocco. Promotion, air routes -  everything goes into the strategy deployed by the Department. In addition to traditional advertising, a promotion policy that conveys a positive image of Morocco is important in the eyes of Mr. Haddad. "Political stability is very important for the tourism sector,' he says. To assist in this image promotion, press trips dedicated to Italian journalists are to be organised to raise awareness of Morocco. The accessibility of the destination by airlines is equally important. In this context, the frequency of flights from Italy to Morocco are being revised upwards.


Maroc Telecom presents annual results

Morocco Telecom has just delivered its latest report and although some indicators are negative, its annual results in Africa have saved the day. Morocco's top Telecom holds 45.77% of the national market share overall. During the presentation of its annual results, IAM says it recorded a 40% increase in 3G mobile internet customers, 15% for ADSL, reaching a market share of 99%.

Morocco Telecom has also observed an increase of 2.3% of its fixed-line customers. But it is Africa which remains the fastest growing market for the telecom operator as the African subsidiaries have progressed well. For customers of mobile telephony in Gabon, they have scored 46% growth. Mauritanian subsidiary, Mauritel, has seen the number of clients increased by 15% over the same period. Sotelma subsidiary, Mali, meanwhile, scored a 37.6% increase in mobile customers, despite the crisis. "This is the IAM model in Morocco which is exported in this case. Latter gives priority to investment, education and good governance," said Mr. Ahizoune, the CEO of the group . Regardless that for IAM Morocco most indicators are down, the group is seen as doing rather well in the present conditions.


Solar powered street lights - a Moroccan company initiative

In an interesting article by Bill Sweet on the Energywise blog reports on the latest green technology being harnessed in Morocco to power street lights. The big plus in this story is that the manufacturers are not some multinational company, but a small Moroccan company, Ecolite Morocco.

Ecolite.ma is a private, independent Moroccan company, where "We are developing and manufacturing our products in Morocco," as a company representative reported in an e-mail. "We are helped by big European firms such as Philips, Solar World, [etc.], who provide us by equipments and devices," he continued, with evident pride. "[But] our products are certified made in Morocco."

According to the company's website each lamp is a 33 Watt LED, capable of producing 3000 lumens and with an operating lifetime of 50,000 hours; the pole-mounted energy storage system is a 12 Volt, 75 amp-hour battery; enough energy can be stored during the day to light streets for two nights, with a 50 percent discharge.


The aviation industry booming in Morocco

Strategically placed as a gateway to Europe and with low production costs, the aviation industry is booming in Morocco. Authorities have rolled out the red carpet for major groups and sub-contractors involved in the manufacture and assembly of equipment for aircraft.

In 2012, Morocco was celebrating the announcement of the arrival of Bombardier, the world third largest aircraft manufacturer, which said it would just start its production at Nouaceur near Casablanca. Now the first production has started and the industry is upbeat about the development.

"The choice shows that Bombardier can become an example for international industry leaders," Minister Abdelkader Amara said and claims the investment of $ 200 million will allow the creation of 850 direct jobs.  Aerospace revenue reached nearly a billion dollars last year and Morocco does not intend to stop there, says the president of the Group of aeronautical and space industries (GIMAS), Hamid al-Benbrahim Andaloussi. In a country where there has been much talk car with Renault about a plant in Tangier, the outlook is more promising in aeronautics, "This is an industry that knows no crisis thanks to strong Asian demand," said Mr. Benbrahim, one of the designers of the Moroccan facility.

Following a graduation ceremony held on February 1 at the Institut des Métiers de
l’Aéronautique (IMA), of 18 aircraft assemblers,  production began of the first Bombardier components to come out of its Moroccan manufacturing facility.

“This is a very exciting milestone for us as we start to see our operation in Morocco take form,” said Hugo Brouillard, General Manager, Bombardier Aerospace, Morocco. “With 18 new local employees fully engaged and trained in the Bombardier manufacturing process and philosophy, this is the first step towards a long future of quality component manufacturing at another".

The Bombardier Aerospace transitional manufacturing facility in Morocco is currently producing simple structures including flight controls for the CRJ Series aircraft. By the end of 2013, the facility is expected to employ approximately 100 fully-trained aircraft assemblers.


Sunday Opinion - Preserving the Fez Medina

Mouhssine El Hajjami writing in Morocco World News says that Fez has a world heritage worthy of preservation.

The restoration plan calls for depopulating the old city 

The historic city of Fez was founded in the year 789 AC by Moulay Idriss I.

In 809, the city became the royal residence of Idriss II, the son of Idriss. Fez was one of the greatest cities of the Muslim world during the Medieval ages and a zone for religion, arts, science, craft works and trade activities; the city was also classified by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage site and one of the greatest landmarks of Arab civilization in North Africa after Alkairawan in Tunisia. In both its tangible and intangible forms of cultural diversity, Fez constitutes a melting pot where the Arab and other ethnic groups coexist under the banner of Islam.

Today, the Medina of Fez is still playing active socio-economic, religious and cultural roles which all make it an attractive tourist center for foreign visitors. However, over the centuries, the Medina of Fez has started undergoing a continuous process of degradation due to overpopulation, weak and collapsing infrastructure in addition to lack of investments in maintenance and restoration. These very factors in particular have threatened the ability of the Medina to survive as a historical and cultural patrimony for Moroccans, as well as for humanity.

As a part of its architectural patrimony, Fez encompasses hundreds of minarets, which stand as a witness on the wealth of religious knowledge and dozens of ancient alleys leading to (Funduqs) hotels or (madrasas) schools. Unfortunately, all of this is threatened with decay and collapse due to the pressures of over urban population and also some neglect from stakeholders. UNESCO observed by the early 1980 that Fez was in danger of losing the original quality that makes it one of the purest zones of Islamic civilization. That same year, UNESCO at its general conference in Nairobi, announced the active safeguarding of the Medina of Fez.

More significantly, the late king Hassan II himself, and other members of the royal family did play an active part in calling for the promotion of the city of Fez. The king declared that, “the historic role of Fez in the consolidation of civilization in Morocco and in spreading the light of faith and knowledge (…) our duty is to instill new life into it and to renovate it so that it may find its ancient traditions once again.”

Going back to the colonial era, there were some strategies exerted by the French protectorate, which were intended to preserve the material heritage of the city of Fez. In 1912, the French Resident General Marshall Lyaeuty considered the old architectural heritage of the Medina as a form of national heritage that should be conserved and protected. To this very reason, he created the institute of fine arts and historic monuments; the major concern of this latter was the protection of all the historic buildings and the ancient monuments of the city. The implementation of this project had to abide by three important rules of urbanization, which are still referred to even today. These rules vary as follow:

• The necessary separation of the European city, which was at the time in the process of construction, from the Islamic old city. This was done in order to ensure the non-dependence of each part of the city on the other.

• Providing more preservation to the most prominent historic sites and monuments which represent both the history and the architecture of Morocco.

• The implementation of high and modern forms of architectural construction in building Morocco’s new cities.

The first decree in this regard was issued in 1914. This decree was meant to preserve mainly the buildings, which stand as an outstanding symbol of both Moroccan art and history such as the artifacts, precious masterpieces and also the unique natural and historic sites that surround the old Medina.

Nowadays, to help maintain the authenticity of heritage inside the old city of Fez, UNESCO has adopted an integrated rehabilitation plan running over 15 years. This plan of rehabilitation was submitted after a five years study by Morocco, the UNESCO and the ADER-Fés (Agence pour la Dedentification et la Rehabilitation de la Medina de Fès) which was created in 1989. This agency, known today as the agency of the development and the rehabilitation of Fez, is a semi-private organization in charge of carrying out and co-coordinating the projects of save guarding the old cities.

The ADER agency was run by the former architect and director general of the restoration project Abdellatif EL-Hajjami. The director used to work in coordination with the UNESCO and the Moroccan government throughout the processes of rehabilitation, which the city of Fez underwent in the past. Before starting the project of preserving and restoring the historic buildings, Abdellatif El-Hajjami directed a staff of 160 workers and artisans, including an engineer, three architects, an archeologist, a geologist, a lawyer and various computer and documentation specialists.

The restoration project has already identified 11 madrasas, 320 mosques, 270 funduqs and over 200 hammams (public baths), houses or public ovens worthy of preservation. The estimated total fund of rehabilitation, which came from the Moroccan Ministry of Cultural Affairs, UNESCO and also the World Bank, was around $600 million as initial funds.

The general rehabilitation strategy has been planning to provide a well-grounded infrastructure to the old Medina of Fez by focusing on the following priorities:

• The improvement of the circulation network by creating accessible emergency circulation network that would meet the requirements of the overall commercial and social activities held inside the heart of the old Medina.

• The restoration plan calls for depopulating the old city by transforming most of the inhabitants to new industrial zones.

• The displacement of polluting industries outside the old Medina to a farther industrial area.

• The program focused on improving the built environment by restoring the demolition of ruins and the old traditional houses that are in a vulnerable state.

• The creation of active tourist circulation flows which would help to alleviate poverty among the young people through the regeneration of job opportunities.

All in all, the restoration plan has succeeded in retrieving and rehabilitating the patrimony of the old Medina of Fez by focusing mainly on the historic sites; however, the plan did not attain all the objectives set previously. Until today, many of the inhabitants in the city are still frustrated about the non-materialization of the ADER promises to restore their collapsing houses.

Thus, the extent to which the rehabilitation project managed to maintain the architectural tissue of the Medina is up to the stakeholders working in the agency to answer for the time being.

The article was first published by Morocco World News
Photographs: Suzanna Clarke, Sandy McCutcheon, The View from Fez 

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Fez Forum on The Alliance of Civilisations - March 2013

A major conference to be held in Fez will be supported by The Spirit of Fes Foundation  

The Fez Forum on The Alliance of Civilisations  Cultural Diversity and Euro-Mediterranean Partnership around the theme : « Investment in Education, Science and Community Development: a Challenge for the Arab World »  will be held in Fez, 28-29-30 march 2013

Organising the forum is the Moroccan Centre for Interdisciplinary Strategic and International Studies (CMIESI) - a think tank dealing with strategic issues of Moroccan diplomatic, political and international nature, but also that of other countries and geopolitical areas. It is a centre for reflection, study, research and multidisciplinary expertise which benefits from the public.

Her Highness Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser

At the forum a tribute will be given to Her Highness Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser, Chairperson of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, and Community Development who will be present at the meeting.

"We will pay several historical tributes during the opening of the Forum of Fez to Her Highness Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser, Chairperson of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, and Community Development who will be present on this occasion. These tributes will celebrate a woman of great conviction. Present for this celebration will be the Arab Muslim world in all its legendary diversity, mother Africa, cradle of all civilizations, the United States of America, and ageless Europe." - CMIESI

Sheikha Mozah with her husband at the White House Washington D.C.. From left to right: Sheikha Mozah, First Lady Michelle Obama, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, and President Barack Obama

The tribute to Her Highness Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser will be attended by personalities representing more than a hundred countries. These are experts, government officials, intellectuals, thinkers, writers, academics, politicians, and representatives of civil societies. Such an event will highlight the role of Arab women working for change through emphasizing the importance of education in fostering societal development. Furthermore, it will stress the outstanding efforts made by the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development chaired by the Her Highness Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser. The Foundation has, since its 1995 creation, been one of the world’s most pioneering institutions.

The Spirit of Fes Foundation and its director, Faouzi Skali, are supporting this meeting. It is to be hoped that Her Highness Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser might be interested by developing a close relationship with the Spirit of Fes Foundation and in particular with its Fes Festival and its forum.

Today, most Arab countries face various challenges including the well-being of their populations, employment, etc. In order to do so, Arab States should have well thought out strategies of development within a highly critical context where the expectations of the population are high. According to CMIESI, only if challenges are faced can democracy succeed in its consolidation, and only then can collateral damage from the uncertainty and transition period be reduced.

The crisis of Arab development is so complex that it requires the full engagement of all the Arab citizens in global reform effort promoting a regional rebirth or renaissance. The partial reforms, no matter how different, are no longer effective or possible. Perhaps, they have never been efficient, insofar as reforms require a favorable and conducive social environment to take hold.

In the end, no other cause is nobler than this: providing an education for our children and ensuring sustainable development in our countries through knowledge and the valuing of human capital. Indeed, is there any greater project?


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Tim Cullis - A Great Contribution to Moroccan Tourism

Tourism is of major importance to Morocco and there are many people advertising services, accommodation and tours. But when someone decides to come to Morocco for the first time, they usually do a lot of research. Finding answers to hundreds of common questions is not always easy. How long should I spend in Marrakech compared to Fez? What is the best way to get to the sand dunes? Will my hotel room have a hair dryer? Can I hire a motorbike? What is the best way to drive to Tangier? What should I wear? The questions are seemingly endless. The View from Fez discovers a man who knows the answers.

One man who has spent a huge amount of time answering these questions is Tim Cullis. With a huge knowledge, gained over forty years, Tim is active on a number of major forums such as TripAdvisor, giving sensible, trustworthy advice. For Moroccan tourism, he is a national treasure.

The View from Fez has been an admirer of his work for some years and we decided to catch up with Tim and give him the opportunity to explain in his own words why he has spent so much of his time advising others.

For the last few days Tim Cullis has been taking a deserved break, sitting in sunny Sidi Ifni watching the sea come in and out. He is probably also working on a book he has been writing for the last three or so years which is intended primarily for motorbikers visiting Morocco, but much of the book will also be of interest to any adventurous independent traveller as quite a few of the routes he describes will be tarmac.

Irene and Tim Cullis

In his own words - Tim Cullis

“The earth is a peacock and its glorious tail Morocco”  (Ancient Moorish Proverb)

Over the last forty plus years I have visited Morocco more than forty times. Some of these trips have been lengthy affairs lasting more than two months per visit, with the net result that I have spent more than three years in the country—in fact I definitely feel I know Morocco better than the UK. No matter how many times I visit, however, Morocco never fails to amaze me and I am always finding something new, some places that I haven’t visited before.

My first trip in 1972 was in a short wheelbase Series I Land Rover, an admirable vehicle for the trip given that the Tizi n’Test pass over the High Atlas was still an unsurfaced track. This was followed soon after by two visits on a totally unsuitable TriBSA 750cc café‚ racer motorbike, then a 1974 honeymoon trip off-roading in a Triumph Vitesse, memorable for the number of times the rocks tore off the car’s low slung silencer.

 Since then I have toured the country by car, 4x4, and of course many times by motorbike, most of these riding overland from the UK, but on some shorter trips flying in and renting a local bike. One memorable visit I spent two weeks trekking with mules in the High Atlas, on another extended visit I spent eight weeks in Fez studying Moroccan Arabic.

Then and now. Irene in 1974 and Tim in 2010

I love exploring the more remote areas, typically using ‘pistes’ (local dirt roads) where necessary. In the last five years the government has made massive investments in road building with more than 15,000km of new tarmac roads, so if you would like to visit remote areas, but wish to stick to tarmac, you can now do so.

"Morocco - Safe, Exciting and Inexpensive" - Tim Cullis

By now you might understand Morocco is truly in my blood. I have avidly read many of the ancient accounts of travelling in Morocco, I am a member of the British Moroccan Society and have given many talks on Morocco at Horizons Unlimited travellers meetings in Spain, Germany and the UK with the theme "Safe, Exciting and Inexpensive", a phrase that sums up Morocco well. I hope my enthusiasm for Morocco rubs off upon you, and that you are inspired to take the opportunity to visit this wonderful country before everything changes.

Tim Cullis is one of the most trusted Morocco experts on Trip Advisor, and he gets some interesting questions. 

As for weird questions on TripAdvisor, the ones I try to avoid answering are those to do with hair dryers in rooms, and whether the mini bar has optics! I guess the most frequent questions are to do with trips to the sand dunes, or Sahara desert as some would have, but then as I've ridden through Western Sahara and Mauritania I do feel a bit miffed that the small drops of sand are described such.

My overriding advice for people visiting the country is to slow down, have lots of coffee stops and people watching, get out of the main towns and see the countryside, preferably on side roads. One of my favourite areas is around Azrou with its mountains, volcanos, volcanic vents, cedar forests, limestone karst scenery, springs, lakes, wild flowers, wild apes, and so on. Morocco is a fantastic country for walking and trekking and I would love the government to do more to promote this.

Hidden treasures - the waterfalls of Zouia Ifrane to the south of Ain Leuh
(photo: Tim Cullis)

Tim also finds time to run the Morocco Knowledge Base Forum. To get an idea of Tim's extensive travels do take a look. 

The View from Fez salutes Tim Cullis for his great contribution to making Morocco an easier place to visit.

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Pattii Smith at the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music

"Nous avons le plaisir d'annoncer que nous recevrons Patti Smith le Samedi 15 Juin à Bab Al Makina" - Fes Festival

The news that Patti Smith will be the final performer at the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music in 2013 came as a bombshell, or as one wit put it, "a bliss-bomb"! The brave, "left-field" choice by the organisers provoked an immediate and positive reaction on social media and news sites. The View from Fez has been taking a look at the public response.

Throughout the Medina of Fez the reactions ranged from surprise to delight. As many people pointed out, over the years the Fes Festival has presented some performers who raised eyebrows when they were announced but then went on to give concerts that were extremely popular. The classic example was Ben Harper, who in 2011 many questioned, saying he was not "spiritual" - however his concert was a triumph of power and sensitivity. Another was Joan Baez, in 2012,  who again confounded the critics who said she was a bit old-fashioned and her music was "just folk music". Her concert was a high-adrenalin spiritual boost that totally captivated the audience. Bjork, was more questionable, dividing the audience - but mostly along generational lines. 

So, how will Punk rock's poet laureate be received in Fes?  Her ability as a poet is unquestionable, but at 65 years of age, can the "queen of punk" put together a set that will rock Bab Makina?

"Heck, she could recite the menu from a Chinese restaurant and it would still come across as genius" - music reviewer Jim Harrington 

The general consensus is that she will have no problem at all. Her literary nods to French poet Arthur Rimbaud, will go down well, but most importantly Patti Smith has (unlike Bjork) a real gift for chatting with the audience and bringing them closer to her. As Jim Harrington wrote last year in the Oakland Tribune "Heck, she could recite the menu from a Chinese restaurant and it would still come across as genius".

Her latest studio album, Banga, her 11th,  may not be one of her greatest, but in performance Patti Smith is raw power hitched to a literary wagon.  And much of her older music will be fammiliar. Songs like Distant Fingers from the Radio Ethiopia album, or Gloria, Because the Night, and People Have the Power are all tracks that would go down well in Fez. Another song that it is hoped she will include in her set list is her version of Lou Reed's Pale Blue Eyes . 

In the end the Fes Festival audience can expect - power, poetry and Patti. That has to be perfect.

Big names at Fes Festival - Paco de Lucia and Patti Smith

In the Fez Medina, the guesthouse owners and tourism operators were extremely pleased that Patti Smith will be performing at the Festival. Although accommodation bookings are already filling up for the Festival, this year's strong program of concerts is a real positive for tourism. Patti Smith is, as one tourism agency spokeswoman said, "fabulous icing on an already great cake".

Vanessa Bonnin (Dar Roumana) was also thrilled and, as she told The View from Fez, "Wild Horses couldn't drag me away from this concert!". 

Fred Sola (Riad Laaroussa) is also thrilled Patti smith is on the bill, but with one proviso "... as long as she sings Frederick. This song it is awesome! I have known since forever".

From Dar Mystere, Michael told said, "As a committed original punk rocker of the late 70s, Patti Smith, as a choice of headline artist for the ever adventurous Fez Festival of Sacred Music, vindicates the adoration amongst my colleagues and myself at that time for her classic track 'Because The Night' and seminal album 'Horses'. A truly timeless artist, as relevant today as she was back then. An inspired booking, can't wait!"

Sue Bail from Riad Rcif was ecstatic:  "The programming of the sacred music festival is so inspired and courageous, it never ceases to amaze. Faouzi Skali has expanded the definition of sacred, inviting a wider audience to enjoy and experience each year. Tabakal alik!"


MORE REACTIONS
On Facebook

Louis Mcintosh:  I consider this a brilliant booking for one of the most important punk/poet/artists who also is searingly soulful and honest in all her artististic endeavours. Encapsulates the spirit of the Fes festival whist being a forward thinking leftfield choice from the organisers.
Valerie Horlick: Patti Smith? Is this for the Festival of Sacred Music? She is more poet than musician, in the Beat style.
Drew Cummings: Patti Smith playing the festival makes it officially cool!
Bob Wisdom:  Inspired, brilliant, she is beyond any genre and has lived and seen many things ...which raises her work at this stage of life to sacred...Bravo! Moroccans are accepting to all types of music ...they will love her I'm certain.
Mary Finnigan:  I was somewhat surprised at this choice but I think its a lot better than Bjork..did not like her --endured for an hour then left.
Jan Cornall: A perfect choice. She's a poet first and foremost - a sacred punk rock songstress whose vocals are part trance/chant. A priestess of the modern soul. This is why I don't sleep anymore..life is just too darned exciting!
Peter Lord:  The Godmother of punk is a wise woman.
Eberhard Hahne: a reason to stay a few days more at Fez!!

On Twitter 

Hâte d'y être !!! J'espère que le public sera moins plombant qu'au concert de Bjork l'année dernière...
Stunning! Could it get any better than this?
Well done Fez Festival. Another winner and one we did not expect!
I love Patti Smith, but for the Sacred Music Festival????
Awesome. Totally freekin' awesome! 

SEE THE REVIEW OF THE PATTI SMITH CONCERT HERE

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French Institute in Fez - Cultural Events

A new installation by Stephen Sarrazin will open at the French Institute gallery tonight (February 22) at 18.30. Admission is free. The exhibition will remain open until March 12. The show is part of the Cultural Season 2013 France-Morocco organized by the French Institute of Morocco. Tomorrow (February 23) the performing arts take centre stage with a work entitled The Speakers.

"I CAME TO TELL YOU THAT I FIND YOU BEAUTIFUL NOW 

(IN THE MOOD FOR RAPTURE)"

Stephen Sarrazin is an artist and curator of this exhibition that plays on a pop cultural conversation between Asia and elsewhere. His own work as an artist seeks to create metafictions - additional stories for characters already known to us from the cinema, art history and literature. His work weaves and links content, in a way that affects each creation. There is a new video, 'In the mood for Rapture', and the 'Kakejiku' decorative Japanese rolls, as well as a series of photographs, 'pretty in pink'. The music soundtrack was composed by Pascal Hare.

PERFORMING ARTS (at Dar Batha) THE SPEAKERS -  JACQUES BONNAFFÉ AND PIERRE DELYE.   Saturday, February 23, 19h, Dar Batha and admission is free


Jacques and Pierre share a country of origin,a homeland that belongs to no one and everyone: the French language. These men are lovers of words - those that are said or read, or proclaimed or murmured and whispered! Jacques and Pierre Bonnaffé Delye roam the places where you can listen to speak, say or read in order to hear the most beautiful words that we share. Jacques is a comedian who likes to recite the writers and poets. Jean-Pierre Verheggen the Belgian Jules Mousseron the minor through Jean-Christophe Bailly, the philosopher, and he says people listen. Pierre, author and storyteller, draws on the traditional repertoire of folk tales and legends to adapt and recreate and share their knowledge.

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Bill Clinton to Visit Morocco

According to a number of news sources, former 42nd President of the United States of America, Bill Clinton, will be in Casablanca on February 24.  Bill Clinton will host a conference on "the challenges of emerging markets in the global economy".

The meeting is to be held under the auspices of the International University of Casablanca. The private university is a member of the Laureate Universities International, which has been strategic in granting the former Democrat president the title of Chancellor of Honour.

Laureate International Universities is a global network of over 50 accredited institutions of higher education, both through actual and virtual campuses offering graduate programs that serve nearly 600,000 students worldwide. The Laureate International Universities students are part of an international community that includes 21 countries and more than 100 campuses throughout North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia and North Africa . Laureate International Universities offer more than 130 graduate programs, as well as doctoral and masters-oriented career options.

The announcement about the Clinton visit was made ​​by the International University of Casablanca. A spokesperson noted that former President Clinton will advise students regarding social responsibility, promotion of youth leadership, and increasing access to higher education.

“I have had the opportunity to visit several Laureate universities and to speak to students, faculty, and the communities that they serve,” said President Clinton. “These private universities exemplify the same principles of innovation and social responsibility in education that we worked to advance during my Presidency and now through my Foundation, and I am pleased to support their mission to expand access to higher education, particularly in the developing world.”

This visit is seen as is an opportunity for Clinton to renew his relationship with Morocco, a country he is particularly fond of, as is his wife, Hillary Clinton, the U.S. Secretary of State during the first term of Barack Obama.

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Moroccan News Briefs #87

Fes Festival  - Patti Smith to Headline

The organisers of the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music have just announced the great news that Patti Smith will be performing in Bab Al Makina for the closing concert on Sunday 15 June.

Patricia Lee "Patti" Smith (born December 30, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, poet and visual artist, who became a highly influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album Horses.

Called the "Godmother of Punk", her work was a fusion of rock and poetry. Smith's most widely known song is "Because the Night", which was co-written with Bruce Springsteen and reached number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1978.

In 2005, Patti Smith was named a Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Minister of Culture, and in 2007, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. On November 17, 2010, she won the National Book Award for her memoir Just Kids. She is also a recipient of the 2011 Polar Music Prize.

A reminder that the 19th edition of the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music will be held from 7 to 15 June is timely as, according to a number of accommodation owners in Fez, bookings are coming in already and finding a place to stay will become increasingly difficult.

Morocco's spiritual capital will celebrate the famous festival with the theme "Fez "Andalusian", organizers said on Tuesday night in Casablanca. This cultural event will this year celebrate the Andalusian culture that, for more than eight centuries has combined Amazigh (Berber), Arab, Iberian, Roman and Visigoth together in a crucible of cultures of East and West, said the president of the Spirit of Fes Foundation, Mohamed Kabbaj. This festival, he said is the the highlight of the work of the Spirit of Fes Foundation, which works to promote the cultural heritage and to promote the image of Fez, nationally and internationally, as a center of peace, dialogue and creativity, at he added.

This year will also mark the millennium of the creation of the Kingdom of Granada, said Director General of the Foundation, Faouzi Skali, highlighting again that this festival is a tribute to the Andalusian culture.

Amazigh language celebrates International Day

Next Thursday the  Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture (IRCAM) celebrates the International Day of Mother Language (IMLD), under the slogan "the book, a pillar of the education in the teaching of the mother tongue."

As part of the celebrations IRCAM is organising a scientific seminar and other cultural activities, in collaboration with the UNESCO office in Rabat, the Ministry of Culture and the Faculty of Education Institute. The activities will include a presentation on "Amazigh language: standardization, education and new technologies" and another on "Amazigh heritage and not material", which aims to promote culture as a whole.

The International Day of the Mother Language was proclaimed by the General Conference of UNESCO in 1999 to promote the some 7,000 languages ​​in the world, and as an opportunity for effective mobilization in favour of linguistic diversity and multilingualism.

An embarrassing turbulence strikes Air France and the Palace

An strange incident that took place on December 5th has created a ripples in both France and Morocco. On that day an Air France pilot made a joke about the delay in taking off. To justify a delay, the pilot said it was due to the presence of a plane belonging to the Moroccan king being ahead of them. “The control tower won’t let me take off until His Majesty the King of Morocco has finished relaxing in the VIP lounge,” he said, according to news reports.

The pilot of the Casablanca-Paris flight flight AF2497 is reported to have added, “Those passengers who want to complain and get their tickets reimbursed can do so by writing to King Mohammed VI, the Royal Palace, Rabat.”

Some passengers were not amused, and a group of the Moroccan travellers made an official complaint to Air France,  accusing the airline of  “the most disgraceful example of a certain superiority complex” inherited from the colonial era.

Air France CEO Alexandre de Juniac sent a letter to the group apologising for the December 5 incident, adding that the pilot in question “would be sanctioned” for the offence.

Unfortunately for Air France, the apology has not closed the book on the story, and the passengers have decided to take their complaint to court and to ask for the airline to hand over the cockpit recording of the incident when Air France appears in court in Bobigny, Seine-Saint-Denis on the 25th of February.

Now it emerges that the Palace and HM King are embarrassed by the charges against Air France. According to L'Express "HM King Mohammed VI, who learned the business from the press, took care to distance himself" from this case. The filing of the complaint would be "especially felt awkward to the entourage of the ruler coming as it does before an official visit by François Hollande," says the French newspaper.

"France is on the side of Morocco" - Luc Chatel

The Sahara issue came to the fore in remarks made this week by the President of France Morocco Friendship Group of the French National Assembly, Luc Chatel. "France is on the side of Morocco" in the Sahara issue, he said in Rabat, He went on to describe the Franco-Moroccan relationship as "solid and historical, based on a political and economic partnership."

"France has shown that for many years it supports Morocco on many issues especially the Sahara" added Mr. Chatel, after an interview with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Saad El Dine Otmani.

Mr. Chatel has also welcomed the conduct of reforms undertaken by Morocco as well as parliamentary diplomacy between the two countries, adding that "parliamentarians have a role to play in sharing good practices and experiences between our countries." In a similar statement, Mr. El Otmani emphasized the strategic relations between the two countries that are rooted in time, declaring its determination to work to further improve the benefit of both countries.

Casablanca - Africa's third top destination

Casablanca has long been Morocco's economic capital but now it is emerging as a major tourist destination. A report released this week by a network of tourism professionals in South Africa claims Casablanca as the third top African destination after the top two -  Cape Town and Durban in 2012. Both these cities attracted more than two million tourists, said the report. These African cities offer many places for conferences, fairs and quality accommodation, the report says, noting that among the cities which also benefited from tourism are particularly Accra, Nairobi, Dakar, Kampala, Lagos, Maputo, Cairo and Tunis. The report also claims that foreign tourists, who were accustomed to spend their holidays in the cities especially in Europe, have started to visit African cities that have made ​​great strides in diversifying their tourism product.

Fatality in Agadir

Mystery surrounds the death of a French woman found dead in her apartment in Agadir on Tuesday. Police officers broke into the woman's apartment to find her body. Initial reports say that it appears she died of electric shock. Very little information has been released but it is believed that the woman was 33, divorced and the mother of four Moroccan children.  Civil protection and forensic units have visited the scene and opened an investigation to determine the circumstances of the death.

Cinema tonight in Fez

Thanks to the French Institute in Fez, the French movie All That Glitters will screen tonight, Wednesday, February 20, at 1900 in Rex Cinema.

Cinéma "Tout ce qui brille" ce soir

Details
Members and students: 10 dh Non-members: 20 dh
Directed by Hervé Mimran and Géraldine Nakache
Nationality: France
Duration 1:40 min
Year 2009
Leila Bekhti with Geraldine Nakache, Virginie Ledoyen, Linh-Dan Pham, Simon Buret, Audrey Lamy, Daniel Cohen and Manu Payet
César 2011 for Best Female Newcomer young

Leila Bekhti Ely and Lila have known each other since childhood and share everything together and dream of another life. They live in the same suburb, ten minutes from Paris. Things change... starting with small shenanigans and then big lies. They will try to enter a world that is not theirs and where everything seems possible ...

Opinion - Sexual Harassment in Morocco

Nidal Chebbak, writing for Morocco World News, takes a look at an issue that is being hotly debated in Morocco. Here is an extract and a link to the full article.

Sexual harassment has been a controversial issue in Morocco for a very long time and it still is. Different people have different opinions about the issue; some blame women for being too loose and others blame men for being unable to control and behave themselves.

As a Moroccan girl, I can very much relate to this issue as any other Moroccan girl. As I believe, every Moroccan girl/ woman is harassed every time she goes out regardless of her age, shape, color, ethnicity, background… and no matter what she wears, even if she puts on potato bags. Any girl who says the opposite is living in denial because that’s the reality we deal with every day.

Sexual harassment can vary through the constant gazes that checks every inch of the girl’s body from head to toe, the harassing words coming from every corner, the following -or as I’d prefer to call it “the tireless stalking”-, the insistence to get the girl to talk, then it can move too far to the undesired touching of her body.

Men would argue that it’s the women who give way to men to sexually harass them in the streets, especially when they aren’t wearing “decent clothes”. Many men feel that they have the right to harass a woman who is wearing revealing clothes and that this type of clothes is actually an open invitation for harassment. This type of women is labeled as loose and immoral, even if they are not. After all, what’s the fine line between decent and indecent clothes for women? As far as I have experienced, seen and heard, no matter what a woman wears, she’s still going to be harassed at some point in her usual day.

I also think that this whole issue of “indecent clothes” is just a very weak and “loose” excuse for men to carry on their horrendous habits. We are a Muslim country where almost every Muslim Moroccan prides everywhere about being a Muslim (of course, in words but rarely in practice) but still we find these horrible acts that are condemned by our religion. In Surat an-Nur, the Almighty Allah states: “Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their modesty. That is purer for them, verily Allah is All-Aware of what they do.” (24:30). Isn’t this a verse where the Almighty Allah asks men to lower their gaze and guard their modesty? Did He by any means in this verse or in any other verse state that, well if women aren’t dressing decent enough then you shall harass them? No, He didn’t. Muslim men take pride in being Muslim, but as long as they don’t abide by this and other verses, their pride amounts to bigotry.

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