Fes Festival 2015 ~ The Wrap Up

Tajeddine Baddou is a man equipped to face the challenges ahead ~ Suzanna Clarke reports

A few days into the 21 Edition of Fes Festival, newly appointed director general of the Spirit of Fes Foundation, Tajeddine Baddou, is obviously weary, but is unfailingly courteous. There is real warmth in his handshake and the way he makes eye contact. It's easy to imagine him hobnobbing with politicians and diplomats in his previous postings as Moroccan Ambassador to the former Czechoslovakia, Canada, Austria and Italy.

He grants The View From Fez a few minutes for an interview in the garden of the Batha Museum.

"I only assumed the role four months ago," he explains, "so this year's Festival is an exploratory mission for me."

Mr Baddou is working with some of the same team who have been responsible for the Festival in the past few years, including artistic director Alain Weber. Taking over from founding director Faouzi Skali is a challenge, Mr Baddou says, but one he is looking forward to. He's had events organisation experience before - in 1999 he was in charge of the Year of Morocco, showcasing the country through more than 400 international events.

One of the biggest challenges, says Mr Baddour is that, "We have a lack of sites in Fez to stage concerts. When the weather is good, Bab Makina can have a real magic, with the magnificent walls and the birds flying overhead. But the acoustics are not good, and in wet weather it's not possible to cover it."

Both extremes were experienced this year, with a triumphant opening night, using spectacular projections on the crenelated walls of Bab Makina, contrasted by the wash-out that was to have been Tuesday's Spirit of Africa concert.

There simply isn't an alternative venue in Fez that will hold an audience of thousands. It's something, Mr Baddou says, that the team will be trying to address.

Another aspect that will be a focus is an increasing move towards using English during the Festival. "Because we have a lot of English visitors," he says. This year, for the first time, opening night introductions were given first in Moroccan Arabic and then in English, before French.

However the format of the morning forums, which aim to give an intellectual context to the Fes Festival, are less likely to alter. I put to Mr Baddou the criticism that the panels seem to be mainly composed of French, or European educated academics, and could be more diverse. And rather than a series of long lectures by each panelist, the format would be more engaging if it was more dynamic. "This year we are fortunate to have Ali Benmakhlouf organising the forums, and he is doing a wonderful job," says Mr Baddou. "To change the format, you would need an intellectual revolution. We have to deal with our heritage." However, he would like to see more youth involvement and points out that this year that some Moroccan university students attended. He hopes that the number will increase.

Originally from Meknes, Tajeddine Baddou graduated with a PhD in Sociology from the University of Rene Descartes in France. Then from 1971 to 1983 he was Head of the Department of Social Sciences at the National Institute of Statistics and Applied Economy in Rabat. "So I started as a teacher and researcher in demographics...then I became involved in politics," he says. In 1983 became the Director of Multilateral Cooperation at the Ministry of Cooperation, and the following year the Permanent Representative of the Arabo-African Union. "Then His Majesty the King asked me if I wanted to open the first Moroccan embassy in (the former) Czechoslovakia, and I did." He moved onto other embassies, his last posting being in Rome.

I ask him about another criticism which has been levelled at the Festival; that it is turning away from its spiritual roots and becoming more of a world music festival. "This is not a real issue," he says. "We have the name, the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music, but in reality all music is sacred. We do our utmost to be open to all kinds of music."


Today the team from The View From Fez report their personal reactions to the 21st Fes Festival of World Sacred Music

FESTIVAL WRAP

Lynn Sheppard ~ Reporter

As a Fes Festival first-timer, I found the 21st edition a great opportunity to see some acts I like, get to know some new artists and come to appreciate some new musical genres.

My favourite concerts were: Omar Sosa and friends, Julie Fowlis, Fatoumata Diawara and Roberto Fonseca and The Royal Art of the Kora with Ballaké Sissoko. These are all acts I have seen and enjoyed before in different contexts.

Of the acts which were new to me, I enjoyed Faada Freddy, Masks of the Moon and Ramadan Hassan and the Musicians of the Nile. I would have liked to have seen more of Benjamin Bouzaglou and Oumou Sangaré.

I can't honestly say that all of the above fall within the term "sacred" and I find it a pity that the festival organisers seem to feel the need to invite more 'popular' groups which don't always fall under the overall theme. I would like to see the organisers of the Fes Sacred Music Festival have more confidence to differentiate this festival from others which take place across Morocco each year. Fez is the spiritual and cultural capital of Morocco and draws on a long and rich heritage of sacred music which people are surely willing to travel and pay to see. Complemented by sacred music acts from across the world, this would make for an interesting programme with a clear identity. Personally, I feel the festival is becoming rather populist by featuring acts such as The Temptations (who weren't even the original Temptations).

Fatoumata Diawara - an audience favourite

I thought this year's theme was well-chosen and timely; it was expertly presented in the opening concert, which was spectacular. The featuring of Hassan el Wazzan's travels created a common thread through a large proportion of the festival, which worked well. Without exception, the acts which I saw from Burkina Faso, Senegal, Mali and Egypt were excellent. I would have liked the opportunity to learn more about the spiritual or sacred background to their music - the Forum would have been a good place to do this.

Overall, I thought the Forum programme made a decent attempt to open up a debate on Morocco's place within broader Africa from historical, philosophical, anthropological, literary, cultural, musical and current affairs perspectives, but it could have been better. My suggestions would be to ensure that the speakers are really able to speak directly to the topic (eg by insisting on the submission of a paper which could subsequently be published); to make the Forum more interactive (eg by having shorter presentations from the podium and more audience input), and to invite more practitioners to speak, rather than academic observers and researchers.

Musicians of the Nile

The venues in Fez are spectacular. It was so enjoyable to sit beside the verdant green gardens of the beautiful Batha Museum. However, this year proved that the city is ill-equipped to manage a wet weather contingency and this is something that should be seriously considered. Also, programming should reflect the audience the Festival seeks to reach - if it is anticipated people travel to Fez for the weekend, the weekend line-ups should be stronger. If it is the aim to attract more working Moroccans, weekends and evening concerts should reflect this.

The lighting at Bab Makina was "awesome"!

Although I understand the communication this year was an improvement on previous years, I would expect a more dynamic and professional effort from a 21-year old festival. Hardly anyone other than myself and The View From Fez was using the #fesfestival hashtag; the Festival twitter feed wasn't updated at all during the festival; several concerts (Sufi nights and free concerts and events) were not in the programme; important information was communicated at the last minute, and there were frequently discrepancies between the English and French versions of online and printed material.

Masks of the Moon - a festival favourite

In conclusion, I would heartily recommend the Fes Sacred Music Festival to friends, as an interesting world music festival easily reached from the UK. However, given the limited coverage of the festival in English language media, they might need a little convincing.

Fatima Matousse ~ Reporter

I have always wanted to attend the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music as I am haunted by spiritual and Sufi music. In the past, as a student, I was not lucky enough to attend to attend the festival. This year is my first time and I am grateful to have been given access, due to working with The View From Fez, for the entire programme.

I have not attended the past editions so am not entitled to compare and give accurate criticism or appreciation but I can speak about my feelings about this edition.

I was disappointed and surprised that the whole African Spirit and Oumou Sangaré was cancelled. As it is the 21st edition, the Festival should have been equipped for all kind of conditions and plan for any situation; particularly a rain event. I would have forgiven a beginning festival with two or four years, of experience but not one of 21 years. So the first impression I had was not the best.

I attended the forums in the beautiful Batha Museum the day after the rain storm and after ten minutes discovered that the chairs were still wet. Covering chairs before rain should be a pretty basic requirement! People had to pay to get access to the forum and the concerts, (with the exception of the non-spiritual pop music that was offered to locals). I was surprised that the Festival was also making money out of glasses of tea, charging 10 dirhams! I understand that a festival needs money to run but I think that when you pay for a concert, the audience should be offered a glass of tea for free. For the record, a huge pot of tea would not even cost 10 dirhams.

Création Marassa with Omar Sosa

I believe that what really charms people about the festival is not simply the programme, but the place itself. The riads and palaces where the music takes place charm the audience and constantly speak to their souls; like a lover whom you will follow everywhere and forgive their mistakes after few seconds. During some concerts, I was inspired and the negative energy inside me was washed away. I loved the Création Marassa with Omar Sosa, and in particular the dancer, who was exceptionally talented to the extent that he made me wish to dance again, although I stopped years ago. I was surprised by the happiness and the enjoyment his band spread to the audience.

Diego El Cigala - disappointing

Fatoumata and Fonseca were fascinating. I was so happy to see the combination of the two using music to speak to each other while still engaging with the audience. They both have charisma and the voice of Fatou took me back to my dream to live in Mali for a year or two. Diego El Cigala has a special character, and way of talking and walking. However, I found him arrogant. I am actually crazy about flamenco and Gitano music, but was disappointed with his performance.

I was also disappointed that Amazigh music was barely present in the programme. Had it been present, I believe people would have appreciated it and discovered how diverse and culturally rich Moroccan music is.

Over all, despite the criticism, the Fes Festival has inspired me and there were more touching moments than negative ones - due to the music, the city and the ghosts of the Fez! I have been haunted and I will not hesitate to attend the Festival once again.

Vanessa Bonnin - Reporter and photographer

Curiosity was at an all time high about how the 21st edition of the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music was going to fare under new management, since the ousting last year of Festival founder and former Director Faouzi Skali. The new team had a lot to prove in order to justify their coup, and unfortunately they fell short of the mark in my opinion. This sentiment was echoed by the majority of festival-goers I spoke to throughout the week, where the dissatisfaction and serious (rather than the usual trifling) complaints expressed were far greater than ever before.

The theme ‘An African Reflection’ was promising, as in the past the Festival has focused on Andalusian links plus connections with the Arab world and it was definitely time to acknowledge that Fes and Morocco are part of the African continent. Looking south should have provided a rich and diverse array of wonderful musical opportunities to tap into, but out of numerous concerts and artists engaged in this year’s line-up, only a handful were from Africa.

Oumou Sangaré

Tiken Jah Fakoly

The schizophrenic array of musicians lacked coherence and failed to deliver on what could have been a fantastic opportunity to highlight the boundless talent on Morocco’s southern doorstep. Admittedly the cancellation and inability to reschedule the expected highlight of the Festival – the concert with Oumou Sangare and Tiken Jah Fakoly – left a gaping hole in the African contingent, but for many it was the death blow to the week.

Ballaké Sissoko

This is not to say that there weren’t wonderful performances. Following on from the stunning opening night spectacle, particular highlights were the collaboration between Ballaké Sissoko and Debashish Battacharya, Marassaa Premiere and the outstanding Faada Freddy, but they couldn’t resuscitate a festival marred by poor planning and incompetence – or was it deception? – with regards to The NOT Temptations (don’t get me started). It seems that without Faouzi Skali at the helm (who was churlishly not acknowledged as the founder in any of the Festival material) the Festival has become a boat without a rudder. Hopefully the new Director General will take charge and throw them a lifeline.

Sandy McCutcheon  ~ Editor, photographer and reporter

In some cultures a 21st birthday is considered cause for celebration. In the case of the Fes Festival it was not only a celebration but also a new beginning, with a new administration put in place since the departure of Faouzi Skali. It was understandable then, that critical attention was  paid to every aspect of the festival by those for whom the festival caters - the audience.

The African theme was very welcome and the opening night concert was described by many veteran festival goers as one of the best. As Artistic Director Alain Weber, told The View From Fez - "I was less constrained this year". It was undoubtably a great start to the festival.

While critical voices questioned aspect of the programming ("only around half the concerts were African") and rain disrupted some events, the major cause of concern was the lack of contingency plans for bad weather and rescheduling postponed performances. The fact that the full programme was not on the brochure or booklet meant that audience members were scrambling to find out what was on at the Sufi Nights or concerts at Boujloud. Unfortunately the information that was in the printed materials was sketchy and at times contained rather exaggerated claims about the performers. The View From Fez is in debt to the major research work done by Helen Ranger.

The issue of announcements in English was improved this year, particularly at the beginning of the festival. It was not sustained and the huge numbers of audience members for whom English is a first or second language were vocal in their calls for this to be rectified in the future. Happily, the new Director General has flagged that this will be the case.

Artistic Director Alain Weber

The handling of the Temptations Review fiasco - something that should not have been allowed to happen in the first place - by the administration, was astonishingly unprofessional. Hopefully lessons will be learned.

It was a festival of challenges for the technical crews, who under the circumstances did remarkably well coping with performer demands and inclement weather. Special tribute should be paid to Christophe Olivier and Gaël Boucault, for superb lighting as well as Caroline Bourgine and Lucianna Penna for the projection mapping at Bab Makina. Sound engineers, Chris Ekers and Erik Loots, once again showed why they are regarded as among the best in the world.

Lighting and sound was amazing - thanks Christophe Olivier and Chris Ekers

Sound engineer Erik Loots

Because of the drop in audience numbers the previous years experience of dangerously over crowded venues was, with only one notable exception, not such a major issue. However the concerns expressed by hundreds of visitors to the crowd handling at the Hussain Al Jassmi concert are valid and must be addressed. Selling or giving out more tickets than a venue holds is not only dangerous, it is wrong.

Hussain Al Jassmi's fine concert was overcrowded

The final issue worth mentioning is that of communication during the festival. The View From Fez was inundated with text messages, emails and phone calls from visitors wanting up to date information of schedule changes, venue changes and postponements. The festival could easily remedy this with a constant flow of information via Twitter.

Finally, I would like to thank my team members at The View From Fez who worked outrageous hours to cover all the events. It was a job well done and much appreciated by both locals and festival visitors. We had great reviews by Lynn Sheppard, Fatima Matousse and Vanessa Bonnin. Suzanna Clarke's sub-editing and photography were superb as usual as was the photography of Vanessa Bonnin. Shukran. We look forward to welcoming you and our readers back for 2016!

See all our Fes Festival 2015 reviews
Fes Festival Opening Night
Fes Festival Day Two 
Fes Festival Day Three
Fes Festival Day Four
Fes Festival Day Five
Fes Festival Day Six
Fes Festival Day Seven
Fes Festival Day Eight
Fes Festival Day Nine

The View From Fez is an official media partner of the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music

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Fes Festival ~ Day Nine ~ Review

The Fes Festival of World Sacred Music went out on a high with Abdoul Fatah Seck from Senegal and Hussain Al Jassmi from the United Arab Emirates giving great concerts but leaving it to the Hamadcha Sufi Brotherhood to close the Festival with a high octane night of wild magic

Faada Freddy - Batha Museum

After a fairly lacklustre Festival, with only a few bright spots, the arrival of Faada Freddy and his band onstage at the Batha Museum this afternoon was truly like the sun coming out. The audience seemed to breathe a universal sigh of relief, smiles returned to people’s faces and our soul’s were collectively uplifted by the phenomenal performance.

The heaviness had been physically was well as metaphorically removed from the stage, with the most minimal equipment ever seen - due to the complete lack of instruments. All of the backing sound was produced through body percussion and vocalising, a concept all the more incredible once we heard the fullness of the layers and harmonies first hand.

“I play different instruments, piano, drums, guitar, bass and I think this has served me well in understanding the range of different instruments and how to use them,” Faada Freddy said in an interview after the concert. “For example, for the drums, I found out how the human body can make the sound of a snare drum or percussion.“I adapted traditional instruments to an instrument that I call ‘organic’, that is to say the body.”

The concert began with his five backing singers entering the stage and the layering of sounds started: ch ch ch ch, whistle, chest tap, clap, a huh a huh a huh, oooooooh….Faada Freddy made his entrance in his signature dandy style - dress pants, white shirt, waistcoat, cummerbund and a silver topped walking cane topped off with a bowler hat. His adoption of such a traditional British look fits perfectly with his message of breaking down barriers and prejudices between us, whether on the basis of religion, colour or nationality.

“Those who fight against the mixing of cultures and mixing of colours will struggle against love,” he said.“And no one can fight against love - we are one family called humanity.”

Faada Freddy (aka Abdoul Fatah Seck) immediately connected with the audience, introducing himself after the first song and by the second he had the crowd in the palm of his hand. “Are you there?” he asked, “Are you ready to sing this evening?” and the one family called humanity replied with an emphatic “YES!”

"Are you ready to sing?"

His lyrics seemed written especially for that afternoon, as great waves of sunshine and happiness flowed over the crowd and we jubilantly clapped and sang along. There are some occasions when the music demands that I put down my pen and notebook and just go with it, and this was one of them.

Great waves of sunshine are comin' up your way,
Open up the flood gates and let your love light shine in
Every little moment you spend on a worry,
You spend on a fear you just a give it room to grow
So take back your fear and your worrying (and just)
Clear your pathway!

Faada Freddy’s music isn’t all just about good times however, with the upbeat and catchy tunes often disguising a more serious message in the lyrics. For example the very lively sounding song ‘We Sing in Time’ talks about drug addiction, dead end jobs and sending young men to fight pointless government wars “instead of teaching them to give and lead.” He still manages to weave in hope however and adopts the approach of delivering a hard message in a soft and palatable manner.

In time the trees die
And light will fade
But I hope for a new breath
A new life to take me away

His energy on stage provided new hope for those who witnessed one of the Festival’s standout performances, and his message was perfectly in tune with the ‘African Reflection’ theme.

“I think since day one Africa is supplying a lot of influence over the world through its music and it has great impact and I think one of the greatest resources Africa ever had is it’s culture,” Faada Freddy said later.

“Africa is beautiful, Africa is the future and people should know about that. They should know that Africa is going throughout some ordeals, going through a lot of problems because of corruption and stuff like that - I think once all of that is settled Africa is going to shine, it’s going to bloom to the world.

“But we have to keep on going, we cannot stop, because the people who are doing evil never stop, so how could we? We need to get people together. And I bring people together through my music, music belongs to everyone, music is not political, music is a cure, music heals and that’s what I know about it.

“And that’s why I keep singing and keep travelling everywhere and spreading the word like ‘hey open your eyes and see that there’s no corruption in music’ even though some people are trying to corrupt it, but music is still here, the real music is still here to relieve the pain and let people know that they belong to one great nation called humanity.”

Hussain Al Jassmi - Bab Makina

Tonight there was a festive air at Bab Makina. Fassis had turned out in their droves and their smartest outfits. The cafés and sandwich stands were doing a roaring trade. The announcements were only in Arabic - there was hardly a non-Moroccan here.

Arabic pop megastar, Hussain el Jassmi has over 180 million YouTube views to his name. Tonight at Bab el Makina he pulled hit after hit out of his turban, much to the excitement of the crowd. Tonight the fashionistas and smart young things of the Fassi Ville Nouvelle middle classes were out in force: heels were vertiginous, outfits were skimpy and there was hardly a headscarf in sight.

El Jassmi knows how to please a crowd. He told us he loved coming to Morocco and he is well-loved here for supporting the Moroccan underdog Arabic X Factor. The Moroccan - Mohammed Rifi - went on to win. Tonight, as well as playing his most popular tracks, he threw in a couple of old Moroccan favourites and covers of classics by Well-known artists like Egyptian Oum Kalthoum and Lebanese Fayrouz. He even addressed the audience in Darija (Moroccan Arabic - about as far removed from his Emirati dialect as you can get in the Arabic world).

The organisation of the concert, unfortunately, was not such a crowd pleaser. Despite their usual reputation for over-officiousness, the Festival security let a large number of the audience through to the front area (the most expensive seats). It was not clear whether these were a spill over from an area further back, or if the area had been over-sold. Either way, these people crowded the aisles and prevented those with seats from seeing the stage. Being too far forward for the plasma screens, the latter had to resort to standing on the furniture to see anything other than the view through the screens of 100s of smartphones. In the end, it was a case of "if you can't beat them" and those who had been calling "glssou" (sit down) were forced themselves to dance in the aisles.

Despite the issues with the sightline of the stage, El Jassmi could do no wrong. With his toothpaste commercial smile, twinkling good looks, humble demeanour and a string of hits (especially love songs) as long as a camel train, he had the majority female audience eating out of his hand from start to finish through a 2 hour set. Forget the fancy words of the Festival website about him continuing a long lineage of poets and storytellers - this was pop, pure and simple, and Fez loved it.

Sufi Nights ~ The Fez Hamadcha at Dar Tazi

There is one sure way of drawing a massive audience in Fez and that is to stage a concert by the Hamadcha Brotherhood.  The huge crowd at Dar Tazi tonight was at least double that of any previous night and they were blown away by the take-no-prisoners, shock and awe tactics of the Hamadcha Brotherhood.

Divine madness amidst the smoke of incense

There was none of the staid and polite entrance onto the stage and the sitting in neat lines that every other group tends to prefer. The chanting and drumming Hamadcha marched in behind a sea of candles, their ghaita players blasting down everything in their path.

One of the many ghaita players

Once in the actual venue they massed at the front of the stage while incense was lit - a lot of it.  In fact so much it was hard to see, let alone photograph anything! In the sea of fragrant smoke, chaos rained as some of the men performed the extraordinary hadra dance.  Think Mick Jagger on steroids. The local crowd, mouths open, soaked up the waves of energy produced by the wild boys of Sufidom.

Finally, they took to the stage and, after catching their breath, launched into the rest of their performance. Once again the Hamadcha blew away the conservatism and rigidity that can often take the wild magic out of a Sufi performance. And the crowd thanked them for it.

The relationship between the people of Fez and the Hamadcha is an interesting one. The groups in-your-face behaviour and trance inducing music is viewed by some with suspicion, yet, when a therapeutic lila (ceremony) is needed, they turn to the Hamadcha.

Abderrahim Amrani Marrakchi (in black vest)

One reason for the success of the group is down to two men. The leader, Abderrahim, and to Frederic Calmes, the musical director. Between them they have raised the profile of the group and fine tuned their musical abilities. They have also opened it up to women and to non-Moroccans.

Abderrahim Amrani Marrakchi is one of the great group leaders - moqaddem - of the Hamadcha. He is undoubtedly the most famous of moqaddem, appreciated for his erudition and his qualities as a musician.

Born in 1962 in Fez, he joined the brotherhood very young in a group then headed by his father. Trained as a musician, he became head of the tariqa (Brotherhood) in 1985. Anxious to preserve the heritage of Hamadcha in a rapidly modernising Morocco, he devotes a large part of his time to training younger members of the Brotherhood.

Musical director Frederic Calmes (centre)

Each year the Tariqa Hamadouchia, the Hamadcha of Fez, are invited to festivals around the world. At the beginning of 2015 they gave seven performances at the largest music festival in the Southern Hemisphere - the Woodford Festival (see story here). They followed this by being chosed as one of the opening night performances for Australia's most prestigious festival - The Sydney Festival. Ticket to this event were in such demand that the online sales sold out in a matter of minutes (see story here).

The Buzz ~ Audience feedback with Fatima Matousse

Each day at the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music, we take time to speak with festival goers and find out what people attending the festival are talking about.

Mariam, Fez:We are a sponsor of the festival and the security to Bab Makina did not allow us to get to our seats. They allowed some and others not, it is a kind of favouritism. They also change everytime the timing, sometimes they tell us, you will enter at four other times at seven, it was not professional at all. Plus there were more crowds than the place can hold.”

Mounia and Anne, France:“This is our first here, we particularly came to see Faada Freddy because we met him in the plane and he was really nice. I adore the place of Batha, it is very symbolic. I think the festival has been a great success. The public seems to be happy and satisfied. We liked that singers from all the Maghreb were singing together the during the Andalusia concert. However, since there are so many concerts in Morocco now, the organizers should consider not overlapping with each other events.”

Dominique, France:“ I am French but I love Fez and I have settled here. I was part of the organizing committee for the first edition with Fouazi Skali. The best concerts ever are the ones organized in Batha, they are amazing and very touching.”

Hakima, Marrakesh: “The choice of music is great and especially at Batha Museum. The organization is not good. For example, it is shameful that the entrance is always crowded and often times the audience is not categorized based on whether they have tickets or not. The music concerts at Bab Makina are not obviously linked to the sacred music or to the edition theme.”

Samia, Fez: “This is my first time in Batha and this is my first to see this Faada as well. If they ever play again I would definitely go to see them, they were amazing.”

Niama, Fez: “This is my first time at the festival. I came just to see Hussain Al Jassmi as I love him as a singer. I was so happy to see him.”

Fatima El Wazzani, Fes: “It is my second time in the festival. I came to see many popular singers before. I was annoyed with the organization because I could not see anything. But, in general I was happy to be able to at least hear Al Jassmi.”

Chaimae Amrani & Ikram Mejbar, Fes: “ The music is amazing. I came to see Al Jassmi because he is so tender and adorable. However, I have heard that the tickets to his concert were sold at 2000 dh which is really bad. In addition that the crowds did not allow us to see anything, the security could have done something about it which they obviously did not. We were shouting and we could have made a huge problem. It is unbelievable that this is the 21st edition. The concert meant to start at 9.00 pm and it did not start until one hour and half later.”

Tomorrow: The View From Fez wrap up of the Festival and an interview with the Fes Festival Director General, Tajeddine Baddou.

The View from Fez is a Festival Media Partner and is covering all festival events and keeping visitors up to date with any change to the schedule via news stories and on Twitter :  @theviewfromfez

See our previous Fes Festival 2015 reports
Fes Festival Opening Night Review
Fes Festival Day Two Review
Fes Festival Day Three
Fes Festival Day Four Review
Fes Festival Day Five
Fes Festival Day Six
Fes Festival Day Seven
Fes Festival Day Eight
Fes Festival Day Nine
Fes Festival - The Wrap

The View From Fez is an official media partner of the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music

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Fes Festival ~ Day Eight ~ Review

Friday arrived accompanied by heavy rain showers and thunder in the morning - it was not a good omen for the rest of the day. Thankfully the weather changed and Fez enjoyed some fine music in pleasant conditions

Batha Prefecture ~ Amen en la voz del Hombre

A morning full of heavy rain caused panic among the now weather-weary Festival organisers, who finally put a contingency plan into action and - prematurely - moved the location of this afternoon’s concert from the Batha Museum to the prefecture across the road. By the time concert-goers were queuing up however, the sun was shining and it was a beautiful blue-sky afternoon. It felt a little frustrating to be herded into a stiff, official building which was stifling and muggy when lounging under the Barbary Oak tree with gentle breezes was an option.

The prefecture as a concert location was definitely lacking, with heavy traditional decor and portraits of Hassan II and Mohamed VI flanking the stage. Unfortunately the singers were dressed in official black suits and ties with white shirts, the same as the Kings portrayed behind them, and their often solemn demeanour meant that at times one singer looked as if he was giving an impassioned political speech flanked by two bodyguards.

There was no doubt that this afternoon’s concert Amen en la voz del Hombre - Saeta sacred song was relevant to the Festival’s ‘Sacred Music’ remit. The saeta is a religious song, traditionally sung unaccompanied by individuals on balconies in Seville during the holy week of Semana Santa. When processions bearing images of Christ or the Virgin Mary pass along the narrow streets, the singer above will show his or her ardent devotion by breaking into song.

The concert started belatedly at five o’clock when three musicians, an oboist, clarinetist and bassoon player filed in, procession like, playing while walking, in a manner reminiscent of the religious processions that inspired the music. A single red candle stood centre stage and was lit by the singers as they entered, signifying the ritualistic nature of these religious songs.

The singers - Jesus Mendez, Segundo Falcon and Jesus de la Mena - took turns singing a cappella, and their songs were interspersed by classical Chamber-music pieces played by Javier Trigos, Miguel Maceda and Angel Sanchez. At first the pairing of the two styles seemed incongruous - light melodic instrumental interludes reminiscent of a dance at an Elizabethan court, followed by intensely impassioned songs without much melody at all, verging on the anguished wailing of a bereaved mother over her son’s casket at a funeral.

However after a time it became apparent that this pairing worked well. The instrumental interludes gave a pause, time for reflection and a break from the emotion of the singers, and highlighted feelings of light and dark, cleverly reminding us that happiness cannot exist without sorrow. This was even echoed in the instrumental pieces, where the lovely bass notes of the bassoon gave gravitas to the bright melodies of the clarinet and oboe. Another way in which the two parts drove home this complimentary contrast was the movements - the musicians dipping and weaving with the tune while the singers stood very still, the only flourishes coming when they stepped up to do a solo.

These solos grew in intensity, driven on by the beat provided by the cajon box drums on which the resting singers sat, their hands the only movement, the rhythm like the footfalls of a great procession of worshippers making their way to the cathedral in Seville. The fervour and vocal control demonstrated was awe-inspiring, the singers holding notes so long that the audience were gasping for breath in sympathy.

Finally, all three singers gathered and sang together, eventually moving to surround the red, flickering candle. Slowly they knelt in unison and with their last breaths, blew out the candle signifying the closing of the ritual and the end of the concert.

Audience reactions:
“I understood nothing, I personally can’t connect with a song unless I understand the meaning, but the music was still fascinating. I was looking at the ceiling with the coloured glass and carved wood and I could imagine myself a princess in Andalucia.” Fatima Ouaryachi, Sefrou, Morocco, first-time Festival-goer.

“One word: penetrating. I felt it in my spine, I felt the vibrations of the singing deep within my soul. Sometimes you merely enjoy music but sometimes you feel it in your body - that’s when you know you’ve really connected with the artist. I love a cappella where the focus is on the voice. But the venue change was such a disappointment - that space was horrible! Can you imagine how much more moving that concert would have been under the magnificent oak tree? I have such a connection with that tree, it brings the music to another level.” Nina, Fes, Morocco, third-time Festival-attendee.

Bab Makina ~ Andalusia

Mohammed Briouel

This evening at Bab Makina, the Fassi perennial favourite, the Arabo-Andalous Orchestra of Fes, directed by Mohammed Briouel, was joined on stage by five special guests. The first was Sonia Mbarek, from Tunisia, whom we saw earlier in the week. She stood at the front of the stage and commanded it like a true professional. Following her set of 5-6 songs, she left the stage and was replaced - this time sitting within the 20-piece orchestra - by Beihdja Rahal (on vocals and kouitra, a short-necked lute) and Nadji Hamma on oud. They sang and played the Algerian strand of the Arabo-Andalous tradition, a heritage less familiar to the mainly Moroccan audience and featuring an apparently more limited vocal range than connoisseurs of the Fassi style are used to.

Beihdja Rahal (vocals and kouitra, a short-necked lute) and Nadji Hamma on oud.

Sonia Mbarek

Once again, as at the opening concert, we were treated to some spectacular projections onto the walls of Bab Makina, which at one point gave the impression that we were in the gardens of an Alhambra-style Moorish palace. As those familiar with the Andalusian music genre will know, this aspect of North Africa's cultural heritage came from Al Andalus to North Africa with the expulsion of Muslims and Jews from the Iberian Peninsula at the end of the 15th century. The rich cultural interchange which took place on the European mainland continued in towns where the exiles settled, in particular in Fes, Tetouan and Mogador (Essaouira) and - judging by the youth of the Moroccan vocalists on stage tonight - the traditions are in safe hands for the future.

Sanaa Maharati

Nabyla Maan and Marouane Hajji

The three Moroccans who sang tonight - Sanaa Maharati from Sefrou and Nabyla Maan and Marouane Hajji from Fez - upped the tempo. Although the evening was evidently designed to showcase a breadth of the Andalusian tradition, the audience was clearly waiting to see the local favourites and reacted accordingly. In return, the three offered drama and a passion unusual for their age. Maan and Hajji sang together and the latter, the young heartthrob of the Fassi scene, seemed a little constrained by singing a duet. He seemed to want to express more, but had to keep in with his partner sitting beside him. Given his only brief appearance with Diego el Cigala earlier this week, it would have been interesting to also have some input from the Judeo-Andalous tradition in the form of Benjamin Bouzaglou.

Bab Makina - looking gorgeous

At the end of the concert, all five vocalists appeared together on stage - all standing. If the number of smartphones and tablets recording the spectacle were anything to go by, the Fassi audience loved it. Befitting the genre, they sat and clapped enthusiastically but remaining seated, partying like it was 1499.

Sufi Night - Dar Tazi - Khira Afazaz and Hadra Chefchaounia

The last time we saw the superb all female Hadra Chefchaounia it was led by Lala Rhoum al-Bakkali, but there has been a change and now the group is headed by Khira Afazaz (pictured below). The Hadra Chefchaounia  has performed locally, nationally and internationally in Germany, the Netherlands,  Algeria,  France, Belgium, and Spain.

Lalla Khira learned the basics of the art hadra at the Music Institute of Chefchaouen:, where she studied music theory, violin and Andalusian music.

Although there are a number women’s Sufi ensembles in Morocco, especially in the North, it is still not common for them to play staged concerts. That tonight was a relatively rare event was probably the reason for the large turn out. For the first time during the Fes Festival the venue was packed to capacity and spilling over into the surrounding gardens.

The Hadra Chefchaounia have a distinctive sound that harnesses the melodies and rhythms from the Northern Moroccan Andalusian tradition of Chefchaouen. Using hand drums (gwal) and larger frame drums, they set up some interesting rhythms - at times complex and at others as simple as a heartbeat. It was an effortless performance that, with voices perfectly blended, delivered beautiful ethereal melodies in the Andalusian melodic mode.

The Buzz ~ Audience feedback with Fatima Matousse

Each day at the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music, we take time to speak with festival goers and find out what people attending the festival are talking about.

Tatgaana, Germany: This is my first time in Fez and at the Festival. I am captivated by the architecture; hearing and seeing the musicians play under a huge tree and the sounds of nature accompanying the music, is incredibly relaxing. Though it is true that the concerts are accessible just for the elite and the rich people; I also like that they organise music concerts for locals to enjoy. I think the organisers should improve the toilet facilities especially at Bab Makina.

Dieter Halbach, Germany: “The first thing to mention to the organisers is to be more professional preparing for the Festival. Had they, the African Spirit would not have been cancelled, sadly. I also think that several concerts have nothing to do with sacred music, for instance The Temptations. The sound system was not the best and not working during the latter concert. The best experiences I have had are the ones at Batha Museum and at the Dar Adiyel; these places have a beautiful spirit already - even without music. Seeing Fatouma paly with Roberto Fonseca, the collaboration between Indian and Malian musicians, is what brought me here.”

Jargen Pflaum, Germany: “The Batha Museum is amazing, I even had tears listening to some of the music there. I was closing my eyes and going into my inner self, it was a sort of meditation. Fatou and Roberto are the ones I loved the most as they deeply touched my heart.”

Beate Lerch, Germany: “There are many missing connections in the programs. For instance, during the presentation of the musicians, the moderator keeps speaking French and there is no translation for non-French people. The audience has many Europeans who speak English not French. People need to understand and get information about why the festival chose this musician and what he or she brings as a plus to the sacred music.”

Khadija Sassi, Fes: “The festival is exceptionally beautiful. We love Andalusian music.”

Hamza and Nadia, Fes: I am from Fez and this is my second time to come here. I loved that this year they had visual art on the walls. However, the food could have been less expensive inside Bab Makina - L’ami restaurant is doubling the prices of everything.”

Lamiae, Fes: “ I live in Fes and I come every year to the festival. I am looking forward to seeing Hussain Al Jassmi. We just love the festival because we meet new people all the time.”

Tomorrow at the Fes Festival
Weather: Sunny and 31 degrees Celsius . Nighttime low of 13
4.30 pm - Batha Museum - Faada Freddy (Senegal)
8.30 pm and 10.30 pm - Free concert at Bab Boujloud - Hamid El Hadri et Mazagan followed by Ahwach hayt tissa
9 pm - Bab Makina - Hussain Al Jassmi - (UAE)
11.pm - Sufi Night  at Dar Tazi - Tariqa Hamdouchiya (Hamadcha) with Abderrahim Amrani

The View from Fez is a Festival Media Partner and is covering all festival events and keeping visitors up to date with any change to the schedule via news stories and on Twitter :  @theviewfromfez


See our previous Fes Festival 2015 reports
Fes Festival Opening Night Review
Fes Festival Day Two Review
Fes Festival Day Three
Fes Festival Day Four Review
Fes Festival Day Five
Fes Festival Day Six
Fes Festival Day Seven
Fes Festival Day Eight
Fes Festival Day Nine

Fes Festival - The Wrap

The View From Fez is an official media partner of the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music

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