Hamadcha Concert in Fez this Friday

Visitors to Fez can have a special treat this Friday when the Hamadcha Sufi Brotherhood will perform at the ALIF Riad in Batha

The Hamadcha performing in Australia in 2014

Along with the Gnawa and the Aïssawa, the Hamadcha are one of the three most important so-called ‘popular’ Sufi brotherhoods in Morocco. The Hamadcha brotherhood was founded by Saint Sidi Ali Ben Hamdouch in the seventeenth century, and has become famous through the originality of its repertoire, its spellbinding dances, and the trance-therapy skills of its members.

The Hamadcha’s rhythmic and melodic modes are extremely complex, and like their musical instruments, are found only within the brotherhood. A large part of the repertoire of the Gnawa and the Aïssawa is borrowed from the Hamadcha and is named “El Hamdouchiyya”. This amazing music is played during a ritual that dates back several centuries which mixes praise to the founding Saint and trance.

The Hamadcha ritual, like that of the Gnawa, has a therapeutic function. The Hamadcha were for a long time regarded as expert therapists, and Moroccans looked to them for help because of their knowledge of “medicine of the mind”.

Like all Muslim brotherhoods, the Hamadcha are subdivided into separate groups proper to each town or region. The groups are affiliated with Sidi Ali Ben Hamdouch and his descendants. During the moussem, which takes place every year, they gather at the tomb of the Saint in the region of Meknès.

The Hamadcha performing in Fez in 2016

The Fez Hamadcha

The Hamadcha of Fez, led by the master Abderrahim Amrani Marrakchi, distinguish themselves by their will to preserve the brotherhood from a possible disappearance. Their thorough knowledge of the repertoire and their remarkable musical skills make them the most renowned and valued Hamadcha group in Morocco. They have performed on many occasions, for recordings and at festivals of traditional music around Morocco as well as in Europe.

In 2014 the Fez Hamadcha became the first Sufi Brotherhood to tour Australia with a number of performances at the Sydney Festival and the Woodford Festival (See story and photographs here).

Abderrahim Amrani

Details
Hamadsha Concert: with Abderrahim Amrani
Friday Nov 25 @ 7:00 PM
ALIF Riad, 6 Derb Drissi, Batha, Fes Medina

SHARE THIS!

International Photography Exhibition in Fez

The French Institute in Fez is hosting the 10th International Photo Exhibition. The full programme is available here in PDF form - Photography Programme

The 10th Rencontres Internationales de la Photo de Fès runs from from the 22nd November to the 19th of December 2016. It will be marked by several highlights, including the tribute to be paid to the great Franco-Moroccan photographer Leila Alaoui who died on January the 18th in a terrorist attack in Ouagadougou.

The late Leila Alaoui

The opening ceremony will take place on November 22 at the Gallery of the French Institute in the presence of Alaoui's family, friends, writers and photographers.

SHARE THIS!

Slideluck Exhibition in Fez

Slideluck is a NYC-based non-profit organisation dedicated to building and strengthening community through food and art by producing multimedia slideshows combined with potluck dinners in over 75 cities worldwide. Once again it is returning to Fez

Photographers represented include: Suzanna Clarke, Rita Houari, Vanessa Bonnin, Evi Tabea, Tom Fakler, Daniel Donnelly, Omar Chennafi, Ahmed Bennani, Mohamed Thara, Cat Wilson, Antonio Jose Guzman and Anna Golubeva.

SHARE THIS!

Moroccan Photo of the Day - Bab Boujloud

The Bab Bou Jeloud (or Bab Boujeloud; English: The Blue Gate) is a gate that leads to the Old Medina of Fes el Bali, in Fez. These two old photographs are from the collection in the Fine Arts Library of the Harvard College Library

From the outside looking into the Medina

The view from the Medina looking out

Surrounded by high walls, the Pasha Baghdadi square connects the Medina with Fez el-Jedid. The Bab Bou Jeloud is a beautiful monumental gate built in 1913 and is now one of the main tourist entrances to Fez el-Bali.

See more in our series Photo of the Day 

The View from Fez welcomes contributions to our Photo of the Day Series

SHARE THIS!

Morocco's Eid Al Istiqulal (Independence Day)

November 18th in Morocco is known as Eid Al Istiqulal (Independence Day), and honours the return of King Mohammed V to Morocco from exile in Madagascar. On this day the king proclaimed the freedom of Morocco from France and Spain who had colonised the country for 44 years

On November 18, 1956 Morocco gained its independence from France in what became known as the Revolution of the King and the People. France had claimed Morocco as a French protectorate since 1912.

In 1944, Moroccan nationalists formed an independence party seeking an end to colonialism, and became known as the Istiqlals. In response, the French government arrested all the leaders of the group. Following riots in Casablanca in 1952, Istiqlal was banned. King Mohammad V was exiled to Madagascar, and Ben Aarafa took over, but he was not well-liked by Moroccans.

King Mohammad V returns to Morocco 

Nationalists and supporters of King Mohammad V, angered by the French decision, began revolting on the streets in the form of an armed movement. This forced the French government to bring back King Mohammad V. The return of the king culminated into Morocco’s independence.

On November 18, 1955, King Mohammad V returned to Morocco and negotiated for his country’s freedom through reforms that would transform it into a constitutional monarchy. In 1956, France officially relinquished its protectorate and Morocco gained its independence.

The View From Fez congratulates Morocco on Eid Al Istiqulal

SHARE THIS!

Australia to Open Embassy in Rabat

Yesterday (Wednesday, November 16) in Marrakech, Australia’s top diplomat, Julie Bishop, announced that Australia will open an embassy in Rabat. This long awaited development is good news for both Australian expats and the thousands of tourists who visit the Kingdom each year

Salaheddine Mezouar and Julie Bishop

Australian Foreign minister Julie Bishop is in Morocco representing Australia at the 22nd UN conference climate conference (COP22) convening in Marrakech.

Following her meeting with Moroccan Foreign minister Salaheddine Mezouar, acting chairman of COP22, the Australian Foreign minister said her country has decided to open embassy in Morocco’s capital because the two countries share huge untapped potentials and bilateral cooperation prospects look promising.

“We hope the opening of the embassy will usher in a new era in Australian-Moroccan relations”, she said, expressing her country’s keen interest to foster further economic relations, especially in renewable energies.

About 30,000 Australian tourists visit Marrakech each year, added Mrs Julie Bishop, saying she is convinced that this number will keep growing in the coming years due to Morocco's political stability, tolerance and thriving tourism sector.

Morocco has a rapidly industrialising economy and there is significant opportunity to expand Australia’s trade and investment links, including in food and agriculture, infrastructure planning and sustainable development, mining, oil and gas, and health  as relations between the two countries are gaining momentum

Today I announce the Government’s intention to open an Australian Embassy in Rabat, Morocco, with the agreement from the Moroccan Government, as part of our commitment to expanding Australia’s diplomatic network. An embassy in Morocco is an important addition to Australia’s diplomatic network in Africa, a region of considerable commercial interest to Australia - Julie Bishop

It is believed that the new Embassy will also facilitate enhanced collaboration on counter-terrorism and other security issues.  Mrs Bishop pointed out that Australia values Morocco’s significant role in international efforts to fight international terrorism and extremism.

The two countries enjoy strong people-to-people links, with many thousands of Australians visiting Morocco each year.

The Australian Government hopes to open the Embassy in the 2017/2018 financial year contingent upon identifying a suitable location and office fit-out.

It is to be hoped that the new links mean that Australian residents in Morocco will also be able to gain residency permits for longer than one year.

Local Australians have welcomed the news while New Zealanders hope that their country will follow the Australian lead.

SHARE THIS!

Moroccan Photo of the Day ~ Djebel Zalagh

The ALC-ALIF Photography Club photography trip to Mt Zalagh on the weekend was a great success with twenty-six participants. The photograph above was taken by Mohammed Kadiri.

26 photographers took part

Thanks to club organiser Omar Chennafi

See more in our series Photo of the Day 

The View from Fez welcomes contributions to our Photo of the Day Series

SHARE THIS!

Moroccan Photo of the Day - Moon Over Tangier

This full moon last night was the closest and brightest "supermoon" of 2016 but also the largest since 1948. The full moon won't come this close to Earth again until Nov. 25, 2034.

See more in our series Photo of the Day 

The View from Fez welcomes contributions to our Photo of the Day Series

SHARE THIS!

Morocco's Million Trees in a Day Project

On Saturday, Morocco's High Commissioner for Water and Forests and the Fight Against Desertification (HCEFLCD), Abdeladim Lhafi, launched a national initiative to plant over one million trees in a single day, in over 210 areas across the country

"I plant a tree in my territory to develop the forest of my country" 

The project under the Patronage of HM King Mohammed VI, was announced in the town of Jbilat in the province of Rhamna (Azib Sidi Bouathmane) in the presence of the Governor of the province, Farid Chourak. The event was launched with the theme "I plant a tree in my territory to develop the forest of my country".

The national reforestation campaign 2016 will involve the planting of more than 40 million seedlings over an area of ​​45,000 to 50,000 ha. The previous reforestation program annually increased forest cover by 1% between 1990 and 2000 and by 2% between 2000 and 2010.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) Morocco is among the 25 countries that have reversed the trend of degradation of their forest ecosystems.


SHARE THIS!