La Magie du Mouvement - Dance Festival in Fez
La Magie du Mouvement
Lovers of contemporary dance are in for a treat with the dance festival now on in Fez. We are sorry that we have not given you any advanced warning, but the organisers only just got the programme to us!
According to Nadia Berrechid, the Artistic director, the aim of the festival is to offer locals and visitors of Fes a presentation of modern and traditional dances. The participants share all their passion for multicultural dance while the audience will "Discover the art of the body expression that relates to the scenic space through exchange and identification".
Participants come from Morocco, Spain, France Germany, India and the USA. The Dance Festival is open to all types of body expression -Flamenco - Ballet - Belly dance - Indian – Hip Hop - Sufi Dance - Trance - Raga – Free Dance.
Presentations at 8 pm and Workshops at 10 am.
The venue is the Cultural Complex – Al Houria, guest houses and the Batha Museum
PROGRAMME
*MARDI 02 Décembre : 18 h : Expositions signées
KHADIJA TNANA & HASSAN JAMIL
(19h) : Flamenco avec la troupe TARAB y DUENDE( MAROC/ ESPAGNE)
* MERCREDI 03 Décembre : (19 h)
CINE-DANCE : Projection des Extraits Chorégraphiques
En Hommage à MAURICE BEJART.
* ROXANE BUTTERFLY’S WORLDBEATS
* JEUDI 04 : (19h)
* 1ère partie : Transe Gnaouie
Dirigée par ABDERRAZZAK ZAIMI.
*2ème partie : Rite Jilai
Dirigé par HOUSSINE MASSOUDI (MAROC)
* VENDREDI 05(18h) :
* 1ère partie : Free Dance avec CAMELIA & SARAH ( MAROC)
* WOMEN’S NIGHT avec ASMAE & RACHEL ( MAROC / USA)
*19h : BEYRUTH (Danse & Peinture) présenté par
PASCALE SAVEY- AHLAM MORSELY- ANNE LISE RISCALLA
(FRANCE /MAROC /ITALIE)
* SAMEDI 06: (19 h)
1ère Partie : « TOLEDANCE »
Dirigé par AZIZ EL HAKIM & LILA BE ( MAROC/FRANCE)
* PERFORMANCE des ARTS MARTIAUX
Dirigé par le Maître SAMIR SAID (MAROC)
2ème Partie : BREAK DANCE, avec la Troupe L’HIBA KINGZOO. ( MAROC)
* les spectacles & les expos auront lieu au complexe culturel Al Hourria.
_________________________________________________
Contact : B.P : 2050 . Poste Principale. Fès. Morocco.
e-mail : hakimdeutsch2@yahoo.fr
Mobile : 00 212 63 18 83 26
Website : http://fes-dance.ifrance.com
Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb newsMedina Gossip #3507
Princess Lalla Salma honoured in Senegal.
Princess Lalla Salma, spouse of king Mohammed VI of Morocco, was decorated by President Abdoulaye Wade with the Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit, the highest honour bestowed in Senegal.
The decoration ceremony was attended by Senegal's First lady, Viviane Wade, and by Morocco's ambassador to Dakar, Moha Ouali Tagma.
"Princess Lalla Salma deserves the award for her humanitarian actions in Morocco and abroad," Vivian Wade told the press following the decoration ceremony, noting that "this decoration is also a gesture of admiration for Morocco and for the royal family."
Princess Lalla Salma arrived in Dakar on Sunday to take part in the 15th International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (CISMA), convening in the Senegalese capital on December 3-7.
So you want a break?
This week Gran Canaria airlines have started a new service between Morocco and the Canary Islands. The flights will be twice weekly (on Mondays and Fridays) - the catch for those living in Fez and wanting a short vacation is that that the flights depart from Agadir. Domage bizef!
Chers amis de la Communauté internationale en Médina,
Pour ceux d'entre vous qui avaient eu connaissance, par Zelliges & Mosaïques, du ''pot'' de la Saint Nicolas en Médina, l'Evènement est toujours bien prévu le 6 décembre mais le site a changé.
C'est au riad Alkantara, chez Abdelfattah et Camille ( 24, Oued Souaffine - Douh - contact@riadalkantara.com), qu'on se réunira finalement à partir de 18 heures (le riad Batha abritant une activité culturelle ce soir là). Que nos aimables hôtes soient remerciés d'accueillir les anciens comme les nouveaux résidents, ceux qui sont inquiets comme ceux qui sont sereins, pour mieux se connaître et mieux se faire comprendre, en toute amitié et sans protocole aucun.
La réunion pouvant servir à ''donner une voix'' à la communauté étrangère de la Médina, n'hésitez pas à en parler autour de vous et à y faire venir des résidents que nous ne connaissons pas : il y en a beaucoup.
A bientôt et bien amicalement,
Bertrand Lavezzari
Consul général de France à Fès
 Riad Alkantara
Once more in English!
Riad Alkantara
Dear friends of the international community, living in the Medina,Some of you may have already heard (through Zelliges & Mosaïques) about the ''drink'' planned for the celebration of Saint Nicolas, on 6. December. The Event is still here but the venue has changed.
Riad Alkantara, with Abdelfattah and Camille as hosts ( 24, Oued Souaffine - Douh - contact@riadalkantara.com), will finally welcome you, from 6.PM on, (as riad Batha is staging a cultural event that same evening). Our gratitude being expressed to them as they will welcome old as new foreign residents, those who worry as well as those who keep cool.. the goal being to get to know each other better, make some points of common interest and spread understanding, in all friendship and without protocol.
This meeting might even provide the foreign community in the Medina with a ''voice'' of its own. So, please, don't hesitate to spread the invitation to those unknown of us, among the foreign residents. They are plenty.
Welcome, all !
Yours, friendly,
Bertrand Lavezzari.
Consul général de France à Fès
Morocco to turn prison cells into cultural centres
Secret jails that once held Moroccan soldiers arrested after failed coup attempts in appalling conditions are to be converted into centres that will beat witness to their history.
Morocco's Advisory Council on Human Rights has signed an agreement for the project with the government, the president of the CCDH, Ahmed Herzenni said.
"We will convert the centres that were places of terrible abuses of freedom into memorial spots that celebrate hope and the future," said Herzenni.
But one of the country's most renowned detention centres, where 58 soldiers were jailed for 18 years after their part in a failed 1971 coup against King Hassan II, is not on the list of centres up for restoration.
 Tazmamart
Herzenni said discussions with the victims and their families were still going on over whether to include the Tazmamart prison in southeast Morocco on the list.
The agreement followed recommendations from a 2004 truth commission presented to King Mohammed VI on serious human rights violations between 1960 and 1999.
Attention Fashion Tragics!
The famous French fashion and style outlet Galeries Lafayette has decided to expand with an investment of 130 million dirhams in Morocco. The French department store chain has signed a partnership agreement with Aksal which gives the Moroccan retail group exclusive operating rights to its brand in Morocco. So we can expect the fashion tragics to be making a few more shopping trips to Casablanca.
Margot the Marrakech Mystic Says...
When hemlines go up, so does the market. Well, in Morocco, djellaba hemlines for both men and women have come way up in the past few years. From ankle-length, they have now come up to mid-calf length. But what’s been going up in Morocco is real estate prices! With the worldwide economic slowdown, I imagine it will affect Morocco, even though it hasn’t yet done so very much. Tourists are still coming, and according to a friend I know who owns a travel agency, Europeans don’t seem to be cancelling their holidays to Morocco, at least not yet.
So, if and when the economic downturn hits Morocco, will hemlines come down again? We’ll see.
You can reach Margot here: Margot
Morocco's new smart card
A source in the Morocco's national security service tells us the contact-less smart cards, required for all citizens over 18, will be used to fight terrorism. Artists are issued an additional professional card.
Morocco's national security service has begun issuing millions of "contactless," biometric identification smart cards to simultaneously fight terrorism and guarantee respect for "citizens' rights and liberty," according to that North African government.
Moroccan citizens over 18 years old are required to carry the new ID, but on the upside; the card conveniently supplants birth certificates, certificate of residence, certificate of life, and certificate of nationality in "all procedures for which these documents must be provided."
Artists, however, will continue to be issued a professional ID card by the Ministry of Culture.
The smart cards hold personal details and biometric data, and can be used as travel documents, as well as a way for the government to "control migration flows." Naturally, no one besides the cardholder and authorized government entities will have access to the personal data in the bar code and on the microchip.
French aerospace giant Thales provided the system, which included the security software, document production equipment, and the "connectivity with the Automated Fingerprint Identification System which acquires digital fingerprints."
This is the world's first national ID system based on contactless smart-card technology, according to the press release. The Direction Generale de la Securite Nationale (DGSN) has issued at least a million cards to date and plans to distribute 20 million more over the next four years.
The ID cards for artists, meanwhile, afford them a "more structured environment" in which to work and ensure "conditions necessary to promote creativity," according to the Ministry. There also are unspecified "social benefits."
The rising popularity of shisha among Moroccan women.
A whisper has it that there is concern in more conservative circles about the growing number of women who now publicly smoke shisha. Well, the news for those conservatives is that they need to "get out more often" . Shisha is hugely popular and the worst thing they could do is drive it underground where the authorities can't keep an eye on it.
 "Shameful" mingling?
According to Miriam (18) from the Fez Medina, 'All my friends enjoy shisha and it is so much better than cigarettes.' However not everyone agrees. Authorities in Casablanca actually shut down shisha cafes throughout the city after receiving several complaints during the holy month of Ramadan that the cafes promote vice and spread disease.
Moroccan preacher sheikh Abdul-Bari al-Zamzami, a member of the Moroccan Scholars Association claimed that the cafes were dens of vice and corruption.
"Shisha cafes are a disgrace to the city and to all Morocco. They are a way to seduce minors and spread corruption," he said.
In addition to the personal health risks of smoking sihsha, which include lung cancer, shisha cafes have been linked to the increased prevalence of tuberculosis in several Arab countries. According to the World Health Organization regional office in Cairo, about 17 percent of TB cases in the eastern Mediterranean are attributable to smoking the water pipes.
Recent statistics issued by the Ministry of Health indicate that Casablanca has the highest number of TB cases out of any Moroccan cities, with 25,562 cases reported in 2007 alone. The rate of infection was estimated at 82 cases for every 100,000.
Haya added that in addition to health problems cafes encourage many ethical violations since men and women "mingle in a shameful way."
Casablanca mayor Mohamed Sajed declined to comment on the decision to close the cafes.
 Not exactly a den of vice!
The controversy over shisha cafes started in the City Council where many members considered them hotbeds of indecency and accused many of its regulars of replacing tobacco with pot or other narcotics.
And from the desk of our Sport's Editor...According to Dominick, the Moroccan national team beat its Libyan counterpart 3-1 on Saturday in the first leg match part of the final round qualifiers for African nations championship for locally based players (CHAN-2009).
Two Moroccan goals were scored by Mustapha Allaoui at the 11th and 63rd minutes, while Mohamed Madihi scored the third goal at the 85th min. The Libyan goal was netted at the 21st min. by Oussama Saad El Fizani.
The return match will be played on December 12 in Tripoli. The winner will qualify to the finals of the first CHAN- 2009 tournament slated for February 22 through March 8, 2009 in Cote d'Ivoire.
Finally - Spare a thought for another historic city. Restaurant in St Marks Square...Venice has just been hit today by the worst floods in more then two decades. Tourists have had to flee as waters took over huge areas of the city. Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news How to get ahead in advertising, Fez style...
Despite the recent rains pummelling Fez, those intrepid enough to leave the safety and comfort of their dars & riads and venture out into the streets, may have stumbled across the latest four-legged star of the medina.
Equipped with a fetching saddle cover and weighed down by only a specially designed donkey "sandwich-board" (much less than most beasts of burden locally), Platero the donkey is F-Lounge's new mobile advertising hoarding, while his handler passes out fliers reminding and encouraging tourists and Moroccans alike to visit the comfortable & contemporary space on Zkak Rouah.
So next time you see Platero, give him a smile and then head down to F-Lounge to sample everything from delicious shishas to terrific tapas and, lest we not forget, the best brownie in the medina.
Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news
Moroccan Kaftans hit the catwalk.
If kaftans are your thing, then last weekend Casablanca was the place to be. Maroc Premium magazine hosted the 3rd annual Mode Made in Morocco and the spotlight was eight designers whose work blended tradition and modern fashion.
According to Michele Desmottes, the fashion show's director, "Moroccan designers are getting more and more orders from abroad as people recognise the exceptional creativity in Morocco."
Her view is shared by the Parisian couturier Dominique Sirop, the show's guest of honour. "For three years, we've been seeing a real emergence of Moroccan designers, worthy of what is happening in other countries," he said. "They prove that Morocco is not just the sun, tajine and the kaftan."
 A Mademoiselle Lucien design.
Designers such as Jamal Daoudi and Nabil Dahani still draw inspiration from Morocco, but as they work in Paris, their creations seem more audacious, more modern, lighter, and indeed more European.
Hassan Tanner took home the Jean-Louis Scherrer prize for his dresses that were light and closely cut to the body -- perhaps the most radical designs to be seen at the weekend's show.
Creations by Marrakesh-based Frederique Birkemeyer were equally feminine, rich in embroidery and inlay.
One wonders what Yves Saint Laurent would have thought. The legendary French designer, who died in Paris in June aged 71, kept a second home in Marrakech, and many of his best creations took inspiration from the kaftan.
Menswear got a look-in at this year's Mode Made in Morocco as well, with Tangiers native Salima Salima Abdel-Wahab sending out two highly original outfits light years from that classic desert robe, the djellaba.
 Designs from previous years
"It is time to wake up and to encourage individual talent," Desmottes said, as Sirop underlined the role that fashion can play "in the economic development of the country."
Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb newsA thought for the day!
In the first three weeks since the election, President-elect Barack Obama has broken with a tradition established over the past eight years through his controversial use of complete sentences, political observers say. One of our regular readers has sent us this...
Millions of Americans who watched Mr. Obama's appearance on CBS' "Sixty Minutes" on Sunday witnessed the president-elect's unorthodox verbal tick, which had Mr.Obama employing grammatically correct sentences virtually every time he opened his mouth.
However, Mr. Obama's decision to use complete sentences in his public pronouncements carries with it certain risks, since after the last eight years many Americans may find his odd speaking style jarring. According to presidential historian Davis Logsdon of the University of Minnesota, some Americans might find it "alienating" to have a President who speaks English as if it were his first language. "Every time Obama opens his mouth, his subjects and verbs are in agreement," says Mr. Logsdon. "If he keeps it up, he is running the risk of sounding like an elitist." The historian said that if Mr. Obama insists on using complete sentences in his speeches, the public may find itself saying, "Okay, subject, predicate, subject predicate - we get it, stop showing off."
The President-elect's stubborn insistence on using complete sentences has already attracted a rebuke from one of his harshest critics, Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska. "Talking with complete sentences there and also too talking in a way that ordinary Americans like Joe the Plumber and Tito the Builder can't really do there, I think needing to do that isn't tapping into what Americans are needing also," she said.
Maybe the President elect can take de-elocution lessons from George Bush.
Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb newsThe delicate art of Moroccan henna
 Henna is used in Morocco to dye the skin in intricate patterns, sometimes called temporary tattoos. Henna is an integral part of many celebrations in Morocco and it is quite common to see henna on women's hands and feet for weddings and special occasions. Although the use of henna at weddings is well known, it is also commonly used with the ceremonies for Id al-Adha and male circumcision.
The anthropologist, Catherine Cartwright-Jones, points out that "the designs are often variants on the traditional North African "Khamsa” pattern: a cross with four dots surrounding; a square, circle or diamond shape with one dot within and four surrounding; hand shapes, and variations on these. People applied henna and the “Khamsa” patterns to avert the “Evil Eye”.
For visitors it is a popular experience to have henna applied, particularly for women.
It is also possible to buy henna patterns so that you can apply henna once you return home. The best place to buy henna and henna patterns is in the Henna Souq off the Tala'a Kbira
 The application of henna is time consuming and you should expect to spend at least an hour for the artist to complete the design. Then it is time to wrap the hands gently in cotton cloth in order to protect them from damage during the drying period. The longer the hands are protected the better.
The design will normally last for a couple of weeks or more, with the palms usually lasting the longest.
According to Wikipedia: the different words for henna in ancient languages imply that henna had more than one point of discovery and origin, and different pathways of daily and ceremonial use.
 Linda Zahava - Khamsa - (detail)
Henna has been used to adorn young women’s bodies as part of social and holiday celebrations since the late Bronze Age in the eastern Mediterranean. The earliest text mentioning henna in the context of marriage and fertility celebrations comes from the Ugaritic legend of Baal and Anath, which has references to women marking themselves with henna in preparation to meet their husbands, and Anath adorning herself with henna to celebrate a victory over the enemies of Baal. Wall paintings excavated at Akrotiri (dating prior to the eruption of Thera in 1680 BCE) show women with markings consistent with henna on their nails, palms and soles, in a tableau consistent with the henna bridal description from Ugarit Many statuettes of young women dating between 1500 and 500 BCE along the Mediterranean coastline have raised hands with markings consistent with henna. This early connection between young, fertile women and henna seems to be the origin of the Night of the Henna. 
Linda Zahava's Henna Designs. The Night of the Henna has spread around the world and is celebrated by most groups in the areas where henna grew naturally: Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Christians and Zoroastrians. All these cultures celebrated marriages by adorning the bride, and often the groom, with henna.
 Henna workshops at Cafe ClockA Warning about "black henna" In the 1990s, henna artists in Africa, India, the Arabian Peninsula and the West began to experiment with para-phenylenediamine (PPD) based black .hair dye, applying it as a thick paste as they would apply henna, in an effort to find something that would quickly make jet black temporary body art. PPD can cause severe allergic reactions, with blistering, intense itching, permanent scarring, and permanent chemical sensitivities. Henna boosted with PPD can cause lifelong health damage. Para-phenylenediamine is illegal for use on skin in western countries, though enforcement is lax. When used in hair dye, the PPD amount must be below 6%, and application instructions warn that the dye not touch the scalp and the dye must be quickly rinsed away. “Black henna” pastes have PPD percentages from 10% to 60%, and are left on the skin for half an hour. Para-phenylenediamine “black henna” use is widespread, particularly in tourist areas. Because the blistering reaction appears 3 to 12 days after the application, most tourists have left and do not return to show how much damage the artist has done. This permits the artists to continue injuring others, unaware they are causing severe injuries. The high profit margins of ‘black henna” and the demand for body art that emulates “tribal tattoos” further encourage artists to ignore the dangers. It is not difficult to recognize and avoid para-phenylenediamine “black henna”: - if a paste stains torso skin black in less than ½ hour, it has PPD in it, and little or no henna.
- if the paste is mixed with peroxide, or if peroxide is wiped over the design to bring out the color, it has PPD in it, and little or no henna.
Anyone who has an itching and blistering reaction to a black body stain should go to a doctor, and report that they have had an application of para-phenylenediamine to their skin. 
A woman walking while her henna dries
Photo credits: Sandy McCutcheon
Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news Caring for the blind in Morocco
 Nouzha Skalli
There are 157,900 blind and partially sighted people in Morocco, including 46.6% of women, minister Skalli, said,
Skalli stressed the importance of this forum which is part of the momentum witnessed by African societies and efforts aiming to improve management of the issue of visual disability among women in Africa.
She also highlighted the important role played by African countries in the development and adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (December 13, 2006), recalling that Morocco has launched the ratification process of this Convention which was adopted recently by the Government.
Themed "Now is the right time for significant inclusion", the forum, which will be followed by the 6th AFUB General Assembly with delegations representing 50 African countries.
Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb newsDar Ba Mohamed Chergui
Recently our heritage editor, Lumen, reported on the sale of Dar Ba Mohamed Chergui, situated on Derb el Horra in the Fez Medina.
 One of the central courtyards
The idea is to restore the buildings and convert them into a 28-room hotel which will include a passerelle or bridge over Derb el Horra to connect between the two.
Just to give those who have never visited Dar ba Mohamed Chergui an idea of what is at stake, we sent our intrepid photographer Zany along to take some photographs:
 The unique garden featuring star-shaped zellij planters Interior and detail (below)Photographs: Suzanna Clarke.
Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb newsCafé Clock & Clock Culture
 Welcome to this weeks program @ Café Clock
Tuesday 25 Nov : 9- 10a.m.
Yoga @ the Clock
Bring a Mat : 50 dh ( discounts available )
Tuesday 25 Nov : 6 p.m.
Soireè Poetique (Free)
Poetry readings in different languages accompanied by an oude.
Wednesday 26 Nov – 10 - 12 am
Dariija Conversation ( level 1 and 2 )
40 dh (discounts available)
Thursday 27 Nov : 9 – 10 a.m.
Yoga @ the Clock
Bring a Mat : 50 dh ( discounts available )
Thursday 27 Nov - 6 p.m. ( Free )
Film : Adaptation
Nicolas Cage and Meryl Streep in an academy award winning film.
Sunday 30 Nov : 11 a.m – 12:30 am
Oriental Dance @ the Clock with Fes choreographer and dancer Asmae Kouli. ( 30 dh). Reserve a Place
Sunday 30 Nov : 2 p.m.
English Conversation Group. ( 50 dh )
Sunday 30 Nov – 3 - 5 p.m. Calligraphy @ the Clock
Discover the sacred art of Arabic calligraphy with teacher and artists Mohammed Charkaoui. (150 dh, discounts available)
Reserve a Place.
Sunday 30 Nov : 6 p.m. ( 20 dh )
Sunday Sunset Concert
Misnoma – Nu – jazz
www.cafeclock.com
Turn up the culture!
To contact us Cafe Clock please write to :info@cafeclock.com
Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb newsPrincess Lalla Salma meets Harald Zur Hausen
Princess Lalla Salma, chairwoman of Lalla Salma Association Against Cancer (ALSC), on Saturday presided over the award ceremony of national and international ALSC prizes, on the occasion of the national day against cancer.
The international ALSC prize went to Harald Zur Hausen, laureate of the "2008 Nobel Prize for Medicine", who dedicated the majority of his works to the discovery of human papilloma viruses causing cervical cancer.
The national award was given to late Abdessadek Rabieh, a founding member of the Association who spearheaded many of the achievements of the Association.
On this occasion, princess Lalla Salma, spouse of king Mohammed VI, chaired the singing ceremony of a partnership agreement between the Association and InNaBioSanté Foundation, in the presence of Philippe Douste-Blazy, president of this foundation.
By virtue of this agreement, the two parties will carry out common actions in the fields of training, research and the exchange and transfer of expertise.
The princess also chaired the general assembly of Lalla Salma Association Against Cancer, which is a non-profit association whose general strategy is defined by the Board of Directors, chaired by the Princess. It musters 15 members, elected by the General Assembly.
The association fights cancer in Morocco through four intervention fields, as the association brings assistance to patients and relatives, and in particular improving the living condition of cancer-stricken citizens, and of their parents. It is also a source of information and prevention, in addition to providing support to the medical staff and clinical and operational research. The association also provides help and assistance for the creation of oncology centers and their equipment.
In Morocco, the association works in partnership with several bodies, institutions of the private and public sectors, and the Ministry of public health, while abroad, it has partners including international oncology centers and several bodies and associations against cancer.
Some 35,000 to 50,000 new cancer cases are documented each year in Morocco, according to a study carried out by the Association, quoting the International Agency for Research in Cancer (IARC).
Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news
Tan-Tan festival - November 28-30.
Moroccan and foreign tourists will pour into the southern city of Tan-Tan to celebrate the desert and nomadic life, as part of the fifth Tan-Tan festival that runs from November 28th to 30th.
Nomadic tribes from all over the Moroccan Sahara, Mauritania, Mali and as far as Niger will meet in the southern city and set up tents to pay tribute to a lifestyle that a diminishing number of men and women struggle to keep alive within a globalized world.
The tents will hold thematic displays on Berber and Hassani lifestyles: cooking, marriage ceremonies, weaving, popular games, the teaching of the Koran, and the nomadic lifestyle.
Through the nights of the three-day festival, the dunes will vibrate to the sounds of concerts given by local and foreign folklore groups in wonderful spots. A special night will be held at the embouchure of Chbika river, one of the few breaks in the undulating cliffs where the flat, rocky hammada landscape of the desert meets the sure, strong currents of the Atlantic Ocean.
However, the major entertainment will incontestably be the Camel, the “desert ship”. Tourists and participants alike will queue to follow camel races, the popular sports of the desert, and camel parades that feature the best camels in the region.
The festival will feature other sports and cultural activities, such as the 2nd international road race, Hassani poetry and a movie screening.
Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news
Princess Lalla Salma opens nuclear medicine department
 In Casablanca on Monday, Princess Lalla Salma, chairwoman of Lalla Salma Association Against Cancer (ALSC), inaugurated the new nuclear medicine department at the Casablanca University Ibn Rochd hospital.
The increased capacity of the new department means that medical tests will be able to increase from 3,500 currently to 4,200 in 2009 and to 5,000 in 2010.
Princess Lalla Salma also launched a breast-cancer screening program by a mobile mammography unit. This program covers 11 prefectures and provinces in the economic capital and targets nearly 520,000 women aged 45 and over. The mobile teams, consisting of 8 radiologists and 8 technicians, will carry out between 1,800 and 2,400 mammograms per year.
Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb newsLast minute Clock update!Café invites you to "Gnaoua @ the Clock" today.
Event: Gnaoua @ the Clock
What: Concert
Host: Café Clock
Start Time: Today, November 23 at 6:00pm
End Time: Today, November 23 at 7:30pm
Where: Café Clock
Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news Finnish actor wins Best Actor in Marrakech Film Festival
 The top acting award at the Marrakesh international film festival has gone to Finnish actor Eero Aho from Oulu for his role in the Finnish film Käsky (which means "Command" in Finnish) but given the English title "Tears of April". Best actress award went to American actress Melissa Leo for her part in "Frozen River".
The Etoile d'Or (Golden Star) for the Best Movie went to "Wild Field" by Georgian-Russian director Mikhail Kalatozishvili.
The film tells the story of a young doctor who chooses to work in the , empty and deserted steppe. The villagers turn to him, not only for professional advice but also to share their daily problems with him.
The Jury Prize was awarded to Chinese movie "The Shaft" by Zhang Chi.
Some 15 entries competed for the top prize, including films from China, India, Denmark, Ireland and the Philippines. Leading the jury was American director Barry Levinson, who directed Robin Williams in "Good Morning Vietnam" and Tom Cruise in "Rain Man".
Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news
Princess Lalla Meryem of Morocco Says NO to Violence against Women
HRH Princess Lalla Meryem of Morocco signed on to UNIFEM’s Say NO to Violence against Women campaign on her country’s behalf on 10 November. The Princess is President of the National Union of Moroccan Women and the National Monitoring Agency for Children’s Rights, and sister of His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco.
In her letter to the Minister of Social Development, Family and Solidarity, she expressed her support for the global movement to end violence against women, and her commitment to the empowerment of Moroccan women and to their social, economic and cultural development.
The UNIFEM-organized Say NO to Violence against Women campaign is a global advocacy and awareness raising effort on ending violence against women, designed to support UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s multi-year UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign. The UNIFEM initiative aims to demonstrate that there is an ever-growing movement of people who Say NO to violence against women and Say YES to make ending it a top priority for governments everywhere. To date, nearly 990,000 people have signed on to the campaign. All signatures collected will be delivered to Mr. Ban on 25 November 2008, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb newsThe Atlas Lions roar against Zambia.
 Morocco beats Zambia 3-0
In Casablanca on Wednesday, Morocco's soccer squad beat Zambia 3-0 in a friendly as part of preparations for the 2010 FIFA world cup/Africa nations' cup qualifiers. Our sports editor reports:
Three minutes into the first half, the Atlas Lions opened the scoring through midfielder Lhoucine Kharga. 21 minutes later, Porto striker Tarik Sektioui doubled the score from the penalty point after Nabil Derar was brought down in the box.
In the second half, Malaga striker, Nabil Baha, offered a third goal to the Atlas Lions following a long, beautiful pass from midfielder Merouane Zemmama.
The game was an opportunity for national manager, Roger Lemerre, to try a number of newcomers, who gave a good account of themselves in the match, especially the goalkeeper Karim Zaza.
Morocco will play Gabon, Cameroon and Togo in Group A of the 2010 Can/ World cup qualifiers.
The Atlas Lions will start the last stage of qualifiers in a home game before Gabon, before flying to Cameroon to play the Indomitable Lions. They will wrap up the first leg of the qualifiers in another home game before Togo, which participated in the latest edition of the World Cup.
The top of this group will advance to the 2010 South Africa World Cup, while the top three teams will join host Angola to take part at the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations.
Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb newsGoing, going, gone!
 Entrance to Dar Mohamed Ba Chergui
For a few dirhams, the family living there could be persuaded to show you round. This time, though, she was prevented from entering by two new guards, and couldn't get past the imposing entrance, big enough to ride into and tie up your horse. The palace comprises two majestic houses, the men's quarters and the harem. One has an imposing courtyard with central fountain and huge wall fountain surrounded by magnificently painted cedarwood doors; the other a unique garden featuring star-shaped zellij planters, painted ceilings and an interesting hammam in the old house.
The View from Fez understands from local sources that the complex, along with the massive palace opposite, Dar Ouezzane, has been sold to a consortium of businessmen from Saudi Arabia, Germany and Switzerland for an undisclosed sum (thought to be in region of several million Euros). Dar Ouezzane alone had at least 20-25 inheritors, so it must have been some deal.
The idea is to restore the buildings and convert them into a 28-room hotel which will include a bridge, or passerelle, between the two, over Derb el Horra.
 Derb el Horra, with Dar Ba Mohamed Chergui on the left, and Dar Ouezzane on the rightThis is good news for Fez, and particularly for residents of the area who will benefit from increased security and property values. It's also good news for two splendid houses that had fallen into a serious state of disrepair. Other than selling them as potential hotels, there's really no other way that they could have been saved. Let's hope that the renovation will be sensitively done.
What Lumen would like to know is what has happened to the black-and-white photograph of the last Pasha to live in the house, that hung in one of the ground floor salons. She hopes it's survived and will have pride of place in the new hotel.
Kitesurfer clinches world title in Essaouira
Welsh kitesurfer Kirsty Jones has clinched her first world title.The View from Fez sports editor, Dominick Nisbett, reports:
The 30-year-old from Carmarthenshire said it was a "dream come true" to be crowned kitesurf world wave champion at Essaouira in Morocco, Africa. The current British champion said it capped off an "amazing year" for her as she had been leading the Kiteboard Pro World Tour going into the final round. The professional kitesurfer made a name for herself in 2002 as the first person to kitesurf across the Irish Sea. Speaking after winning the title on Sunday, she said: "'It's been an amazing year for me doing the KPWT world tour. "Last year I missed out on the title by a small margin and this year I was determined to become world champion - this is my dream come true. "The final in Morocco was by far the toughest for me as I put so much pressure on myself to win this final event." The Morocco event was the culmination of the 10th year of the Kiteboard Pro World Tour, which also staged events in France, Portugal and Brazil. As well as defending her crown in 2009, she plans to organise another long-distance solo kitesurf for charity. In 2002 she inspired a new trend when she became the first person to kitesurf from Ireland to Wales, raising over £5,000.
Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb newsA House in Fez - in New York!
First we take Manhattan! Yes, it is all happening for Fez in New York this week. Apart from the ongoing celebrations of the 1200th anniversary of the founding of the Medina of Fez, there was a very special book launch hosted by Rachid Maaninou – Director, Moroccan National Tourist Office.
 This week saw the launch into the American market of Suzanna Clarke's best seller, A House in Fez. The book has had a phenomenal run of success, with the first hardback edition published by Penguin in Australia, selling out within weeks of publication. Then came the launch in the UK where the book has racked up impressive sales and continues to be on the "must read" list for travellers to Morocco. The inclusion of the book in Lonely Planet's reading lists for Fez and Morocco has further boosted the books status. A new trade paperback edition of A House in Fez has also just been released in Australia in time for Christmas sales.
 L-R Kathy Sagan, editor, Suzanna Clarke, author and Louise Burke, publisher of Pocket Books, an imprint of Simon and Schuster in their offices on the Avenue of the Americas.
 Suzanna after signings at Borders at Columbus Circle, New York.
To find out more about A House in Fez, please visit the Simon & Schuster website:
For readers in Australia & New Zealand, you can order it from your local bookshop or buy online here.
Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb newsFez Football Frenzy
The View from Fez sports editor, Dominick Nisbett, reports:
On Monday, Nov. 17, the Complex Sportive situated on the road to Sefrou in Fes, Morocco, will play host to an international collection of soccer superstars joining forces in the name of charity, with all the action airing live and exclusively on Fox Soccer Channel.
The sixth-annual Match Against Poverty promotes an initiative to cut worldwide poverty in half by 2015 through the United Nations Development Programme's Millennium Development Goals. Following a press conference, the match itself will be kicking off at 6:00 p.m, with captains Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo leading out two star-studded teams. Stars confirmed to appear include: Victor Valdes and Seydou Keita (FC Barcelona), Anatoliy Tymoshchuk (Zenit St. Petersburg), Joseba Etxeberria (AthleticoBilbao), Ivan Leko (Club Brugge) and Lauren (Portsmouth). Last year's match featured the likes of Robinho, William Gallas and Robert Pires, and with players continuing to sign up as match day approaches, this year's Match Against Poverty promises to be another milestone event for a great cause. Tickets can be purchased for between Dh 50-200 (Euros 5-20) at various kiosks/newsagents in town or by sending an e-mail to: billets@publisport21
Please note that due to security arrangements, ticket holders should be at the stadium before 4:30pm.
Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news"Kandisha" entered in Marrakech Film Festival.
Moroccan feature-length film "Kandisha" by Jerome Cohen-Olivar will take part in the competition of the 8th Marrakech International Film Festival which runs from tomorrow until November 22.
There are fourteen other films from several countries. They are "100" by Chris Martinez (Philippines), "Im Winter ein Jahr" by Caroline Link (Germany), "Sveitabruokaup" by Valdis Oskarsdottir (Iceland), "Eden" by Declan Recks (Ireland), "El nido vacio " by Daniel Burman (Argentina), "Flammen & Citronen" by Ole Christian Madsen (Denmark), "Frozen River" by Courtney Hunt, "Prince Of Broadway" by Sean Baker, "Kasky" by Aku Louhimies (Finland), "Il primo giorno d'inverno" by Mirko Locatelli (Italy), "Dixi of Tiankong" by Zhang Chi (China), "Pora Umierac" by Dorota Kedzierzawska (Poland), "Diko Pole" by Mikhail Kalatozishvili (Russia), and "Zero Bridge" by Tariq Tapa (USA & India).
The movies will vie for four prizes: The Golden Star, The Jury Prize, Best Female Performance and Best Male Performance.
Chaired by American screenwriter, film director, actor, and producer Barry Levinson, this year's jury includes Sebastian Koch(German actor), Joaquim de Almeida (Portuguese actor), Hugh Hudson (Biritish director, screenwriter, and producer), Caterina Murino (Italian actress), Agusti Villaronga (Spanish director and writer), Natacha Regnier (French actress), Ghita El Khayat (Moroccan writer), and Mariama Barry (Guinean-Senegalese writer).
The 8th edition of FIFM will pay a special tribute to British, Russian, Egyptian and Moroccan cinema.
Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb newsMoroccan Banjo Music?
Café Clock are advertising a concert of Moroccan banjo music... yes... banjo. Now Banjo is one of those instruments that some people love to hate. Much like the accordion. Yet, in the right hands it can be truly wonderful and so it will be at the Clock this week. Of course it is a little known fact that the banjo is an ancient Berber instrument, invented by Khoya Nourredine II in the year 808.
 A banjo fossil discovered in Fez.
It was banned for the next 1200 years and only recently has it been allowed to be played in public after the discovery of a fossilised banjo in a tunnel under Fez... Regular readers will also remember the Moroccan banjo as the first instrument played on the moon....
 The first performance of "Hotel California" played on a Moroccan Banjo. You can get your fix of banjo on Sunday 16th - see details below. The rest of the week's programme includes...
Thursday 13 Nov : 9 – 10 a.m.
Yoga @ the Clock
Bring a Mat : 50 dh ( discounts available )
Thursday 6 Nov - 6 p.m. ( Free )
Film : Momento - A man, suffering from short-term memory, loss, uses notes and tattoos to hunt for the man he thinks killed his wife.
Sunday 16 Nov: 11 a.m – 12:30 am
Oriental Dance @ the Clock with Fes choreographer and dancer Asmae Kouli. ( 30 dh). Reserve a Place
Sunday 16 Nov – 3 - 5 p.m. Calligraphy @ the Clock
Discover the sacred art of Arabic calligraphy with teacher and artists Mohammed Charkaoui. ( 150 dh, discounts available). Reserve a Place.
Sunday 16 Nov : 6 p.m. ( 20 dh )
Sunday Sunset Concert- Popular Moroccan Banjo – Nourredine
Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb newsA secret tunnel under the Fez Medina?
In our previous story we mentioned that as part of the celebrations for the 1200th anniversary of the founding of Fez, that there were various events including lectures. One that we would loved to attend is being held in the USA.
The urban planning and preservation conference celebrating Fez, Morocco's 1,200th birthday is being held at UCR with scholars from North America, Europe and Africa converging tomorrow (Friday) in Riverside for the first day of the conference. It will conclude Saturday at UCLA. According to a press release:
Session one of the conference features presentations on Moroccan policy for preserving the architectural heritage of Fez, the importance of Fez as a touchstone for “authentic” Moroccan culture in the eyes of French colonial architects, and the Sahrij and Sbaiyin Madrassa Complex Restoration Project as a case study of conservation and sustainability.
Session two explores political legitimacy and popular participation in the Royal Musalla of Fez, shifting conceptions of performance and authority in Fassi curing rites, and the textual objectification and ethnographic analysis of Judeo-Arabic.
Session three examines the history of the suburbs of Fez and the current program of “social housing” construction, the possible existence of a secret tunnel under the city, a proposal to restore the medina’s paved-over river, and a study of ethnographic change in the Zkak Roumane quarter.
Session four extends the discussion to explore definitions of the “European” and the “local” in architecture, literature, music and dance.
One of the highlights for The View from Fez would have to be Laila Lalami reading from her forthcoming novel, Secret Son, an allegory of contemporary Morocco.
But what fascinated us most was the reference to: "a secret tunnel under Fez". So we set our "secret tunnel" reporter, Lumen, on the case.
Lumen reports that according to Kamal Raftani from ADER... "In the oral history of Fez, people talk about a tunnel that was connecting Borj Nord to Borj Sud, but there is no scientific and physical evidence! According to the topography of the medina and the river that is crossing it, it's almost impossible that such tunnel has existed. However, it is possible that each of the Borjs was separately connected to a place in the medina. We find this in other cities, for instance in Les Oudaya in Rabat, there were tunnels connecting some houses to the beach."
Our thanks to Kamal.
Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news
Fez - 1200 years old and the celebrations continue.
The 1200th birthday of the city of Fez is being celebrated in places far from Morocco and in a variety of ways. There are conferences, dinners, lectures and even a musical production.
 The Association For 1200 Years of the Foundation of the City of Fez will present a free event, the World Première of an original live music and dance spectacular, “FEZ: Queen of Cities,” at UCLA’s Royce Hall, 325 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, this Saturday, November 15, at 8:00 p.m. This event celebrates the 1200th anniversary of the city of Fez and the designation of the city as a UNESCO world heritage site. Kamal Oudrhiri, President of the Moroccan American Cultural Center of Los Angeles,who serves as Artistic Director of “FEZ: Queen of Cities,” said after the performance at UCLA’s Royce Hall, the show will embark on an International Tour, including stops in New York, Morocco and Paris.
 Rehearsals for the music celebration
The cast of master musicians will include: Fatah Abou of Aza, Momo Loudiyi, Abderrahim Amarani, Ali Alaoui, Moultaqa Salam and A.J. Racy and dancers from the Venice, CA based blue13 dance company with choreography set by Achinta S. McDaniel. Dancers include blue13 principals Kory Keith (of Los Angeles) as The City of Fez; Arun Mathai (of Hollywood) as The People of Fez; Marisa Cleghorn (of Venice) as Kenza; D. Valentine (of Monterrey) as Idriss and Erin Dwyer (of Studio City) as Fatima. Ensemble dancers include: Tammie Johnston, TJ Cruz, Kyrra Richards, Kelly Allen, Christopher Fox, Joelle Cosentino and Jade Haviland.
This event is presented in celebration of the 1200th Anniversary of the city of Fez, Morocco, considered the spiritual and religious center of Morocco. This event is made possible by grants from the Association 1200ième Anniversaire de la Fondation de la Ville de Fès and the Social Science Research Council. “FEZ: Queen of Cities” is being presented in conjunction with the conference, “Fez, Morocco, Crossroads of Knowledge and Power: Celebrating 1200 Years of Urban Life” being held November 14 – 15,at UCLA and UC-Riverside.
Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb newsShnoo?
The View from Fez reported a few days ago (Confounding the Guidebooks) that our favourite medina restaurant owner, Thami, had confused everyone by painting a new sign above his restaurant that read 'Tohami'.
Once we'd pointed it out to him (and helped some Dutch tourists who were trying to follow directions in their Lonely Planet guide), Thami promised to change the spelling. He did - and had the whole street laughing:
Sandy is definitely Thami's favourite customer, but we're sure the sign will be changed soon so that everyone can find the restaurant.
Reporting: Lumen.
Photograph: Lumen.
Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news
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