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Essaouira Festival of Gnaoua Music & Essaouira, Morocco Late June 2008 Optional pre-tour extension to the Sahara |
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| Here's your chance to
take part in an exotic musical journey through Morocco--we'll wind our
way (via 4x4) over the peaks of the High Atlas to the ancient Kasbah Ait
Ben Haddou, a UNESCO world Heritage site. Then we cross into the Anti-Atlas
Mountains of South Morocco. There we organise a unique "Ahouach" or festival
of music in the mountains and explore the history and culture of the Berber
peoples. We end at the Essaouira festival where we will experience the
sacred music of the Gnaoui people as well as the fusion of Gnaoua music
with modern influences such as Jazz, Reggae, Blues, Rock, Hip Hop and Trance.
This is an incredible opportunity to explore the music and culture of South
Morocco for musicians and music lovers alike.
Our Guide Brahim Elaabdouli will be leading
this tour. Born in a small mountain village in the Anti-Atlas sometime
in August 1968 (it was the hot month according to his mother so must have
been August). The eldest son, he is the first in generations of his family
to have had the opportunity to enter into further education. Brahim
studied History at the University of Agadir. After obtaining his degree
he moved into the domain of tourism and managed a hotel in Zagora and led
tours into the Sahara at the same time beginning his study of the life
of the Berber Nomads. Known as "The General" for his organisational skills
he drops his "Brahim is an amazing guide who will lead you across the desert by day and entertain you with games, stories and music by night. He also whips up the best meals, including bread baked in the sand!"Pre-tour 4 x 4 Itinerary to the Sahara Friday - arrive or meet in Marrakech Saturday – A day travelling across the High Atlas then across the Anti-Atlas dropping down to the town of Zagora in the Valle du Draa. This is a long days travel leaving around 7.30am arriving in Zagora around 5pm but a spectacular journey. The first part traverses the Atlas then you cross the ant-atlas before traveling through the “land of a thousand Kasbahs” into the lush Draa Valley set in the heart of the palmeries. The stay would be in Zagora in a hotel 2 star a/c with pool. Sunday – A relatively relaxed morning by the pool or optional local visits in Zagora then a visit at lunchtime to an old Kasbah near the Sahara and a chance to explore the culture of the Saharan Berber peoples. Keeping out of the sun in the heat of the day, in the late afternoon you are transferred to the Sahara bivouac for a camel ride at sunset on the dunes and an overnight stay in Berber tents. The day and night temperatures are hot around 40 degrees by day and maybe only as low as 25-30 at night so you must be prepared for a hot night in the Sahara. This is however compensated by a beautiful night sky and comfortable tents to relax in. Monday - an early start away from the Sahara before the sun really starts to get up and a journey back up to Ouarzazate stopping in Zagora for refreshment and then to the hotel in Ouarzazate where you can relax by the pool and have lunch. In the afternoon you will visit Ait Ben Haddou. This is a UNESCO world heritage site and very famous as a film location. It is a beautiful old Kasbah. Pre tour trip price: $340 per person based on 4 travelers MainTour Itinerary Sunday - Arrive Marrakech
Monday - High Atlas Mountains
to Ouarzazate
Tuesday - Cross the Sahara to
the mountain town of Tata
Wednesday - Music Festival Berber
Sousse Music Ahouach
Thursday - Berber Village
Friday - Sunday
Monday - Return to Marrakech
Tuesday
The appeal of the Gnaoua is apparent
from the first listen. The distinctive sound of the central Gnaoua instrument,
the three-stringed guimbri, The annual Essaouira festival, a
three-day musical extravaganza has been held since 1998. Every year the
festival in Essaouira attracts more Western and "World" musicians, who
jam on stage with the major Gnaoua ensembles from around Morocco. The overall
sound is rich and full, although produced by No head count can be reliably made
but it is estimated that around 150,000 people attended this years event
and as sponsorship increases the event is growing into North Africaís
largest Music Festival with musicians from around the world invited to
appear.
Our package includes:
Airfare to Marrakech, insurance, alcoholic drinks, food and drink at the Essaouira Festival. Personal expenses such as laundry, phone calls, beverages; accident and health insurance; tips to the tour guide Package price: $1,190 per person, based on double occupancy. Single Supplement: $200 (If you are traveling alone and would like to share a room, we will try our best to match you with a roommate, if it is not possible, you will be billed for your single room*). ACCOMMODATIONS
Copyright
@ Adventures in Rock, Inc. January 2003
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organizational
head at night, dons his turban and weaves tales of life in the villages
and the desert. An accomplished folklorist, Brahim has put this unique
tour together combining his love of the music of the region along with
the culture and history that he passionately wants to preserve. His aim
on this tour is not just to give you a musical experience but for you to
come away with an understanding of the life, history, culture of the Berber
nomads, the Berber mountain tribes and the Gnaoui people. Also a chef,
Brahim will ensure that this tour will also feature the best of South Moroccan
cuisine. He has independently worked as an advisor to Japanese television
on nomad life in the Sahara. He is married and has one daughter born
in July 2002 and left Morocco for the first time to visit the UK in the
same month. Like all Moroccans he loves copious quantities of sugar in
his tea.
region
of Morocco where the village congregates to hear tales told in musical
poetry. Itís also a competition between two singers. This is a serious
spiritual as well as musical occasion, the Ahouach singers or "Endamen"
seeking inspiration in the moment, the musicians locking into the atmosphere
and the audience becoming part of the occasion. The music takes place early
evening and we return to the hotel for the night.
The
Essaouira Festival of Gnaoua Music
resembles
that of the acoustic bass. The music, moreover, is based on a pentatonic
(five-note) scale, and hence is more readily accessible to the Western
ear than other North African music. Finally, the most important point of
attraction is that the Gnaoua has the same origins as African-American
music, for it is music played by the descendants of slaves from West Africa
who began to settle in Morocco in the medieval period.
only keyboards, guimbri, and the distinctive Gnaoua percussion, metal castanets
known as qaraqeb. The true function of Gnaoua music is to propitiate
the spirits at healing rituals, an inherent part of the music that has
attracted the attention of western musicians in the past.
