Sunday, April 27, 2008
HOBA HOBA SPIRIT PRACTICE
Adil told me that a local, wealthy businessman offered to let the band use a building (that was old mattress showroom) free of charge. The support the band gets from the community is fantastic: it is so great to see that Hoba Hoba Spirit’s music is embraced by the locals. As a drummer, that sort of philanthropy makes me smile!
The band was preparing for a show that upcoming weekend in Paris. Although they hadn’t played together for about a month, they still sounded very good. They rehearsed their twenty-four song set list: it was really neat to witness this performance in such an intimate setting. The rhythms of Hoba’s songs are really outstanding: because of the West African influence on their music, many of the beats are in six, rather than four.
Throughout May and June, I will have several opportunities to see Hoba perform live. I am really excited to witness the energy of their live performances.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
PIETRI > RETURN TO CASABLANCA
Adil made a guest appearance at Pietri, both on vocals and drums, during the performance of an Afro-Pop band, Super Jungle. After chatting for an hour or so, Adil said I was more than welcome to stay at his house in Casablanca, whenever I needed a place to crash. The following Sunday, I left Rabat for Casa.
The hospitality in Morocco is incredible: never have I traveled throughout a country where so many people are eager to provide the lonely traveler accommodation.
Adil met me at the Casa Port train station and took me back to his house. A couple of his friends were already over, and we hours we just talked about music, discussing everything from the underrated solo career of John Frusciante to the indispensable contribution George Harrison made to fusion music. It never ceases to amaze me to find people on other continents with such similar music tastes as my own: music truly is the universal language.
That night, Adil, his Bulgarian wife Tzvety, and I went to a local restaurant/bar that has live music. The place is a favorite spot amongst local musicians, as there are guitars, drums and microphones already set up. Needless to say, there are many jam sessions featuring Casablanca’s finest musicians.
After a delicious mixed grill dinner, I played drums with Adil (who was on bass) and another guitarist. We played songs we all knew, such as “No Woman No Cry,” “I Feel Good” and “Wonderful Tonight.” Being that I have not really practiced in since I left New York, it was somewhat intimidating to perform in front of thirty to forty people. Nonetheless, it was a blast to be able to play, albeit a brief twenty minutes.
Adil, the drummer of Hoba Hoba Spirit, and JP the bass player of Super Jungle outside Hotel Pietri in Rabat.
Saad, the bass player of Hoba, myself and Adil outside Pietri.
Jamming at a club in Casablanca.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
RANDOM RABAT
This picture is from a jazz quintet (the keys player is blocked) at Hotel Pietri. Morocco has a thriving jazz scene, thanks to the French influence.
The medina in Rabat is surprisingly orderly and (for the better) lacks the intensity of the market in Fes. Small hand drums are a common souvenir for the tourist; this shop keeper
For me, these drums are not particularly interesting: they are mass produced (as you can see) and are very poorly made. I do think it is neat that some drums are made of clay; but, I am sure they break very easily!
This darbuka (also called a goblet drum) is plated with (faux) mother of pearl. The pattern on the drum is very interesting. The head is a plastic and easily removable if broken. The actual shell of the drum is a composite of lightweight metals.
While visiting Amine’s extended family for a Friday night couscous dinner, I was shown these three drums. All three are made from clay and sheep hide. Amine’s uncle said he bought the biggest one for only 20 Dirham (about $3). The big drum is rested on your shoulder when played. The sound of the drum is fairly dull; although, because there are three pieces of string attached to the inside of the head, the sound has a “twanging” ring to it – almost like a very makeshift snare drum. Amine’s uncle told me he bought the drum for his wife.
Monday, April 14, 2008
GNAOUA IN SKHIRAT
Two weekends ago, Amine and I went to a party (more accurately, a small gathering) in Skhirat, a beach town just south of Rabat. The evening was hosted by a self-proclaimed music fanatic, Bashir. For the party, Bashir hired two Gnaoua musicians to perform; I had never seen a live Gnaoua performance before. It was my first real taste of the West African influence on Moroccan culture.
What exactly is Gnaoua music, you ask. Before I continue with my experiences at Bashir’s house, I will do my very best to define Gnaoua music.
Anthropologically speaking, the term “Gnaoua” (pronounced ga-na-wah) directly refers to the Sub-Saharan communities that either were enslaved and brought to, or naturally emigrated to, Morocco, most likely around the 16th Century. Originally, Gnaoua music was a West African pagan concept; that is to say, it was music performed at various rituals and healing ceremonies.
For the music performance, two instruments were used: the karkaba, a pair of small metal cymbals played with the hands, which is almost like a clave. The genbri, a three stringed bass guitar, was also played. The genbri is made from calf skin and the wood of a fig tree. The music of the genbir is supposed to evoke the spirit of the tree – a very pagan concept, indeed. The music is laden with improvised rhythms; many handclaps are scattered throughout each piece without a following a definitive time signature or meter.
The lyrics of the songs, sung in Arabic, pertain to the unlimited power and benevolence of God, and also tell stories of the Prophet Mohammed. When I asked if any of the lyrics were taken directly from the Qu’ran, I received an emphatic, “Absolutely not,” as my answer. “That would be sacrilege,” I was told.
Many centuries ago, Gnaoua was sung in West African languages and the contents of the lyrics pertained to themes of West African religions. Needless to say, Morocco has had a profound influence on the evolution of Gnaoua music.
In the bluntest sense, the purpose of Gnaoua music is what is called “hadra” – for the individual to become aware of the presence of the Lord. Within the tenets of Islam, God is everywhere at all times; yet, as mere mortals, we often fail to recognize omnipresent nature of the Divine. Through the vibrations of the music, we are able to focus on the tangibility of God. The music provides a medium for this consecrated connection: this, of course, is a very powerful feeling. Hence, many of the performers often fall into a deep trance.
The songs build on top of themselves; as in, as the music progresses, the beat moves faster and faster. The songs themselves can last anywhere from several minutes to several hours: most certainly, the repetition creates a hypnotic essence to it.
Most certainly, the ultimate goal of performing Gnaoua music is to create a mystical union between the musician and God. Not surprisingly, many of Gnaoua musicians are devout Sufis – Sufism is the mystical sect of Islam. The staple of Sufism affirms that every individual is capable of having a personal relationship with God.
To become a true gnaoua musician, there is a rigorous training process: the master and disciple maintain a very close relationship. According to Bashir, among gnaoua musicians, there is a “very codified way of being.”
I was lucky enough to witness a performance by an authentic maalem, master of Gnaoua. Tonight’s performance featured Adbel Kader, the maalem, and Said, the disciple, called a “cuyo.” Because of the vast amount of tourism throughout Morocco, there are many individuals that claim to be a maalem – yet, in all truth, the number of maalem is very few, as the commercialization of Gnaoua music has undermined its spiritual nature. Bashir asserted that among Gnaoua musicians there is an inherent hesitation to advertise their religious tradition.
The candle lit room at Bashir’s house provided an intimate setting to showcase the performers. Acrobatic dances accompany the music: a tremendous amount of energy is required to perform Gnaoua. That being said, for tonight’s performance, there was minimal dancing, as the environment was not exactly conducive for it.
Although Gnaoua is a very serious music, this evening’s performance was rather light-hearted. Towards the end of the evening, an up-and-coming twenty-year-old Moroccan blues guitarist performed with the two Gnaoua musicians. Interestingly enough, musicologists have traced American Blues music back to Gnaoua. Of the past quarter century, several notable Western musicians, including Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and Bill Laswell, have experimented with Gnaoua, to create a new fusion music.
Gnaoua music reflects its West African roots; yet, is still an Islamic enterprise.
On the surface, the marriage of a West African tradition and Islam may seem to be counterintuitive, as some West African religious were polytheistic; but nonetheless, these two concepts come together fluidly. That is to say, the common goal of developing a sense of piety and raising awareness of the Divine is reached. The music itself serves as a religious invocation: in the purest sense, Gnaoua strives to create awareness for the Almighty, through the trance of the music.
In all truth, I know very little about Gnaoua music– it is a very complicated art indeed. Every June in Essaouria, in south Morocco, the Gnaoua World Music Festival is held: I look forward to attending the festival to learn more about this mystical music.
Here are some pictures; more videos to come!
A blurry but happy Bashir in the background
The musicians; I chose not to use flash, so they would not be disturbed...
Earlier in the day, cruising the beach on ATVs with Amine and Bashir
Saturday, April 12, 2008
SOON
Thursday, April 3, 2008
HIT RADIO
First and foremost, my apologies for a lack of updates since my arrival to
Last week, in
Like hip-hop in other parts of the world, the music reflects the urban struggles of the younger generations. Some artists, like Hakim from
Aside from establishing several contacts for me, Younes generously offered to provide a pass for the “Mawazine, Rhythms of the World Festival,” which is from May 16th to 24th in
So a big thanks to everyone at Hit Radio! I forgot to take pictures at the station; but here is one of me wearing traditional Moroccan clothing, the jellaba. I am attending a wedding this weekend and need to have a Moroccan "tux"!