tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7002424725787771962024-03-23T10:14:31.675+00:00The Art of the DrumThe chronicles of a Bristol Fellowship.Jesse B-Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597375354093696062noreply@blogger.comBlogger167125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700242472578777196.post-34946252448382408772008-10-08T14:53:00.006+00:002008-10-14T16:31:28.069+00:00CASA DE LA TROVA, STG DE CUBAWalk down almost any street in Santiago de Cuba on any summer day, and you will encounter live music in some fashion. Whether it be a solo trumpeter performing in front of a park bench, or a full son cubano ensemble blaring out of a “casa de música,” in the summer months, Santiago D.C. is just teeming with live music. For clarity: “son,” like mambo, rumba or salsa, is a subgenre of Cuban music. Son, however, originates in the Oriente, and thus is most popular in the Santiago D.C.<br /><br />Throughout Santiago D.C., there is a mixture of famous, marquee music halls, and smaller, lesser-known venues. Located in central Santiago, just a block from Parque Céspedes, Casa de la Trova (House of the Ballad), is one of the more popular music halls.<br /><br />One evening, I ventured to Casa de la Trova, with a French friend and a Cuban friend. The band was enjoyable; however, as the Festival del Caribe had ended the night before, there was not much of a turn out, in terms of the crowd. That said, as a drummer, listening to Cuban rhythms is always an entertaining activity.<br /><br />Below are some assorted pictures from Santiago D.C. My personal favorite is the graffiti “Soy un tambor” (“I am a drum”) that I saw in a park near La Gran Piedra (The Big Rock), a popular attraction on the outskirts of the city. More to come…<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Ies6c_ayZb6atn7SjIcj3reHwkI-PfuPGug7dE4MaXR5O0AtprK1UPmC6nn3kZ-B8yMIHESYHFDS1WjOfb0d8gaadfHAJbGkRW9ZtCndensN6MpXeNLhQB-WBC4tcgS2U9vf19YT9uM/s1600-h/IMG_0206.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Ies6c_ayZb6atn7SjIcj3reHwkI-PfuPGug7dE4MaXR5O0AtprK1UPmC6nn3kZ-B8yMIHESYHFDS1WjOfb0d8gaadfHAJbGkRW9ZtCndensN6MpXeNLhQB-WBC4tcgS2U9vf19YT9uM/s320/IMG_0206.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254798529435971330" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1NTLtYss9ITcmV0L3jOkSUXgMqMlLUlWaTMUSMR7d_aQHpwI6UDe4H9tw-YIMXqcaEIaQO-Jv3V3pdpSxm9urAFiA_h4p_S0FjgFT6dhskt586EqSC4ScgVAHzNQQij-0qCrmLCHRd58/s1600-h/IMG_0200.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1NTLtYss9ITcmV0L3jOkSUXgMqMlLUlWaTMUSMR7d_aQHpwI6UDe4H9tw-YIMXqcaEIaQO-Jv3V3pdpSxm9urAFiA_h4p_S0FjgFT6dhskt586EqSC4ScgVAHzNQQij-0qCrmLCHRd58/s320/IMG_0200.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254798520405354770" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLCPsmwikxidLK2GqPjwQqOewtOwkNTBUOwiWfoO7PARCDVNOTf0kyDmkE3vS2WdKl6q-3uOXOkk_sq00S45bYK4p6PARWBeffEEd0zCYJtvKppa7N8Z2YpwC7hiMKp6HoZs-kAjyeTuU/s1600-h/IMG_0165.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLCPsmwikxidLK2GqPjwQqOewtOwkNTBUOwiWfoO7PARCDVNOTf0kyDmkE3vS2WdKl6q-3uOXOkk_sq00S45bYK4p6PARWBeffEEd0zCYJtvKppa7N8Z2YpwC7hiMKp6HoZs-kAjyeTuU/s320/IMG_0165.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254798522214858322" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Ies6c_ayZb6atn7SjIcj3reHwkI-PfuPGug7dE4MaXR5O0AtprK1UPmC6nn3kZ-B8yMIHESYHFDS1WjOfb0d8gaadfHAJbGkRW9ZtCndensN6MpXeNLhQB-WBC4tcgS2U9vf19YT9uM/s1600-h/IMG_0206.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Ies6c_ayZb6atn7SjIcj3reHwkI-PfuPGug7dE4MaXR5O0AtprK1UPmC6nn3kZ-B8yMIHESYHFDS1WjOfb0d8gaadfHAJbGkRW9ZtCndensN6MpXeNLhQB-WBC4tcgS2U9vf19YT9uM/s320/IMG_0206.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254798529435971330" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir6w2h-3zkl7GP4CA3NPDzaA4_DOrJmFjubSIuhQDCiyjJxUbk-wSqbUfg1yv3zIllfU7LjOuXtdbbGTpN-VXo8mmxmK3dWK2mz0eOcvO3-sAADvTcG1G3zCHf4PCD0dsXXLZlkHh2Ni4/s1600-h/IMG_0240.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir6w2h-3zkl7GP4CA3NPDzaA4_DOrJmFjubSIuhQDCiyjJxUbk-wSqbUfg1yv3zIllfU7LjOuXtdbbGTpN-VXo8mmxmK3dWK2mz0eOcvO3-sAADvTcG1G3zCHf4PCD0dsXXLZlkHh2Ni4/s320/IMG_0240.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254797566872151234" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw8YsnPPDkE5mE9QiPH4SVhqWgwo0tJl9x7W3IYxFYoMv22i8aU1trELQzi68nGM001amxUyaJDQnlvK63GM12M9xK0IK0oxDSlm-QqBH7jgy_lawb1vXEWrZhGY_wguY0Z8k6VUut9jU/s1600-h/IMG_0236.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw8YsnPPDkE5mE9QiPH4SVhqWgwo0tJl9x7W3IYxFYoMv22i8aU1trELQzi68nGM001amxUyaJDQnlvK63GM12M9xK0IK0oxDSlm-QqBH7jgy_lawb1vXEWrZhGY_wguY0Z8k6VUut9jU/s320/IMG_0236.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254797570243147474" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8yiEWcu2SMYlbnUBye3vxjfzBN5qxyvA5xhKzflK9JdcFoK9S45_UPMyrjfKjeh7dzPodZPlrn9IXZiOyJVc8VtqUhz8zAvvRKlVmb5PQ7xgo6mqiHa3VqakVxCiSktcyuIR2vM4_YPc/s1600-h/IMG_0229.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8yiEWcu2SMYlbnUBye3vxjfzBN5qxyvA5xhKzflK9JdcFoK9S45_UPMyrjfKjeh7dzPodZPlrn9IXZiOyJVc8VtqUhz8zAvvRKlVmb5PQ7xgo6mqiHa3VqakVxCiSktcyuIR2vM4_YPc/s320/IMG_0229.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254797574987429890" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/arR-1m0o4k4"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/arR-1m0o4k4" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object>Jesse B-Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597375354093696062noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700242472578777196.post-48886059490415415722008-10-08T14:50:00.002+00:002008-10-08T14:53:19.126+00:00FOOTAGE FROM THE FESTIVAL DEL CARIBEBelow are a collection of videos from the 2008 Festival del Caribe in Santiago de Cuba. Please see the previous post to read more about festival. The final three videos are from the Burning of the Devil ceremony, which marked the culmination of the Festival del Caribe. Enjoy!<br /><br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_8-Wiqc1tPw"> </param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_8-Wiqc1tPw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/WKv_lDGkbsU"> </param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/WKv_lDGkbsU" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/U6mMecVD3Fw"> </param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/U6mMecVD3Fw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/G4Erwh9Jtww"> </param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/G4Erwh9Jtww" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/97vVcFwtfZ0"> </param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/97vVcFwtfZ0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/AXy3OJl_OAw"> </param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/AXy3OJl_OAw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/S9MzfG_X_To"> </param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/S9MzfG_X_To" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/j_XRBQTWxlw"> </param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/j_XRBQTWxlw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NurY2QruL9A"> </param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NurY2QruL9A" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/QX7cCEFT760"> </param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/QX7cCEFT760" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/sXea6KcmsJI"> </param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/sXea6KcmsJI" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object>Jesse B-Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597375354093696062noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700242472578777196.post-46444906298673126822008-10-02T00:04:00.019+00:002008-10-08T14:49:54.328+00:00FESTIVAL DEL CARIBE / FIESTA DEL FUEGOAfter spending several weeks in Havana, I departed on a fourteen-hour bus ride to Santiago de Cuba, in the Orient. Santiago de Cuba, Cuba’s second-largest city, holds a special place in Cuban history, as it was the city where Fidel Castro proclaimed victory of the Revolution in 1959.<br /><br />Santiago de Cuba has a very laid-back, relaxed feel to it: there is a notable absence of the daily hustle found in Havana. Aesthetically, Santiago almost looks as if it were a Cuban (mini) version of San Francisco: the city is set on a hill that overlooks a bay. The endless rows of pastel colored houses and overhanging telephone lines also radiate a “San Fran” feel.<br /><br />Every mid-July since 1980, the city hosts la Festival del Caribe, the Festival of the Caribbean – it is also known as the Fiesta de Fuego, the Fire Festival. The festival showcases the music, dance, and other various cultural intricacies of each of the countries in the Caribbean. For one week, Santiago de Cuba is overflowing with people from all of the Caribbean: it is a wonderful means to bridge cultural gaps among the people from different Caribbean countries. Each year, the festival is “dedicated” to one country, and this year, Mexico was country of honor.<br /><br />The week-long celebration includes countless activities, but the final day of the festival, which features an elaborate parade, is the true highlight of the week. Each country participates in the parade; showing off the country’s respective music and dance. Because Cuba is the host country, throughout the procession, there are representatives from all of the provinces of Cuba – compared to the singular group from every other country.<br /><br />The procession commences in the late afternoon and stretches until just after sunset. The heart of the festival is located in the plaza in front of Catedral de Nuestra Señora de Asunción.<br /><br />Most certainly, the music during the procession is outstanding: it is such a neat juxtaposition to hear all of the respective rhythms from each of the Caribbean countries. While each performance has a strong emphasis on dance (and the extravagant costumes that go with it!), the music truly is the focal point of the parade. As true with all parades, drums and percussion are the cornerstone of the musical ensemble.<br /><br />While I will readily admit that the majority of the rhythms of Caribbean music do not greatly differ country to country, there are many notable differences in style and form among each country’s respective music. It is impossible to pinpoint my favorite performance, although I thoroughly enjoyed the cavalcades of Brazil, Trinidad & Tobago, and the Dominican Republic. The procession of Trinidad & Tobago was especially memorable, as there was a large truck with a full-kit drummer and steel drummer playing on the back.<br /><br />On that note, I’m sure I will never forget the fire-breathing roller-skaters, or the cross-dressing drummers that played tin cans and boxes. (Words cannot describe; see pictures below…)<br /><br />As the sun began to set, the streets became more packed and packed: it felt as if the entire city was partaking in the festivities. After the parade-portion of the festival ended, the festivities culminated with the Quemando del Diablo, the Burning of the Devil.<br /><br />The march from the town hall in the center of the city to the effigy, located near one of the ports about a mile away, was epic, to say the least. Just before 9pm, a twenty-foot, wooden effigy of Lucifer was set ablaze. Drumming, singing, and dancing around the burning flames continued well into the night.<br /><br />Below are just a handful of pictures from the Festival del Caribe/Fiesta del Fuego. Videos will be posted shortly.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1aqXuiCe25sAOQ86HxlMXqT1ymrAHVjJDxST3vGCzc8w__lClhak6BvLOTy7QHHZpEs1sdubs5pCGb3TLVOhOrxvLMZwB7uwMscGLD4_6uYCF0HtsMXt9AYM1tO9uTYjy8eTVgaTeVTw/s1600-h/IMG_9975.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1aqXuiCe25sAOQ86HxlMXqT1ymrAHVjJDxST3vGCzc8w__lClhak6BvLOTy7QHHZpEs1sdubs5pCGb3TLVOhOrxvLMZwB7uwMscGLD4_6uYCF0HtsMXt9AYM1tO9uTYjy8eTVgaTeVTw/s320/IMG_9975.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252402175974896114" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzoDsCLNTIYip7sMUBqMwyI8Yi2y80k4N3t2NsmjSakZC5b9ac05o84hLdliJ8U00dmJ7wHnHfz9atidev66xeRqR9Xnd7mmD10bA1RbRYcTJgwBARcc8Q5_b-d2Ebh727rgQ-zpv4rjg/s1600-h/IMG_9976.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzoDsCLNTIYip7sMUBqMwyI8Yi2y80k4N3t2NsmjSakZC5b9ac05o84hLdliJ8U00dmJ7wHnHfz9atidev66xeRqR9Xnd7mmD10bA1RbRYcTJgwBARcc8Q5_b-d2Ebh727rgQ-zpv4rjg/s320/IMG_9976.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252402182347753890" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvA-ESLFU33pxWFOh_iFQu5yBxlb_Ba65F9tAYhC_S77goo3bdyWP0_O0UEH6OUxg-loyEBktq9WGpL8Lfr9jiqoiaMbHVY1hLKqJLMtkv9RGFP5rMDue3qJeN95DwP8J0RzbbyLnJW9U/s1600-h/IMG_9984.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvA-ESLFU33pxWFOh_iFQu5yBxlb_Ba65F9tAYhC_S77goo3bdyWP0_O0UEH6OUxg-loyEBktq9WGpL8Lfr9jiqoiaMbHVY1hLKqJLMtkv9RGFP5rMDue3qJeN95DwP8J0RzbbyLnJW9U/s320/IMG_9984.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252402189717110290" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH3M3tzxPla_2XQBjeqZKeQASazIVWhpVC8u-zHBaQreTjaZAd8Ykfavu4W2C7k1V7SJxlTdQXR-EX-8jKgwF_TRfgE1rCRxbjS0leZc7Bhhnag2TKF09lFX7pdIETQ9FYmb8x1lwtS3k/s1600-h/IMG_9995.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH3M3tzxPla_2XQBjeqZKeQASazIVWhpVC8u-zHBaQreTjaZAd8Ykfavu4W2C7k1V7SJxlTdQXR-EX-8jKgwF_TRfgE1rCRxbjS0leZc7Bhhnag2TKF09lFX7pdIETQ9FYmb8x1lwtS3k/s320/IMG_9995.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252402198064760322" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_OeDouLSfdPVnSIuYCISRPSgnZrPUcrqc1i4ughNvbinE5i2tuwi3fl3ZBDdFC6cqBPCgHjIPhiAlAd3Fk4rRXqeQ4TN94tATPRk5rCWxOPSFDMKvX0XSvgoGL1hzu2azyL_wNeOOFlI/s1600-h/IMG_9999.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_OeDouLSfdPVnSIuYCISRPSgnZrPUcrqc1i4ughNvbinE5i2tuwi3fl3ZBDdFC6cqBPCgHjIPhiAlAd3Fk4rRXqeQ4TN94tATPRk5rCWxOPSFDMKvX0XSvgoGL1hzu2azyL_wNeOOFlI/s320/IMG_9999.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252402205584323250" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif0U4QN2dWDhxE5kr7kUAiJjMeXw2k63SC76US6IALnXdOfnwMRMh1CIqsrNkLzwmQoqAc8jFjMeW46RYcWGOOqPXx5zFIJl1W1mBid1JMLCaxTkWUa7JrSsr34yI3ogGxtugU1YMT6XA/s1600-h/IMG_0003.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif0U4QN2dWDhxE5kr7kUAiJjMeXw2k63SC76US6IALnXdOfnwMRMh1CIqsrNkLzwmQoqAc8jFjMeW46RYcWGOOqPXx5zFIJl1W1mBid1JMLCaxTkWUa7JrSsr34yI3ogGxtugU1YMT6XA/s320/IMG_0003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252400369266875442" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0v_pA52KnHrc520QUwrA4s_fBxTEtRnuVMhXoekArTNgRbpQI1KVS0RZ_mFC_dernOGV-cdmMfPYDRsuEfwmHRMxDb-w5GLsCVij1z5NLtjSy4kOS0jOhWps8QI8D-og9K63B_HEoxdA/s1600-h/IMG_0008.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0v_pA52KnHrc520QUwrA4s_fBxTEtRnuVMhXoekArTNgRbpQI1KVS0RZ_mFC_dernOGV-cdmMfPYDRsuEfwmHRMxDb-w5GLsCVij1z5NLtjSy4kOS0jOhWps8QI8D-og9K63B_HEoxdA/s320/IMG_0008.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252400376273421570" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTukjiYnrteKOXy5pD8ZqInTQk3ADJBTMrAJbbqHsFVALSJwGQK6UfaohBW3fyzYverq63Q4xLfVLgw7kjhQa6iAj2xHIwSZrwqbjJYx_AKLHdPKP7cllymCI9PtwxTtCWXqYJKfOT190/s1600-h/IMG_0012.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTukjiYnrteKOXy5pD8ZqInTQk3ADJBTMrAJbbqHsFVALSJwGQK6UfaohBW3fyzYverq63Q4xLfVLgw7kjhQa6iAj2xHIwSZrwqbjJYx_AKLHdPKP7cllymCI9PtwxTtCWXqYJKfOT190/s320/IMG_0012.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252400384611978610" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipa4w5A8E5n486OHOvk-AUn9M-lUFvnuSIYVVknqLytc-MX2vB-SLDsCu2AsUcmhhlEAXwwYaPzcQrPueLZ9JBZvZ6dj9GuPyC__G2nZOg-xG2WDbUQqkyFykYAHtcnS7pBfP6ibiMFA0/s1600-h/IMG_0013.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipa4w5A8E5n486OHOvk-AUn9M-lUFvnuSIYVVknqLytc-MX2vB-SLDsCu2AsUcmhhlEAXwwYaPzcQrPueLZ9JBZvZ6dj9GuPyC__G2nZOg-xG2WDbUQqkyFykYAHtcnS7pBfP6ibiMFA0/s320/IMG_0013.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252400400507683426" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOKAvSgnIx16YWBMlBbfPtCkb8dZ_zCvP3KXdWSvA1AwUxGgJh0s_CAYarMiwbE6Bku_ahuBUeOOjmX5QyWa1VAKZh3lRuIaB0TyJ74Bb3SjLIQLDT1KxR-h6-A6scLHzcFjUxBAQc4X0/s1600-h/IMG_0014.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOKAvSgnIx16YWBMlBbfPtCkb8dZ_zCvP3KXdWSvA1AwUxGgJh0s_CAYarMiwbE6Bku_ahuBUeOOjmX5QyWa1VAKZh3lRuIaB0TyJ74Bb3SjLIQLDT1KxR-h6-A6scLHzcFjUxBAQc4X0/s320/IMG_0014.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252399099654872162" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwGwc3-xTrmYh-0fIlC44V5_aeHVD5zxAIyfAUNkfCBiXqP14fSQTJWoIeGAmwfzwF0C_uFmVDbHChbn5BDByDITCVx0Fwtn0pOoM3QfbZ4nqu5QmxNCp58Py2HoFHVUYEhwGwfuE98WQ/s1600-h/IMG_0015.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwGwc3-xTrmYh-0fIlC44V5_aeHVD5zxAIyfAUNkfCBiXqP14fSQTJWoIeGAmwfzwF0C_uFmVDbHChbn5BDByDITCVx0Fwtn0pOoM3QfbZ4nqu5QmxNCp58Py2HoFHVUYEhwGwfuE98WQ/s320/IMG_0015.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252399112017267122" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWIAtupEG5gboeulLOE91JWIzy7ughKSfsIySGXvBOs3E560PAs8Ip0xESgTgrYhwi8HTXI_h55hkt3EFxHoAencl0k4fx3TxmSWr69492ACeWg8PgWTjN4WFXnglfKMzv-q8Uj__Fa2M/s1600-h/IMG_0021.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWIAtupEG5gboeulLOE91JWIzy7ughKSfsIySGXvBOs3E560PAs8Ip0xESgTgrYhwi8HTXI_h55hkt3EFxHoAencl0k4fx3TxmSWr69492ACeWg8PgWTjN4WFXnglfKMzv-q8Uj__Fa2M/s320/IMG_0021.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252399112297434562" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqx5-Kv_sV9riUU8FnPO0eZ5i16-Aq4DPJKOpENIcXmoqeuL4Czu_8LSyoP6ZVusniFAsHhlbVgItn2RGtj5Vu4AO9k-GtEz6IorKBTz_XUbVW7gQ-bzfO4CLk8e7Ppu-bLSpDUI_uVnY/s1600-h/IMG_0022.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqx5-Kv_sV9riUU8FnPO0eZ5i16-Aq4DPJKOpENIcXmoqeuL4Czu_8LSyoP6ZVusniFAsHhlbVgItn2RGtj5Vu4AO9k-GtEz6IorKBTz_XUbVW7gQ-bzfO4CLk8e7Ppu-bLSpDUI_uVnY/s320/IMG_0022.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252399116747580274" border="0" /> </a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLeDTVDwocGIGt9TEC470r6N-O8BOijATKHk6p3BUTtx_8LTsW8IZV2GPkFSScO6fKyhzSbnS7Y0WTMI4FmXf8co6LkDFd4sukxL9_tflQzBT7Nc1cKgYo9IViNTnQ3LN8aDWEujcon-g/s1600-h/IMG_0025.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLeDTVDwocGIGt9TEC470r6N-O8BOijATKHk6p3BUTtx_8LTsW8IZV2GPkFSScO6fKyhzSbnS7Y0WTMI4FmXf8co6LkDFd4sukxL9_tflQzBT7Nc1cKgYo9IViNTnQ3LN8aDWEujcon-g/s320/IMG_0025.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252397689561489986" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSt6jybFeZ6Tj_90_bQ6kZdNXmF0wOgp4w74mfmwf8KN5DbHwuqQHNWodnXFQboZ3XT3nNxUZRSHzh0O51DdH2glTXBMQXb0dEi3dNvn8bZEyQzjUFZgBFg-mx2Gl9fczZL-dDdw2gtCc/s1600-h/IMG_0027.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSt6jybFeZ6Tj_90_bQ6kZdNXmF0wOgp4w74mfmwf8KN5DbHwuqQHNWodnXFQboZ3XT3nNxUZRSHzh0O51DdH2glTXBMQXb0dEi3dNvn8bZEyQzjUFZgBFg-mx2Gl9fczZL-dDdw2gtCc/s320/IMG_0027.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252397694699147458" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtZ_PaAefIfxBKMq4npDFsqjjsdl2Tjurbjcp5byT71lMNwR-LGczzo3iVX63EG2RsJ0o-mlccQ5gOYuJ7DuMLmB48wxvBvFa9qt5G0b5JDdknPfopuHxyTCFMIf2r9ZarCvOy3aFTbnQ/s1600-h/IMG_0030.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtZ_PaAefIfxBKMq4npDFsqjjsdl2Tjurbjcp5byT71lMNwR-LGczzo3iVX63EG2RsJ0o-mlccQ5gOYuJ7DuMLmB48wxvBvFa9qt5G0b5JDdknPfopuHxyTCFMIf2r9ZarCvOy3aFTbnQ/s320/IMG_0030.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252397698221836098" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVvEhQVHfNJV_sfJ8jmD8R38kvyDpIKI77UMIQpKHAvWxriV4umqLKvzTGPRZhl2qhSq7WfDD2Oc1wQTTMBuUp7QPTT3pj2o-Px_RMLnokDMqhI6L69tGWRBVIM7Ta1p0TiuBIMfc0XQI/s1600-h/IMG_0035.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVvEhQVHfNJV_sfJ8jmD8R38kvyDpIKI77UMIQpKHAvWxriV4umqLKvzTGPRZhl2qhSq7WfDD2Oc1wQTTMBuUp7QPTT3pj2o-Px_RMLnokDMqhI6L69tGWRBVIM7Ta1p0TiuBIMfc0XQI/s320/IMG_0035.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252397699557903986" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSAs-ildFy42eByUpXGg9i2Y8Q67P5JxiLkW0Zjbp753mgEhBGq8Bjjdc7O5WU5FrPrW3L3WpmavNyWJq1ngZo1CEYhyfngEsTCjrhiOlgyJ8jG-IygYkXZ5wAEXAGwCT_F8Akc3Ikuf8/s1600-h/IMG_0038.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSAs-ildFy42eByUpXGg9i2Y8Q67P5JxiLkW0Zjbp753mgEhBGq8Bjjdc7O5WU5FrPrW3L3WpmavNyWJq1ngZo1CEYhyfngEsTCjrhiOlgyJ8jG-IygYkXZ5wAEXAGwCT_F8Akc3Ikuf8/s320/IMG_0038.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252395636375506610" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLVC7jgFRQLeyVpkpWgVRZos4H9g9awUq1gVo4IuRcHMpR48F6_SusEbHzvqmcu4pa90lXQhpV7BxDjZHen5Ux3NRt_dNjz3krWMiBLm140Igll9ZESrsfnfsnX5CYhFX6YQ1aqnCsG2w/s1600-h/IMG_0045.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLVC7jgFRQLeyVpkpWgVRZos4H9g9awUq1gVo4IuRcHMpR48F6_SusEbHzvqmcu4pa90lXQhpV7BxDjZHen5Ux3NRt_dNjz3krWMiBLm140Igll9ZESrsfnfsnX5CYhFX6YQ1aqnCsG2w/s320/IMG_0045.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252395633489642194" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3X4TA52xhjWcrpF0K2h2e6BPwOyrEhvfeULXGSI88ovx15IByNdygCvwQtzNszFLKHG6RNDZV5kd9VcISdgZwxbXnvSDH6bvri0RpYwxbnP7Cqn9K-IlyDrq7l1RCHj-wAlFPEhFr04/s1600-h/IMG_0062.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3X4TA52xhjWcrpF0K2h2e6BPwOyrEhvfeULXGSI88ovx15IByNdygCvwQtzNszFLKHG6RNDZV5kd9VcISdgZwxbXnvSDH6bvri0RpYwxbnP7Cqn9K-IlyDrq7l1RCHj-wAlFPEhFr04/s320/IMG_0062.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252395637877933346" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4u1YRqcWdcomGjwGoBID_GfiGLndIVuj40qzp1TpM1uAEgPvnzeVzX36ekN3Oasdi4S5liJbHj4NI85HASTZpPjm7BSavk0RDKJyggv0PakN6CndYCX3S1-sFThJp5Vi_onQ8QiTQHRI/s1600-h/IMG_0066.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4u1YRqcWdcomGjwGoBID_GfiGLndIVuj40qzp1TpM1uAEgPvnzeVzX36ekN3Oasdi4S5liJbHj4NI85HASTZpPjm7BSavk0RDKJyggv0PakN6CndYCX3S1-sFThJp5Vi_onQ8QiTQHRI/s320/IMG_0066.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252393666584283538" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5TyCWk17kC3TcDiwzOzWz3vz5yvPSO57wHWB6pyytL4shox_ky-oniF1lf4JvWWD62xlSKFU0_tGcO4K2wBxbWBds8oQAr_NJl8nbOh8orWhge859oNV2IKlBI2G7FOvuOMaoGuHZMiQ/s1600-h/IMG_0069.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5TyCWk17kC3TcDiwzOzWz3vz5yvPSO57wHWB6pyytL4shox_ky-oniF1lf4JvWWD62xlSKFU0_tGcO4K2wBxbWBds8oQAr_NJl8nbOh8orWhge859oNV2IKlBI2G7FOvuOMaoGuHZMiQ/s320/IMG_0069.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252393671978793586" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqwKLRVbZuqVEajatXCg_qAyYDka2xntcNWUFDhepGXv3KFj3XWut0eNJYxoe3WudpWQx_sZyIKEcO4VwhS5xUVbkJuB-kZM-KGqjJRCCt6gYpwfQnMW5qxQjfiA2cvheimQqlfGD8j5s/s1600-h/IMG_0071.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqwKLRVbZuqVEajatXCg_qAyYDka2xntcNWUFDhepGXv3KFj3XWut0eNJYxoe3WudpWQx_sZyIKEcO4VwhS5xUVbkJuB-kZM-KGqjJRCCt6gYpwfQnMW5qxQjfiA2cvheimQqlfGD8j5s/s320/IMG_0071.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252393674811939090" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjE-p9v03mKqxZAYha46uXsMjHFlgyZfH3KccIxvx7W6fZe_YSbpFwUqMVkNCZV17lLcJUKH1FhZrLt2hQpVc-T5CNU3z1uN6BJgDE5rY57niVD7MRSyUA1ellsn3bw_pU1eXtEHFPs90/s1600-h/IMG_0074.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjE-p9v03mKqxZAYha46uXsMjHFlgyZfH3KccIxvx7W6fZe_YSbpFwUqMVkNCZV17lLcJUKH1FhZrLt2hQpVc-T5CNU3z1uN6BJgDE5rY57niVD7MRSyUA1ellsn3bw_pU1eXtEHFPs90/s320/IMG_0074.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252393681560850098" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWmk1HAj1H_aAQwrnubjj59w_irOsN2dv5rFqxJo9r0p9XT0N5VVAMIqw4ZSE1H7CqvbLQHTLtp9tW233BPQaeKgGZAYgoKkSXzNTzNvHf5dm1U61Ul8TQmlVgNH2qOMF13X94OhnNg6o/s1600-h/IMG_0077.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWmk1HAj1H_aAQwrnubjj59w_irOsN2dv5rFqxJo9r0p9XT0N5VVAMIqw4ZSE1H7CqvbLQHTLtp9tW233BPQaeKgGZAYgoKkSXzNTzNvHf5dm1U61Ul8TQmlVgNH2qOMF13X94OhnNg6o/s320/IMG_0077.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252391874970065266" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiygmXPXh33v5jfB7utyFeGv3H0s0Udlm1zR8NpFlqcV3h-f9g2492Vhp2vTmr28ohPZA8QJILa-mTDAK6CUqxzqJQ1lPHXK6wT2ln5CBAYu5IFu2EsK5a8rx-kwWlWTcgvX0MMfu96v3U/s1600-h/IMG_0085.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiygmXPXh33v5jfB7utyFeGv3H0s0Udlm1zR8NpFlqcV3h-f9g2492Vhp2vTmr28ohPZA8QJILa-mTDAK6CUqxzqJQ1lPHXK6wT2ln5CBAYu5IFu2EsK5a8rx-kwWlWTcgvX0MMfu96v3U/s320/IMG_0085.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252391876001206290" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQeLeMdhBR2VzmyHrqB6JkNDze5fYZ9hD4Tse48XIInivdkXpADbQIZ4Nu9TbMZSlCGXyfeo0GVysnGYto6ShDhQCu9h_74C5O4sEF8atDckldZ4p1Sa0GFYOuCtdJYyTdIMZyAMk7TV0/s1600-h/IMG_0086.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQeLeMdhBR2VzmyHrqB6JkNDze5fYZ9hD4Tse48XIInivdkXpADbQIZ4Nu9TbMZSlCGXyfeo0GVysnGYto6ShDhQCu9h_74C5O4sEF8atDckldZ4p1Sa0GFYOuCtdJYyTdIMZyAMk7TV0/s320/IMG_0086.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252391883004584738" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja7oUuTeYA1gO08LOKVLgb4GgPQxihz6Kol38p383kMBUDEg3kKiED5CWSct5amCop7MQ58CoWYCukeN2ae85pfAqjC9r-njeqkKr0rYt-FXDxW2UVQsGSOFikRw3yfxRoYz59WQaUfhs/s1600-h/IMG_0088.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja7oUuTeYA1gO08LOKVLgb4GgPQxihz6Kol38p383kMBUDEg3kKiED5CWSct5amCop7MQ58CoWYCukeN2ae85pfAqjC9r-njeqkKr0rYt-FXDxW2UVQsGSOFikRw3yfxRoYz59WQaUfhs/s320/IMG_0088.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252391886797789634" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj75hz1u7-9o7sD3PktnBZiIT3GX28uQfnLJtZMLa5YCm46R-JoEZP28A4sxkzDJv3kD3Zb-P1x9jiEHLLLoV-eSoHJ8KFIfHfYwgNVOJOgzvTNxEJOWMlReseNrSTPkP-Lzw9xD3v9CcE/s1600-h/IMG_0091.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj75hz1u7-9o7sD3PktnBZiIT3GX28uQfnLJtZMLa5YCm46R-JoEZP28A4sxkzDJv3kD3Zb-P1x9jiEHLLLoV-eSoHJ8KFIfHfYwgNVOJOgzvTNxEJOWMlReseNrSTPkP-Lzw9xD3v9CcE/s320/IMG_0091.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252345579948093362" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5OSCd9dGYdyEsQK7MrNqoZdM_THx99bBJN9FZk6D4IntDo8mROXLcWMlpx6XnqNZ0LxKum127jFJeUtoMqy6nUTkb9znVEFP1hmvYiKzQdAl0wlajsOTaWGfLdhQgzTPMf18WVRlatE/s1600-h/IMG_0097.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5OSCd9dGYdyEsQK7MrNqoZdM_THx99bBJN9FZk6D4IntDo8mROXLcWMlpx6XnqNZ0LxKum127jFJeUtoMqy6nUTkb9znVEFP1hmvYiKzQdAl0wlajsOTaWGfLdhQgzTPMf18WVRlatE/s320/IMG_0097.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252345584821952370" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyBmSTR_hjdNOMt0nqMK4f51F85u1h4T2pN5ci_pHxZE_ipuBUfC_SryV4zqyCnJG0rGB9S_lW7n9GPUC2jEC86ov3FR-mAtXfrnuP8_u4z-yUXqkewaH_WakAiakBKqaBkmwz9U09wvs/s1600-h/IMG_0110.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyBmSTR_hjdNOMt0nqMK4f51F85u1h4T2pN5ci_pHxZE_ipuBUfC_SryV4zqyCnJG0rGB9S_lW7n9GPUC2jEC86ov3FR-mAtXfrnuP8_u4z-yUXqkewaH_WakAiakBKqaBkmwz9U09wvs/s320/IMG_0110.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252345589293214674" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjRvyfTP_JkJ5d7OKDWFuL9M4F-O1SrvHzuATSDE8cWD-_KmDTazZOVe7whsYlYZDxY7vf01WBlOQk2z-q8jnSGs5n9SjefSOaRPu2EmuWl1y7vVShVG6n360uu8By7DthKokl8mFS1so/s1600-h/IMG_0116.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjRvyfTP_JkJ5d7OKDWFuL9M4F-O1SrvHzuATSDE8cWD-_KmDTazZOVe7whsYlYZDxY7vf01WBlOQk2z-q8jnSGs5n9SjefSOaRPu2EmuWl1y7vVShVG6n360uu8By7DthKokl8mFS1so/s320/IMG_0116.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252345593840721570" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_V0zlAJllbaumJZdWX2HpqcnFXRbS9g7mirtdfUxVmXYdDwz90HBG390-zqhS5srYwWFkmZtpFRPLOdFzVjW4dRB3Ql_KcL2s9iSV9UMbhiDJekQ2rSs61Zqz5010M12A0Iz4_RzHMg/s1600-h/IMG_0117.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_V0zlAJllbaumJZdWX2HpqcnFXRbS9g7mirtdfUxVmXYdDwz90HBG390-zqhS5srYwWFkmZtpFRPLOdFzVjW4dRB3Ql_KcL2s9iSV9UMbhiDJekQ2rSs61Zqz5010M12A0Iz4_RzHMg/s320/IMG_0117.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252344003278757122" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDKlRW66DZGQfk4q5Dhv0lQ9VQMi33PVYuGNDvwQXy-EiqIioNT4WrjIg8a_pFViwM_KLb2RO7RU7Wp95-OrlRrvOKo7QAr1ozy5C7w1QF2jTT0CH7T9ttbXmdKqH37-QIhzSiy3bqJc/s1600-h/IMG_0120.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDKlRW66DZGQfk4q5Dhv0lQ9VQMi33PVYuGNDvwQXy-EiqIioNT4WrjIg8a_pFViwM_KLb2RO7RU7Wp95-OrlRrvOKo7QAr1ozy5C7w1QF2jTT0CH7T9ttbXmdKqH37-QIhzSiy3bqJc/s320/IMG_0120.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252344005307931458" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTiaGD2XegoFC0kQoSnzzM_AZwOzHSEjZt51Y7-RZcDgc9bpJ-qeYTc8vhA-aY2J0NJT7NFDP69hvS_ve65JzSXf7hUF2dbkJuBnw16Mumy-k8VxOj2cXx9LHKsXIYY26jGeFs1_oM7hc/s1600-h/IMG_0118.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTiaGD2XegoFC0kQoSnzzM_AZwOzHSEjZt51Y7-RZcDgc9bpJ-qeYTc8vhA-aY2J0NJT7NFDP69hvS_ve65JzSXf7hUF2dbkJuBnw16Mumy-k8VxOj2cXx9LHKsXIYY26jGeFs1_oM7hc/s320/IMG_0118.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252344008076502818" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAroOwHeYnMA5i_kY7J6mOJNlHpQoTeKJ4ukfVOoKZxu8x3YOX9P9RTKfF9Sb5WibBftTjChWlVyYs5tdZLtDMikfJzR8UNuPR-GfF-DLLoq3GDBA3YEDLE5fSrDHXiDNj3esf3q3JUnQ/s1600-h/IMG_0125.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAroOwHeYnMA5i_kY7J6mOJNlHpQoTeKJ4ukfVOoKZxu8x3YOX9P9RTKfF9Sb5WibBftTjChWlVyYs5tdZLtDMikfJzR8UNuPR-GfF-DLLoq3GDBA3YEDLE5fSrDHXiDNj3esf3q3JUnQ/s320/IMG_0125.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252342598844194578" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv5MpzYehck1eQwzwH5Jl7ino7aC9lO8SknOT6t2RWWAcBb5lQEs58CJFEHHYDetqeCwFJHvPj1LcSxIpJ-ksRMFkreaALYWzakoWUdN5PxjZsrvhM5Hk0I9IreRQnCGezov-kEddkenQ/s1600-h/IMG_0127.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv5MpzYehck1eQwzwH5Jl7ino7aC9lO8SknOT6t2RWWAcBb5lQEs58CJFEHHYDetqeCwFJHvPj1LcSxIpJ-ksRMFkreaALYWzakoWUdN5PxjZsrvhM5Hk0I9IreRQnCGezov-kEddkenQ/s320/IMG_0127.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252342601504754610" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmJOu81dnr2Or_luNYiNwNs0eiJeiN5e1OxxbZJBuDII0n28kfeFsYa9WzMPBlbP7AENXDHg30mKBSjkAmg9bDHVD_6Fz6CnPkLUWZssbLvxjyn0QWBlCLtXBsBQsrTNvc3E5_YUmyR-s/s1600-h/IMG_0138.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmJOu81dnr2Or_luNYiNwNs0eiJeiN5e1OxxbZJBuDII0n28kfeFsYa9WzMPBlbP7AENXDHg30mKBSjkAmg9bDHVD_6Fz6CnPkLUWZssbLvxjyn0QWBlCLtXBsBQsrTNvc3E5_YUmyR-s/s320/IMG_0138.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252342605745520546" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipHLnry9LvsAnWM8ijPASauQ1R-w0tcfhb9-iKlpQ3_bIDRMpnbNxoGqP6MAqYxUT7osW-d8t2wSziTahh1tLPUqfe6fUwTZZ1dUUi4qJnV-Dk9wtBru-9IYRl9_2YRGCiYtKrVQNOyKc/s1600-h/IMG_0146.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipHLnry9LvsAnWM8ijPASauQ1R-w0tcfhb9-iKlpQ3_bIDRMpnbNxoGqP6MAqYxUT7osW-d8t2wSziTahh1tLPUqfe6fUwTZZ1dUUi4qJnV-Dk9wtBru-9IYRl9_2YRGCiYtKrVQNOyKc/s320/IMG_0146.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252342610417782722" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4akioMNpJ9IJRAAVqx3-cH3am439qz0w_pAR1ymIiR90i0uYrnXE4pf1bCxszvNLYeryT7nIf5oE_wT0M7wCZM5JkEn901BdFYdl13KiOjGs2k6TbKbagserF6BbGrVfALO0PKFfkAkM/s1600-h/IMG_0016.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4akioMNpJ9IJRAAVqx3-cH3am439qz0w_pAR1ymIiR90i0uYrnXE4pf1bCxszvNLYeryT7nIf5oE_wT0M7wCZM5JkEn901BdFYdl13KiOjGs2k6TbKbagserF6BbGrVfALO0PKFfkAkM/s320/IMG_0016.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254461446293445746" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcx2T_bs8mNVrISc8onbzbzdWuuhR7CP7f2MqdrFH390DgqTpixEci1NuE3sTIlqf7g7K7E2UGS1QPx8eDY3R8-4c2InIgGLC0o5vxWgtl8MRicr84BBOWOvx3SRrKEDVbGptjMRheXEQ/s1600-h/IMG_0019.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcx2T_bs8mNVrISc8onbzbzdWuuhR7CP7f2MqdrFH390DgqTpixEci1NuE3sTIlqf7g7K7E2UGS1QPx8eDY3R8-4c2InIgGLC0o5vxWgtl8MRicr84BBOWOvx3SRrKEDVbGptjMRheXEQ/s320/IMG_0019.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254461459051321314" border="0" /></a>Jesse B-Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597375354093696062noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700242472578777196.post-63959728977619137652008-09-30T20:22:00.001+00:002008-10-01T16:19:24.775+00:00CALLEJÓN DE HAMELTucked away in Central Havana – not too far from the Malecon Boulevard –, Callejón de Hamel is one of the truly legendary music venues in Cuba. Unlike the Buena Vista Social Club, a members-only club, Callejón de Hamel (Hamel Alley) is open to the public, and in turn, stands out as of one of the staples of the Cuban music scene.<br /><br />Founded in the early 1990s by Salvador Gonzales, a local artist, Callejón de Hamel aspires to promote the artistic abilities of the Afro-Cuban population.<br /><br />The physical space itself is extraordinary: murals, sculptures and assorted artistic-creations are scattered throughout the alley. At times, the vividly bright colors are mesmerizing.<br /><br />Although events are also hosted on Friday and Saturday, Sunday is the most bustling day at Callejón de Hamel. Every Sunday, different, local rumba artists perform free concerts for the public.<br /><br />Rumba is one of the most distinct musical genres in Cuba: while it is difficult to define rumba, as it simply needs to heard to be understood, in essence, rumba is a heavily African-influenced Cuban music.<br /><br />The offbeat rhythms of rumba (as in, rhythms that do not hold a steady two-four beat) make the music very unique, rhythmically. As a drummer, rumba is so engaging because the percussion section is not locked down to a steady beat. That is to say, the rhythm of rumba music is very “free” and “open” – in a sense, the rhythm of rumba has the same sort of mobility that a melody typically enjoys.<br /><br />The performance I attended was very enjoyable; although, truth be told, it was not the best rumba performance I saw in Cuba. Surely, Callejón de Hamel is an “authentic” Cuban experience; nevertheless, as it is listed on Lonely Planet’s “Must See In Havana” list, the place is, not surprisingly, swamped with tourists.<br /><br />This over-exploitation explains why the “premier” rumba players no longer perform at Callejón de Hamel. That said, the space is stunningly beautiful, the music is enjoyable, and I have never been to anywhere quite like Callejón de Hamel. I wholeheartedly recommend a visit to the place.<br /><br />By showcasing the most talented Afro-Cuban artists and musicians, Callejón de Hamel promotes the development and growth of the creative arts in Cuba society. Despite its recent “guidebook celebrity status,” Callejón de Hamel is an integral part of the Afro-Cuban community and well-worth a visit!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_AbU_8Q5TKAJMjePWqOsaPETUpMj9tz3K296-EGPa7iH7VkW1wYC7QETIsrcCaS2jxlXY0AGZmGeLLSF1dWx1GmaLIpxohBumBUoJBPRogSOnZEVKVbtAXUsJckXj0HBn8tSt84RlH8/s1600-h/IMG_9939.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_AbU_8Q5TKAJMjePWqOsaPETUpMj9tz3K296-EGPa7iH7VkW1wYC7QETIsrcCaS2jxlXY0AGZmGeLLSF1dWx1GmaLIpxohBumBUoJBPRogSOnZEVKVbtAXUsJckXj0HBn8tSt84RlH8/s320/IMG_9939.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249306048721859346" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQcIOf8mHNEai07HnCV3eE0xMU_DoObvuJfm3z2nYfHyXGmbukyirMAJvQp0NIQ0rNcIVXdKNmQO8Z9AGuJmvQ7MtFAbL2DyOlVOeiUr45L5kZPW3-aFv8ioze1755NMYI0hWbcz_vLtg/s1600-h/IMG_9952.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQcIOf8mHNEai07HnCV3eE0xMU_DoObvuJfm3z2nYfHyXGmbukyirMAJvQp0NIQ0rNcIVXdKNmQO8Z9AGuJmvQ7MtFAbL2DyOlVOeiUr45L5kZPW3-aFv8ioze1755NMYI0hWbcz_vLtg/s320/IMG_9952.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249304673274856754" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNzZUSuGulRXn7-9EuQQ1Fipg0jlI74mLntLewUEBXDLe2fGEEUR-TnlOcBkNkqH2aCiOYqx8OIM7ZEJi5-sXHaTEKsuRj3nKGkRcc0spXy0vVKiG-1nqzOSuOW60sm3_0UvjvANXQyAE/s1600-h/IMG_9945.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNzZUSuGulRXn7-9EuQQ1Fipg0jlI74mLntLewUEBXDLe2fGEEUR-TnlOcBkNkqH2aCiOYqx8OIM7ZEJi5-sXHaTEKsuRj3nKGkRcc0spXy0vVKiG-1nqzOSuOW60sm3_0UvjvANXQyAE/s320/IMG_9945.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249306039640103058" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_AbU_8Q5TKAJMjePWqOsaPETUpMj9tz3K296-EGPa7iH7VkW1wYC7QETIsrcCaS2jxlXY0AGZmGeLLSF1dWx1GmaLIpxohBumBUoJBPRogSOnZEVKVbtAXUsJckXj0HBn8tSt84RlH8/s1600-h/IMG_9939.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_AbU_8Q5TKAJMjePWqOsaPETUpMj9tz3K296-EGPa7iH7VkW1wYC7QETIsrcCaS2jxlXY0AGZmGeLLSF1dWx1GmaLIpxohBumBUoJBPRogSOnZEVKVbtAXUsJckXj0HBn8tSt84RlH8/s320/IMG_9939.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249306048721859346" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj08W17_FrIueKZNlT7SuArNUk1y2chkQMGhWMViaJAHjtd2xWjBmre4MEludytRS4OEG1x6iMrmt5f-8_aSGjClOY3yQGvwcFMlGWeHptZvOd2r71iNquhjRl7MPD7I6qPPwLCLtj_2IU/s1600-h/IMG_9938.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj08W17_FrIueKZNlT7SuArNUk1y2chkQMGhWMViaJAHjtd2xWjBmre4MEludytRS4OEG1x6iMrmt5f-8_aSGjClOY3yQGvwcFMlGWeHptZvOd2r71iNquhjRl7MPD7I6qPPwLCLtj_2IU/s320/IMG_9938.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249306064747641394" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizyGEhIB5VJJMSGJZ2mFkBCX-aHfn2N0aJsoyHwzgRyFi9oowdKua7i1kPWSvzTNF_FULvyWooZZJKF3EmhWIUMHmj-ZsSqBfJybyAqLMUzcA3JQenRsXNKhIFybO6jYaC0ceg5GztoiM/s1600-h/IMG_9951.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizyGEhIB5VJJMSGJZ2mFkBCX-aHfn2N0aJsoyHwzgRyFi9oowdKua7i1kPWSvzTNF_FULvyWooZZJKF3EmhWIUMHmj-ZsSqBfJybyAqLMUzcA3JQenRsXNKhIFybO6jYaC0ceg5GztoiM/s320/IMG_9951.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249304682403805458" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXdbd0evMq7558jzZ6iqS6z628XWt9j8-8P8kBQ9vIq_GXKZ4-xpOM1uw8ZYVZquxLO3HVBEX62iLKLSjJzxLEbdmWYCoFKA5keaCKXeVu7qkj5fZBCKdpqgfT9_Atq1D4mEfm3BT2A7k/s1600-h/IMG_9948.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXdbd0evMq7558jzZ6iqS6z628XWt9j8-8P8kBQ9vIq_GXKZ4-xpOM1uw8ZYVZquxLO3HVBEX62iLKLSjJzxLEbdmWYCoFKA5keaCKXeVu7qkj5fZBCKdpqgfT9_Atq1D4mEfm3BT2A7k/s320/IMG_9948.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249304694698469762" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ZC3Z9ntk8xmdKZGCrri4nufWdFcPcVVWjqRMEaoWBReJTTazX31zxccEmKieEzbG2gme8e3144CSDF74hGP7ZsIHof1LaOkwt6rSpe_qdF9NAp3ZvBwsbchACKGJRuFvHz76lZ8vxDg/s1600-h/IMG_9965.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ZC3Z9ntk8xmdKZGCrri4nufWdFcPcVVWjqRMEaoWBReJTTazX31zxccEmKieEzbG2gme8e3144CSDF74hGP7ZsIHof1LaOkwt6rSpe_qdF9NAp3ZvBwsbchACKGJRuFvHz76lZ8vxDg/s320/IMG_9965.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249300956819744738" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuGvdHfA5VfohECS9IRt1frxMZjsj3KEitWBtTMTr5Pi1uzGu5iF7LSSGE0Ox_k7O1NbDqIObKQ7DEGu0nqO2uUMrwWYosfr0-KcVJnLkj9b9J0tfkU1zKzkRDbEvzZBjG__CiE33B1m0/s1600-h/IMG_9961.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuGvdHfA5VfohECS9IRt1frxMZjsj3KEitWBtTMTr5Pi1uzGu5iF7LSSGE0Ox_k7O1NbDqIObKQ7DEGu0nqO2uUMrwWYosfr0-KcVJnLkj9b9J0tfkU1zKzkRDbEvzZBjG__CiE33B1m0/s320/IMG_9961.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249300962633224866" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQflV9n5xdmn7SHvXgNkcV0rlS7sOIK7a-NXa0Iu7uBIT1yW8JPdpYdaxfT3qgzK1w2HC4cvEzNT2W1YqB06lhlsdwsxR6EUkiuEl2NJ7uyBeUCjLGHuygodxrCB-esWtyNle78EcCi0/s1600-h/IMG_9960.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQflV9n5xdmn7SHvXgNkcV0rlS7sOIK7a-NXa0Iu7uBIT1yW8JPdpYdaxfT3qgzK1w2HC4cvEzNT2W1YqB06lhlsdwsxR6EUkiuEl2NJ7uyBeUCjLGHuygodxrCB-esWtyNle78EcCi0/s320/IMG_9960.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249300968098928050" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_maG2mAAGria0o-k34jV8Vn8LssMpX4pxp4YYDhUh1w9D6oC8dN1BGB2zERcBlVhZVVQfjIrno1633bJIkCGsuaEj-w3CkCtjNrUZBJzUD37sEHPhFx1TD_GqOPnfrBGLpMeB8-vQ690/s1600-h/IMG_9953.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_maG2mAAGria0o-k34jV8Vn8LssMpX4pxp4YYDhUh1w9D6oC8dN1BGB2zERcBlVhZVVQfjIrno1633bJIkCGsuaEj-w3CkCtjNrUZBJzUD37sEHPhFx1TD_GqOPnfrBGLpMeB8-vQ690/s320/IMG_9953.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249300979866154930" border="0" /></a>Jesse B-Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597375354093696062noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700242472578777196.post-18499430609669702512008-09-15T21:35:00.015+00:002008-09-19T14:41:15.948+00:00CORDOVA THE CRAFTSMANOne muggy afternoon, I found myself on Calle Obispo, a rather busy street in Central Havana. As I was walking leisurely, ice-cream cone in hand, I stumbled upon a music shop, Longina Música, that sold both records and instruments.<br /><br />As I entered the store, I immediately saw a series of ornately crafted drums. These drums could easily be mistaken for sculptures: one drum depicted a little man whose head was the top of the drum, another drum was of a screaming face, and another had complex lattice of woodwork around the body of the drum. It is too difficult to describe phenomenal details of these drums; I would recommend scrolling down to the bottom of this entry to see the photographs.<br /><br />The master behind these ingenious creations is Eduardo Cordova Reyes, a native of Havana. From an early age, Mr. Cordova studied music, most specifically drums and percussion. At some point in his late teens, he became interested in wood crafting; and eventually, he fused his two passions, and began crafting drums and percussion instruments.<br /><br />Most interestingly, Mr. Cordova uses his dreams as inspirations for the visual blueprints of his instruments. Through an academic lens, this concept is pretty fascinating to think about; nonetheless, after viewing some of Mr. Cordova’s drums, it all makes perfect sense. His most famous drum is entitled, “El Tambor de las Siete Bocas” (“The Drum With Seven Mouths”) – not the most creative of titles, but the fact that his drums even have names underscores the notion that his drums actually are more artistic than practical. As the name indicates, the drum has seven different faces; and actually, there are seven different (drum) heads on the instrument, so the player can play on any of the seven heads.<br /><br />Over the course of this past year, I have encountered some amazing drums; and with that in mind, I can firmly assert that Mr. Cordova’s creations have the most intricate craftsmanship I have seen. The drums are more akin to artistic sculptures than musical instruments: he truly has crafted some very special instruments. According to the music shop owner, Mr. Cordova has won several international awards for his craftsmanship.<br /><br />Much to my dismay, Mr. Cordova was out of town – at a workshop in Italy. I was able to chat with the music shop owners about Mr. Cordova's work, so I was able to learn a bunch about him. A couple years back, a Cuban magazine called Tropicana Internacional, published a pretty extensive interview with him; and somewhat ironically, the article was entitled, “Cordova: el arte del tambor” (or, in English, “Cordoba: The Art of the Drum”).<br /><br />If you would like to learn more about Mr. Cordova’s drums, definitely check out his MySpace account, <a href="http://http//profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=102788605">http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=102788605</a>, or you can read this article about his life, <a href="http://http//www.archivocubano.org/ravelo.html">http://www.archivocubano.org/ravelo.html</a>. Just a heads up, the latter is only in Spanish…<br /><br />Sadly, I was unable to purchase a drum, as I was weary of bringing back anything from Cuba to the States. That said, I was blown away by what I saw, and those memories are enough for me…<br /><br />Longina Música is located on Calle Obispo No. 360, between Calle Habana and Calle Compostela.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMiSGRHNFlBwwvuHT-nxgjZ5O7uIZEaqgM3Stq43Jhsb95jccs9_baCnn0h_gEntn6tcln8t2OS8HLNuXd7W2GdVlCrNEa5LDH6Pn4qdHoRsLIfKVBVnEVWUeI7kpzm97qOXJAJQ9TTSc/s1600-h/IMG_9910.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMiSGRHNFlBwwvuHT-nxgjZ5O7uIZEaqgM3Stq43Jhsb95jccs9_baCnn0h_gEntn6tcln8t2OS8HLNuXd7W2GdVlCrNEa5LDH6Pn4qdHoRsLIfKVBVnEVWUeI7kpzm97qOXJAJQ9TTSc/s320/IMG_9910.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247076901592055042" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnJ3m18NTQXTUPBzvJANkhi7ZbveRnWvgiJTj-_ZneIxBpKMYDQIkmg19h0nGnxCc9LfWburU_pQ4EZURjNHZb_er7x339Nr1nOG235spOAbH-Rcvu4PpmCzyVuy6bhNhj8iLtlaLh8qU/s1600-h/IMG_9895.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnJ3m18NTQXTUPBzvJANkhi7ZbveRnWvgiJTj-_ZneIxBpKMYDQIkmg19h0nGnxCc9LfWburU_pQ4EZURjNHZb_er7x339Nr1nOG235spOAbH-Rcvu4PpmCzyVuy6bhNhj8iLtlaLh8qU/s320/IMG_9895.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246369734063296514" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnTnADkLD_TX85NDPovX9qJoHU8QAzAypsTAfy7zKIP32FJnP-6dSRJMZJ9G5XF0pPUqVH19_pA8L6dqySCh3KAeu07jliYqC_iTzYI7pKMoxgugtiPb3q-dPCGa2VuXxtJr-RtRIslLU/s1600-h/IMG_9893.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnTnADkLD_TX85NDPovX9qJoHU8QAzAypsTAfy7zKIP32FJnP-6dSRJMZJ9G5XF0pPUqVH19_pA8L6dqySCh3KAeu07jliYqC_iTzYI7pKMoxgugtiPb3q-dPCGa2VuXxtJr-RtRIslLU/s320/IMG_9893.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246369739246729634" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKbYNtM2LLJJUce1MzwGS2PnVVoNU93EhJEJJ409vmkjhj5RBqYiJkFxlxlpR34allBIWDSFIgBqiAHmHzMCeNqh8c3n7KoSWPbdVFUjM_dYDtzRfF8if50mhFSdBdbF5c40KyQhQxpCA/s1600-h/IMG_9892.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKbYNtM2LLJJUce1MzwGS2PnVVoNU93EhJEJJ409vmkjhj5RBqYiJkFxlxlpR34allBIWDSFIgBqiAHmHzMCeNqh8c3n7KoSWPbdVFUjM_dYDtzRfF8if50mhFSdBdbF5c40KyQhQxpCA/s320/IMG_9892.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246369746888430386" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHPA7rday4JD42wHBd5w723dTxua68cgZbaKGJM8yAKH1cLKUSW9DKnPjl4GQk624B-_IJ4BhObG60yRifv0IU2qrPB5W3RqfeGzLhYCHY_wo8IbYm8lp_jZsGWqkRHlfDVdExQ9TCPoE/s1600-h/IMG_9903.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHPA7rday4JD42wHBd5w723dTxua68cgZbaKGJM8yAKH1cLKUSW9DKnPjl4GQk624B-_IJ4BhObG60yRifv0IU2qrPB5W3RqfeGzLhYCHY_wo8IbYm8lp_jZsGWqkRHlfDVdExQ9TCPoE/s320/IMG_9903.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246368532815618546" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfkYftmS3XVbWL9DL4at1q7xWCt27WG0ujyMsKh-ggzw_4A4JXfVg2kGCIknLmBOehz9FxXy4ZjmuRFLb3Gq8AwrBXbiBmhPs8A7nyyN7jvMW2VeIg34bVP70zzB45pf-BXIVyC7xqhyphenhyphenk/s1600-h/IMG_9902.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfkYftmS3XVbWL9DL4at1q7xWCt27WG0ujyMsKh-ggzw_4A4JXfVg2kGCIknLmBOehz9FxXy4ZjmuRFLb3Gq8AwrBXbiBmhPs8A7nyyN7jvMW2VeIg34bVP70zzB45pf-BXIVyC7xqhyphenhyphenk/s320/IMG_9902.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246368540551958914" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwTEv5izwNUhnzGAAv0P2r6-Rsr1Eb_wP67vi7v8diVlKGYfIgI9NUrHTiKLjUkY6Qtuchc6UEubt1JUPi_hX-bsT4fhCgWm7NA3ZnC_hVnE4neY9WMTikGZrmI-TkAovC6z3Iawm70iw/s1600-h/IMG_9897.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwTEv5izwNUhnzGAAv0P2r6-Rsr1Eb_wP67vi7v8diVlKGYfIgI9NUrHTiKLjUkY6Qtuchc6UEubt1JUPi_hX-bsT4fhCgWm7NA3ZnC_hVnE4neY9WMTikGZrmI-TkAovC6z3Iawm70iw/s320/IMG_9897.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246368548216058498" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRB2ZAw7khaJvWWSPTErByRGu_WGwdFBjgB73vILG5UHMkYtBLHsr4bWMpIEn6xrVASqUEHNfuWk9EUmf23KhCKhNTDzBnu8idvqsjYa_aF-FeKhcSiXXvC4JvoLFEryiJEDAf2DICLE0/s1600-h/IMG_9896.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRB2ZAw7khaJvWWSPTErByRGu_WGwdFBjgB73vILG5UHMkYtBLHsr4bWMpIEn6xrVASqUEHNfuWk9EUmf23KhCKhNTDzBnu8idvqsjYa_aF-FeKhcSiXXvC4JvoLFEryiJEDAf2DICLE0/s320/IMG_9896.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246368553695008802" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvMiJO9xe46f2zIpP00XAnui6jXwG9kv9-XkIUraZ-4Y8OJNkP4Pc6wqiQ5VWgDEAvKhDZ-wNZ6DW_m6DUtum_42BZBjA-N7PStpendIGr54rneR3ajyLMhFKlhzI1FbBz6sFQGW9VVdM/s1600-h/IMG_9909.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvMiJO9xe46f2zIpP00XAnui6jXwG9kv9-XkIUraZ-4Y8OJNkP4Pc6wqiQ5VWgDEAvKhDZ-wNZ6DW_m6DUtum_42BZBjA-N7PStpendIGr54rneR3ajyLMhFKlhzI1FbBz6sFQGW9VVdM/s320/IMG_9909.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246366307414315218" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxd5Gwx-LxhjuYeY1CI6FqdshZ4QRSTDymmKxUPyMnegYK-xEg6cOg_8rLNsC3QYUdoCjQNtxUPACYBJIGkMfNfJxF92JoeqPylVSqHCS3n0vzFmMTHn4LSavq_fSRhoKCgBy03h8LTow/s1600-h/IMG_9908.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxd5Gwx-LxhjuYeY1CI6FqdshZ4QRSTDymmKxUPyMnegYK-xEg6cOg_8rLNsC3QYUdoCjQNtxUPACYBJIGkMfNfJxF92JoeqPylVSqHCS3n0vzFmMTHn4LSavq_fSRhoKCgBy03h8LTow/s320/IMG_9908.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246366311540069506" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjey1sS5vd1KkrM3MB_sNWzsP1pmZEkcG-KFDbjp3SfKjRb4KH_oLk8bB8672TJ-Tz36KGTVJ3YGPl1IMK_IWj-8Mv3Ea23Fd2Den9elX4U2rS4Kxj_Odo61EAln1JrQXiE4T-HUAbxZ6A/s1600-h/IMG_9907.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjey1sS5vd1KkrM3MB_sNWzsP1pmZEkcG-KFDbjp3SfKjRb4KH_oLk8bB8672TJ-Tz36KGTVJ3YGPl1IMK_IWj-8Mv3Ea23Fd2Den9elX4U2rS4Kxj_Odo61EAln1JrQXiE4T-HUAbxZ6A/s320/IMG_9907.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246366319239364930" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ8eJrs6k9biQRN9-wCFtG9qT13BdGmTWI_ASTUzFG8BpX4Zr3JCdQ98oa6o2KtDIOIx04ny-kKHLFSVINigLOHO5MnsLB9LpUH7s47ztMGRTHs85LAEoI8mY4_c5mjt-BWchc9Dszt6U/s1600-h/IMG_9904.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ8eJrs6k9biQRN9-wCFtG9qT13BdGmTWI_ASTUzFG8BpX4Zr3JCdQ98oa6o2KtDIOIx04ny-kKHLFSVINigLOHO5MnsLB9LpUH7s47ztMGRTHs85LAEoI8mY4_c5mjt-BWchc9Dszt6U/s320/IMG_9904.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246366325810568530" border="0" /></a>Jesse B-Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597375354093696062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700242472578777196.post-2469199309742742242008-09-09T20:29:00.005+00:002008-09-10T17:59:44.588+00:00¡CUBA, SÍ!After my brief stay in London, I flew to Havana, Cuba, for the final leg of my Bristol Fellowship. On the plane ride back to my usual hemisphere, it was hard to believe that my year of research was almost complete.<br /><br />Like my transition from Japan to India, at first, I had a bit of difficulty adjusting to life in Cuba. Simply put, I had had such a positive experience in Morocco – both in terms of my research and my social life – that I actually did not want to leave Morocco at all! Either way, after a restless flight, I found myself in downtown Havana.<br /><br />Truth be told, I am not in love with Havana. While the city is aesthetically pleasing, there is so much hustle in Havana that it can be quiet a hassle to walk the streets alone. Needless to say, it is a fascinating city in itself; it truly is like stepping into a time capsule, as the majority of the cars are from before 1959 (not to mention most of the buildings look like they have not been restored for five or six decades).<br /><br />Access to the internet in Cuba is limited, at best, making it impossible to update my website while I was in the country. Furthermore, as a citizen of the United States, my visit to Cuba was, technically, illegal; so I did not want to attract any unwanted attention.<br /><br />Over the forthcoming days, I will post more on my musical experiences on the island. Without a doubt, I attended some incredible shows; I can boldly assert that Cuban rhythms are the most enjoyable in the world. Videos and (more) photographs to come…<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPKZbpHGjuvG07jidedZyIi-jfFRWDOjxXV-J02JeZ4qiSihT59qhHK3fCwUBZycUrwrTixKZz5NWN0DXhTBi0UBUkP4i0GVYnmP69O10ggKA2D4vnFFP8O_N5nJi4R4SRxMdvdcIkXBo/s1600-h/IMG_0338.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPKZbpHGjuvG07jidedZyIi-jfFRWDOjxXV-J02JeZ4qiSihT59qhHK3fCwUBZycUrwrTixKZz5NWN0DXhTBi0UBUkP4i0GVYnmP69O10ggKA2D4vnFFP8O_N5nJi4R4SRxMdvdcIkXBo/s320/IMG_0338.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244126469001652898" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj35BRgqnHQlmknRQBgwa8JEglnXEejcd1mlYD6EYq251NTQzF-iJT0enZi3SOnL2h3AZkDmXyhjXgufN90P-f7I2TgGztkvzgtyzx-93LT8x9pK8_9vJtw9J7csmIkog0DqT5Yu1IH3NY/s1600-h/IMG_0319.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj35BRgqnHQlmknRQBgwa8JEglnXEejcd1mlYD6EYq251NTQzF-iJT0enZi3SOnL2h3AZkDmXyhjXgufN90P-f7I2TgGztkvzgtyzx-93LT8x9pK8_9vJtw9J7csmIkog0DqT5Yu1IH3NY/s320/IMG_0319.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244126474673071922" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3VJB0DunYEy5itZDRVox2vEpvRWYhDhVrhUyp4NMY1rca7obUXiewjloCl47D35diIGg6Ntg1bbuAdx8Jr2yaWLZHrnM0h5KJXs4L-eir8VhTUKi8sEHCCJVGO8mv24BQcTUx4QOIxYw/s1600-h/IMG_0311.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3VJB0DunYEy5itZDRVox2vEpvRWYhDhVrhUyp4NMY1rca7obUXiewjloCl47D35diIGg6Ntg1bbuAdx8Jr2yaWLZHrnM0h5KJXs4L-eir8VhTUKi8sEHCCJVGO8mv24BQcTUx4QOIxYw/s320/IMG_0311.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244126481761618274" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ0dWQQ29h_KIFLHk7S1QHDylUa27PH_UjbbgUIuh6JApRlJ6t2o6Ju_8iD2874k-ObD3cPtrtiCy97yUUCKAmLco8YZahvAGsR9ohKu-kiCGc-DvE1vdwg3BZkWBQFyG5ufYFG4ev-Mk/s1600-h/IMG_9883.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ0dWQQ29h_KIFLHk7S1QHDylUa27PH_UjbbgUIuh6JApRlJ6t2o6Ju_8iD2874k-ObD3cPtrtiCy97yUUCKAmLco8YZahvAGsR9ohKu-kiCGc-DvE1vdwg3BZkWBQFyG5ufYFG4ev-Mk/s320/IMG_9883.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244124666925861586" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgADoGqRSGZ4oyTexN_Qf7wTTdcXrvryDC-l2hEuo0btbDIacTEBQBL_dgvn8XB72yi_Hte_2EyF6u45ZWh2mjKSVbNZ04_t_Cq7A-0j1SojOuVrbboxj_8_MYfIH3ICvF95XcVrZsze9k/s1600-h/IMG_9880.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgADoGqRSGZ4oyTexN_Qf7wTTdcXrvryDC-l2hEuo0btbDIacTEBQBL_dgvn8XB72yi_Hte_2EyF6u45ZWh2mjKSVbNZ04_t_Cq7A-0j1SojOuVrbboxj_8_MYfIH3ICvF95XcVrZsze9k/s320/IMG_9880.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244124676121431762" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIhif1vvjiyIM2onmzOhhp7ITvgzM-fa2PprjfFwDfO-TGy5HFgw2TRCeYAShcpQ2IVzdxJhBL7QShfMmc-JDFRZ8BeeYOEIRaxYnWykJbFS23tlfb7AoCQ9IGjFjMiw7IUkuy0T9dQGk/s1600-h/IMG_9854.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIhif1vvjiyIM2onmzOhhp7ITvgzM-fa2PprjfFwDfO-TGy5HFgw2TRCeYAShcpQ2IVzdxJhBL7QShfMmc-JDFRZ8BeeYOEIRaxYnWykJbFS23tlfb7AoCQ9IGjFjMiw7IUkuy0T9dQGk/s320/IMG_9854.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244124685283559762" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFvgG0CzBMFkDLHRUPJUtb9a6fwRQaIvi6oI7O0QANGfOt8oPlQpjogTmvYpsII4F4EMtN7020h2oe412SRsFF03oWlzaUiYT7MhzfphXNMg6ptK9xBoEUVLU5U1_gLwcbUP5_GF7fxY/s1600-h/IMG_9850.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFvgG0CzBMFkDLHRUPJUtb9a6fwRQaIvi6oI7O0QANGfOt8oPlQpjogTmvYpsII4F4EMtN7020h2oe412SRsFF03oWlzaUiYT7MhzfphXNMg6ptK9xBoEUVLU5U1_gLwcbUP5_GF7fxY/s320/IMG_9850.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244124687710371010" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp6XuAJk4o18Dly7-Ks5NpSSY5Y5kibigpesFyH5YTzpsLEIi4Vf6HzyKjG-Q9ckLyVkBYXwi0V8mwstqYU-tXMF-xYQ_nVHjrPfjHP1VsgMwK6onTQKTaUORq-3HOt3RPec7gA5sUyPc/s1600-h/IMG_9967.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp6XuAJk4o18Dly7-Ks5NpSSY5Y5kibigpesFyH5YTzpsLEIi4Vf6HzyKjG-Q9ckLyVkBYXwi0V8mwstqYU-tXMF-xYQ_nVHjrPfjHP1VsgMwK6onTQKTaUORq-3HOt3RPec7gA5sUyPc/s320/IMG_9967.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244122959007546402" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkYhQvjIpV8oCWsBm_Xute46ymqW6xk94VgZs755fhGImKoNUF5xqQ0ZhBK3qJ9Wia2Bg1jZmSN_zbbInkUEowT8bp-pr8ujYtf1YeW0Mdr0SXdbdC5j9NTj3GKMAEHJGsKclaquY4Riw/s1600-h/IMG_9924.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkYhQvjIpV8oCWsBm_Xute46ymqW6xk94VgZs755fhGImKoNUF5xqQ0ZhBK3qJ9Wia2Bg1jZmSN_zbbInkUEowT8bp-pr8ujYtf1YeW0Mdr0SXdbdC5j9NTj3GKMAEHJGsKclaquY4Riw/s320/IMG_9924.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244122966221383042" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp7koscVw324PDYnL7vqyrbmHr1fijq3Pe73ovxm_RBwW5b5lsy-8ybN-kNhmUzrLGbGuT6UeuOxSPGwEV0dVjpXnKi-maHKUspzD6J_K78WgbLWWZzig1GAQAJUAjHceQex6J0GfFAog/s1600-h/IMG_9923.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp7koscVw324PDYnL7vqyrbmHr1fijq3Pe73ovxm_RBwW5b5lsy-8ybN-kNhmUzrLGbGuT6UeuOxSPGwEV0dVjpXnKi-maHKUspzD6J_K78WgbLWWZzig1GAQAJUAjHceQex6J0GfFAog/s320/IMG_9923.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244122973153464034" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihpdUfgyHOOVeEk_3ruP9dpmaDSSh7nxy1PqAm8W3VW_sP0tayQi4Ja8cYVTsHmZc2HFCc1baPCXGjaBcUQGB8BmZyvHzBuP1A71tEAL8S7e-Ay27eYhEGWoj6K0JO_2K3PppLKaMb7DQ/s1600-h/IMG_9886.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihpdUfgyHOOVeEk_3ruP9dpmaDSSh7nxy1PqAm8W3VW_sP0tayQi4Ja8cYVTsHmZc2HFCc1baPCXGjaBcUQGB8BmZyvHzBuP1A71tEAL8S7e-Ay27eYhEGWoj6K0JO_2K3PppLKaMb7DQ/s320/IMG_9886.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244122979840167538" border="0" /></a>Jesse B-Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597375354093696062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700242472578777196.post-44336432179001450012008-09-03T19:57:00.005+00:002008-09-03T20:22:21.678+00:00RADIOHEAD IN LONDONJust hours after the post-party for L’Boulevard Festival ended, I flew from Casablanca to London – in a not-so-direct manner, as I had a layover in Rome. I spent three days in London, in order to gather the proper documentation to enter Cuba. (Actually, the gap between the flights turned out to be essential, as my bag was lost by the airline!)<br /><br />Coincidentally, Radiohead, one of my all time favorite bands, was in town, playing two shows in Victoria Park; and naturally, I attended both concerts. I actually got a free ticket to the second show; perhaps I just have very good music-karma.<br /><br />While these experiences had nothing to do with the fellowship per se, Radiohead’s drummer, Phil Selway, has always been at the forefront of pushing the creative envelope for drums and percussion. Phil is best known for his integration of acoustic and electronic drums. Furthermore, unlike many popular rock drums, Phil often employs odd time signatures to his beats.<br /><br />Both shows were outstanding – I have no doubts that Radiohead are one of the best live bands out there, if not the best. The highlight of both shows came during “Bangers & Mash,” as Thom Yorke, the lead singer, played drums on an auxiliary kit and sang. Most definitely, the prospect of two drummers on one song makes me smile.<br /><br />And, might I add, Thom has some serious chops! Enjoy the photographs.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnbH97ygltpXzLWaM9lCvyHX7c6C1-2OWVH5Ia4Na-ovIDZfJYf-CJe9KNS9MU4kuzDAZMV9opVdWeLEfrsr1GJtAFLo7OTsdEeN-7DnZ7-U7X7CmHnL-vfYpmMzfSoIDO0nHCTsdTIHg/s1600-h/IMG_9776.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnbH97ygltpXzLWaM9lCvyHX7c6C1-2OWVH5Ia4Na-ovIDZfJYf-CJe9KNS9MU4kuzDAZMV9opVdWeLEfrsr1GJtAFLo7OTsdEeN-7DnZ7-U7X7CmHnL-vfYpmMzfSoIDO0nHCTsdTIHg/s320/IMG_9776.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241892828444121618" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswmSi-PUwIeQYxS4Z-U5-Y1e7cmk_igRG3JPBgW4RuPX5VUx0Xz-a4DqBMu-Nm1oCtHDZbsmSBhVAIg80jpHpVb5rzRWbtupw_DFrEClYgPgjlnL3m31JnAOVbNdu0iLeBY4jIwOng64/s1600-h/IMG_9777.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswmSi-PUwIeQYxS4Z-U5-Y1e7cmk_igRG3JPBgW4RuPX5VUx0Xz-a4DqBMu-Nm1oCtHDZbsmSBhVAIg80jpHpVb5rzRWbtupw_DFrEClYgPgjlnL3m31JnAOVbNdu0iLeBY4jIwOng64/s320/IMG_9777.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241892843501599954" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1RD5aHEMPDWsI8VaUkwX5gRaqRve4v-dLF_8m5oEQHn4XvWYCvP2jxM-kUGJzF-qm8smCXSl3l59iKDkPWANW1jF46ArPSNIHbCVVpMZfJ8UJqSXvvd_5PlpPrzu-3v6tkRSWZoPqXp4/s1600-h/IMG_9778.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1RD5aHEMPDWsI8VaUkwX5gRaqRve4v-dLF_8m5oEQHn4XvWYCvP2jxM-kUGJzF-qm8smCXSl3l59iKDkPWANW1jF46ArPSNIHbCVVpMZfJ8UJqSXvvd_5PlpPrzu-3v6tkRSWZoPqXp4/s320/IMG_9778.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241892851393778770" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkYb5pFKxML-S4IKNaJYkfyqD5smO7GTbFe88aLP0cX_HKRkC2XjldeCu4szfjR4ECkBpycCgWUw7SmruaukiQxdDLeld0RmOYPRFRHwjF3HAqiWXHsZtlgtxoI2AY7JjITeSahVg6qo0/s1600-h/IMG_9780.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkYb5pFKxML-S4IKNaJYkfyqD5smO7GTbFe88aLP0cX_HKRkC2XjldeCu4szfjR4ECkBpycCgWUw7SmruaukiQxdDLeld0RmOYPRFRHwjF3HAqiWXHsZtlgtxoI2AY7JjITeSahVg6qo0/s320/IMG_9780.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241892854982040946" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOypvLLdmdn1rR9cPOSnzUmm2dNsiSIxlmQTtCSFMPPvI5-AoNUvljsOLHt85-I-BGR8z699JcmNiJAW859DFL6lUWyWlgFuagUdWbU7WNn9Tu4FjlxzNG-KLydyIr3dcJ5wOf7RSiXSY/s1600-h/IMG_9781.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOypvLLdmdn1rR9cPOSnzUmm2dNsiSIxlmQTtCSFMPPvI5-AoNUvljsOLHt85-I-BGR8z699JcmNiJAW859DFL6lUWyWlgFuagUdWbU7WNn9Tu4FjlxzNG-KLydyIr3dcJ5wOf7RSiXSY/s320/IMG_9781.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241892863525197282" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeMAjgnV9CGBBbHSkihxro8DzVYKJWZZ2m4yX2Z1tuSNcphNCngac0FAYVteqNVLOKsNUoyb7z9Z4F2InZHx374RlLnYtEtzzaKlfDvr6STJGD8K3f9xzOl6ETS7EyF6kmK62vlP8Hvo0/s1600-h/IMG_9772.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeMAjgnV9CGBBbHSkihxro8DzVYKJWZZ2m4yX2Z1tuSNcphNCngac0FAYVteqNVLOKsNUoyb7z9Z4F2InZHx374RlLnYtEtzzaKlfDvr6STJGD8K3f9xzOl6ETS7EyF6kmK62vlP8Hvo0/s320/IMG_9772.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241891029983375074" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXpIk_krwjpYN8HYl06UC_Lath7aFB7U5i1ugxzYxq4IUJ4aOTvoOLKX5NhOTlfjonSA-RvMprGhwWnWGUcF9qezWYSxCtVVO9xXm65Nu1SDi-IXBeSov141RKGz-uDLYvDT8pyhSI2ZE/s1600-h/IMG_9774.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXpIk_krwjpYN8HYl06UC_Lath7aFB7U5i1ugxzYxq4IUJ4aOTvoOLKX5NhOTlfjonSA-RvMprGhwWnWGUcF9qezWYSxCtVVO9xXm65Nu1SDi-IXBeSov141RKGz-uDLYvDT8pyhSI2ZE/s320/IMG_9774.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241891041995235954" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbGWPO1rHird7faeKSvjffj6BgX7E_x214C2Kfvfp80RjbKzs6qzFv8LyyBtq0B5GCTTjGaSjKDOAjVXZBwqZQZEV6JSL2RlNbvJraODf87D9p5greSL6KII688ys862T0dbKP0hYCIeU/s1600-h/IMG_9775.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbGWPO1rHird7faeKSvjffj6BgX7E_x214C2Kfvfp80RjbKzs6qzFv8LyyBtq0B5GCTTjGaSjKDOAjVXZBwqZQZEV6JSL2RlNbvJraODf87D9p5greSL6KII688ys862T0dbKP0hYCIeU/s320/IMG_9775.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241891076308578962" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjmU8K9sPXt9wvbNZqyzFqvNDMHOr5h7Yb2BTYN7e_69G0_5NjZODqaRR2xFgn-p1SJ5GC7QL1AihSf-ZkegdP7k8sGSEpPTn54bSAWQHTarcJ-glVd509dlX0RIAQpWLkQr57caulkGY/s1600-h/IMG_9767.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjmU8K9sPXt9wvbNZqyzFqvNDMHOr5h7Yb2BTYN7e_69G0_5NjZODqaRR2xFgn-p1SJ5GC7QL1AihSf-ZkegdP7k8sGSEpPTn54bSAWQHTarcJ-glVd509dlX0RIAQpWLkQr57caulkGY/s320/IMG_9767.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241890079321078562" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeO5O3xwXIlUg74hS6vnIylNgam-B_I-b8hvEQziz8HDBNN61ihjExweE2j-z5YuvV9P_spcsVe2ags9PaPgoQah6gyh1JKmH9Z2Wjo-RFiLDQBsqZhBSyuJqEbt-NA0FJomqAIVj3C0M/s1600-h/IMG_9768.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeO5O3xwXIlUg74hS6vnIylNgam-B_I-b8hvEQziz8HDBNN61ihjExweE2j-z5YuvV9P_spcsVe2ags9PaPgoQah6gyh1JKmH9Z2Wjo-RFiLDQBsqZhBSyuJqEbt-NA0FJomqAIVj3C0M/s320/IMG_9768.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241890088925710946" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCcgXeLE7142TGvOKttHSZvUlLVQravN3pzfbuTdRrMB_laYYXKLK-FGDYG8vLleKBXnZhmaUnTQFmGm8oCVFpxKb4F3ADDYsQx8ih1CEEsP_A-dGVnQAy4B595sTgpVCnyRVeHEa61uI/s1600-h/IMG_9769.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCcgXeLE7142TGvOKttHSZvUlLVQravN3pzfbuTdRrMB_laYYXKLK-FGDYG8vLleKBXnZhmaUnTQFmGm8oCVFpxKb4F3ADDYsQx8ih1CEEsP_A-dGVnQAy4B595sTgpVCnyRVeHEa61uI/s320/IMG_9769.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241890099420564162" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGtBAq_x2I_7PrDFnoz1DBuKItEypJPUC7EK7o2OrrJvQFOre51LK8XrvNXRvsMHE7qrKUP4f-dxLvpBZC0Ai6QqaxaP-5gDt5nmdcreOBrBkVfXzE1IiKSl9UtKo1rXBQvz9nkNcbNqA/s1600-h/IMG_9762.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGtBAq_x2I_7PrDFnoz1DBuKItEypJPUC7EK7o2OrrJvQFOre51LK8XrvNXRvsMHE7qrKUP4f-dxLvpBZC0Ai6QqaxaP-5gDt5nmdcreOBrBkVfXzE1IiKSl9UtKo1rXBQvz9nkNcbNqA/s320/IMG_9762.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241888777952346290" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWbmn90r95qZuqC64mqpPjgTkigg1Lt69G14jlfICANkyl-bw-NnG1toGAjbpj8sAa0DDgBpLmQQUuDTEfXJt-I49EvnM7PH-07pyf3BC70WHX94CwtxdeEAxcrTc2SlFQq-lPn7oPKz4/s1600-h/IMG_9764.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWbmn90r95qZuqC64mqpPjgTkigg1Lt69G14jlfICANkyl-bw-NnG1toGAjbpj8sAa0DDgBpLmQQUuDTEfXJt-I49EvnM7PH-07pyf3BC70WHX94CwtxdeEAxcrTc2SlFQq-lPn7oPKz4/s320/IMG_9764.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241888782441600866" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3p1a3riEbd4eRUJ_xpaFMKUf91mi6ikqNwtNV4M0_PUWUbdTMi19LWdaNEXdjcvaw7yYh-9-C74WVTOXUEqRX3p8i4xOVTureVOzm2iNWyVpXqVWF2ThfRCyKD0CJMrYkMh08nCZueA/s1600-h/IMG_9766.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3p1a3riEbd4eRUJ_xpaFMKUf91mi6ikqNwtNV4M0_PUWUbdTMi19LWdaNEXdjcvaw7yYh-9-C74WVTOXUEqRX3p8i4xOVTureVOzm2iNWyVpXqVWF2ThfRCyKD0CJMrYkMh08nCZueA/s320/IMG_9766.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241888786353360994" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugBSU_tg-YI9Rq0cBMz3HvUVlB6_VcTJOnHpz6pJrLIZYvovO8fmn4nhC-HH9YiP5bp1doikO4_XWYbx91AlLMKuAeICfEtBQgG4u207QmG5WpUh-MRYE6cUTFFCUvJ7bvOpnajV032A/s1600-h/IMG_9759.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugBSU_tg-YI9Rq0cBMz3HvUVlB6_VcTJOnHpz6pJrLIZYvovO8fmn4nhC-HH9YiP5bp1doikO4_XWYbx91AlLMKuAeICfEtBQgG4u207QmG5WpUh-MRYE6cUTFFCUvJ7bvOpnajV032A/s320/IMG_9759.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241887975807157650" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaSEras4dP-6PvkQq4MgxjWU0BO30h-b6BTTbCj_MYyiI3RRkRICIWpR2_GHwPUnxjN-fdQE9bAbcvmwUqHRI_1pzeqHtcRNYR1cIen0EhdV5xIRHb3hVHBZVM2cXXDepmy-51ldevMIw/s1600-h/IMG_9761.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaSEras4dP-6PvkQq4MgxjWU0BO30h-b6BTTbCj_MYyiI3RRkRICIWpR2_GHwPUnxjN-fdQE9bAbcvmwUqHRI_1pzeqHtcRNYR1cIen0EhdV5xIRHb3hVHBZVM2cXXDepmy-51ldevMIw/s320/IMG_9761.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241887982180601106" border="0" /></a>Jesse B-Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597375354093696062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700242472578777196.post-46504973067206514202008-08-19T00:29:00.008+01:002008-08-27T22:15:41.970+01:00L'BOULEVARD FESTIVAL: CASABLANCAOver the past few years, L’Boulevard Festival in Casablanca has emerged as one of the premier festivals to showcase popular Moroccan rock, reggae and hip hop acts. Like so many other festivals throughout Morocco, the festival was extremely well organized and the promoters demonstrated a profound level of professionalism.<br /><br />The festival ran from Wednesday, June 18th through Sunday, the 22nd: I was only able to attend two nights, Thursday and Sunday, as I wanted to attend the Maroc Hit Parade in Rabat on the 21st. (This just goes to show how many festivals there are in Morocco; many festivals overlap one another).<br /><br />On Thursday, I attended a performance by H-Kayne, probably the most popular hip-hop act in Morocco. It was definitely a fun show, although, as a drummer, I always am a little jaded while watching a concert that does not have a live drummer. As they say, “Drum machines don’t have souls.”<br /><br />Sunday was the biggest day of the festival, anyway, with performances by Darga, Barry, Band of Gnawa, and of course, Hoba Hoba Spirit. The whole afternoon and evening was a blast. Hoba’s performance was incredible: it was the hometown show for the band, so there was an even higher level of energy than normal. Because I was leaving Morocco the next morning, it also was the last Hoba Hoba Spirit concert I attended, making it a very special experience for me.<br /><br />Throughout the course of this year, I have been exposed to many new wonderful musicians. Without a doubt, I have seen more talent in Morocco than any of the other countries I have conducted the research in.<br /><br />When friends ask me, “What is Moroccan music like?” I cannot help but roll my eyes. Moroccan music is absurdly diverse: because North Africa is teeming with so many different cultural influences, the music of Morocco cannot be easily categorized. But, to answer that nagging question, Moroccan music can sound like traditional Arabian music or classical Berber music or classical Andalusian (Spanish) music or typical French music or tribal West African music…or, it can sound like a hybrid of all, or some, of those influences!<br /><br />Because contemporary artists have such a deep musical pool to draw from, bands like Hoba Hoba Spirit and Darga emerge with a very unique, but very grounded, sound. I think it is so neat how modern bands employ traditional elements.<br /><br />To think of the evolution of Moroccan music, it is so incredible to remember that a genre of music, like gnaoua, originated as the music of West African slaves brought to Morocco. The rhythms of gnaoua can be heard in the music of Hoba Hoba Spirit. These same rhythms even constitute the backbone of blues music. Very, very cool, indeed…<br /><br />In terms of my personal experience in Morocco, I have only the fondest memories of country. I would highly recommend anyone and everyone to travel to Morocco; it is one of the most fascinating, and beautiful, corners of the world. If you are a music aficionado, definitely visit Morocco anytime from the middle of May to early July, as there are a plethora of festivals. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the “music season” in Morocco is that almost all of the performances are free: it is so commendable that the King and other private institutions have financed so many great festivals.<br /><br />Lastly, I must say a big, BIG thank you to Amine Chabi and Adil Hanine for all their help. I could write a list of a hundred names of individuals that assisted me throughout my field research, a testament to the tremendous level of hospitality throughout the country…<br /><br />Apologies for the delays on the website; more to come on my adventures in Cuba. Stay tuned…<br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5UqNYSX8hII"> </param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5UqNYSX8hII" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4X88khBHQvo"> </param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4X88khBHQvo" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_5qLEBQx7-c"> </param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_5qLEBQx7-c" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfzceKYq64ameK93SRtkiAP7i-XGEh_UISYyeCbKZEssVkpP-mpRmy9QBbSiQ01Cl4D_yj7dOMAXqh0hc7xjSl159CXjmLDkqYZ_mIy6_wqEkPnOCJ86H8MZLAO0pa1Q3IzNVGTMKEdCU/s1600-h/IMG_9696.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfzceKYq64ameK93SRtkiAP7i-XGEh_UISYyeCbKZEssVkpP-mpRmy9QBbSiQ01Cl4D_yj7dOMAXqh0hc7xjSl159CXjmLDkqYZ_mIy6_wqEkPnOCJ86H8MZLAO0pa1Q3IzNVGTMKEdCU/s320/IMG_9696.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236242438881102834" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgikcULeXJObshMJmgIxP-6mjHMh9Xokb_NikQ-DdZ9WC2fAg-MhYnf1W475a4yMXYI65y_31_u3emjIfeUDjD5LS_-5e6asBvQEWktlkgYDnjKErd1R7Th6VdHmN0CWOliHwrl_O8keC4/s1600-h/IMG_9627.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgikcULeXJObshMJmgIxP-6mjHMh9Xokb_NikQ-DdZ9WC2fAg-MhYnf1W475a4yMXYI65y_31_u3emjIfeUDjD5LS_-5e6asBvQEWktlkgYDnjKErd1R7Th6VdHmN0CWOliHwrl_O8keC4/s320/IMG_9627.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236242449801070338" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXiFhyPCM-F51Uh9Vs-5H4WMwJ5aOcrFhWxRm_KTEYmI-caD-46-2Af6mFLlGteFDLDV44hJjW9yvcFX_OLn3oHCPRS85NvzYYrUdqRq6kGEDh_1RsNmnwnXDhf6Cbe8m1U01ksncOgtU/s1600-h/IMG_9711.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXiFhyPCM-F51Uh9Vs-5H4WMwJ5aOcrFhWxRm_KTEYmI-caD-46-2Af6mFLlGteFDLDV44hJjW9yvcFX_OLn3oHCPRS85NvzYYrUdqRq6kGEDh_1RsNmnwnXDhf6Cbe8m1U01ksncOgtU/s320/IMG_9711.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236238551027383410" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh99GL-gyKmoiW9YTnr6PCY7dX_RcpMkwLCnbcYuATYx13FGQ_7fI2w1h_nMTwjKDn6pgKsqNtU67blIHVBolIXpKU1wTyZ-CUxRKDX5vk6QPiTXoDVehH1T8qHt9s4IRwBOYyMHBH98Lw/s1600-h/IMG_9707.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh99GL-gyKmoiW9YTnr6PCY7dX_RcpMkwLCnbcYuATYx13FGQ_7fI2w1h_nMTwjKDn6pgKsqNtU67blIHVBolIXpKU1wTyZ-CUxRKDX5vk6QPiTXoDVehH1T8qHt9s4IRwBOYyMHBH98Lw/s320/IMG_9707.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236238559260093234" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_eCfsw5DYT470sOs4vBZeIihkBwtdOouzbY9QiSVfX5ByGynhEqQ6C9rr7KR_snpgwpZFyI-eOyTVCeegMb-PD5qMB6oNw5gYpmQTVwfmYbKQIAs5Ut7VxxPwLDDJYo0naeyylNPjAbM/s1600-h/IMG_9701.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_eCfsw5DYT470sOs4vBZeIihkBwtdOouzbY9QiSVfX5ByGynhEqQ6C9rr7KR_snpgwpZFyI-eOyTVCeegMb-PD5qMB6oNw5gYpmQTVwfmYbKQIAs5Ut7VxxPwLDDJYo0naeyylNPjAbM/s320/IMG_9701.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236238576180839490" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtLgzstSeg0q2N1ampMYh_10TK1fGYbEJug-02vausca1ZsG0XoPR-HZGgUu3kIrTb9SyzLg2sH2IMlZVG5w2GNVYWc-Ql9C5rjIJreeYJcH5HXOrI_E5C262eNG4UI453mirvOoYGJTc/s1600-h/IMG_9727.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtLgzstSeg0q2N1ampMYh_10TK1fGYbEJug-02vausca1ZsG0XoPR-HZGgUu3kIrTb9SyzLg2sH2IMlZVG5w2GNVYWc-Ql9C5rjIJreeYJcH5HXOrI_E5C262eNG4UI453mirvOoYGJTc/s320/IMG_9727.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236009244640546114" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfvH5UAEwMCPkSjZsVSIo94FPVMftUYfYd1U_Q6ufIwjHdYdVGCLUKPVzk-ntON5oYC5c2fa2sMaG56DioiNAPLc_vZ4I7xC4Lzl-JYXAbI79vzG-S8AU7v1co3kChTPxZGp36AMfyrU4/s1600-h/IMG_9726.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfvH5UAEwMCPkSjZsVSIo94FPVMftUYfYd1U_Q6ufIwjHdYdVGCLUKPVzk-ntON5oYC5c2fa2sMaG56DioiNAPLc_vZ4I7xC4Lzl-JYXAbI79vzG-S8AU7v1co3kChTPxZGp36AMfyrU4/s320/IMG_9726.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236009256009980434" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifqDhHcTsX9_BWwr8U2yMA-eu5unpjFP9eURDh5BQSMm3njdI6E9dxjK2rRsQa-TtLqWWSXkB53k80B9el-Dy5RGbcCJ5NtDPm02t4IKnM18Hbr26yAoweVTZy-grhYfQQaZVedgd9AS8/s1600-h/IMG_9722.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifqDhHcTsX9_BWwr8U2yMA-eu5unpjFP9eURDh5BQSMm3njdI6E9dxjK2rRsQa-TtLqWWSXkB53k80B9el-Dy5RGbcCJ5NtDPm02t4IKnM18Hbr26yAoweVTZy-grhYfQQaZVedgd9AS8/s320/IMG_9722.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236009261025990450" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxgYsXeTDEbhjquMybRoGHi18E9DDclVmTjGG5mtnJuxwC9TJToIjU_cgGa-bwoXwXvMr2ESU4_QoNn55EIbKdtmOCYrfcCZn1mU6ZkTgJc7XfCUoqX-vliczpFIh4o4ozMHuBkuIzgo4/s1600-h/IMG_9753.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxgYsXeTDEbhjquMybRoGHi18E9DDclVmTjGG5mtnJuxwC9TJToIjU_cgGa-bwoXwXvMr2ESU4_QoNn55EIbKdtmOCYrfcCZn1mU6ZkTgJc7XfCUoqX-vliczpFIh4o4ozMHuBkuIzgo4/s320/IMG_9753.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236005794950571282" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaBbHkCQoW-tS1SySQC7-G4utjZMRaBn_m1JTjPVhKIYrBpO0GbT9jUpc3scDzaS0KfnGqB5X4gTRgpgzhgDf1FZCOtckxlUydyIROy6qZIRkd4KIg2djx6xL2Wa6nALlh3uZtq9h1TAw/s1600-h/IMG_9748.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaBbHkCQoW-tS1SySQC7-G4utjZMRaBn_m1JTjPVhKIYrBpO0GbT9jUpc3scDzaS0KfnGqB5X4gTRgpgzhgDf1FZCOtckxlUydyIROy6qZIRkd4KIg2djx6xL2Wa6nALlh3uZtq9h1TAw/s320/IMG_9748.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236005802482934402" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwy-j-cNCtdqEyp1000wo_8J44cOTPdEVACBlODcERx8Ogme5EfCvKPtyMBOrbkQErGn-3nC4a0Aj2C84_NVy8X_cGRY3fW9sAJYCPCiOwoEU7FJiY99gYdEEObcAjid_kvLQ6JAU-sgk/s1600-h/IMG_9746.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwy-j-cNCtdqEyp1000wo_8J44cOTPdEVACBlODcERx8Ogme5EfCvKPtyMBOrbkQErGn-3nC4a0Aj2C84_NVy8X_cGRY3fW9sAJYCPCiOwoEU7FJiY99gYdEEObcAjid_kvLQ6JAU-sgk/s320/IMG_9746.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236005810751812658" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAK9QD8dcf6gtTmc4Nh42N0KZrMl7fyAWthSaaUXZZaHPmzf_dXBjWIAXJ32D8fTUAj-4tC1lgXbmbKxVv5XgTzyRcMYUdw1s7HxnGhEPOfUXpoB-anaqLxYv65VXGp5fEz1RV5stxa7k/s1600-h/IMG_9736.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAK9QD8dcf6gtTmc4Nh42N0KZrMl7fyAWthSaaUXZZaHPmzf_dXBjWIAXJ32D8fTUAj-4tC1lgXbmbKxVv5XgTzyRcMYUdw1s7HxnGhEPOfUXpoB-anaqLxYv65VXGp5fEz1RV5stxa7k/s320/IMG_9736.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236005865929192002" border="0" /></a>Jesse B-Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597375354093696062noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700242472578777196.post-48070927601720380732008-08-11T18:18:00.006+01:002008-08-11T19:24:28.062+01:00MAROC HIT PARADE: RABATOn Saturday, June 21st, I attended the inaugural year of the Maroc Hit Parade Festival, which is sponsored by Hit Radio, in Rabat. Top to bottom, it was the best one-day lineup of any festival I saw in Morocco; some of the artists included H-Kayne, Fnaire, Darga, Bigg, Casa Crew, and Hoba Hoba Spirit<br /><br />There was a somber atmosphere because a week earlier, the DJ of the hip hop act Fnaire, Hicham Belqas, died in a car accident in Fes. I actually went to Fnaire’s performance in Fes the night before Hicham died. At one point during the festival, all of the artists gathered on a stage for a moment of silence in remembrance of Hicham.<br /><br />Hoba Hoba Spirit headlined the festival; because there were so many other acts, Hoba didn’t finish their set until almost two in the morning. Of course, Hoba played a great show; but the highlight of the evening was the performance by Darga, another rock-reggae-gnaoua fusion band from Casablanca. Amine Belghiti, the lead singer of Darga, actually performed a couple of songs with Hoba. A very cool collaboration indeed…<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFn-Tj6vq52TtqKnJ_ZAeCZKQiUEK70WMkBuTa_gITY7G4KKRFFMlmHuIqNe17J50Ajeh03Z4TgS6cmmMYO3ts_EhdbY2TOtZFU9NeLz0wPNsFa1Djl6vZraSD6JEa0VJsfoyIjDrMrCY/s1600-h/IMG_9657.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFn-Tj6vq52TtqKnJ_ZAeCZKQiUEK70WMkBuTa_gITY7G4KKRFFMlmHuIqNe17J50Ajeh03Z4TgS6cmmMYO3ts_EhdbY2TOtZFU9NeLz0wPNsFa1Djl6vZraSD6JEa0VJsfoyIjDrMrCY/s320/IMG_9657.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233316301212404386" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5nNJosfDUKQNOcC-IeaX9KDRqQICiwI8tm1Jo3T1fOWixFOknnXCD3qKaXpXqPohOrX65t7T91-xx9R9x8Z2br-DRx1_0VB4pzNBGz_3yQhcX2VFlk5ZdNgCDlKNG4WGUb1UH3Pq-REU/s1600-h/IMG_9665.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5nNJosfDUKQNOcC-IeaX9KDRqQICiwI8tm1Jo3T1fOWixFOknnXCD3qKaXpXqPohOrX65t7T91-xx9R9x8Z2br-DRx1_0VB4pzNBGz_3yQhcX2VFlk5ZdNgCDlKNG4WGUb1UH3Pq-REU/s320/IMG_9665.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233316309388018898" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVFKpBgakXdSposJc3JpSRDt91gcCafW19WSHVrQh5fNbcyCfjfqnSBa6linjpbesn3fHWl2XzyF-bYqjH9DPxptsyvG2YLRlOitiI_yGDKbExJYC0aGx6b7FfqdDo0iyjBNlnTjk9oEQ/s1600-h/IMG_9670.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVFKpBgakXdSposJc3JpSRDt91gcCafW19WSHVrQh5fNbcyCfjfqnSBa6linjpbesn3fHWl2XzyF-bYqjH9DPxptsyvG2YLRlOitiI_yGDKbExJYC0aGx6b7FfqdDo0iyjBNlnTjk9oEQ/s320/IMG_9670.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233316318798628514" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiShxzpO7-YGrXUGauAcv4_GHg9H5xarf184IVdx1Y1EBxILNc_hNgfjI9pMd8QHSIg6s24Tbct3W3N52qb8Apgb2bSUfknwvEMqqkFqUiYybv3KV30KAeVUhEWbHBQWT1n7YpQOpanedU/s1600-h/IMG_9675.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiShxzpO7-YGrXUGauAcv4_GHg9H5xarf184IVdx1Y1EBxILNc_hNgfjI9pMd8QHSIg6s24Tbct3W3N52qb8Apgb2bSUfknwvEMqqkFqUiYybv3KV30KAeVUhEWbHBQWT1n7YpQOpanedU/s320/IMG_9675.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233316321054910914" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj50-HYwtkpZYv73VzS8m84crzUPZVKeh2yzoPx6n_tbHq7Exq4TljLB_kExV8KEIFElv0Mna6IhHEGB6I41vmir06Dd2DSF9-y0HkYDTP7dZTGrw26whf8HggcvVWtUNSSR3455AjN-fc/s1600-h/IMG_9634.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj50-HYwtkpZYv73VzS8m84crzUPZVKeh2yzoPx6n_tbHq7Exq4TljLB_kExV8KEIFElv0Mna6IhHEGB6I41vmir06Dd2DSF9-y0HkYDTP7dZTGrw26whf8HggcvVWtUNSSR3455AjN-fc/s320/IMG_9634.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233312740084647346" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf5m4rHHBVedn-WNDuwr0T0YTWBGOlKbnNlSS-ep-ukthKKPNCivTF-vlZn_oKDwiC5V1BqUq4wuoUmRGNWJwkeKQoEQ46aePWxN5h50Hgn8LlKBZnJ7cjromgC-UA0_qxBYKFbeDvUAs/s1600-h/IMG_9640.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf5m4rHHBVedn-WNDuwr0T0YTWBGOlKbnNlSS-ep-ukthKKPNCivTF-vlZn_oKDwiC5V1BqUq4wuoUmRGNWJwkeKQoEQ46aePWxN5h50Hgn8LlKBZnJ7cjromgC-UA0_qxBYKFbeDvUAs/s320/IMG_9640.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233312748986258066" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtO7x293G-dMRDFsCmoxbLpe3GtZwVg4MKZ7a56yZ_ZnQiX4JUHGnjVTfEgujXZXK-ZndlpdOb5tmFOdx6GScGLwuPbjVEtxl3-5WC__Umo_E8NNLnLrb-rzoAEsUcODqkDhepuRhjXRE/s1600-h/IMG_9642.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtO7x293G-dMRDFsCmoxbLpe3GtZwVg4MKZ7a56yZ_ZnQiX4JUHGnjVTfEgujXZXK-ZndlpdOb5tmFOdx6GScGLwuPbjVEtxl3-5WC__Umo_E8NNLnLrb-rzoAEsUcODqkDhepuRhjXRE/s320/IMG_9642.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233312755369127506" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2siJtjpDb-g6JBNDnQxpXtZ0Ck4jdYEGxLPLhYS56iqifUhNtYpBqU_eMqEvqdhsrSp00BNA4Fzda-prHl0jMA3BXppNNFcd-8wQcoc-c1Xfjxk54GM7IydIQ2pWLOBl9pLt3KsDmuz0/s1600-h/IMG_9653.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2siJtjpDb-g6JBNDnQxpXtZ0Ck4jdYEGxLPLhYS56iqifUhNtYpBqU_eMqEvqdhsrSp00BNA4Fzda-prHl0jMA3BXppNNFcd-8wQcoc-c1Xfjxk54GM7IydIQ2pWLOBl9pLt3KsDmuz0/s320/IMG_9653.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233312772973564002" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/cqcRnBxL88A"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cqcRnBxL88A" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/VNUBvOYQ9hI"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/VNUBvOYQ9hI" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object>Jesse B-Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597375354093696062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700242472578777196.post-1141768525318320842008-08-11T17:26:00.003+01:002008-08-11T18:04:35.866+01:00FES FESTIVAL OF WORLD SACRED MUSIC: IN CONCLUSIONTruth be told, I had rather mixed feelings about the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music: on one hand, it is a fantastic gathering of musicians, but on the other, it is a blatant exploitation of religious music. While the festival has a strong emphasis on multiculturalism, which is a positive aspect, there is a rampant sense of materialism at the festival – a prospect that should be contradictory to “sacred” music.<br /><br />Indeed, a lingering question remains, as to whether “spirituality” in music can exist when there is corporate sponsorship. How can it truly be spiritual if a profit is made? Spirituality music is supposed to be free of material chains; the music of the Divine should be accessible to all. Furthermore, music is an expression of the self; so in a sense, almost all music can be labeled as “spiritual,” as, existentially speaking, the self is a reflection of the Self.<br /><br />Yet, this is all a matter of perspective; some people do not find anything negative about the festival’s approach to “spiritual,” or “sacred,” music. At one show, I met a young banker named Khalid Ben Hadine, who is from Fes. Khalid had very positive things to say about idea of the festival: “Spiritual music is more important [than contemporary music]…it helps you to be comfortable with yourself.” Khalid asserted that with, “rock and hip hop, we lose spirituality. They are too commercial.” He lamented that the youth of Morocco just “want the clothes” that the artists wear. According to Khalid, “modernization” has caused this desire for the material world. Nevertheless, with the music at the Fes Festival, the people are able to learn about “the history of my country.” The festival creates a, “good chance [opportunity] to meet old cultures” from around the world Khalid was adamant when he stated, “We need it [sacred music]. Radio is just pop, house, rap; it is so rare to find spiritual music on the radio.”<br /><br />In sum, the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music is extremely well-organized festival; yet, unfortunately, due to the high cost of the tickets, it remains inaccessible to the bulk of the Moroccan population.Jesse B-Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597375354093696062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700242472578777196.post-87974684414087565982008-08-09T22:39:00.000+01:002008-08-11T04:11:44.758+01:00FES FESTIVAL OF WORLD SACRED MUSIC: HOBA HOBA SPIRIT, SUNDAYFrom Hoba Hoba Spirit's second show at the Fes Festival...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_cabljeAKNiMMtjKM48tIsI_WHRwTjGG9LspaTomZe3qTic8q8hIl0rJrnE-Eu1KEDrrbA19Qw7l2qRYd9mJ3Lr36GEv0ys49nyVJzMJGrRX7WiYXT0UCQJWAFrRNQrvGL0sL-9B8HbQ/s1600-h/IMG_9590.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_cabljeAKNiMMtjKM48tIsI_WHRwTjGG9LspaTomZe3qTic8q8hIl0rJrnE-Eu1KEDrrbA19Qw7l2qRYd9mJ3Lr36GEv0ys49nyVJzMJGrRX7WiYXT0UCQJWAFrRNQrvGL0sL-9B8HbQ/s320/IMG_9590.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213220799716434738" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrtBOUt_2KU1EeLhSLadVRtPqGvpDy-gj6iSJXJpNcg-he5Nqr2MIC06z2GFDYz86HSTnHFXXG68Vv9K77tEe1XtuwHqMJZaj-2lwKlXKBzwTg0qvmlmc8qXgHa39sCld4qpIWez19LdU/s1600-h/IMG_9587.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrtBOUt_2KU1EeLhSLadVRtPqGvpDy-gj6iSJXJpNcg-he5Nqr2MIC06z2GFDYz86HSTnHFXXG68Vv9K77tEe1XtuwHqMJZaj-2lwKlXKBzwTg0qvmlmc8qXgHa39sCld4qpIWez19LdU/s320/IMG_9587.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213220819529782386" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-tjZaJMVCPfWkKg4Cq5msF0wzUyNoHWwvfRjyk6KSi2O7QnzQTOD9dlEHdpmSCeH4w9u2Cs0atL2CaNw1tWi9EATKKvABTCUdpvKjQpZVHp1MBZvjkMgpkpnFnm8bY2T_6fRe73wdkqU/s1600-h/IMG_9585.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-tjZaJMVCPfWkKg4Cq5msF0wzUyNoHWwvfRjyk6KSi2O7QnzQTOD9dlEHdpmSCeH4w9u2Cs0atL2CaNw1tWi9EATKKvABTCUdpvKjQpZVHp1MBZvjkMgpkpnFnm8bY2T_6fRe73wdkqU/s320/IMG_9585.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213220829162173538" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGl1yrbtkwLJxuyAEwaj0TP7EiPTYwamfh_1wzbKbdEDVLp4se7jiEmxpESh8MBC-w6L-sgpg-SJMHqZegBOa3aOh0TTPk1hDpGUcNLk59gowRFL_Jwt5tsmBSpsVf2N8AW3PW1BKTKj4/s1600-h/IMG_9598.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGl1yrbtkwLJxuyAEwaj0TP7EiPTYwamfh_1wzbKbdEDVLp4se7jiEmxpESh8MBC-w6L-sgpg-SJMHqZegBOa3aOh0TTPk1hDpGUcNLk59gowRFL_Jwt5tsmBSpsVf2N8AW3PW1BKTKj4/s320/IMG_9598.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213219108055600674" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK33rTHrevCWEvKBcyD8jdmQuc_xgXorGQPo5xNfD4eu_qleHuPo9D4zPf_EwFpEXutCATKFCSalGMmqUXoiNfYzDixyOMn95AsdOfOJ15gksa9A7wFOGksmaIfvicfBSWfnIbL6I2xSM/s1600-h/IMG_9601.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK33rTHrevCWEvKBcyD8jdmQuc_xgXorGQPo5xNfD4eu_qleHuPo9D4zPf_EwFpEXutCATKFCSalGMmqUXoiNfYzDixyOMn95AsdOfOJ15gksa9A7wFOGksmaIfvicfBSWfnIbL6I2xSM/s320/IMG_9601.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213219115336381570" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJi9WQjtXfk9-xRn5F8lW4r3N57vbDYvS-lHjHlE8Xps-NyTQjTJTAHLqzjGLhBbBU-ivGaujtWbfFG_yXwy076Yuruo5AnF9saHTda_zIhyphenhyphenGV_jIr5-wVugv0K6BU-oyv7xcAmgTHnao/s1600-h/IMG_9609.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJi9WQjtXfk9-xRn5F8lW4r3N57vbDYvS-lHjHlE8Xps-NyTQjTJTAHLqzjGLhBbBU-ivGaujtWbfFG_yXwy076Yuruo5AnF9saHTda_zIhyphenhyphenGV_jIr5-wVugv0K6BU-oyv7xcAmgTHnao/s320/IMG_9609.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213216594931058290" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyNryLgd4fribD6h4NGh83IhE5MEtnsY4bAIxqjj9hhb0N-DwY9_Fkn0hR3IfLTFar4gJHycB3jnsp36xvghN6Dhi1_G0CbJ3fr_482Z5uxcH5wA8-w-isSeBUwRCSPEs5urx4JkH0dqI/s1600-h/IMG_9604.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyNryLgd4fribD6h4NGh83IhE5MEtnsY4bAIxqjj9hhb0N-DwY9_Fkn0hR3IfLTFar4gJHycB3jnsp36xvghN6Dhi1_G0CbJ3fr_482Z5uxcH5wA8-w-isSeBUwRCSPEs5urx4JkH0dqI/s320/IMG_9604.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213219127740285026" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnmTnUMser2t_5np6VwpLYK44NdKSvLLWgV0FHJzbetNPysFipqyh8e2-P0oarFPiPHyH8Ov6sXy23JAmyr3xDT9Ph3-fSV3AaqHXvCdPWQ_PJeix1_oe8zstoHNVMbhp9lyjd4QDDkY0/s1600-h/IMG_9607.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnmTnUMser2t_5np6VwpLYK44NdKSvLLWgV0FHJzbetNPysFipqyh8e2-P0oarFPiPHyH8Ov6sXy23JAmyr3xDT9Ph3-fSV3AaqHXvCdPWQ_PJeix1_oe8zstoHNVMbhp9lyjd4QDDkY0/s320/IMG_9607.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213216584599780626" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1bRkQag11Vs"> </param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1bRkQag11Vs" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object>Jesse B-Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597375354093696062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700242472578777196.post-67436961420073773832008-08-09T20:21:00.001+01:002008-08-11T04:10:34.972+01:00FES FESTIVAL OF WORLD SACRED MUSIC: HOBA HOBA SPIRIT (SATURDAY)The Fes Festival of Sacred Music is not exclusive to “sacred” music: several venues, chiefly Ait Skato and Bab Boujloud, feature contemporary musicians. While I support the idea that the Fes Festival has both traditional and contemporary music, I firmly believe the organizers need to try to bridge a gap between these two genres. That is to say, there is no effort to recognize the “spiritual” aspect of contemporary music. Indeed, it is disappointing that the event organizers place so much emphasis on the “sacredness” of traditional music yet fail to distinguish or define “spiritual” essence of modern music.<br /><br />When discussing this issue with Adil Hanine, the drummer of Hoba Hoba Spirit, he asked me, “What is spiritual music?” After a quick pause, he answered his own question: “Spiritual music is the heart’s expression.”<br /><br />Regardless of this debate (although, as it is impossible to contradict Adil’s answer, there is not much of a debate at all), the festival organizers did a good job to showcase popular Moroccan artists, such as Nass El Ghiwane, Fnaire, Fes City Clan and Hoba Hoba Spirit.<br /><br />Hoba Hoba Spirit actually played twice at the festival: on Saturday, June 14th, at Ait Skato, a venue outside the city center, and the following Sunday at Bab Boujloud, located in a plaza in the old medina. Both shows were well-attended: there were between twelve and fifteen thousand people in attendance for Saturday night’s show at Ait Skato, and about ten thousand showed up for Sunday afternoon’s performance.<br /><br />As always, Hoba put on an outstanding show: they are one of the top live performers of all the bands I have ever seen. At each Hoba concert I have attended, the band has formed such a strong, immediate connection with the audience. Because these concerts represent a major form of social outlet for many young Moroccans, there is always so much energy in the audience, which, in turn, transfers onto the stage.<br /><br />Below are some photographs and short videos from Saturday’s performance. I will post the media from Sunday’s show shortly…<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJBgNi5X7Imb987mEVOvf28Omfh2bQSFH8L1BXnwVkAYvkBDMDrbO_VgR4SHKsq8DT1W9eLFFbE7qqPa42zNqdE1FRLHvUN0gcvR_hAiJ9pqt8CoB-vkqUp2DGfTkUGQYJOzlLKkkG2Wg/s1600-h/IMG_9513.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJBgNi5X7Imb987mEVOvf28Omfh2bQSFH8L1BXnwVkAYvkBDMDrbO_VgR4SHKsq8DT1W9eLFFbE7qqPa42zNqdE1FRLHvUN0gcvR_hAiJ9pqt8CoB-vkqUp2DGfTkUGQYJOzlLKkkG2Wg/s320/IMG_9513.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213207600828366098" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqWjKTmzojPvPb7XiWfzdBFytpXmjeb_k-tJRpWt0W7vGXj9TKYzBnSpjShoEqt4ysKb7A93oRuuJrKA11Q3F8kxDhA81XAX3dYEaP7om9MHJTSx4PpD_Yka4xYEg9suSK3BysxQF3AB4/s1600-h/IMG_9517.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqWjKTmzojPvPb7XiWfzdBFytpXmjeb_k-tJRpWt0W7vGXj9TKYzBnSpjShoEqt4ysKb7A93oRuuJrKA11Q3F8kxDhA81XAX3dYEaP7om9MHJTSx4PpD_Yka4xYEg9suSK3BysxQF3AB4/s320/IMG_9517.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213207611930626114" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixmbNRgiGoNupSLAVeLjuFVdTr6QNCPsc0Hd_Ol74wBGnVaBtM9CYz0C7_p_KS2jJR4D9W2YhbVA3CxS9Vc-vkfHmtSPkvxJLxqcbJueKxQciz2Tw3dTomDqNcoXdzKW8aSFW0BGCo99U/s1600-h/IMG_9524.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixmbNRgiGoNupSLAVeLjuFVdTr6QNCPsc0Hd_Ol74wBGnVaBtM9CYz0C7_p_KS2jJR4D9W2YhbVA3CxS9Vc-vkfHmtSPkvxJLxqcbJueKxQciz2Tw3dTomDqNcoXdzKW8aSFW0BGCo99U/s320/IMG_9524.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213207618628552146" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYRM55-sp1bnGPDcd01rnhvYmbyctgfk1KX8eMJRKrcJwbL_nBfIpuaj72ua_n8Cec_9aEnXptj9iLx-olFLRqNeYjuUF3e6qguA-_XYNqLVkQ_9Lfur8QkZuuTBE6W7_DH-IBMWvu8uo/s1600-h/IMG_9525.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYRM55-sp1bnGPDcd01rnhvYmbyctgfk1KX8eMJRKrcJwbL_nBfIpuaj72ua_n8Cec_9aEnXptj9iLx-olFLRqNeYjuUF3e6qguA-_XYNqLVkQ_9Lfur8QkZuuTBE6W7_DH-IBMWvu8uo/s320/IMG_9525.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213205750155648210" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAaN727q_45MOPNRwRsp9yAOLSILdDZUfPcvXOJqAEgHj5fRWUay7TjQCbX21Z8SG_Gxp-mQArWR6TTXIap4VyTQyH5KivhmsYu6ktc3BT95NrTthXib0Nv9-ItDPg4q5rfS3YZVOdoe0/s1600-h/IMG_9534.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAaN727q_45MOPNRwRsp9yAOLSILdDZUfPcvXOJqAEgHj5fRWUay7TjQCbX21Z8SG_Gxp-mQArWR6TTXIap4VyTQyH5KivhmsYu6ktc3BT95NrTthXib0Nv9-ItDPg4q5rfS3YZVOdoe0/s320/IMG_9534.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213205765393281554" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh8fcfkKpzgPr7THt8ZcDLjG5AkFn5bA6mX1V520ggWODLL4H7WIezTEm07co7KIuA2QqfydFHMa5hppqb6xZ7LbeXZKR5QqSTZryICc5-jshyrk2y5J7O-wcbdnycdAOyv78Ry0a8c5o/s1600-h/IMG_9537.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh8fcfkKpzgPr7THt8ZcDLjG5AkFn5bA6mX1V520ggWODLL4H7WIezTEm07co7KIuA2QqfydFHMa5hppqb6xZ7LbeXZKR5QqSTZryICc5-jshyrk2y5J7O-wcbdnycdAOyv78Ry0a8c5o/s320/IMG_9537.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213205771219522386" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhecbSRlHk92Z7LdcYkACjKv3cj6l1Z6x8gUT1Bhhp7JdkvV0U3ShPKJPpY59TurUr6WTsCvi2SnW41cLk91eLo-9WsZwkc_PfB8WFEkvpsqhxKGzIOFiGqJtqzw1GLgfJrZvoXWifTLEI/s1600-h/IMG_9543.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhecbSRlHk92Z7LdcYkACjKv3cj6l1Z6x8gUT1Bhhp7JdkvV0U3ShPKJPpY59TurUr6WTsCvi2SnW41cLk91eLo-9WsZwkc_PfB8WFEkvpsqhxKGzIOFiGqJtqzw1GLgfJrZvoXWifTLEI/s320/IMG_9543.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213203343294105666" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-SuVai_a9hyphenhyphenpdbCAlvvMc1elIXkIXip8oiGRHz7wRwftEMFJy8iUQ9dkkIrwjOsp7LBWURtNa2DOFK-dQo9YYGa1LX1tIt-dmNndDK0u9HmkfCFGgOibceim_4XiDpFlUrDE12GGEUPk/s1600-h/IMG_9540.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-SuVai_a9hyphenhyphenpdbCAlvvMc1elIXkIXip8oiGRHz7wRwftEMFJy8iUQ9dkkIrwjOsp7LBWURtNa2DOFK-dQo9YYGa1LX1tIt-dmNndDK0u9HmkfCFGgOibceim_4XiDpFlUrDE12GGEUPk/s320/IMG_9540.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213203355827017378" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiITtfxkixL16lCxFt9Nf4-Uueu9muh3efwzUUySiH-P05ooSJAnQbpYlo3OZxseYwJvZQV5qWwqE5r6gTynFAf4Wv9xNhTTjT4fB1DyuXugzOVUbZD_OIh5uswQeHGxVdxVujcmmg5y8U/s1600-h/IMG_9545.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiITtfxkixL16lCxFt9Nf4-Uueu9muh3efwzUUySiH-P05ooSJAnQbpYlo3OZxseYwJvZQV5qWwqE5r6gTynFAf4Wv9xNhTTjT4fB1DyuXugzOVUbZD_OIh5uswQeHGxVdxVujcmmg5y8U/s320/IMG_9545.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213201157769692946" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivdC8O8GRl4ipgHLRzfs2vbpzEUJ-FuXe_uygPA_VAfH2Udm7UYVIGLLMB9LkkS-0pBwPt4qv-E4mNUuu4R_ZGKUczY4urFC62NcAv06WBvHyKJqXNDBXI3ae4qIps2Wr4Jc8OmB75xKg/s1600-h/IMG_9544.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivdC8O8GRl4ipgHLRzfs2vbpzEUJ-FuXe_uygPA_VAfH2Udm7UYVIGLLMB9LkkS-0pBwPt4qv-E4mNUuu4R_ZGKUczY4urFC62NcAv06WBvHyKJqXNDBXI3ae4qIps2Wr4Jc8OmB75xKg/s320/IMG_9544.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213201173019564722" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy7rc59QC6MSMUjGHp4BqNEsgWUaSrvKYqFo9Le0xQjbXinTKILndUlKX8Kh4PJh91QkkwP_M1MQjEn89Gk5MuXhRcvArzGb2ups3ZG1iZm-AASYK68FJJ_JvhIqYAuy5nwVyAmiH1wWA/s1600-h/IMG_9550.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy7rc59QC6MSMUjGHp4BqNEsgWUaSrvKYqFo9Le0xQjbXinTKILndUlKX8Kh4PJh91QkkwP_M1MQjEn89Gk5MuXhRcvArzGb2ups3ZG1iZm-AASYK68FJJ_JvhIqYAuy5nwVyAmiH1wWA/s320/IMG_9550.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213198036685452786" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_FIL1bRZ7W8jgZAJXhQaN1kfNy5l7B39tWXZQMtLXkOYVEqcJabGLg3EektJHmHPBCuKZTdJQCNl1LNxaBkRHMkTYBQBGW4fmCwVzZ1nj_O3ECiLxgVq767XDD3bdYaVr-ymnHcv8lFU/s1600-h/IMG_9555.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_FIL1bRZ7W8jgZAJXhQaN1kfNy5l7B39tWXZQMtLXkOYVEqcJabGLg3EektJHmHPBCuKZTdJQCNl1LNxaBkRHMkTYBQBGW4fmCwVzZ1nj_O3ECiLxgVq767XDD3bdYaVr-ymnHcv8lFU/s320/IMG_9555.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213198050391522146" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwJZbgawlhZRDw7qXTNOF5E1YHoNKFV3PapYhTIoEgR7JxwXDrsw_pb_ct8g2XxZFYa7-EQM6QedsQZmlDGyUePr8NQk7Db02Zj0tZJlMMRSSsOnN0dE7n0qtYb7B_BaZgviI8Z6gn-Qg/s1600-h/IMG_9559.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwJZbgawlhZRDw7qXTNOF5E1YHoNKFV3PapYhTIoEgR7JxwXDrsw_pb_ct8g2XxZFYa7-EQM6QedsQZmlDGyUePr8NQk7Db02Zj0tZJlMMRSSsOnN0dE7n0qtYb7B_BaZgviI8Z6gn-Qg/s320/IMG_9559.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213184385581717154" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinu84eIar_kz57f4hGgqiO7ZJysI364uqs3HQDlWDqaAZJmFNVLJX3q2LOqeH72GkwUFANzKEgHdVQW3R9kqhRgAxMJifjJT1tyaD29CtR54ZUmr4WE08DuLrQE8w1J_XwfAecIgH2zGs/s1600-h/IMG_9563.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinu84eIar_kz57f4hGgqiO7ZJysI364uqs3HQDlWDqaAZJmFNVLJX3q2LOqeH72GkwUFANzKEgHdVQW3R9kqhRgAxMJifjJT1tyaD29CtR54ZUmr4WE08DuLrQE8w1J_XwfAecIgH2zGs/s320/IMG_9563.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213184389589013474" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0b8v6lWQ4Ij3LllWoU1GvUpg9zYV9YcH-fcmgNEP8gTv5cDNFtM7jXbthtasazVZ8S_OQZ9i6LRBAR6DSru5Tn0Ex-sr2IJfJfVnTRdSiJxtwLBttSL6E1SdwdkmsjMkNGkWFdlvCaI0/s1600-h/IMG_9576.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0b8v6lWQ4Ij3LllWoU1GvUpg9zYV9YcH-fcmgNEP8gTv5cDNFtM7jXbthtasazVZ8S_OQZ9i6LRBAR6DSru5Tn0Ex-sr2IJfJfVnTRdSiJxtwLBttSL6E1SdwdkmsjMkNGkWFdlvCaI0/s320/IMG_9576.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213181774682717810" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlWxRK2FMq0f4Wsn-w-0bDgjbptu-52aAFty0TRhtDUn-mNtNHCIzOIEjkgM35y0K3dpJD5zUU_OcoD2OsSibWMxd_DPQRNHAiK1OAQiODNWcUU9W1H3ZmDitPbLySB9XZ2oIPO2_ElW0/s1600-h/IMG_9573.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlWxRK2FMq0f4Wsn-w-0bDgjbptu-52aAFty0TRhtDUn-mNtNHCIzOIEjkgM35y0K3dpJD5zUU_OcoD2OsSibWMxd_DPQRNHAiK1OAQiODNWcUU9W1H3ZmDitPbLySB9XZ2oIPO2_ElW0/s320/IMG_9573.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213181784662655970" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4IK5ODuXhIo"> </param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4IK5ODuXhIo" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zYPDNw9bB9w"> </param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zYPDNw9bB9w" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object>Jesse B-Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597375354093696062noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700242472578777196.post-20914928813394679032008-08-07T00:37:00.000+01:002008-08-11T04:09:22.908+01:00TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIESMy apologies for any difficulties experienced while viewing this site. I have had some issues with my new posts as of late. I am not sure what is wrong, but will try to fix everything asap. More from Morocco and Cuba to come...Jesse B-Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597375354093696062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700242472578777196.post-54829410930389459742008-08-04T13:21:00.002+01:002008-08-08T00:17:22.477+01:00FES FESTIVAL OF WORLD SACRED MUSIC: THURSDAYFirst and foremost, apologies for this extended delay: my last two weeks in Morocco were extremely hectic. At the end of June, I left Morocco for Cuba, spending about a month in a Caribbean. Before I get ahead of myself, let me finish my analysis of the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music…<br /><br />On Thursday, June 12th, the legendary Abdelwahab Doukkali performed at the Bab El Makina. Abdelwahab Doukkali is one of the most successful Moroccan musicians of all time; to give his level of popularity some perspective, the following night at the Bab Boujloud scene, there was a tribute band that just played Abdelwahab Doukkali compositions. A. Doukkali is more than a musician; he is an institution.<br /><br />This evening’s performance was entitled, “Spiritual Dialogue Between Souls.” The orchestra of Rachid Regragui, a very young but already-celebrated conductor, accompanied A. Doukkali. Typically, A. Doukkali plays contemporary music; nonetheless, tonight, he only performed traditional, religious music.<br /><br />Princess Lalla Salma was in attendance; and, naturally, the audience gave her a huge ovation. (Side note, in the Moroccan royal family, the woman married to the King is not given the title “Queen,” but instead, “Princess”).<br /><br />Throughout the entire evening, the performance almost felt as if it were exclusively for the Princess: that is to say, it felt as if the audience was watching in on a private music session of the royal court. All of the musicians wore tuxedos, with the sole exception of A. Doukkali who wore traditional Moroccan garb. Needless to say, it was a majestic production.<br /><br />Born in Fes, A. Doukkali sings and plays the lute. Although all of the vocals are in Arabic, it is clear that the lyrics of each song reflect typical themes of the music of Sufism: the individual’s quest for a union with God.<br /><br />Accompanying A. Doukkali was an orchestra of forty musicians, giving the ensemble a very full sound. Truth be told, the music was more melodic than rhythmic: there were only two percussionists. Like many other nights of the Fes Festival, the audience was very engaged, often clapping the beat.<br /><br />After almost three hours of music, the performance at Bab El Makina ended, and I headed over to the Dar Tazi scene. As with every other night at Dar Tazi, this evening’s performance showcased traditional Sufi musicians. Tonight featured the Derkaouiya Brotherhood, conducted by Abdelhamid Zouya. From Larache in North Morocco, the group consists of fourteen musicians. Despite its name, the group is not an exclusively male: there are two female performers. Because of the Derkaouiya Brotherhood is from the north of Morocco, there was a definite Andalusian influence: the group had two lute players and two violists.<br /><br />As always, the place was full to capacity. Once again, the audience was obliged to sit, rather than have the freedom to dance. It does seem a little odd that dancing is discouraged; and I sincerely have no idea why the rules are what they are. Regardless, the performance at Dar Tazi was a great ending to an even better evening.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4EGurOKZ5ppP-4zMaHlE9AMBfQHB16fllbPF-WfyXT7uero_MxBPqRjN9va2Hqh5yUbqpWKl9t-ANZGdDhHDurEno7SuVft1yjhqDzF1u7JEaRPpcjrIOfiT3Iv3e8EHRL36UwJ50aRg/s1600-h/IMG_9477.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4EGurOKZ5ppP-4zMaHlE9AMBfQHB16fllbPF-WfyXT7uero_MxBPqRjN9va2Hqh5yUbqpWKl9t-ANZGdDhHDurEno7SuVft1yjhqDzF1u7JEaRPpcjrIOfiT3Iv3e8EHRL36UwJ50aRg/s320/IMG_9477.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211362806558755154" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_R0W1ZHP0CizoZ_Gfb9EHf-yL2EnU9veQuIg66Z1HHoAQi3WHt99lo429-GPB1dGGyFFcsdbF7jIRcjtMtEbbkTJjzTGT_SLJ9ujDL63NAFpgSoVTjE95UAMLwvohnbh3k5qIlKFS9jw/s1600-h/IMG_9484.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_R0W1ZHP0CizoZ_Gfb9EHf-yL2EnU9veQuIg66Z1HHoAQi3WHt99lo429-GPB1dGGyFFcsdbF7jIRcjtMtEbbkTJjzTGT_SLJ9ujDL63NAFpgSoVTjE95UAMLwvohnbh3k5qIlKFS9jw/s320/IMG_9484.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211362813989882514" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSMgyc28jymGwDnQKwyjjFFKb_pCat-sZno0ygbEhGdpQAqg86ufWRPEvxXjF0U4CAtYC2jAzKZuWQEpS3LBmows6glqksyprBoz2qgjXqOrx8RrPLgVVYm1Ow3TCvPVHlsIphQ97D6HA/s1600-h/IMG_9486.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSMgyc28jymGwDnQKwyjjFFKb_pCat-sZno0ygbEhGdpQAqg86ufWRPEvxXjF0U4CAtYC2jAzKZuWQEpS3LBmows6glqksyprBoz2qgjXqOrx8RrPLgVVYm1Ow3TCvPVHlsIphQ97D6HA/s320/IMG_9486.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211362820628255538" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JcoUF8iEcPtESPZ4-5Q7bD7hQOUTyCyPU6Nt7ZqxCdMBk6W0hHIH6FlZec2cmupeWt5_h7p2jbAhIZL2IYogPMv208OIEjrC_6dRh7iQXrqWC0wfmDeYBgd4IsmWMGXngZZpLjtbR-0/s1600-h/IMG_9488.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JcoUF8iEcPtESPZ4-5Q7bD7hQOUTyCyPU6Nt7ZqxCdMBk6W0hHIH6FlZec2cmupeWt5_h7p2jbAhIZL2IYogPMv208OIEjrC_6dRh7iQXrqWC0wfmDeYBgd4IsmWMGXngZZpLjtbR-0/s320/IMG_9488.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211356692232624306" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIyGjrGswZyvadmYhmDBVb_LPXO8k2RJ6ktO0noAOkiAkj2nVkpAax0x_jKrO-WgzOJZ1cgu3bVRMTW5UyX6BZ7GnzVIc0b7QJZrFvOUkxBTFDVLEZip_p1_UaYSgZsvRYrwefCc2E6wo/s1600-h/IMG_9491.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIyGjrGswZyvadmYhmDBVb_LPXO8k2RJ6ktO0noAOkiAkj2nVkpAax0x_jKrO-WgzOJZ1cgu3bVRMTW5UyX6BZ7GnzVIc0b7QJZrFvOUkxBTFDVLEZip_p1_UaYSgZsvRYrwefCc2E6wo/s320/IMG_9491.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211356703881885042" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6z0qt0e2TA5-2-55KKKgv4ezS88Ttop8XvThPH6eeD_zZT_kmkaL_7dhiD45KHhYgSf1rfIID9fcvzxoFhFvhzPR89FfJOg84srszXd-DeTOEDO_saYE_hLBmpnjkwZmb9ntEZMD_5mE/s1600-h/IMG_9498.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6z0qt0e2TA5-2-55KKKgv4ezS88Ttop8XvThPH6eeD_zZT_kmkaL_7dhiD45KHhYgSf1rfIID9fcvzxoFhFvhzPR89FfJOg84srszXd-DeTOEDO_saYE_hLBmpnjkwZmb9ntEZMD_5mE/s320/IMG_9498.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211356713836193970" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7R1cms8U7rPoXkASQ4y7H6H8v3gAkmznxvJ5TGmInXhcqexw693Y8ID1qruuNydgLH7oc7Tr0pbdmbVo2GFRWm1yi_IOghHkgZgtHkQbmx1il2627avi0-LMWU1FFTrZRD225KXe2u1M/s1600-h/IMG_9499.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7R1cms8U7rPoXkASQ4y7H6H8v3gAkmznxvJ5TGmInXhcqexw693Y8ID1qruuNydgLH7oc7Tr0pbdmbVo2GFRWm1yi_IOghHkgZgtHkQbmx1il2627avi0-LMWU1FFTrZRD225KXe2u1M/s320/IMG_9499.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211347683429173778" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaGdjPY1mdAjdDUJLv3ZVH2hhsQb6L493HN9uaOTv15CkUF13-UdHxhAyxR-x3q0yBFFkcXwBPoF6C6jGSXgleKva2YK-NuXzhl6ieL7RpXbQaMZ4TdNek337NX8-HU8sE3wt8uhNDOm0/s1600-h/IMG_9504.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaGdjPY1mdAjdDUJLv3ZVH2hhsQb6L493HN9uaOTv15CkUF13-UdHxhAyxR-x3q0yBFFkcXwBPoF6C6jGSXgleKva2YK-NuXzhl6ieL7RpXbQaMZ4TdNek337NX8-HU8sE3wt8uhNDOm0/s320/IMG_9504.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211347696939891570" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2NNIMrylt3tL6U2bBvjiMRZqiyniNws_G9GF6UXNWm2A41wn1Zsa6g9rsAcaXDFY3TOf-jBdQtseTMJwHttVf4NAgMNkxgMa93DD33HS4ctm9lnCa0pQ7Wstg2HMWfGV9vah4wCcNxHI/s1600-h/IMG_9509.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2NNIMrylt3tL6U2bBvjiMRZqiyniNws_G9GF6UXNWm2A41wn1Zsa6g9rsAcaXDFY3TOf-jBdQtseTMJwHttVf4NAgMNkxgMa93DD33HS4ctm9lnCa0pQ7Wstg2HMWfGV9vah4wCcNxHI/s320/IMG_9509.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211347700524596722" border="0" /></a>Jesse B-Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597375354093696062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700242472578777196.post-19410514361903059492008-07-24T16:24:00.001+01:002008-07-24T16:26:47.838+01:00OVERDUE UPDATEHi everyone. Apologies for the lack of updates over the five-plus weeks: I was in Cuba, and thanks to the embargo, was unable to update the website. Without a doubt, I have much to write, both from my final days in Morocco and my time in the Caribbean. Over the next few weeks, I will post those entries.<br /><br />I actually am back in New York City! Very exciting to be home; nonetheless, I already miss my travels on the Bristol Fellowship....Jesse B-Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597375354093696062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700242472578777196.post-76995083028596355462008-06-18T14:06:00.000+01:002008-06-20T13:04:48.437+01:00FES FESTIVAL OF WORLD SACRED MUSIC: TUNISIA & MALIOne of the true highlights of the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music was on Wednesday evening, at the Bab El Makina scene. Hadhra, a group of twenty musicians from Morocco, Tunisia and Iraq, performed a fantastic set: their two-a-half-hour musical journey was filled with energy and excitement.<br /><br />Formed in Tunisia, Hadhra draws up traditional Sufi poetry to create a grand musical, and mystical, experience. While it is not entirely accurate to label Hadhra as traditional Sufi music, as there are obvious Western instrumental influences, the presence of Sufism is more than evident in their performance.<br /><br />The evening began with two musicians on stage: one (blind) guitarist and another string player. The two musicians played a melodically relaxing prelude for about ten minutes or so. Then, a third musician, a keyboardist, joined them, for an addition five minutes. As I was waiting anxiously for a progression in the music, from out of nowhere, about twenty more musicians and more than a half dozen dancers took the stage – all dressed in unison.<br /><br />The music was mostly vocal driven, lead by a male and female vocalist; however, there were hand drums, a violin, a saxophone, an accordion, and keyboards. Depending on song, there different number of drummers, ranging from none to six. Many of the songs began just with the hand drums, and then slowly added the other instruments and vocals. The importance of percussion was accentuated by the fact that there was one man on stage whose job was to change, and tune, the drums. I thoroughly enjoyed the several songs that had nice, short drum breaks.<br /><br />In the early songs of the set, the music was not heavy on the rhythms; something expected with the Sufi music, as the lyrics profess a personal connection between the performer and God. I was blown away by the vocal ranges of some of the singers: the combination of such strong vocals, and such a large band, made for a huge sound.<br /><br />As the performance progressed, more intricate rhythms were employed. The movement of the music was so smooth; from start to finish, there was a perfectly fluid evolution of the set.<br /><br />The light show was extraordinary tonight; and once again, the venue of Bab El Makina provided the perfect atmosphere for a “sacred music” concert – sans, the flood of corporate tents near the entry, that is.<br /><br />I love having the freedom of mobility that comes with a press pass: to experience the same performance from different vantage points makes for an even more enjoyable concert experience.<br /><br />There was a very large turnout; perhaps this was in direct correlation with the delicious, free food that was available before the show…I am sure that the music would have meant even more to me if I had been able to understand the lyrics. Regardless, it was a wonderful evening; and perhaps my favorite “sacred” music performance of the festival.<br /><br />But the night was not over. After the evening at Bab El Makina ended, the night at the Dar Tazi scene just began. Dar Tazi is the late night venue for the Fes Festival: only traditional Sufi musicians perform at this stage. (Hadhra, for example, would be deemed as not traditional enough to perform at Dar Tazi).<br /><br />The Dar Tazi scene is tucked away in the medina. It is a rather small space: the stage is not so much a stage, as a mildly elevated platform. Unlike Bab El Makina, there is a space for general public. The catch, of course, is that this space is very limited; so, the security guards arbitrary decide who is able to attend the performance. Despite this flawed system of admission, the public space always is packed to capacity. The seating is a little odd, as everyone is required to sit on the (carpeted) ground.<br /><br />Tonight’s performance was entitled, “Tartit Women’s Ensemble: Popular and Sacred Chants of Tuaregs.” The nine musicians – all but one were female – were from Mali.<br /><br />The music had a very tribal feel to it; after all, it was the music of nomadic people. Many of the songs had a slow tempo: while the music was vocal-driven, there still was a modest influence of percussion-based rhythms. At certain times during the show, members of the band performed traditional Saharan dances.<br /><br />Dar Tazi has a very strong “community” feel to it; it is an open-aired, natural setting, with trees and a fair amount of greenery. The crowd was very mellow; and it is clear that most of the audience were locals from the medina.<br /><br />All in all, the contrast of the show at Bab El Makina and Dar Tazi made for a great day of music. Below are photographs and videos from both performances.<br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Z5iguqJv6O8"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Z5iguqJv6O8" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/yxOVOmevtm8"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/yxOVOmevtm8" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/wytAXuStU0k"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/wytAXuStU0k" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/l0PR23CmZXg"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/l0PR23CmZXg" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLKMefttxHKAWj_Z7mrJ5zlSIBRZAKnx3Q4ncaTaG3ZeXae5HzwrnUutw0aYbd6TaQv0zugXRr8MmqYv8n1q_pyEcO0g_X0w4w1IGNA-JeKe1elF2E6EzVbsXv8E4vFu9fOYm9rf9mzg/s1600-h/IMG_9382.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLKMefttxHKAWj_Z7mrJ5zlSIBRZAKnx3Q4ncaTaG3ZeXae5HzwrnUutw0aYbd6TaQv0zugXRr8MmqYv8n1q_pyEcO0g_X0w4w1IGNA-JeKe1elF2E6EzVbsXv8E4vFu9fOYm9rf9mzg/s320/IMG_9382.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210998066606304658" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQozbUYavfkgo8vzzlm3SSrcES9kqVcLtUHDs-5tcOpkVO4M0UiIheSNLU3NkYfBQfztP9ZPByX2TiM9rzukXsn6oTUPrXu-3HnxiQ-idhPWrV8_8sbgGeUbV0i1EURRSLBkUzG7JJyJ8/s1600-h/IMG_9386.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQozbUYavfkgo8vzzlm3SSrcES9kqVcLtUHDs-5tcOpkVO4M0UiIheSNLU3NkYfBQfztP9ZPByX2TiM9rzukXsn6oTUPrXu-3HnxiQ-idhPWrV8_8sbgGeUbV0i1EURRSLBkUzG7JJyJ8/s320/IMG_9386.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210998072407919698" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSRfTtNe6-C2nloeT6hd0mHJ2-DLBAagsHX2b9-SatbKwRaU2Og_Py_7t74pu-tez6Oa296BWQag4bMIhEyUjZEVt_IHE6xzPVGATxtr7-ded6GpVD9tq-ZbT86h3bheY-o_ZMzdiQp7U/s1600-h/IMG_9389.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSRfTtNe6-C2nloeT6hd0mHJ2-DLBAagsHX2b9-SatbKwRaU2Og_Py_7t74pu-tez6Oa296BWQag4bMIhEyUjZEVt_IHE6xzPVGATxtr7-ded6GpVD9tq-ZbT86h3bheY-o_ZMzdiQp7U/s320/IMG_9389.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210998082996415282" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis65XomlKQuy4dSwLo5pIekUYh8CZ8rbHmx16ddTnaETDrDNhdm78687xlMA6WJS498RyLGqyEHTQI6EJ-xkWUPJmpL7Inearla4E8cR3n4DRU7jLEHnAyfzaoG3xAm-y46R6LuUTe0ho/s1600-h/IMG_9393.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis65XomlKQuy4dSwLo5pIekUYh8CZ8rbHmx16ddTnaETDrDNhdm78687xlMA6WJS498RyLGqyEHTQI6EJ-xkWUPJmpL7Inearla4E8cR3n4DRU7jLEHnAyfzaoG3xAm-y46R6LuUTe0ho/s320/IMG_9393.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210994469924659058" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbsE2mvBn7lac_Jz4_4f9DbDH70gpqxpJGdclmtUm4y1V5nvV5P0k7v7LxSldY_K-mK_lzIzoraLJsZh5hZnp6bkJD_ISgJp9R7OGXl7hdQW1tqDPbm0dVDeNsu-6iEjcr_NxSPz2TOg/s1600-h/IMG_9401.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbsE2mvBn7lac_Jz4_4f9DbDH70gpqxpJGdclmtUm4y1V5nvV5P0k7v7LxSldY_K-mK_lzIzoraLJsZh5hZnp6bkJD_ISgJp9R7OGXl7hdQW1tqDPbm0dVDeNsu-6iEjcr_NxSPz2TOg/s320/IMG_9401.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210994477908818322" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1A9qiFV91Zrdx5WFz5qOuvPQu_KLck8W5HUtgVSqRbJsJN8A4eR-Y4pvhB55IRsrNd5h6rwpgYsppDT96UfoYKRM1oEj1Pdb9u5DElV2JTgZu2av_yCsS3gLIUirZSGZYPqwJsdzSlOs/s1600-h/IMG_9402.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1A9qiFV91Zrdx5WFz5qOuvPQu_KLck8W5HUtgVSqRbJsJN8A4eR-Y4pvhB55IRsrNd5h6rwpgYsppDT96UfoYKRM1oEj1Pdb9u5DElV2JTgZu2av_yCsS3gLIUirZSGZYPqwJsdzSlOs/s320/IMG_9402.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210994491077064674" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis65XomlKQuy4dSwLo5pIekUYh8CZ8rbHmx16ddTnaETDrDNhdm78687xlMA6WJS498RyLGqyEHTQI6EJ-xkWUPJmpL7Inearla4E8cR3n4DRU7jLEHnAyfzaoG3xAm-y46R6LuUTe0ho/s1600-h/IMG_9393.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis65XomlKQuy4dSwLo5pIekUYh8CZ8rbHmx16ddTnaETDrDNhdm78687xlMA6WJS498RyLGqyEHTQI6EJ-xkWUPJmpL7Inearla4E8cR3n4DRU7jLEHnAyfzaoG3xAm-y46R6LuUTe0ho/s320/IMG_9393.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210994469924659058" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbsE2mvBn7lac_Jz4_4f9DbDH70gpqxpJGdclmtUm4y1V5nvV5P0k7v7LxSldY_K-mK_lzIzoraLJsZh5hZnp6bkJD_ISgJp9R7OGXl7hdQW1tqDPbm0dVDeNsu-6iEjcr_NxSPz2TOg/s1600-h/IMG_9401.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbsE2mvBn7lac_Jz4_4f9DbDH70gpqxpJGdclmtUm4y1V5nvV5P0k7v7LxSldY_K-mK_lzIzoraLJsZh5hZnp6bkJD_ISgJp9R7OGXl7hdQW1tqDPbm0dVDeNsu-6iEjcr_NxSPz2TOg/s320/IMG_9401.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210994477908818322" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1A9qiFV91Zrdx5WFz5qOuvPQu_KLck8W5HUtgVSqRbJsJN8A4eR-Y4pvhB55IRsrNd5h6rwpgYsppDT96UfoYKRM1oEj1Pdb9u5DElV2JTgZu2av_yCsS3gLIUirZSGZYPqwJsdzSlOs/s1600-h/IMG_9402.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1A9qiFV91Zrdx5WFz5qOuvPQu_KLck8W5HUtgVSqRbJsJN8A4eR-Y4pvhB55IRsrNd5h6rwpgYsppDT96UfoYKRM1oEj1Pdb9u5DElV2JTgZu2av_yCsS3gLIUirZSGZYPqwJsdzSlOs/s320/IMG_9402.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210994491077064674" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBoPknONGHv_8r4rhF0xqORBC6VyjNGCY3m-ZAhUxtluAA0z4oz3APHK5L0Q8H7YX2ASQiuowqmL-LNPVdiqHV0jsrCC9EPm7vQXHdjGg9RguDdE26r8rHN-1TmEcnZl7JFZmgB5PR5bI/s1600-h/IMG_9405.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBoPknONGHv_8r4rhF0xqORBC6VyjNGCY3m-ZAhUxtluAA0z4oz3APHK5L0Q8H7YX2ASQiuowqmL-LNPVdiqHV0jsrCC9EPm7vQXHdjGg9RguDdE26r8rHN-1TmEcnZl7JFZmgB5PR5bI/s320/IMG_9405.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210992053077859218" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWXH6-pufteG7PGT1xj62E5m7-4T4615Xm9_U8MbKj-s7ypVWx4byUtuw_2e172sWBxpbjrQEt1n-PNBOXje5-KsNAyzWoGqqO2F2d6Z5WZ95P4N2xNVCHOsHd0B9jcSGczn8DpOAsmeQ/s1600-h/IMG_9409.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWXH6-pufteG7PGT1xj62E5m7-4T4615Xm9_U8MbKj-s7ypVWx4byUtuw_2e172sWBxpbjrQEt1n-PNBOXje5-KsNAyzWoGqqO2F2d6Z5WZ95P4N2xNVCHOsHd0B9jcSGczn8DpOAsmeQ/s320/IMG_9409.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210992059590985602" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL7DnEU0FmvcSH08S0aWmPV6iFhXRiauyi0ZAu-YIkcALBizFfecO86tDEqWEaOKIICmg0z7dmT-PkoJGqkhQ66SXacRqRy1nFXYb3VdjDIbEt7Cs981LEbDoLyqSAf0pa-LMUWUvKxNk/s1600-h/IMG_9419.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL7DnEU0FmvcSH08S0aWmPV6iFhXRiauyi0ZAu-YIkcALBizFfecO86tDEqWEaOKIICmg0z7dmT-PkoJGqkhQ66SXacRqRy1nFXYb3VdjDIbEt7Cs981LEbDoLyqSAf0pa-LMUWUvKxNk/s320/IMG_9419.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210992065276967330" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKoWTnG9wpvZqKXHy4jJhTq3u40QAQMdZO1pZNOn9p0zXC9CV-_i2Mu5V6p11yJaOFXv6F23VdEcQnOdOzzsngQmqDhgE_OJoIxmso7c29fi3M689ZsqQUQtPxjYUCBmES0Qvu7u59oJ8/s1600-h/IMG_9424.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKoWTnG9wpvZqKXHy4jJhTq3u40QAQMdZO1pZNOn9p0zXC9CV-_i2Mu5V6p11yJaOFXv6F23VdEcQnOdOzzsngQmqDhgE_OJoIxmso7c29fi3M689ZsqQUQtPxjYUCBmES0Qvu7u59oJ8/s320/IMG_9424.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210990584131410306" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL7gVyVCZq4r871DVs9DzlIawlJDL5TNexloW0LbbjzcU35q7bORRylo3FI23dlipBv5n96hvpyNl08xygxMHQ1VyfSlAqAi1YrcvY37-Jjt1x1nAsbKEXULM84WS823UH8nSCqY9P3Bs/s1600-h/IMG_9440.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL7gVyVCZq4r871DVs9DzlIawlJDL5TNexloW0LbbjzcU35q7bORRylo3FI23dlipBv5n96hvpyNl08xygxMHQ1VyfSlAqAi1YrcvY37-Jjt1x1nAsbKEXULM84WS823UH8nSCqY9P3Bs/s320/IMG_9440.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210990592098192242" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGGocpU5-RTJFTIasd7J71m7ZtrDn0b0xcK02fUnNidLrYbRbGSzT8_JgP1ec-ccBkNDReLPQkIGBkK5IQtmHDvRUvIFvgP6OTi2RZgKlBkvCtv7G74PqCixZ_2WDLCVZmRnrXfvdxYcU/s1600-h/IMG_9442.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGGocpU5-RTJFTIasd7J71m7ZtrDn0b0xcK02fUnNidLrYbRbGSzT8_JgP1ec-ccBkNDReLPQkIGBkK5IQtmHDvRUvIFvgP6OTi2RZgKlBkvCtv7G74PqCixZ_2WDLCVZmRnrXfvdxYcU/s320/IMG_9442.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210990595870502194" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWAZSj9oJlpIc_ySSO9jF7byWLlw7L8GWiXRpoYfHwsiAI4Jqw0hMgJhqtiyI-vYPKw3QOraIMSD4lA3UXN4cQvXNgkf8pl2pBrM6JHLzODqs3R0LCGZ-P1eJITU-f6yFbTxjDD0bK3NQ/s1600-h/IMG_9448.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWAZSj9oJlpIc_ySSO9jF7byWLlw7L8GWiXRpoYfHwsiAI4Jqw0hMgJhqtiyI-vYPKw3QOraIMSD4lA3UXN4cQvXNgkf8pl2pBrM6JHLzODqs3R0LCGZ-P1eJITU-f6yFbTxjDD0bK3NQ/s320/IMG_9448.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210987669053888802" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbFp2XUvczVBh_RY8mHqhHBPwHCzrLl5p0ARmqTKRumldTPSK7newhCBike6GDqLjRhyDsgCl-x7wcLnm-9XgJYyVYWrzg9kxq-uoxHRJWwjhQ8jS0edM3ohjd-ZGy9CTuauEhPk2kb7Y/s1600-h/IMG_9451.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbFp2XUvczVBh_RY8mHqhHBPwHCzrLl5p0ARmqTKRumldTPSK7newhCBike6GDqLjRhyDsgCl-x7wcLnm-9XgJYyVYWrzg9kxq-uoxHRJWwjhQ8jS0edM3ohjd-ZGy9CTuauEhPk2kb7Y/s320/IMG_9451.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210987682814166162" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqbOehyphenhypheneVBocl_a-R7gecguxueKoGE493-VeXkJsN0nuBbVuXEnBG6M_sKXcMoiVwCuS3-NY0bnetMi15ZKtqdoLMjHQWBoMkjF0aqlEiomiHpIkvYaI2_h9juFrroNiJGyhjybSFJuYo/s1600-h/IMG_9452.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqbOehyphenhypheneVBocl_a-R7gecguxueKoGE493-VeXkJsN0nuBbVuXEnBG6M_sKXcMoiVwCuS3-NY0bnetMi15ZKtqdoLMjHQWBoMkjF0aqlEiomiHpIkvYaI2_h9juFrroNiJGyhjybSFJuYo/s320/IMG_9452.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210987689822598226" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeYWG1QA1EbNBGP8oW-dLwGjiFYqbHsTEs2hCVD_Zf2tSrOHyST5voCuxnXUtdux8lSJhgFDCQOCBptgBu2cvBVLbHmbqccaaw40REeEPUBfm_QfTsZvkCsD9RNbH9JQFrhRRKQyurN4s/s1600-h/IMG_9462.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeYWG1QA1EbNBGP8oW-dLwGjiFYqbHsTEs2hCVD_Zf2tSrOHyST5voCuxnXUtdux8lSJhgFDCQOCBptgBu2cvBVLbHmbqccaaw40REeEPUBfm_QfTsZvkCsD9RNbH9JQFrhRRKQyurN4s/s320/IMG_9462.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210984353716536834" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiia27_WA-Fq9M69nPXvJsN0Wke0zhO9q45YWTRLExLckSLI1q_QzyXTZAQsK5xmV8a7kexMC0q6xSDolRZIKizjQEHtVgUZVZAB2nl2KzQE0yXoZsa324T85_1U-gzOaORKLgsM3ZGSyc/s1600-h/IMG_9463.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiia27_WA-Fq9M69nPXvJsN0Wke0zhO9q45YWTRLExLckSLI1q_QzyXTZAQsK5xmV8a7kexMC0q6xSDolRZIKizjQEHtVgUZVZAB2nl2KzQE0yXoZsa324T85_1U-gzOaORKLgsM3ZGSyc/s320/IMG_9463.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210984364844611522" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj27vGjtcTweojTf5t5xjiVBY13W2AcieY2yp_6XsKyKK8H4PltWlxVld7PaHxhXoxzpWm3LmParB40RoPd2cubeB3JCFOy5MyFYHb3KssHNHsE5poJoItMmCUEqG-CVxKHdEfz35lU3Ik/s1600-h/IMG_9465.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj27vGjtcTweojTf5t5xjiVBY13W2AcieY2yp_6XsKyKK8H4PltWlxVld7PaHxhXoxzpWm3LmParB40RoPd2cubeB3JCFOy5MyFYHb3KssHNHsE5poJoItMmCUEqG-CVxKHdEfz35lU3Ik/s320/IMG_9465.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210984371376143730" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWMATlX_Vk5L9VckYuyqpC15B79eyTmxvOoiry9QiOh1kHbVTYyMQZMisuHa6UhYqLoz7BM8xThjuwlvn-UfCBgAPUsAALqPLOpur_W-iaZNIGkwjwWZtkakzg8miQx3cVFzlWOaav8-I/s1600-h/IMG_9469.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWMATlX_Vk5L9VckYuyqpC15B79eyTmxvOoiry9QiOh1kHbVTYyMQZMisuHa6UhYqLoz7BM8xThjuwlvn-UfCBgAPUsAALqPLOpur_W-iaZNIGkwjwWZtkakzg8miQx3cVFzlWOaav8-I/s320/IMG_9469.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210981882270908466" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwg-_N4MmHnpLLGK3ih-jtc6LMr3xL_MsU6EbGMf8NwdD_7sTRb3xK6EsoNdetCTgnfYiikUSmZOIKbrHur781aAiqbh1zRtj-a6QSSNA6qu2K7kwscZbLY75UvXSs8GEE6ikCqO2bLJ8/s1600-h/IMG_9467.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwg-_N4MmHnpLLGK3ih-jtc6LMr3xL_MsU6EbGMf8NwdD_7sTRb3xK6EsoNdetCTgnfYiikUSmZOIKbrHur781aAiqbh1zRtj-a6QSSNA6qu2K7kwscZbLY75UvXSs8GEE6ikCqO2bLJ8/s320/IMG_9467.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210981888454435202" border="0" /></a>Jesse B-Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597375354093696062noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700242472578777196.post-17967440774344171012008-06-17T16:15:00.001+01:002008-06-18T14:19:39.320+01:00FES FESTIVAL OF SACRED MUSIC: BALIOn Tuesday evening, I headed to Bab El Makina, the main venue for the Fes Festival, to check out a performance by Panti Pusaka Budaya, a theatre troupe from Bali. The group mixes theatre, dance and music to re-create traditional stories of Hindu folklore, specifically that of Lord Shiva, and his manifestation as Nataraja, the Hindu god of dance.<br /><br />Gamelan, the musical accompaniment, is an orchestra of percussion instruments, chiefly gongs, cymbals, hand drums, xylophones and metallophones. This arrangement of instruments is not exclusive to percussion, as flutes, strings, and vocals are also employed in the music. Gamelan is unique to Indonesia, and actually pre-dates the arrival of Hinduism and Buddhism.<br /><br />Before the show began, the artists burned incense on the stage, making the performance the feel like a genuine Hindu ceremony. Just as the artists took the stage, the call to prayer began from a near by mosque: it was a very cool contrast.<br /><br />There were six musicians in all, and four dances – only one male, but was the leader of the troupe. Within Balinese Hinduism, music and dance go hand-in-hand; although, not surprisingly, I was much more interest in the musical aspect of the performance.<br /><br />The orchestra consisted of two metallophone players, one gong player, one cymbal player, one percussionist, and a flutist. For several songs, additional, extra-large, flutes (or, some sort of wood-wind instrument) were brought out.<br /><br />The percussion often played his drum with a stick in his right hand, and just with his palm on the left side of the drum. The drum was very similar to a South Indian dholak, although it was a bit larger. I am sure there is a direct lineage between this drum and the dholak, as it is only logical to conclude that with the musical instruments of India arrived to Bali in tandem with the emergence of Hinduism to the island.<br /><br />The metallophones were the most interesting aspect of the performance: each instrument was laden with a series of beautiful carvings and paintings in red, black and gold. The craftsmanship truly was outstanding – not to mention the sound of the instruments was exception. The metallophone is played with a hammer; the hammer strikes a metal bar, and then the musician quickly grabs the metal bar to control the reverberations, to augment or lessen the sound. These metallophones are specifically called “gangsa” – a metallophone specific to Indonesia. (Metallophones are found all around the world; the most common example of one is the glockenspiel).<br /><br />Most impressively, the two metallophone players always stayed in sync with one another: absolutely amazing mutual coordination, considering the complexity (and speed) of the scales they were playing. The rapid, staccato movement across the metal bars was fascinating to watch. The music had a scurrying feel to it that fit seamlessly to the dance sequences.<br /><br />Because the performance was both music and dance, each song, or piece rather, was very long. While I, admittedly, did not pay much attention to the dancing, it was enjoyable to watch the dancers move to the rhythm of the music. Furthermore, the costumes of the dancers, specifically the masks, were all quite stunning in terms of the intricacy of the detail. The dancers frequently changed their masks, as each mask represented a different deity or religious figure – each time the dancer removed a mask, a short prayer was made.<br /><br />The backdrop of the gate was incredible; a truly perfect setting for traditional music. I was thrilled to be able to see a Balinese gamelan performance, as on my original itinerary for the fellowship (way back when I was first drafting the proposal in August 2006), I had selected Bali as my first destination, because of the large Hindu diaspora there. For various reasons (well only one actually, that the U.S. State Department had listed Bali as unsafe for travel, due to a series of recent bombings), I had to alter my itinerary, and replaced Bali with Fiji. I have no regrets, though!<br /><br />Photographs and videos, below; more posts about the Fes Festival to come...<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisJzMUNLUEBPSQAN2shlGI4oN52CvzkiVk3hSv4aN3M4JVRsT3sLvytT014OeD1SomwSb46GTV32N1o4rY2Hc2rJTq5d6XJA1Kv7lCqNWS8vt2znWw9UuVwhZaHlYB7XRny7nrGi3w2Bo/s1600-h/IMG_9283.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisJzMUNLUEBPSQAN2shlGI4oN52CvzkiVk3hSv4aN3M4JVRsT3sLvytT014OeD1SomwSb46GTV32N1o4rY2Hc2rJTq5d6XJA1Kv7lCqNWS8vt2znWw9UuVwhZaHlYB7XRny7nrGi3w2Bo/s320/IMG_9283.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210979403963840210" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvNQY-WKrDTIKCY6mrA4fdiOKkFADxiL2tyeDIxjaqyl_tquQPMDhTjenPrABvakJ5BJsDHSC0HdHMeHU8C7LEiVy5yk5cfWe9KHhXEO4X9O5NjvlRoBs1h0if-fKqAzz1ZfA_G-HiKqU/s1600-h/IMG_9284.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvNQY-WKrDTIKCY6mrA4fdiOKkFADxiL2tyeDIxjaqyl_tquQPMDhTjenPrABvakJ5BJsDHSC0HdHMeHU8C7LEiVy5yk5cfWe9KHhXEO4X9O5NjvlRoBs1h0if-fKqAzz1ZfA_G-HiKqU/s320/IMG_9284.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210979413575221202" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhANwxTTt0i1RJkA-r6tWbDR5tJcdTt9W1S2uoUsH_nlo-PRzx2k4mriMqz29om0vX-jOPV274FWk8H1gpkiiw_71edealUCorXe2_TrAsceN0cJJPsdxYAK0OCO0RKpB3oR8Ln0jlWBso/s1600-h/IMG_9286.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhANwxTTt0i1RJkA-r6tWbDR5tJcdTt9W1S2uoUsH_nlo-PRzx2k4mriMqz29om0vX-jOPV274FWk8H1gpkiiw_71edealUCorXe2_TrAsceN0cJJPsdxYAK0OCO0RKpB3oR8Ln0jlWBso/s320/IMG_9286.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210979421550497234" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjffqKOBHcq8xlIlIeNwSKVxvao_u8pWGUaU-LZ7VkbSuZ5DoAYeymzcNPy193eO-IW27t9XHyaI3brTNb33RArMH768Modam6mvilXCDh6k0WYeJGyF89ZhfSkfGQU6fQdUuTmZDIbqwQ/s1600-h/IMG_9289.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjffqKOBHcq8xlIlIeNwSKVxvao_u8pWGUaU-LZ7VkbSuZ5DoAYeymzcNPy193eO-IW27t9XHyaI3brTNb33RArMH768Modam6mvilXCDh6k0WYeJGyF89ZhfSkfGQU6fQdUuTmZDIbqwQ/s320/IMG_9289.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210977576586067026" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhHQVaWCSIFUnl7yuYYNYyp8X8qJOg9_bh6L4mXCCMGDW55arqNl4jfc6qhu0YygqEfyvTTdUuL5VvDpaJC8SjRgEXJPLzlUNHsXp5cPSE1fdX9UgmZ0cQo3zQ3c77Z5ZWp5SSDh4NYrI/s1600-h/IMG_9292.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhHQVaWCSIFUnl7yuYYNYyp8X8qJOg9_bh6L4mXCCMGDW55arqNl4jfc6qhu0YygqEfyvTTdUuL5VvDpaJC8SjRgEXJPLzlUNHsXp5cPSE1fdX9UgmZ0cQo3zQ3c77Z5ZWp5SSDh4NYrI/s320/IMG_9292.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210977585954995618" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk055sr1D9HoE5klgj3gZMXGbsjO9eWQ_D8tVEisI0nzSOZFFb3-S4AYz8pZKFR10_UIncYvx7aAuz7kwdI84Oy8BAc1FBC7szvtxMiZ6gzdAdTxPPYoeB1e9pDgNkiG0FHNLzjkbFmi8/s1600-h/IMG_9297.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk055sr1D9HoE5klgj3gZMXGbsjO9eWQ_D8tVEisI0nzSOZFFb3-S4AYz8pZKFR10_UIncYvx7aAuz7kwdI84Oy8BAc1FBC7szvtxMiZ6gzdAdTxPPYoeB1e9pDgNkiG0FHNLzjkbFmi8/s320/IMG_9297.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210977599592425730" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBKzv4maN9QGMj4u2ngfMBr1l7V4la2YW38vhGggjNgQWXUiNi4VfiXzct3bCdgTWsdngZ4bM8dtGthvgMKSDCA0RR59fB4bwmO1trUDw1JKFiL867Zfq07U_jHLERgrZz0zZFlogmews/s1600-h/IMG_9298.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBKzv4maN9QGMj4u2ngfMBr1l7V4la2YW38vhGggjNgQWXUiNi4VfiXzct3bCdgTWsdngZ4bM8dtGthvgMKSDCA0RR59fB4bwmO1trUDw1JKFiL867Zfq07U_jHLERgrZz0zZFlogmews/s320/IMG_9298.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210975538897069394" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOZZBLnbUZjF0f0Slq0UD7nfAZTOut6gZD1_SbHuBsoFO7CgsS6RlPGawTD3vaTz2xHaDSIkJx98h9QqKKRP2Gezqj0_QH4k_zVRPbQuzLZ5QSK41-VmR3p7h3ZhQk5Nb1JPcCA4GoJKg/s1600-h/IMG_9299.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOZZBLnbUZjF0f0Slq0UD7nfAZTOut6gZD1_SbHuBsoFO7CgsS6RlPGawTD3vaTz2xHaDSIkJx98h9QqKKRP2Gezqj0_QH4k_zVRPbQuzLZ5QSK41-VmR3p7h3ZhQk5Nb1JPcCA4GoJKg/s320/IMG_9299.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210975546592836642" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmN12MPp1jS9AUDVhyphenhyphenTHD9KgvfAILtiFyukrDwH12xNjGPyB0zo_PAEqM1LUvR88wGmOu8vi9612rTQX6VIgdGlOfxordRpLtA2IrXurweFErdss9kGOoS95y1xMdy3Ii-zrKzVbO-dGU/s1600-h/IMG_9301.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmN12MPp1jS9AUDVhyphenhyphenTHD9KgvfAILtiFyukrDwH12xNjGPyB0zo_PAEqM1LUvR88wGmOu8vi9612rTQX6VIgdGlOfxordRpLtA2IrXurweFErdss9kGOoS95y1xMdy3Ii-zrKzVbO-dGU/s320/IMG_9301.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210975555148106018" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9lDlcS4moen0Ya82rIk61o2k6W35L_Fu8ZljCS-B9KhKmU8L8BUXRI4gcJ100qhaR-1xyirJs2CXvhYdl4zY2FY9S_6Q7sYgU7i1DQKfPYWlgFTJmbsb1eBRWFCYEOSCOz1IMT5lj1Y0/s1600-h/IMG_9302.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9lDlcS4moen0Ya82rIk61o2k6W35L_Fu8ZljCS-B9KhKmU8L8BUXRI4gcJ100qhaR-1xyirJs2CXvhYdl4zY2FY9S_6Q7sYgU7i1DQKfPYWlgFTJmbsb1eBRWFCYEOSCOz1IMT5lj1Y0/s320/IMG_9302.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210972753041324002" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhb0i9PDla_jaVViQYHdGRfOq3oTLWHuh_b8cnYbt1BJdqsgdi446aLJNoX2AjUJcJ9ckphq-oNO6TwAjm7vKSfOl6NrPjeeNo1ktCpraxTEXX50sKUCC2wdmOG41ELzP2Zs_oPNd8fHQ/s1600-h/IMG_9303.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhb0i9PDla_jaVViQYHdGRfOq3oTLWHuh_b8cnYbt1BJdqsgdi446aLJNoX2AjUJcJ9ckphq-oNO6TwAjm7vKSfOl6NrPjeeNo1ktCpraxTEXX50sKUCC2wdmOG41ELzP2Zs_oPNd8fHQ/s320/IMG_9303.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210972764117872450" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQDahnDSs2Yxc6C9wm75f_SqGN69jFK5DkU9_3zCZURKuDqWnOBKvPQNX7kR3xmI4aVVhtwj3Sq683hk3EIS6JQxfjd1HGj8kGcDQsEAz8FmMeNBSzxubEizpot3LM1fdGvovyIv75u9s/s1600-h/IMG_9306.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQDahnDSs2Yxc6C9wm75f_SqGN69jFK5DkU9_3zCZURKuDqWnOBKvPQNX7kR3xmI4aVVhtwj3Sq683hk3EIS6JQxfjd1HGj8kGcDQsEAz8FmMeNBSzxubEizpot3LM1fdGvovyIv75u9s/s320/IMG_9306.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210972775898109346" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcFFCTOIRChedV3GRuqR9hQCiEAJDqezLcXdM6BzZ1uMd8_MaT3XUOYJ0fFzemLrfXmBHFQRFVTTKHAg5gFXUjqhrnnuMeQrzxWq25SErdAbEhP4vwqvEcTLkdbjxf0wVzVN5q5wnRO6A/s1600-h/IMG_9313.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcFFCTOIRChedV3GRuqR9hQCiEAJDqezLcXdM6BzZ1uMd8_MaT3XUOYJ0fFzemLrfXmBHFQRFVTTKHAg5gFXUjqhrnnuMeQrzxWq25SErdAbEhP4vwqvEcTLkdbjxf0wVzVN5q5wnRO6A/s320/IMG_9313.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210687957074883490" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI-ILI80GlcbtNQq6xJ1Bz040qGtZfqHc1yx4nYhLxOq0cPxk-LcgtJYOPT4e3MfLfJhBfxXbJ1nsekI9U0aVk6vVdRC7cK2KWEXxgpyPLnjUhJ-havmNv4EZWQYCnZILs4T0AeGCYojw/s1600-h/IMG_9309.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI-ILI80GlcbtNQq6xJ1Bz040qGtZfqHc1yx4nYhLxOq0cPxk-LcgtJYOPT4e3MfLfJhBfxXbJ1nsekI9U0aVk6vVdRC7cK2KWEXxgpyPLnjUhJ-havmNv4EZWQYCnZILs4T0AeGCYojw/s320/IMG_9309.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210687963071967730" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB0TtQVX-dm7wgyX4OBFU9e5L5vjRi9yxvpJv5a3ccvKKw1Ngc1cK_THkoS9CT_0-4hoimZhSNK1GWBlqX_jhgWvpDSesRp44oCfGkx7xaYaSadKmVcacNQvrDbUY6rWpNV-TjrpVAMq4/s1600-h/IMG_9316.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB0TtQVX-dm7wgyX4OBFU9e5L5vjRi9yxvpJv5a3ccvKKw1Ngc1cK_THkoS9CT_0-4hoimZhSNK1GWBlqX_jhgWvpDSesRp44oCfGkx7xaYaSadKmVcacNQvrDbUY6rWpNV-TjrpVAMq4/s320/IMG_9316.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210687972873287746" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTpcycwSlgu_nDA0tWXj5-CK8M8PAWXW1LwrKM4aC8VLk1jcRTkg5TZppfVEPi7NFN9sWuU45VQAfD17EqNkf9usMjtT4VKCVUm_PduMR_1oX2GAsorx0Qpxk38CKT2kWWQSxq7jAToVY/s1600-h/IMG_9317.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTpcycwSlgu_nDA0tWXj5-CK8M8PAWXW1LwrKM4aC8VLk1jcRTkg5TZppfVEPi7NFN9sWuU45VQAfD17EqNkf9usMjtT4VKCVUm_PduMR_1oX2GAsorx0Qpxk38CKT2kWWQSxq7jAToVY/s320/IMG_9317.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210684707938415282" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgggB7gLo9RrFVPMz6t0aGbwDwuveiYIokrTavZNa0tzfWFQ7kq7-XbhLJwmFdb2wAVf8VDYkRTopRHuW4UlrguBc8jIG_8c1OdgKIEWyCyosSZbccxK-BKl4vMS5KbtksjT2HZNET-BS0/s1600-h/IMG_9319.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgggB7gLo9RrFVPMz6t0aGbwDwuveiYIokrTavZNa0tzfWFQ7kq7-XbhLJwmFdb2wAVf8VDYkRTopRHuW4UlrguBc8jIG_8c1OdgKIEWyCyosSZbccxK-BKl4vMS5KbtksjT2HZNET-BS0/s320/IMG_9319.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210684722970449906" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCttb84oa-rfbhq3TWeW9dW6Kh3LfuN5WYTd7Ul9m7vsUd-JzSArM7LHKlic-ciPxS3tprDR-lqc9oIlUelRcDdAz0LkPdj9sK50ywqlPkzY2MwUPzND0XbHGVALYRi76TcriHv7FTt_4/s1600-h/IMG_9330.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCttb84oa-rfbhq3TWeW9dW6Kh3LfuN5WYTd7Ul9m7vsUd-JzSArM7LHKlic-ciPxS3tprDR-lqc9oIlUelRcDdAz0LkPdj9sK50ywqlPkzY2MwUPzND0XbHGVALYRi76TcriHv7FTt_4/s320/IMG_9330.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210684729814161186" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigGjY3T5-EjZWgCX_NEww895PbalIAlSheAdFgAbM-t42wUKUZL_b1xY_mzOovDt3b3hmZ_RY6XKWoEO5E8VFxPkDIaw6cOFQEHeIkRE1Bf1uYhq8tSmr_-cyON-MknZRrUEjbLZZQ5iw/s1600-h/IMG_9331.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigGjY3T5-EjZWgCX_NEww895PbalIAlSheAdFgAbM-t42wUKUZL_b1xY_mzOovDt3b3hmZ_RY6XKWoEO5E8VFxPkDIaw6cOFQEHeIkRE1Bf1uYhq8tSmr_-cyON-MknZRrUEjbLZZQ5iw/s320/IMG_9331.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210681603520045922" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDoPmehXYW8-Ch6ucM8NBCbFyfna4W3zqH9dW5TIgqNnEuok1H7kvcuh_1EDWFR9a079vmZKr2Vy8vhkEaXnW2_-5G0wjCEuyPKd5c08GWxqMdoeLSMG6jYcuwB1CEK1aMJaa9ii_Tw2I/s1600-h/IMG_9335.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDoPmehXYW8-Ch6ucM8NBCbFyfna4W3zqH9dW5TIgqNnEuok1H7kvcuh_1EDWFR9a079vmZKr2Vy8vhkEaXnW2_-5G0wjCEuyPKd5c08GWxqMdoeLSMG6jYcuwB1CEK1aMJaa9ii_Tw2I/s320/IMG_9335.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210681609462628274" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdWryQdZ9C0nEaV6BDMWSJCn2EFWU8yvYx00WzCdtgCHo7wljo-ur83e6a0PcWH1R0Lh5S1BVN2SBERGCj-csaHh0gY9kZnrcH07NK-5Ob4U0m6MLk3hmmdOOavpdosvL5vQBimhtcn64/s1600-h/IMG_9345.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdWryQdZ9C0nEaV6BDMWSJCn2EFWU8yvYx00WzCdtgCHo7wljo-ur83e6a0PcWH1R0Lh5S1BVN2SBERGCj-csaHh0gY9kZnrcH07NK-5Ob4U0m6MLk3hmmdOOavpdosvL5vQBimhtcn64/s320/IMG_9345.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210681625268314210" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5JB2Nz2vhtfYlH2uCabemWQJrdt2o-i8ZZdGG1VWEOyP7Ro9Fetip4y0q7xPSyqu5juBLejd84gkcVkKlcfwkccGLX5KcWrGYclNBkMz10m_X-BqkjjqXDOqg8gHoMlIcCg7DCalOP5A/s1600-h/IMG_9347.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5JB2Nz2vhtfYlH2uCabemWQJrdt2o-i8ZZdGG1VWEOyP7Ro9Fetip4y0q7xPSyqu5juBLejd84gkcVkKlcfwkccGLX5KcWrGYclNBkMz10m_X-BqkjjqXDOqg8gHoMlIcCg7DCalOP5A/s320/IMG_9347.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210678851116301570" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6d8nQ_rkJOn9S6jHEMf2OCc2IZ9Z02d1W5Httk4ILVY01hQawdMnNsUMo-TG38yxLEvFIHbBxDaBtbWG8dxlkRmEU1R8u2XsTjatHAw2bnEh94pH_6q8o0S_XofWVAwFDTSUA_mb8CuA/s1600-h/IMG_9352.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6d8nQ_rkJOn9S6jHEMf2OCc2IZ9Z02d1W5Httk4ILVY01hQawdMnNsUMo-TG38yxLEvFIHbBxDaBtbWG8dxlkRmEU1R8u2XsTjatHAw2bnEh94pH_6q8o0S_XofWVAwFDTSUA_mb8CuA/s320/IMG_9352.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210678864948053074" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_U8E-hqBxLqbqL3TYQLqwLt5dLggxPufpaIUdXvIZd3CCZwOQ2nr7NJDTuVTAlE28sAeCN8eMF0FnHfdMNC1Kz-Xr0Dan7R5mwuUsJMIlPP5WI4donrCz7hU4-W-LPkNLrC_5lFHUDnQ/s1600-h/IMG_9361.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_U8E-hqBxLqbqL3TYQLqwLt5dLggxPufpaIUdXvIZd3CCZwOQ2nr7NJDTuVTAlE28sAeCN8eMF0FnHfdMNC1Kz-Xr0Dan7R5mwuUsJMIlPP5WI4donrCz7hU4-W-LPkNLrC_5lFHUDnQ/s320/IMG_9361.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210678876772590674" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZC3Ai9Q3shnfVwRR-2UxlRRX-MA9ucNTGsI5TiAorD357Qwg7jboQBvcAYGTMkeadlyM7k9NJ4TzL1ueWBAUtm1X4J0Enr28Z0IFG1fLzhEOXt4-UaZo_GvnojK79fUrGAv9fvpxPpPA/s1600-h/IMG_9368.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZC3Ai9Q3shnfVwRR-2UxlRRX-MA9ucNTGsI5TiAorD357Qwg7jboQBvcAYGTMkeadlyM7k9NJ4TzL1ueWBAUtm1X4J0Enr28Z0IFG1fLzhEOXt4-UaZo_GvnojK79fUrGAv9fvpxPpPA/s320/IMG_9368.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210675816229969938" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9R8RHdQXADOM4SmgjBegl2wzK-JWxo0gFD294Esy9cc7Tq_JylWToHuLycxSW9uGex1q-2UntIYZb8_752L-nGoevc0VfRleTiiFTr5-ySwVY6iq-jhMFfWlS5uRc_zMBM0PNcbmP954/s1600-h/IMG_9376.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9R8RHdQXADOM4SmgjBegl2wzK-JWxo0gFD294Esy9cc7Tq_JylWToHuLycxSW9uGex1q-2UntIYZb8_752L-nGoevc0VfRleTiiFTr5-ySwVY6iq-jhMFfWlS5uRc_zMBM0PNcbmP954/s320/IMG_9376.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210675829854037442" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/GJ-iMBi0cwI"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/GJ-iMBi0cwI" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/cSE2-0knJp4"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cSE2-0knJp4" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></embed></object>Jesse B-Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597375354093696062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700242472578777196.post-87725478596172821002008-06-13T18:47:00.001+01:002008-06-18T12:18:57.088+01:00FES FESTIVAL OF WORLD SACRED MUSICWhen I arrived in Morocco in mid-March, I had every intention to depart by early May. After learning about the plethora of music festivals in May and June in this country, I reasoned that I had to stay in Morocco until the end of June. One festival in particular, the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music, correlated with my research so visibly that I knew I could not leave Morocco without attending it.<br /><br />The fourteenth edition of the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music began on June 6th and ended on the 15th. The theme of this year’s festival was “Paths to creation” – according to the general director of the festival, Fatima Sadiqi, the theme, “highlights the contribution of innovation across the quest for the sacred, knowledge and inspiration.” 2008 is a very special year for Fes, as it marks the 1200th anniversary of the founding of the city. Fes, a former imperial city, has a very rich musical history; and the festival reflects the various musical traditions of this ancient city that have spanned many generations.<br /><br />During the course of this week, I have refrained from instant journalism – immediate coverage of the Fes Festival – as I have needed time to collect my thoughts and accurately analyze the entirety of the festival.<br /><br />Before I detail my various musical experiences at the Fes Festival, I feel obliged to give my unbridled opinion of the central tenets of the festival, in general. With my criticism of the festival, and, praise for it, I do have several suggestions that I will outline in a forthcoming post of my “final thoughts” about the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music.<br /><br />In terms of the general organization, choice of venues and talent of the musicians, in short, the Fes Festival was outstanding. There was a wonderful mix of musicians from all over the world, including, but not limited to Pakistan, Lebanon, Iraq, Mali, Indonesia, India, Saudi Arabia and Senegal.<br /><br />Without a doubt, from the very beginning there was an impressive level of professionalism. The festival organizers made many minor, but notably positive, gestures – such as having space at a Royal Mirage Hotel for the press to work and preparing a detailed program book in three different languages – all of which made covering the festival a very enjoyable, easy experience.<br /><br />This professionalism extended to the performances themselves: each show was punctual, had good sound quality, and was well staffed. The organizers of the festival took full advantage of the history of the city: most of the venues were in the old city, actually inside of the ancient medina of Fes. Some of the scenes, particularly Bab El Makina and Dar Tazi, are some of the nicest locations I have ever seen for a music performance.<br /><br />Although the Mawazine Festival had more venues (nine compared to four), it seemed as if there were more daily events at the Fes Festival. Unlike the Mawazine, the Fes Festival had workshops, academic seminars, activities for children, and art exhibitions all throughout the day - not to mention the constant flow of traditional and contemporary music. So, in effect, there was an overwhelming amount of options on any given day at the Fes Festival – the good kind of “overwhelming,” that is.<br /><br />Despite all of these positive assessments, there is something about the general concept of the festival itself that is troubling. I have many reservations about the festival, not only in respect to how different forms of “sacred” music are presented to the audience, but also in respect to the fundamental ideology of the festival itself.<br /><br />In sum, there were two overlying aspects of the festival that were most disconcerting: the surprising presence of materialism, and the overbearing sense of Orientalism. Surely, a festival that promotes “sacred” music should have no part of either of those –isms.<br /><br />How “sacred” can a “Festival of World Sacred Music” be when the week pass costs almost $500? The tremendous cost of the festival tickets breeds an equally tremendous degree of inaccessibility: the average Moroccan earns less than a $10 per day, making the festival financially out of reach for the vast majority of the population. When did “sacred music” become an elitist endeavor? While there were several free concerts every day, the majority of these shows were of contemporary artists, and not the headlining “sacred” musicians.<br /><br />At times, the festival seemed to promote materialism as much as sacred music. The festival was saturated with shameless corporatism: “A personal, spiritual connection with God, through music…brought to you by Royal Air Maroc, BMCE Bank and Meditel Communications.” There were thirty-four official “partners” and “sponsors” in all. (It must be noted that one patron in particular, the King of Morocco, Mohammed VI, deserves to be separated from the corporate sponsors. Once again, it is wonderful and truly commendable that the King has made such a genuine, and generous, effort to embolden the music scene in Morocco).<br /><br />I fully recognize that producing a festival of this magnitude costs millions and millions of dollars, and simply put, corporate sponsorship is mandatory to finance a festival. But, maybe, just maybe, it is rather sacrilegious to unite “sacred music” with such an abundance of corporate enterprises.<br /><br />The Bab El Makina scene, the festival’s main venue, was littered with tents of the festival sponsors and various business ventures. Century 21, the largest real estate company in the world, even had a tent. Think about that for a moment: among the ticket-holders, there is so much wealth that someone might go to a concert and end up buying a house in Morocco. With such rampant capitalism, how can any sense of piety still exist?<br /><br />In the most basic sense, sacred music seeks to create a spiritual connection with the Divine. Religious (sacred) music often is performed in the confines of a holy institution, like a church or temple, to eliminate worldly distractions. In the moments of a sacred music performance, is the stage not the temple? It is a doctrine of all religions to disavow any sort of commerce within the physical space of the institution? (Yes, yes, I have been to plenty of Hindu temples that sell souvenirs, and the Vatican does have a gift shop). Surely John 2:16 is not just a Christian prospect – materialism has no place inside of a mosque or synagogue or any sort of holy sanctuary, for that matter. How can proper devotion to the Divine be made when a vender is hawking Hagaan Daz a hundred feet from the stage? At what point do we distinguish between reverence and exploitation?<br /><br />It is sadly ironic because the respective ideological roots of all of these different forms of “sacred” music were the antithesis of the materialism found at the Fes Festival.<br /><br />Another reservation for me to endorse the festival is the immense sense of Orientalism that surrounds the festival. The concept of Orientalism, as written about by the great scholar Edward Said, essentially states that in the West, we have a very skewed view of the Eastern cultures. Strictly in terms of “religious studies,” some Westerners perceive Eastern religions as more “mystical” than Western traditions, and thus they are “better.”(You see this practice quite frequently in India, Westerns that “adopt” Hinduism because of the esoteric essence of an Eastern religion)<br /><br />In a certain sense, the general idea of a festival dedicated to “World Sacred Music” is the definition of Orientalism: a bunch of extremely wealthy Westerners gather together to find the “spiritual” element in different forms of religious music. Since when did the bourgeoisie, the upper-crust, become so pious?<br /><br />Sacred music is an exclusive union between the performer and God (the Absolute): through the hypnotic music, the musician transcends our immediate reality and is able to connect with God. While observers are able to comprehend the mystical experience that the musician is undergoing, it would be preposterous to assume that the audience has the same metaphysical experience as the performer.<br /><br />Irrefutably, it is possible for more than one individual, as in a group of performers, to have a simultaneous, occult experience. To clarify: for example, in gnaoua, during public celebrations, it is common for participants, who are not musicians, to fall into a stance of trance. Listening to the rhythms of the music can create a transcendental experience. But there is a different between a dancing group of devote observers, and a seated, suit-and-tie audience.<br /><br />The most elementary reason why the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music must be labeled as an Orientalist endeavor is that the audience is not encouraged to partake in the music, but simply to observe it, through an academic lens.<br /><br />Most genuinely, I assert that there is nothing wrong with that concept - to study a foreign, religious idiosyncrasy but not adhere to it. On the most basic level, the ticket-holders at the Fes Festival could be applauded for having such a tolerant, global outlook. In the world of today, one that is growing smaller and smaller each day, yet alarmingly more xenophobic and isolationist, it is so essential to have certain individuals who seek to bridge the cultural barriers between the East and the West. After for this reason alone, I do support certain aspects of the Fes Festival.<br /><br />Yet, there is a very thin line between attending a "sacred" music performance because of genuine, academic interest, and attending the said performance for reasons because it is “chic.” Seldom did everyone in the audience stay for the full show: a very disrespectful act, especially considering these were “sacred” music performances. Would you walk out of church, synagogue, temple, or mosque while the religious service is still going on?<br /><br />I readily admit that many individuals that attend the festival do not deserve to be grouped as “jet-setter” types. While I know it is unfair to label all of the attendees as one, I merely am reflecting my observations from a week of attending performances at the festival.<br /><br />Clearly, I have very strong feelings about the essence of the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music. Believe it or not, as you will read in future posts specifically about my experiences at the performances, I genuinely enjoyed the festival – despite my many, many reservations about it. Take what I wrote with a grain of salt: as Man Ray once said, “All critics should be assassinated.”<br /><br />Reviews of various shows, with photographs and videos, will be posted shortly. Also, please ignore the "date" of this post (6/13); I am not sure why it says that, as I wrote it yesterday, on June 17th.Jesse B-Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597375354093696062noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700242472578777196.post-2505793118321713222008-06-11T12:59:00.008+01:002008-06-11T16:13:11.458+01:00HOBA IN RABATLast week, I attended a Hoba Hoba Spirit concert in Rabat. Held at the Moulay Abdallah Sports Complex, the show was a private event; nonetheless, there was still over a thousand people in attendance. As always, the band was on fire: considering the concert was a sports arena, the sound was quite good. Below are some photographs from the show; it seems the tech crew went a little crazy with the fog machine…<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_uTzQ1iFaLJGMo59OrJHfkPUr3lB4uMgmppUi-_YsEbjg34YLx3zokxjkaytdEdDUzvgF3ixqVmsqB7BDZV2F5Nu9BncTfYmEEZtWxHsZVY2RrZ5P0YnPt8dKCuRopCej8O1JRJzwQg8/s1600-h/IMG_9234.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_uTzQ1iFaLJGMo59OrJHfkPUr3lB4uMgmppUi-_YsEbjg34YLx3zokxjkaytdEdDUzvgF3ixqVmsqB7BDZV2F5Nu9BncTfYmEEZtWxHsZVY2RrZ5P0YnPt8dKCuRopCej8O1JRJzwQg8/s320/IMG_9234.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210639515987951586" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsXbpQhoxKUzaB5iS21oa2lMith2igQCL9z_M6vRUqc-Uf2xztvOCrHM-xb5jF35h53y4qYdG1e7wXOw8S24nQ6ZhDatSVbnfY5rpRHLPlaDZkRcx1hvHUKKrGewDTfRZWcOvFv_ffqHQ/s1600-h/IMG_9243.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsXbpQhoxKUzaB5iS21oa2lMith2igQCL9z_M6vRUqc-Uf2xztvOCrHM-xb5jF35h53y4qYdG1e7wXOw8S24nQ6ZhDatSVbnfY5rpRHLPlaDZkRcx1hvHUKKrGewDTfRZWcOvFv_ffqHQ/s320/IMG_9243.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210639527042147634" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Saad was amazed to learn that Morocco had a cricket federation.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJj-F4wmExRLe423geixf-bQPaf-jKfRT1t6RYxaT_vEHOPNXT62RlEyaNvA6FiLkDLxz9TywDW4KZtItGT4CekWsOtCHlUfdmHNyq00UFbeivHojDxZZQgNDyEGuruDQ6_zUQcQTiynA/s1600-h/IMG_9246.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJj-F4wmExRLe423geixf-bQPaf-jKfRT1t6RYxaT_vEHOPNXT62RlEyaNvA6FiLkDLxz9TywDW4KZtItGT4CekWsOtCHlUfdmHNyq00UFbeivHojDxZZQgNDyEGuruDQ6_zUQcQTiynA/s320/IMG_9246.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210639534867569490" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT9RxmbEOoA-fmWcewWXgdZBEry9GjXkMZWg0CUOVLbt4Bs52GHzaMSbupF-8Ut2OOQvxQ8PgXkIVPLtbS4Q9ZsnTZg4EmC-iLoFGSNKfY2icZYvIKCkdL7eROxTUCcD5AF732CRrFJdw/s1600-h/IMG_9254.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT9RxmbEOoA-fmWcewWXgdZBEry9GjXkMZWg0CUOVLbt4Bs52GHzaMSbupF-8Ut2OOQvxQ8PgXkIVPLtbS4Q9ZsnTZg4EmC-iLoFGSNKfY2icZYvIKCkdL7eROxTUCcD5AF732CRrFJdw/s320/IMG_9254.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210636190155179250" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxcYX70EnbBljf3Bt2DAA3lcdJkiue5I24t1WE7kv7kjs0gauOYdcd9OpOraIwbHs8-D3RX4fB_PLkTkGEw4tzwwP9RJ2Rr5RLpYJRzfLQZXrLMCq9_4NIrDUvEC2XSICxzILr6Sgj9wg/s1600-h/IMG_9260.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxcYX70EnbBljf3Bt2DAA3lcdJkiue5I24t1WE7kv7kjs0gauOYdcd9OpOraIwbHs8-D3RX4fB_PLkTkGEw4tzwwP9RJ2Rr5RLpYJRzfLQZXrLMCq9_4NIrDUvEC2XSICxzILr6Sgj9wg/s320/IMG_9260.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210636200841122370" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNsCU1LmDRj6GAyYttTTQtFNA4Huz35TK75XvKku6JiKg4IhVYykNzqU80A9iG3Li_lpOStxaURzQcP0V40uX2F-W6lhGk_8_W0-xO0bniJyDsbhMvT-1ZPWnNVQ5GhTS4cb2zEXqOZqc/s1600-h/IMG_9264.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNsCU1LmDRj6GAyYttTTQtFNA4Huz35TK75XvKku6JiKg4IhVYykNzqU80A9iG3Li_lpOStxaURzQcP0V40uX2F-W6lhGk_8_W0-xO0bniJyDsbhMvT-1ZPWnNVQ5GhTS4cb2zEXqOZqc/s320/IMG_9264.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210636208780428290" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYRPwe9SzYQLq4d85cxhBCLi185q1uLKYStMZAXnMSHQ7nv3n0DpdB2E21FQjJ3WUkaYk5wAEvGCAUHvgeR86Sizo7gsyhUP9HSXUVaQf3c8HrDdKeHTHfZLBEZd-DUFEbQEW-YpjHQlc/s1600-h/IMG_9269.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYRPwe9SzYQLq4d85cxhBCLi185q1uLKYStMZAXnMSHQ7nv3n0DpdB2E21FQjJ3WUkaYk5wAEvGCAUHvgeR86Sizo7gsyhUP9HSXUVaQf3c8HrDdKeHTHfZLBEZd-DUFEbQEW-YpjHQlc/s320/IMG_9269.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210600663274557058" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiarSeeFIH0ewOeXYIDo-ZDOnvPvPPK2OWOMGtO8azmjoMAFbMCc_nm3CTI6BPp_iaRV4UvdW9pij1QhNtWjWHqKj9UXaV4twqA7LLWiCk2P-N_WoFe4ZEn17_2O3NzTs7YJKuAJ72Uv4I/s1600-h/IMG_9273.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiarSeeFIH0ewOeXYIDo-ZDOnvPvPPK2OWOMGtO8azmjoMAFbMCc_nm3CTI6BPp_iaRV4UvdW9pij1QhNtWjWHqKj9UXaV4twqA7LLWiCk2P-N_WoFe4ZEn17_2O3NzTs7YJKuAJ72Uv4I/s320/IMG_9273.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210600703570003186" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSKBsxBOjZHzWD_ezn8ohUbA0i21zwxTSdEUL5qcQ7touwByXJX1xmwbXrGDgBwMcfgNWBfrwEaHJlGxZ397w0XDOf68J1N_wgckhyphenhyphenigY-9Kzf3Hxqj7-84Q8xJJ9WHQYtpq8g5Hbt12Y/s1600-h/IMG_9274.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSKBsxBOjZHzWD_ezn8ohUbA0i21zwxTSdEUL5qcQ7touwByXJX1xmwbXrGDgBwMcfgNWBfrwEaHJlGxZ397w0XDOf68J1N_wgckhyphenhyphenigY-9Kzf3Hxqj7-84Q8xJJ9WHQYtpq8g5Hbt12Y/s320/IMG_9274.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210600719762504466" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_DsMOBC_XNy54fLMgjkWxzes5BocFx5Fxr5ToUlhqG8Vr5rbEy1WzypDSNmZdEW7e0X9uzg3RA0BllMPdemn2AbYKn5rq-D-d-IFjNTy6N_zDt9snZqQ7T67SMVx7fymAAoGgriGuiLw/s1600-h/IMG_9276.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_DsMOBC_XNy54fLMgjkWxzes5BocFx5Fxr5ToUlhqG8Vr5rbEy1WzypDSNmZdEW7e0X9uzg3RA0BllMPdemn2AbYKn5rq-D-d-IFjNTy6N_zDt9snZqQ7T67SMVx7fymAAoGgriGuiLw/s320/IMG_9276.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210596132833534210" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBB7vMKBp2uhm2e3wuCRSOXcYjHdxAIusJ_UuTKg7zmkZDiCFwWrARip10BU1IQfFvHjRZQrkos29Qgh__Z0tpX3PGoZ2NgKqD-P0TX25BiHxa03Rxbj5xMYzfbcX1kBlo-1-TSo9hw_Q/s1600-h/IMG_9280.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBB7vMKBp2uhm2e3wuCRSOXcYjHdxAIusJ_UuTKg7zmkZDiCFwWrARip10BU1IQfFvHjRZQrkos29Qgh__Z0tpX3PGoZ2NgKqD-P0TX25BiHxa03Rxbj5xMYzfbcX1kBlo-1-TSo9hw_Q/s320/IMG_9280.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210596151889632514" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Cke3prbH2jNfzI2nFp73FCBQ1oIwW3h3CF0sXvHh-hr_IITNTzVMDM6gg8VqT97NUn_er72xFFhd5WKdq4d9vRlJ9xeB-IhyphenhyphenyMEhSpRJ4GAkbrbvfWHDjNC4krjD-otZylaWHNQk0fM/s1600-h/IMG_9281.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Cke3prbH2jNfzI2nFp73FCBQ1oIwW3h3CF0sXvHh-hr_IITNTzVMDM6gg8VqT97NUn_er72xFFhd5WKdq4d9vRlJ9xeB-IhyphenhyphenyMEhSpRJ4GAkbrbvfWHDjNC4krjD-otZylaWHNQk0fM/s320/IMG_9281.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210596161001583218" border="0" /></a>Jesse B-Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597375354093696062noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700242472578777196.post-91761875540193126852008-06-04T16:08:00.011+01:002008-06-09T17:24:11.903+01:00THE TANJAZZ FESTIVALLast weekend, I attended the Tanjazz Festival in Tangier (often spelt Tanger or Tangiers). As I did not partake in the full festival – it begun on Wednesday and I arrived on Friday – I am not asserting the Tanjazz was a complete bust; but, from my experiences, it simply was pretty mediocre.<br /><br />Indeed, Tangier is a wonderful town for a festival: it is a beautiful setting for anything, for that matter. Located on the northern most of Morocco, the narrow Gibraltar Straight is the only thing that separates Tangier from Spain. Because of the proximity to Europe, the audience at Tanjazz is very “jet-setter,” if you will – a very business-like crowd, at times.<br /><br />Strictly in terms of the music, it was a somewhat disappointing experience. I had heard so much about Tanjazz– particularly the late night jam sessions – that I had very high expectations for the quality of music at the festival.<br /><br />The “jam session” on Friday night at the Palais de Institutions Italiennes featured some pretty remedial musicians. Perhaps I am bitter, as this “jazz jam session” did not even feature a live rhythm section: no drums or bass, just a keyboardist to fill those roles! An obvious absence of the spirit of jazz music…<br /><br />But don’t worry, the music on Saturday was terrific, even if the organization of the program was not. Just after eight o’clock on Saturday night, I arrived at the Scene Veolia for a performance by Mokhat Samba, a Moroccan-Senegalese drummer. Unfortunately, due to a last-minute scheduling change, the music started about 75 minutes late: even though this was a free concert, the crowd, rightfully so, was not too pleased with the disorganization of the festival organizers.<br /><br />When Mokhat Samba finally did take the stage, everyone quickly forgot about the long wait and got right into the music. As I have written so many times before, I find nothing more enjoyable than watching a “drummer’s band.” It was all too evident that Mokhat was the principal song composer: his drum kit stood at the front, center of the stage, and during each number, he provided the band with much more than just the backbeat.<br /><br />In terms of raw talent, Mokhat Samba has to be one of the better drummers I have seen all year: some people were just born to play drums and he definitely falls into that category.<br />Sadly, because the show started so late, I was unable to stay to see it in its entirety, as I had tickets to another performance, an eight-piece jazz band from Belgium, called Jazz Me Do.<br /><br />As you can deduce from their name, Jazz Me Do reinterprets songs originally written by The Beatles. While the idea behind Jazz Me Do is quite kitschy, their execution was most excellent. The compositions of each song were entirely re-written, while still staying true to the original version. Focusing on the early numbers from The Beatles catalogue, Jazz Me Do played a fluid and enjoyable set. The jazzification (okay, that’s not a word) of classics like, “Eleanor Rigby,” “Drive My Car,” and “Can’t Buy Me Love,” was an interesting new take on those timeless Lennon/McCartney songs. The most memorable number was, “Girl” – the band did a very clever reinterpretation of this John Lennon track from the Rubber Soul record. I don’t doubt that the Fab Four themselves would approve of this musical venture.<br /><br />The jam session on Saturday night was pretty good: it certainly was better than the night before, as there was a live rhythm section this time!<br /><br />After the Mawazine Festival, almost any music festival feels rather weak in comparison – I will readily admit my immediate partiality. I definitely enjoyed my time in Tangier; but, truth be told, it was not one of the better music events I have seen here in Morocco. I have no regrets about going, and would even recommend attending the Tanjazz Festival in the future, if as an excuse to see the town of Tangier.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGal7koJN9TCMIPVTTFOeZMxwUf6rRrBDXXBhySyhdHSJFfFzmbikk9etWb2Md-hkX9Rg4h1XKgd3k5tc7P-fkFu0QL9HlniEsqQAW2HoEcJnA8TJOOWH6Ov2qXmRERqI0y7szyl4vdq8/s1600-h/IMG_9165.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGal7koJN9TCMIPVTTFOeZMxwUf6rRrBDXXBhySyhdHSJFfFzmbikk9etWb2Md-hkX9Rg4h1XKgd3k5tc7P-fkFu0QL9HlniEsqQAW2HoEcJnA8TJOOWH6Ov2qXmRERqI0y7szyl4vdq8/s320/IMG_9165.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208054620657137026" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Just under the clouds sits Spain.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQPpddrycTyAH4SqRASJiv1KKjDlzSIEfgshXbzfgLjpfilDWPoWwit5cQh_I559pEKu1Xy7bTrvrd3nEZwoVn1d8hZG3U7fDexk7lvQMnKKvF3LwlpMS6CeOLLTTnW2-yOErRIWb03Y/s1600-h/IMG_9172.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQPpddrycTyAH4SqRASJiv1KKjDlzSIEfgshXbzfgLjpfilDWPoWwit5cQh_I559pEKu1Xy7bTrvrd3nEZwoVn1d8hZG3U7fDexk7lvQMnKKvF3LwlpMS6CeOLLTTnW2-yOErRIWb03Y/s320/IMG_9172.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208054627779597970" border="0" /></a><br />An empty stage...<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDPuG2PN91w-1azwVSv0MMb4pkH4ytipX8lXi7ZceTBUTdwfRArXaKFnTEWy1wMA8YWPFlI14At2sSCNpMreZUav1dRqHiuTIJlgVTdIEm8QYhVGanA53mmTWMVFP9OqVsIBZsmRTCG1A/s1600-h/IMG_9173.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDPuG2PN91w-1azwVSv0MMb4pkH4ytipX8lXi7ZceTBUTdwfRArXaKFnTEWy1wMA8YWPFlI14At2sSCNpMreZUav1dRqHiuTIJlgVTdIEm8QYhVGanA53mmTWMVFP9OqVsIBZsmRTCG1A/s320/IMG_9173.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208054639474319010" border="0" /></a><br />...makes for an angry crowd.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOaDO6rtNg5ax78rWWJLHKcl8rSQj9h0ovlVpkszrRbSHOap5VK0fV8ymX4FOulZ5gHkfAKYrA9yCpyeqw7oISz6hikweNfRppsfjSkmNUzfSesIoY1S-VBGMIJwB4-7BVQFmG2M6FE1o/s1600-h/IMG_9177.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOaDO6rtNg5ax78rWWJLHKcl8rSQj9h0ovlVpkszrRbSHOap5VK0fV8ymX4FOulZ5gHkfAKYrA9yCpyeqw7oISz6hikweNfRppsfjSkmNUzfSesIoY1S-VBGMIJwB4-7BVQFmG2M6FE1o/s320/IMG_9177.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208052709484527938" border="0" /></a><br />Finally!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii7CTanRjP4zw7vKsev9psXs1mgr79goAgApSTPNhldMRfl1E8mWDSgx8JXeJDLmo0IEoCxU-xuTAtj1z9Pol-XclWIONyH7WMy353i_5A535cThTkhysju6HohbXNgJEoF5BZWSGdV1M/s1600-h/IMG_9180.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii7CTanRjP4zw7vKsev9psXs1mgr79goAgApSTPNhldMRfl1E8mWDSgx8JXeJDLmo0IEoCxU-xuTAtj1z9Pol-XclWIONyH7WMy353i_5A535cThTkhysju6HohbXNgJEoF5BZWSGdV1M/s320/IMG_9180.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208052723359823202" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjobjL_c7qkgti8moGPhvB7CCQpglwKliLKOYWphTanRLaWQZmBCASXdqnp1V4wo2sniyjjEa7d7nA8WXee1pM7TMdkxJhWgepY1vjbS6v5wWDlTLShyYXJGmefV1ZBEJheSPJV1dvykoM/s1600-h/IMG_9183.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjobjL_c7qkgti8moGPhvB7CCQpglwKliLKOYWphTanRLaWQZmBCASXdqnp1V4wo2sniyjjEa7d7nA8WXee1pM7TMdkxJhWgepY1vjbS6v5wWDlTLShyYXJGmefV1ZBEJheSPJV1dvykoM/s320/IMG_9183.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208052729958863474" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4eLltWUDjAgHSDFDBb7t-xDNeK5v6Xy4EZA1osxDjEl1a0bKeZH_eOyUyNx3mqy_szw7PCLCLdk6phLziOAMGyKIvw9cud1crbGVsHgGaaaYhP5zT1pHhA10cBlxLMIiXz1YPDV-pysI/s1600-h/IMG_9188.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4eLltWUDjAgHSDFDBb7t-xDNeK5v6Xy4EZA1osxDjEl1a0bKeZH_eOyUyNx3mqy_szw7PCLCLdk6phLziOAMGyKIvw9cud1crbGVsHgGaaaYhP5zT1pHhA10cBlxLMIiXz1YPDV-pysI/s320/IMG_9188.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208048817484937394" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Jazz Me Do<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVISENYWj1XoJQK0UQ4tj_NDngT63YhGXsbpPDITiG3iaiF87uxgfuYGkHL2VUsJnANAfw2rj3OHhCsF659urrzaH0dXkGzi4DjiSG2DArlJQjS54H6mDQl03Vh_Tdw_j-b8Z_8tkqkg4/s1600-h/IMG_9190.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVISENYWj1XoJQK0UQ4tj_NDngT63YhGXsbpPDITiG3iaiF87uxgfuYGkHL2VUsJnANAfw2rj3OHhCsF659urrzaH0dXkGzi4DjiSG2DArlJQjS54H6mDQl03Vh_Tdw_j-b8Z_8tkqkg4/s320/IMG_9190.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208048825503109554" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit3TJvKTxJZ1ZUnoGlWkyoEJxNoE1tGlvkYsVh5cxgtMbsImj27ywB-zoTq9lVba41UIBiyWD46GfRMfpiqXGJMbtLd5fM8s53utRQmV1uL6ncav2CZUNYhC69hNfudJOWrJodt0R2Q7g/s1600-h/IMG_9192.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit3TJvKTxJZ1ZUnoGlWkyoEJxNoE1tGlvkYsVh5cxgtMbsImj27ywB-zoTq9lVba41UIBiyWD46GfRMfpiqXGJMbtLd5fM8s53utRQmV1uL6ncav2CZUNYhC69hNfudJOWrJodt0R2Q7g/s320/IMG_9192.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208048836343333410" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW9dKX_jMpp43A0cjPwV_2uvlANp5aaZ2OAyXyFCfM313-YAv2E2M43OD5LX-I5_WSkt1l7VUQpbxcUrOX18WNTq2MhxG_mC_hlj2aFCv0Hfl5OaGf2PbZWdnptyxe4_Jq-DBRJ-Cyqys/s1600-h/IMG_9197.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW9dKX_jMpp43A0cjPwV_2uvlANp5aaZ2OAyXyFCfM313-YAv2E2M43OD5LX-I5_WSkt1l7VUQpbxcUrOX18WNTq2MhxG_mC_hlj2aFCv0Hfl5OaGf2PbZWdnptyxe4_Jq-DBRJ-Cyqys/s320/IMG_9197.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208046552432918306" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />The gardens of the Italian Palace<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9nseQPHJKSjWYrC8xI7rmjktDojzgikyMbpjcIJ8jhlKE8auWtbdNf5XW39mOSVg5hu5tjibSaDL5RSjMK72az4bRQXjy8kUB8NxYIJzac0n2on42FFegxuSgRBGuf-iP-0rRwMk0KXc/s1600-h/IMG_9208.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9nseQPHJKSjWYrC8xI7rmjktDojzgikyMbpjcIJ8jhlKE8auWtbdNf5XW39mOSVg5hu5tjibSaDL5RSjMK72az4bRQXjy8kUB8NxYIJzac0n2on42FFegxuSgRBGuf-iP-0rRwMk0KXc/s320/IMG_9208.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208046557901324338" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Saturday night jam session - this time with a rhythm section.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzS8JlYlCBgauBsMgHCI9Gi6k4ez8mi8TS17csnlluWGy8O2VgfYEs5Ww44z-stiuzYJ-RYoWFkvMUdWYm9JcTBsL9H0tv_oGsRS9k8xegmOfS6TqFde3W9MyChWQcRimikxTX2bHMBFo/s1600-h/IMG_9210.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzS8JlYlCBgauBsMgHCI9Gi6k4ez8mi8TS17csnlluWGy8O2VgfYEs5Ww44z-stiuzYJ-RYoWFkvMUdWYm9JcTBsL9H0tv_oGsRS9k8xegmOfS6TqFde3W9MyChWQcRimikxTX2bHMBFo/s320/IMG_9210.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208046567361124658" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh33AHJM7RpnCny_a56MOYPcdo2jx9TzAgMCvcibxYKfq7E0spO4tFcyY9gWRMjTn7dNR7SbTmPM3FrSo2xUnGvP_jGohKvpH3C_3qyE0C4dD0zAdg9enYxhi9D87I_szKRRCyMCXSt_Ko/s1600-h/IMG_9216.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh33AHJM7RpnCny_a56MOYPcdo2jx9TzAgMCvcibxYKfq7E0spO4tFcyY9gWRMjTn7dNR7SbTmPM3FrSo2xUnGvP_jGohKvpH3C_3qyE0C4dD0zAdg9enYxhi9D87I_szKRRCyMCXSt_Ko/s320/IMG_9216.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208044586248951714" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Amine and I at the (former) end of world.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ozTE_8iBKYU"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ozTE_8iBKYU" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0XbdUJSJ3lg"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0XbdUJSJ3lg" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DFAMSIiXe8w"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DFAMSIiXe8w" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_Mh9UhBvDKw"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_Mh9UhBvDKw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object>Jesse B-Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597375354093696062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700242472578777196.post-77131826947632291492008-05-27T19:11:00.005+00:002008-05-27T19:46:17.096+00:00MAWAZINE: JUANES & FINAL THOUGHTSOn Friday night, I went to the Juanes concert at the Bouregreg. There were several reasons that drew me to the Colombian pop-sensation's concert – and let’s just leave it at I wasn’t attending for the musical experience.<br /><br />While I have no interest in pop-rock as a genre, I must admit that I was impressed by performance of the band and Juanes himself – I did not realize that he was such a polished guitarist. Often, music critics overlook the fact that MTV-type, commercial musicians are some of the highest trained musicians in the world: each member of Juanes’ band was very talented. The crowd adored Juanes; and it was an enjoyable concert, for sure.<br /><br />Although the Mawazine Festival ended on Saturday, I opted not to attend the final, headline show of Whitney Houston – Juanes was enough pop music for me.<br /><br />The organization of the Mawazine Festival was outstanding: everything from the lineup itself to the light shows to the sound quality was stellar. It is fantastic that the King of Morocco and government are supporting arts and culture in this manner: I recently read that, across all nine venues, approximately 120,000 people attended the festival each day.<br /><br />I also read that the organizers had a budget between 22 and 24 million dirhams (about $3.1 million dollars). While that, of course, is a lot of money, considering the fact that there were nine days of music with nine different stages, it is very impressive that they were able to stretch the budget to be able to bring in so many accomplished musicians. On that note, as I have written before, the line up was fantastic, as there was such a comprehensive list of artists that performed. Because of the diverse lineup, I was exposed to so many new artists – the ultimate purpose of any concert-going experience.<br /><br />Without a doubt, the absolute highlight of the week was the concert of Hoba Hoba Spirit; although, Zao, of Congo, was the best individual performer of the festival, by my book.<br /><br />I cannot express my appreciate to everyone at Hit Radio, and most specifically Younes Boumehdi, for their assistance in helping me cover the festival. What a week<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJdYpxx3snxblSPqsakrpwHcA8Tp2fIhuzWR9Bby5Fud9si4pUGFVuPEC__S0kiw7NdCanFv205YerDsLMv2zfr78UIt8OapQjrkIMzcTaLA0a1WNrK87W6Eree1AlIu57TJUk3AqNvDI/s1600-h/IMG_9125.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJdYpxx3snxblSPqsakrpwHcA8Tp2fIhuzWR9Bby5Fud9si4pUGFVuPEC__S0kiw7NdCanFv205YerDsLMv2zfr78UIt8OapQjrkIMzcTaLA0a1WNrK87W6Eree1AlIu57TJUk3AqNvDI/s320/IMG_9125.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5205145947038493698" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLZ2DBh7m8ojcNImRugXNMv0LwR2yNfL5lbaYtHO21E1wyqjsYy0KKdVgF6ge3qKCS-RIH_4wtsvmYo15ggPbZiXPMPqsxYzG4t6wEBTNF9Yx7goq5BRPNWoppYQ-ahNbOyN0geBon6rU/s1600-h/IMG_9124.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLZ2DBh7m8ojcNImRugXNMv0LwR2yNfL5lbaYtHO21E1wyqjsYy0KKdVgF6ge3qKCS-RIH_4wtsvmYo15ggPbZiXPMPqsxYzG4t6wEBTNF9Yx7goq5BRPNWoppYQ-ahNbOyN0geBon6rU/s320/IMG_9124.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5205141669251066866" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXTqVjXtMV1v66u2ADBj4iGh9muQKOaEZwtDJARKVfTWhKMllNeXK0b2k3liDtFFX15gcwvoGsdFHIqqH3UBESPPpYGvPASyOiTlFzsMRs6wu4KW9D0lN2O51028cXBLRZDx7NuOsNtB8/s1600-h/IMG_9122.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXTqVjXtMV1v66u2ADBj4iGh9muQKOaEZwtDJARKVfTWhKMllNeXK0b2k3liDtFFX15gcwvoGsdFHIqqH3UBESPPpYGvPASyOiTlFzsMRs6wu4KW9D0lN2O51028cXBLRZDx7NuOsNtB8/s320/IMG_9122.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5205140123062840290" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7fjZT4pNg4L0EWOQtul5Pllq1RRdAEiex9A7w2oYglVmOfpp1dXX0ong_rWdhPtu4VJU5mGRFT3pEb4MpJkOO-QJE_u2WKwZUqncRRqkEOj5gfgGldE0S8JSZ5x-9EtQzfIYEvrQMt14/s1600-h/IMG_9130.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7fjZT4pNg4L0EWOQtul5Pllq1RRdAEiex9A7w2oYglVmOfpp1dXX0ong_rWdhPtu4VJU5mGRFT3pEb4MpJkOO-QJE_u2WKwZUqncRRqkEOj5gfgGldE0S8JSZ5x-9EtQzfIYEvrQMt14/s320/IMG_9130.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5205138396485987266" border="0" /></a>Jesse B-Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597375354093696062noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700242472578777196.post-59861035368666328922008-05-25T16:01:00.017+00:002008-05-25T20:44:41.725+00:00MAWAZINE: HOBA HOBA SPIRITOver the past two months, I have been very fortunate to make many wonderful contacts throughout the Moroccan music scene. Although the original parameters of the proposal for my fellowship indicate that my research pertains to drumming and drum crafting in different religious and spiritual traditions, while in Morocco, the focus of my research has expanded to include a more contemporary dynamic. (The overlying question remains, as to whether “spirituality” exists in modern music. In short, and I will expand on this in the next few weeks, is that I believe “spirituality” exists in almost all genres of music, traditional and contemporary, as music is an expression of the heart).<br /><br />As I have reported earlier, much of my time in Morocco has been spent in Casablanca, living with Adil Hanine, the drummer of Hoba Hoba Spirit, a very popular Moroccan band. Indeed, Adil’s connection to the music scene here has been an indispensable asset for my research; nevertheless, we have become such close friends that it is like we are family – something that obviously transcends anything pertinent to my research.<br /><br />I have been well aware that Hoba Hoba Spirit is very successful; yet, until Thursday night’s performance, my conception of just how popular Hoba is was completely redefined. During the sound check in the late afternoon, I was talking to Hisham, the band’s manager, about the show. Probably about a hundred fifty fans or so arrived around 4pm, even though the show wasn’t going to start until 9pm, so I was curious as to how many people would come to the show. When I asked how many people were anticipated to attending the concert, he asserted that “50,000” were expected. While the venue was more than suitable to house that many people, I was pretty skeptical that that many people would turn out for the show – the only other time I saw Hoba Hoba Spirit perform there was a crowd of about 2,500 people (the “girls only” show), a very good sized crowd, but no where near 50,000. Furthermore, there are only a handful of musical acts that can draw such a large crowd. So, I figured that I had misheard Hisham, and that he said, “15,000,” a seemingly more reasonable number, although still very impressive.<br /><br />After the sound check was finished, the members of the band and myself went to Hisham’s apartment to kill sometime until the show. Some of the guys seemed particularly nervous about the anticipation of playing a big show – an absolutely reasonable feeling. The band was performing at the Qamra scene, a huge outdoor stage near the Rabat bus station – in fact, Qamra is the largest stage of the Mawazine Festival.<br /><br />Around 8:30, we returned to the venue, it was absolutely packed with people – it turned out that Hisham’s prediction was wrong, after all. By just after 9 o’clock when the band took stage, 70,000 (!!!) people were in attendance. (The organizers of the festival confirmed this is an accurate statistic). Granted, this was a free performance; nonetheless, that does not undermine the amazing feat of drawing a crowd of that many people.<br /><br />I was entirely overwhelmed by the size of the crowd: being surrounded by that many people is an indescribable sensation. There were people for as far as you could see; the crowd even spilled out onto the streets! (Fortunately for me, I was right up next to the stage, thanks to my pass, so I did not have to be lost in the sea of people).<br /><br />What was most impressive about the (astronomical) size of the crowd was that almost everyone knew all the lyrics to almost all of the songs. That is to say, it was not just 70,000 people that showed up to see a free concert; it was 70,000 devout Hoba fans! I cannot imagine, as a musician, entertaining that many people; it must be an incredible feeling to make so many people so happy.<br /><br /><br />Of course, I will readily admit that, as I have developed lasting friendships with members of the band, I am a bit biased; regardless, Hoba Hoba Spirit’s performance was one of the single best concerts I have ever attended. There was so much energy – both on stage and throughout the crowd - that made for such a memorable experience, a true highlight of my year on the Bristol Fellowship. It is actually pretty funny how energetic the band was, considering how languid most of the guys were before the show. (The one exception was Adil, who was so hyped up before the show that he kept on telling me, “We’re going to burn Rabat down!”)<br /><br />In terms of the band’s performance, they were outstanding, to say the least. Of course, I have seen Hoba play in Casablanca before; yet, this performance was head-and-shoulders better than that show. Everyone just clicked and played their best; and thus, the band sounded incredible. (Side note: all of the shows at the Mawazine Festival have had excellent sound quality, a testament to the professionalism of the festival’s organizers and engineers).<br /><br />For just under two hours, Hoba Hoba Spirit played almost nonstop. The band had such fluid set list: there were minimal breaks, as almost every song bridged straight into the ensuing one. There was a concrete cohesion with the set list: the band opened with their hit, “Radio Hoba,” and did a reprise of the song for the encore.<br /><br />Like any live show, it is very difficult to describe the sound of the show: to be as concise as possible, the show was very rock, very reggae, very punk, very gnaoua, and very, very cool.<br /><br />Musically, the band has such a unique sound: because they are able to employ the sounds of so many different genres, all their songs sound very distinct. To give the band another level of expansiveness, everyone but Saad (the bassist), provides vocals. Surely, Reda, the lead guitarist, would be considered the lead singer as well; yet, the other guys do sing quite often. Furthermore, all of the members that contribute vocals sound very different from one another; so that expands the musical range of the band. Lastly, because so many of the members are capable of singing, the vocal harmonies are always superb.<br /><br />There were so many great numbers that it is impossible to pick a single favorite; but, I think one of the highlights of the evening was, “Marock’n Roll,” a song led by Reda. Perhaps this was one of the most memorable songs as it is sung in English; but, it is such a catchy number, especially as Reda plays harmonica on it. Further, Adil’s smooth drum beat perfects the song.<br /><br />By the end of the show, it seemed that everyone in the crowd was covered with sweat and dust: because most of the venue was just a dirt ground and almost everyone was dancing, dust caked the entire Qamra scene.<br /><br />After meeting up with the band backstage to congratulate them on such an incredible performance, we all eventually departed for the Chellah, a site of Phoenician and Roman ruins with to a beautiful garden and palace-like facilities. There was a banquet (in other words, a feast) for the band, as provided by the organizers of the Mawazine Festival. The high life, indeed…<br /><br />I spoke to Adil earlier today, and learned that on Saturday, the band was given a gift from the King of Morocco, Mohammed VI, in recognition for their performance at the Mawazine Festival. Congratulations to everyone in the band for that award!<br /><br />Below are a few videos and a bunch of pictures from the show. (The light show was awesome and the pictures don’t do it justice). To be completely honest, I was so engrossed in the performance that I didn’t really feel like taking the best videos/pictures possible. Being in the thick of the crowd was an experience I couldn’t pass up on: sure, it would have been nice just to stand by the stage the whole, but there was such much electricity throughout the audience, that I just had to get out there and dance!<br /><br />The sound on the videos is pretty poor; the concert itself had extremely good sound quality, so watch the videos with that in mind. Also, I really wish I could have gotten an aerial photograph to give you all an ideal of just how many people were they, but I left my helicopter at home. I am still so impressed that 70,000 people came for the show!<br /><br />Enjoy, and do yourself a favor, and get a hold of one of Hoba Hoba Spirit’s albums!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipP2bq-Xy4mMpqmPl-YwdO6W5J_0e5gAmM8SetgQFS7iVjBvxj5xOUdp7u_4z7By6E6bB_SK0LTZRNX4GAHQ0675RgxrbPSijgRUFbcXgvvhi9iaRu6BLwecqBzKUUvOX7PRS_Bke2z3s/s1600-h/IMG_9010.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipP2bq-Xy4mMpqmPl-YwdO6W5J_0e5gAmM8SetgQFS7iVjBvxj5xOUdp7u_4z7By6E6bB_SK0LTZRNX4GAHQ0675RgxrbPSijgRUFbcXgvvhi9iaRu6BLwecqBzKUUvOX7PRS_Bke2z3s/s320/IMG_9010.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204418886384692114" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-PUCrCuWzpynXpzZz54TVMlAcSfM-ZtqHgXjBomtsgahnKPR71B3_RJRuaGuuIrVZyzECz5agJZlxRkq37s7pJ3kYBy3RqgIZ7yFOXYiyfsndCkIivbt0g0XlrAC0DyFvbrre-MubDc/s1600-h/IMG_9016.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-PUCrCuWzpynXpzZz54TVMlAcSfM-ZtqHgXjBomtsgahnKPR71B3_RJRuaGuuIrVZyzECz5agJZlxRkq37s7pJ3kYBy3RqgIZ7yFOXYiyfsndCkIivbt0g0XlrAC0DyFvbrre-MubDc/s320/IMG_9016.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204418890679659426" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6lUa6uFEaRYoEaJEZPOdLSeCTydZus4pMJ6gW3BMRTkGoB7AG39X-iqbU5EMpSsi67geU5tJZyh8ulH9DB7GYwKQbv7nqYASvUhe2Tv-HgGAgjlLmO7NFg_CtNkAm-wUiebGvXtwDOSg/s1600-h/IMG_9017.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6lUa6uFEaRYoEaJEZPOdLSeCTydZus4pMJ6gW3BMRTkGoB7AG39X-iqbU5EMpSsi67geU5tJZyh8ulH9DB7GYwKQbv7nqYASvUhe2Tv-HgGAgjlLmO7NFg_CtNkAm-wUiebGvXtwDOSg/s320/IMG_9017.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204418899269594034" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheIzFXD7o1U7tBYAX12EKo_FWBYZIV6XzgPHtiJQMEaf8xLPwLJpjk3vYZApg_AJdyLUFFu4j6NaxWUdcXhszaIkGLk88xOwDgtnI-ILGSycdnlO_xsfSr2P78GcEDDSsn22aZulUhpds/s1600-h/IMG_9022.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheIzFXD7o1U7tBYAX12EKo_FWBYZIV6XzgPHtiJQMEaf8xLPwLJpjk3vYZApg_AJdyLUFFu4j6NaxWUdcXhszaIkGLk88xOwDgtnI-ILGSycdnlO_xsfSr2P78GcEDDSsn22aZulUhpds/s320/IMG_9022.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204408952125336418" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRvg3nLxKmUulSzxFuD6bkTNIOf4xkWhE9bP2sglXpMi4-PVaTNzxcAk6x8fFVpzEf17z3R2GJSZdAYIZ3KjMX5_sFx7ftYAI99AmDn3UuYXWaBsBfwABvvphEPzcIXzD74dXU2he1Iog/s1600-h/IMG_9023.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRvg3nLxKmUulSzxFuD6bkTNIOf4xkWhE9bP2sglXpMi4-PVaTNzxcAk6x8fFVpzEf17z3R2GJSZdAYIZ3KjMX5_sFx7ftYAI99AmDn3UuYXWaBsBfwABvvphEPzcIXzD74dXU2he1Iog/s320/IMG_9023.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204408965010238322" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiXImQdUm7JnYBFSsZ3_iVyEHKvm_Z8XvVpfjD-3-64C1GYw__xFrzPPF-DsmyXDsVIMbnk2zPieQQE67npOvH30JQbNot1JDs_Mt_itSNwLI-F79n62EZW1zPwFPu3B_ClG4354QxEBs/s1600-h/IMG_9024.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiXImQdUm7JnYBFSsZ3_iVyEHKvm_Z8XvVpfjD-3-64C1GYw__xFrzPPF-DsmyXDsVIMbnk2zPieQQE67npOvH30JQbNot1JDs_Mt_itSNwLI-F79n62EZW1zPwFPu3B_ClG4354QxEBs/s320/IMG_9024.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204408990780042114" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuB9THGaL1Ofvkseqly1Koc-by_FY3jLWCpJn0C14ZW0IRxtJrvwdAHPx9bHYUc6W6RVo1BGmUqBlf-HxMTIOhHnuJen1qWUJL4ywtytZ-xaf_wOv2q1teJVfm_kHGQ_UiqKV7mdzbEhA/s1600-h/IMG_9026.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuB9THGaL1Ofvkseqly1Koc-by_FY3jLWCpJn0C14ZW0IRxtJrvwdAHPx9bHYUc6W6RVo1BGmUqBlf-HxMTIOhHnuJen1qWUJL4ywtytZ-xaf_wOv2q1teJVfm_kHGQ_UiqKV7mdzbEhA/s320/IMG_9026.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204399915514145586" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtDkBDisy_nho1WfXHvZ_BEFyV6sFkoexXNyeqiwhDDe_z6gwmUgnK6eILDagdU_ukZqlzniOuBgixd8TQp1MuuOwRAPfEjOeqpUbU60Cd0fNRL0VrEs36NObkunQqP3BMMbz6Nod8Oac/s1600-h/IMG_9028.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtDkBDisy_nho1WfXHvZ_BEFyV6sFkoexXNyeqiwhDDe_z6gwmUgnK6eILDagdU_ukZqlzniOuBgixd8TQp1MuuOwRAPfEjOeqpUbU60Cd0fNRL0VrEs36NObkunQqP3BMMbz6Nod8Oac/s320/IMG_9028.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204399936988982082" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlOvMbLLO38sHkRtsqrCCTqcA86srD-VPYRVYazMa6K6xiXNYADVhd0hoC-eTOnsd_Mohq6DXigBjeegNCISt8npVVKRkk-2vUgsdvrWOd2bgSNx5m655Wj63Txl9WCxQjvlq7ThBdpbQ/s1600-h/IMG_9030.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlOvMbLLO38sHkRtsqrCCTqcA86srD-VPYRVYazMa6K6xiXNYADVhd0hoC-eTOnsd_Mohq6DXigBjeegNCISt8npVVKRkk-2vUgsdvrWOd2bgSNx5m655Wj63Txl9WCxQjvlq7ThBdpbQ/s320/IMG_9030.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204399945578916690" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-VybsZtNgQ3TI1AWUt2YxeuYVjouk6wQ9Fc4rkW5dhsO_JYev92lRuKBeseaLQ7AxNLZ8OnP0f6E6n100deP8yr-RK4sCDnnpYg2uM2TQUfpfV5r01rjNHt4PN28QVEED2u2t7X53ULQ/s1600-h/IMG_9031.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-VybsZtNgQ3TI1AWUt2YxeuYVjouk6wQ9Fc4rkW5dhsO_JYev92lRuKBeseaLQ7AxNLZ8OnP0f6E6n100deP8yr-RK4sCDnnpYg2uM2TQUfpfV5r01rjNHt4PN28QVEED2u2t7X53ULQ/s320/IMG_9031.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204391012046940930" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6xqEUz-gH92WheEz70Hn7OSF188sxDJm8P6KqSjb4VdrGh-aISOp5qKqoYdE4lh9zmnrGYl0fnSs_2eStI8DC3lPGQdnZz9vn3mzKcp5-7ZSVeOD9dcvAEbVW1es4Vk-s8NL48pXkRDE/s1600-h/IMG_9033.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6xqEUz-gH92WheEz70Hn7OSF188sxDJm8P6KqSjb4VdrGh-aISOp5qKqoYdE4lh9zmnrGYl0fnSs_2eStI8DC3lPGQdnZz9vn3mzKcp5-7ZSVeOD9dcvAEbVW1es4Vk-s8NL48pXkRDE/s320/IMG_9033.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204391020636875538" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho6q09U2b1172pUVgw0T98x7uR6ZzllNd1TjuhRNnSSsP_1X7uCvyl2Sq2f2BQRroJreXPcFVmbXm4RcZb-S-eWsY15SqtTsiNpmtZQEXfu3vJLb6T5m5_bBhJYvrAcj6bYyy2IrhN7YE/s1600-h/IMG_9035.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho6q09U2b1172pUVgw0T98x7uR6ZzllNd1TjuhRNnSSsP_1X7uCvyl2Sq2f2BQRroJreXPcFVmbXm4RcZb-S-eWsY15SqtTsiNpmtZQEXfu3vJLb6T5m5_bBhJYvrAcj6bYyy2IrhN7YE/s320/IMG_9035.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204391029226810146" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBEOo51XK1OQlJz8pJPr57_j7Utflt3qfulJAkBkMt-c5L-AnpRdz8YSVdXyaFBLUFizxlrOvrMrcIhfyXzkxSbGEEB3HTzABp4YY9v4onHpYwsahgZsD7HxNfhKLvyr3LJoJARXI4MUQ/s1600-h/IMG_9038.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBEOo51XK1OQlJz8pJPr57_j7Utflt3qfulJAkBkMt-c5L-AnpRdz8YSVdXyaFBLUFizxlrOvrMrcIhfyXzkxSbGEEB3HTzABp4YY9v4onHpYwsahgZsD7HxNfhKLvyr3LJoJARXI4MUQ/s320/IMG_9038.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204387885310749394" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZxZRAdPINrXW9lvTuUsFE9qUbd2364X8T07W-mBqevMXJI4CDDvEzCATscMiIHPbuc1FbLt5stzQydwZWALTZBG4NcN7QJLBfm4o3BZoBfT8yiz1Qt7I-SoUdd8DxID5UGPpcuZz6ia8/s1600-h/IMG_9040.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZxZRAdPINrXW9lvTuUsFE9qUbd2364X8T07W-mBqevMXJI4CDDvEzCATscMiIHPbuc1FbLt5stzQydwZWALTZBG4NcN7QJLBfm4o3BZoBfT8yiz1Qt7I-SoUdd8DxID5UGPpcuZz6ia8/s320/IMG_9040.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204387893900684002" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhngF7_sObQ-AX-nSi3f-K-mGCTRbrpHTtjkXV49NSLcDo3N2SdiAmnjMArZ-XclIKiUrNCGBe3Zz5wVfOvHRkosWxTgiRwoalOXjMfDt2GtU9oWkvoeCEFtiPxHuACxYslP142ENAb_fo/s1600-h/IMG_9043.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhngF7_sObQ-AX-nSi3f-K-mGCTRbrpHTtjkXV49NSLcDo3N2SdiAmnjMArZ-XclIKiUrNCGBe3Zz5wVfOvHRkosWxTgiRwoalOXjMfDt2GtU9oWkvoeCEFtiPxHuACxYslP142ENAb_fo/s320/IMG_9043.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204387902490618610" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjussZZwyyoL5ASvjnFdwqJosdRXon5hn0VIUzRhM7vsumiqWkvJFVg4b_I9Vq5H6zsPl7wYVbCiE6nI9-CjlmieCsJhJW1qu7OlnogL8bpRnufaryT7WFyp7pw45xa9PUTyOVYcDCOQ8g/s1600-h/IMG_9047.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjussZZwyyoL5ASvjnFdwqJosdRXon5hn0VIUzRhM7vsumiqWkvJFVg4b_I9Vq5H6zsPl7wYVbCiE6nI9-CjlmieCsJhJW1qu7OlnogL8bpRnufaryT7WFyp7pw45xa9PUTyOVYcDCOQ8g/s320/IMG_9047.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204384427862076098" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPr-fVdUL4-AWzdYppPAZSvcLvXwNT7e6JOqRlDjedaA2HJ7r8UUA8VnfJdU_pg7NQMVf9xiLakJag25eci94ArlMk3d1nJaSiCDk9Gmr7N3ukCLqLwk-SS5oft8-7SMQH5LhbqWisrc4/s1600-h/IMG_9044.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPr-fVdUL4-AWzdYppPAZSvcLvXwNT7e6JOqRlDjedaA2HJ7r8UUA8VnfJdU_pg7NQMVf9xiLakJag25eci94ArlMk3d1nJaSiCDk9Gmr7N3ukCLqLwk-SS5oft8-7SMQH5LhbqWisrc4/s320/IMG_9044.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204384402092272290" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6IVJqiciIJl9zAW4x9dzpqWfdBuhNnBRm4tOJ3_B7V0gY-C1udn8DBBpMAmD0RA999Ebb7WBnXIx4YwJbRkIMimYmalXbp3BAPsuZ0kY-4lg9A6nMf7BdCtP5NKZ4_3PjxUZbTYtkPag/s1600-h/IMG_9045.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6IVJqiciIJl9zAW4x9dzpqWfdBuhNnBRm4tOJ3_B7V0gY-C1udn8DBBpMAmD0RA999Ebb7WBnXIx4YwJbRkIMimYmalXbp3BAPsuZ0kY-4lg9A6nMf7BdCtP5NKZ4_3PjxUZbTYtkPag/s320/IMG_9045.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204384414977174194" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjussZZwyyoL5ASvjnFdwqJosdRXon5hn0VIUzRhM7vsumiqWkvJFVg4b_I9Vq5H6zsPl7wYVbCiE6nI9-CjlmieCsJhJW1qu7OlnogL8bpRnufaryT7WFyp7pw45xa9PUTyOVYcDCOQ8g/s1600-h/IMG_9047.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjussZZwyyoL5ASvjnFdwqJosdRXon5hn0VIUzRhM7vsumiqWkvJFVg4b_I9Vq5H6zsPl7wYVbCiE6nI9-CjlmieCsJhJW1qu7OlnogL8bpRnufaryT7WFyp7pw45xa9PUTyOVYcDCOQ8g/s320/IMG_9047.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204384427862076098" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwTz_i4OvhugSZ0wNLy65gFhOEp3w73qtIpkcMV_vyP3vXfFWUNKeMyQZ-zqRxQx7GTFjTuNpoBy1OA1AO-mQsU3SY6NwUQqO7N296Ts61-V9ToKhXZey8-bkDxLHiVULWo-7_gHqFl5A/s1600-h/IMG_9055.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwTz_i4OvhugSZ0wNLy65gFhOEp3w73qtIpkcMV_vyP3vXfFWUNKeMyQZ-zqRxQx7GTFjTuNpoBy1OA1AO-mQsU3SY6NwUQqO7N296Ts61-V9ToKhXZey8-bkDxLHiVULWo-7_gHqFl5A/s320/IMG_9055.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204380463607261810" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN7iYCvVRbOM5qoYbaWFFIZhQaesFxn53zJz1kce2i2GRCxcv1pYvwewBAeYUtEPmD98E-ZPQYSG4MTMhHYXnKdofwPZPIzhYQ_zdFjWMlNY5ASxh73R3unH9O4b9bXCHDhoI8GF73I8w/s1600-h/IMG_9065.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN7iYCvVRbOM5qoYbaWFFIZhQaesFxn53zJz1kce2i2GRCxcv1pYvwewBAeYUtEPmD98E-ZPQYSG4MTMhHYXnKdofwPZPIzhYQ_zdFjWMlNY5ASxh73R3unH9O4b9bXCHDhoI8GF73I8w/s320/IMG_9065.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204380472197196418" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxFWBWvdVEy5hnfPNZvCpLyO0J5HUybJkwQBVbHPqCcWygsdw0kfJoxWpZLn2Hp7oeASdWwI-uX9ARWojXlriN-voArp0_GXlf_zlyB2q_a3v_7_UuDVwsbMzr-a5k98GIFdMJpOIZjc8/s1600-h/IMG_9068.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxFWBWvdVEy5hnfPNZvCpLyO0J5HUybJkwQBVbHPqCcWygsdw0kfJoxWpZLn2Hp7oeASdWwI-uX9ARWojXlriN-voArp0_GXlf_zlyB2q_a3v_7_UuDVwsbMzr-a5k98GIFdMJpOIZjc8/s320/IMG_9068.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204380480787131026" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1SQkO0-sFXMVOOJt2yVkaY2IpdfXduRfnNELTRTmucYiCujZekXEmNUAkvek083Qxh_rAZ6z8YDq6hHDQUB8gi1thMC2Y-bnop4vPa47OfT2KfbV3UNyHu7iM1s6mFPwvM5Q-MzCPHzQ/s1600-h/IMG_9069.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1SQkO0-sFXMVOOJt2yVkaY2IpdfXduRfnNELTRTmucYiCujZekXEmNUAkvek083Qxh_rAZ6z8YDq6hHDQUB8gi1thMC2Y-bnop4vPa47OfT2KfbV3UNyHu7iM1s6mFPwvM5Q-MzCPHzQ/s320/IMG_9069.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204377933871524418" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJU0j-F2Us2uu5j6DMJ0e3Qrdg808rmuDY1a4foEiQFwXnnGpVCm2lR4c7L4poIjd31BgQw3pg6wePvzlnhvoAyhlfbMMohdUEbEo8fWJjFmMc6sYz1AmuZ1_9x_l_EUzdMM5QIl4oH2w/s1600-h/IMG_9070.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJU0j-F2Us2uu5j6DMJ0e3Qrdg808rmuDY1a4foEiQFwXnnGpVCm2lR4c7L4poIjd31BgQw3pg6wePvzlnhvoAyhlfbMMohdUEbEo8fWJjFmMc6sYz1AmuZ1_9x_l_EUzdMM5QIl4oH2w/s320/IMG_9070.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204377946756426322" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI5Zb_a9DwlATH3UacJk19QLeWrpctWxZgwvygfjAG891tOBt11Hp3nS-1UOHILlTK51rqYDrRFZ0W6h1thRfvkZQrTgqtvfi_q3lh4i0OPxQn7g3xwjfMEHaai5hDPbr-9Appx_8DbGo/s1600-h/IMG_9074.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI5Zb_a9DwlATH3UacJk19QLeWrpctWxZgwvygfjAG891tOBt11Hp3nS-1UOHILlTK51rqYDrRFZ0W6h1thRfvkZQrTgqtvfi_q3lh4i0OPxQn7g3xwjfMEHaai5hDPbr-9Appx_8DbGo/s320/IMG_9074.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204377955346360930" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyGOJmvGdAWFt5Oz3QLAqowSYE7ELzh8g1EfCVR7jpB16pm2mzrlm6oVtSrhIhGOn4CGzQfY4tzgV6lI0yjs0rm13fPMBl9DghP9w5mg-4tdDWG_i5kOMBuu9ZCAsl3R2k8OMrLSDSDw/s1600-h/IMG_9077.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyGOJmvGdAWFt5Oz3QLAqowSYE7ELzh8g1EfCVR7jpB16pm2mzrlm6oVtSrhIhGOn4CGzQfY4tzgV6lI0yjs0rm13fPMBl9DghP9w5mg-4tdDWG_i5kOMBuu9ZCAsl3R2k8OMrLSDSDw/s320/IMG_9077.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204374433473178130" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ww7_Rzi7ZwoU1oIc7-tjZcI0Weh-c1w0Ll0R5Gj0EilTyeTOykLataqVNTp6eNiOr6C2my-kmudMrr1qoPGzi43CsbgRzhEM-L6ab3WACl49KE7Ty3P1ybVAIqUlU69AD2MArNmv5FE/s1600-h/IMG_9078.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ww7_Rzi7ZwoU1oIc7-tjZcI0Weh-c1w0Ll0R5Gj0EilTyeTOykLataqVNTp6eNiOr6C2my-kmudMrr1qoPGzi43CsbgRzhEM-L6ab3WACl49KE7Ty3P1ybVAIqUlU69AD2MArNmv5FE/s320/IMG_9078.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204374442063112738" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj45XTwLOs5BMMNzfsK62cdL0Hi5VhiG-BB5Hx_aOy9-vFRUBdxz0bs_1vAWxjQpWNruBBlhWZnSF-6gXVR3zDZuFwmfyBPMutlfDxcX6L31YDLnbsl85okjZk3PC-nTpYPk3VRc2Vn0xg/s1600-h/IMG_9079.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj45XTwLOs5BMMNzfsK62cdL0Hi5VhiG-BB5Hx_aOy9-vFRUBdxz0bs_1vAWxjQpWNruBBlhWZnSF-6gXVR3zDZuFwmfyBPMutlfDxcX6L31YDLnbsl85okjZk3PC-nTpYPk3VRc2Vn0xg/s320/IMG_9079.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204374454948014642" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5RWWL-huXsUpbDzNCoH0w9UZxCMVvnw_d2Tb04bQYocflxSKJmtLtso5QmDL_U58sGfTLqdxYLB5SoONEljI53e38jvNItiVH3yqVHKii2Sv9SiJCtNOcRiv-E3CLxibBIHr4WGuTRXs/s1600-h/IMG_9081.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5RWWL-huXsUpbDzNCoH0w9UZxCMVvnw_d2Tb04bQYocflxSKJmtLtso5QmDL_U58sGfTLqdxYLB5SoONEljI53e38jvNItiVH3yqVHKii2Sv9SiJCtNOcRiv-E3CLxibBIHr4WGuTRXs/s320/IMG_9081.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204371010384243186" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOYhEG-TrMu4ZIyZ7XvguFqOfdM7qEW-SfTlYpySPKIOjzDPq6i6CotK3eb5pK-WAhSrmFyhrH-Qls0nU7h0T-8LAE5doZt1p9PdFwAkC8qOSR61_TJJAyHTndjEgBR-JDJgyQfhtwgts/s1600-h/IMG_9083.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOYhEG-TrMu4ZIyZ7XvguFqOfdM7qEW-SfTlYpySPKIOjzDPq6i6CotK3eb5pK-WAhSrmFyhrH-Qls0nU7h0T-8LAE5doZt1p9PdFwAkC8qOSR61_TJJAyHTndjEgBR-JDJgyQfhtwgts/s320/IMG_9083.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204371018974177794" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQmXqckAihdbluSEA-SqmmqyjhC_2EWsMhvjP6G2xYEwW0dKvegmsg4sJbIU4SLtFoQXzhHlvljP4wKQhHf5GT2kcJGgGOYobsVlBUo488Dg5hMLvTJCFnho9wnYBt3ISp8JWSFZQMGk/s1600-h/IMG_9086.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQmXqckAihdbluSEA-SqmmqyjhC_2EWsMhvjP6G2xYEwW0dKvegmsg4sJbIU4SLtFoQXzhHlvljP4wKQhHf5GT2kcJGgGOYobsVlBUo488Dg5hMLvTJCFnho9wnYBt3ISp8JWSFZQMGk/s320/IMG_9086.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204366633812568498" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsjaJFe_HQGly4hkQcFUIIpJ9pAU6u1Ri2OckGCLdoxpwg0oRAo6w0yt314xenrxKhgri86fDoDh76AbN3VhTQ4ywOMRXwpH7xUATAb2TRLT-eDc9hEeUkxiDv_h0tw8LLENflLNhwxsI/s1600-h/IMG_9090.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsjaJFe_HQGly4hkQcFUIIpJ9pAU6u1Ri2OckGCLdoxpwg0oRAo6w0yt314xenrxKhgri86fDoDh76AbN3VhTQ4ywOMRXwpH7xUATAb2TRLT-eDc9hEeUkxiDv_h0tw8LLENflLNhwxsI/s320/IMG_9090.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204366672467274194" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6A5aFXo3R-MmJZS58P3Kwz9StUtd5iOLBtOy6Qmp9moyvgmETiwSPro_ddChbCaLcc5ILyu_9LgnuvTtguhm29voxlZt4BK0T6kOYjwlaOQGhAvAkzRZm9lET3M6Bq8ybdq8gSMyu-gY/s1600-h/IMG_9091.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6A5aFXo3R-MmJZS58P3Kwz9StUtd5iOLBtOy6Qmp9moyvgmETiwSPro_ddChbCaLcc5ILyu_9LgnuvTtguhm29voxlZt4BK0T6kOYjwlaOQGhAvAkzRZm9lET3M6Bq8ybdq8gSMyu-gY/s320/IMG_9091.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204362218586188162" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5BI9qYn5PXs2aNQmLqEAIh3zTO-OgJ9rK8F8V0KW7fm765EakGk9RhU5WiUukizvpRnak8FfrclIZGqF81h1fYLwF00lmHt2M1fMts_DYVqdZTxrYUW-h3dRQ1eG8x54b9hgTl0NyRZA/s1600-h/IMG_9092.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5BI9qYn5PXs2aNQmLqEAIh3zTO-OgJ9rK8F8V0KW7fm765EakGk9RhU5WiUukizvpRnak8FfrclIZGqF81h1fYLwF00lmHt2M1fMts_DYVqdZTxrYUW-h3dRQ1eG8x54b9hgTl0NyRZA/s320/IMG_9092.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204362235766057362" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4zRwgI4okWcgMFMZE9O39dRGx_tjsiB-WnZbta2whrU-40aa3hAUKuMTjuKQfdr3HA7PHJm4qXyMAjhtLJQmLHIcuIaYNppO3LT46d77mMZha8P-jUsn-ab18VZe6H2cCJllcojhwblM/s1600-h/IMG_9103.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4zRwgI4okWcgMFMZE9O39dRGx_tjsiB-WnZbta2whrU-40aa3hAUKuMTjuKQfdr3HA7PHJm4qXyMAjhtLJQmLHIcuIaYNppO3LT46d77mMZha8P-jUsn-ab18VZe6H2cCJllcojhwblM/s320/IMG_9103.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204362240061024674" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRThCbLfeerKsFay_dZc4oL8pA16opNFh2KJnAX66IWqf0bMJMM53w6vLyJ7SAE-zLXBwXN-qcvDecF4uXCveDDz95fsD2fbjYUdk6-Vnl9ayyBKsmEnC78y7XrV7WlRsD5laFfWDdibc/s1600-h/IMG_9108.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRThCbLfeerKsFay_dZc4oL8pA16opNFh2KJnAX66IWqf0bMJMM53w6vLyJ7SAE-zLXBwXN-qcvDecF4uXCveDDz95fsD2fbjYUdk6-Vnl9ayyBKsmEnC78y7XrV7WlRsD5laFfWDdibc/s320/IMG_9108.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204359869239077218" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdGsVgDoDgI1HhR5aBNOnAkuJ9Goptt5pgAz_KjHP5LHVFvZeyCELAL9rl2JRbBP66qDJ9eKO6vY5UHV2MLmeJlLunEAbyXizShkJoxaTcTysELfUMrmfKzoD-b77qSUUQN6EKCfiHc4Y/s1600-h/IMG_9114.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdGsVgDoDgI1HhR5aBNOnAkuJ9Goptt5pgAz_KjHP5LHVFvZeyCELAL9rl2JRbBP66qDJ9eKO6vY5UHV2MLmeJlLunEAbyXizShkJoxaTcTysELfUMrmfKzoD-b77qSUUQN6EKCfiHc4Y/s320/IMG_9114.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204359882123979122" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/dOavuKrpJIw"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/dOavuKrpJIw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MeD6fKyk0Qo"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MeD6fKyk0Qo" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object>Jesse B-Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597375354093696062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700242472578777196.post-14998349255589928562008-05-22T14:03:00.014+00:002008-05-23T18:28:56.273+00:00MAWAZINE: FRESHLY GROUND & OMAR PENEOn Wednesday evening, I headed to the Hay Ryad venue – I am staying just a few minutes walk from the stage, so it is unbelievably convenient. <a href="http://www.freshlyground.com/">Freshly Ground</a>, a South African group, composed of a female lead vocalist, a female violinist and keyboardist, a male flute and saxophonist, a male bassist, a male guitarist and a male drummer.<br /><br />The music was a fluid mix of reggae and lighter rock; on the songs that employed the violin, there was almost a “country” feel to it. (Perhaps if you are familiar with Willie Nelson’s reggae album Countryman, the concept of “country-reggae” may not be so abstract).<br /><br />The highlight of the show was a cover of Bob Marley’s “Zimbabwe,” a classic song about the struggle for equality in the troubled nation. (It is quite depressing to think that Marley wrote the song in 1979 to draw attention to the political strife in Zimbabwe; and today, the Robert Mugabe regime still maintains control of the country, despite his recent defeat in a democratic vote for the presidency).<br /><br />The second act of the evening was <a href="http://www.omarpene.org/">Omar Pene</a>, a smooth vocalist from Senegal. Having recorded over thirty records, Omar Pene is more of an institution than musician, in terms of Senegalese music.<br /><br />The band is composed of Omar Pene on vocals, two female background vocalist, a bassist, an electric guitarist, a keyboardist, a synth player, a kora player (a 21-stringed harp-like lute), a percussionist (playing three different types of djembes) and a drummer (on a regular Western kit).<br /><br />I had never seen a kora before; I feel so lucky to have the privilege to be exposed to so much new music (and, thus instruments, even if they are not in the percussion family). Because of the tremendous diversity of music at the Mawazine festival, I have been introduced to several new styles of music, which always makes for an enriching experience.<br /><br />As for the music of Omar Pene, the first half of the show was rather mellow, but the second half really picked up.<br /><br />The percussionist was superb: on one of his djembes, there was a metal shaker, exactly like an Ainu djembe player I saw perform in Kyoto, Japan. As the music began to be more upbeat, the percussionist used a drum stick on his hand drums to augment the power of the sound made from each drum. Sometimes it is difficult to coordinate multiple rhythms in a performance; yet, the percussionist and drummer played together seamlessly, often trading triplet-filled fills back and forth.<br /><br />What was most impressive about the performance was the devotion the audience: the VIP area in front of stage (reserved for press and other artists) was absolutely packed. In fact, proportionally, there were more people in the VIP section than general admission section: it is always a positive testimony to the credibility of the artist on stage when the crowd is filled with other musicians.<br /><br />At the end of the show, I ran into Saad, of Hoba Hoba Spirit – H2S performs tomorrow night at the Qamra scene and I am really looking forward to it! Below are a bunch of photographs and videos. As always, enjoy!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHDTCv6J-2QeLg7JijyvIAmBajZkiT1zLfYXacXGoZF8StEH6dYIOXA1uJwNm3uuuc-v7dwrJc5adDBqj76OunRNC8jUtPuECBry0YjJANTDqsvnovnAka5ZWLYAl0iDjo9hX1acL9_Og/s1600-h/IMG_8952.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHDTCv6J-2QeLg7JijyvIAmBajZkiT1zLfYXacXGoZF8StEH6dYIOXA1uJwNm3uuuc-v7dwrJc5adDBqj76OunRNC8jUtPuECBry0YjJANTDqsvnovnAka5ZWLYAl0iDjo9hX1acL9_Og/s320/IMG_8952.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203214075043719490" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Freshly Ground, from South Africa, at Hay Ryad<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq8F8LDFKRQfrJTWr-N1Jc0OPoo6e0q1kovByY8QAwsSN4TkVjIzN1DQbRW95_rqDQX7p6cg4YdRxtRzJx20LfOCI9Xh4PBmRkK1pNfp-AFCp_WHh5cQrozj3rJRzk-Bl2GtpynWn_nhM/s1600-h/IMG_8945.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq8F8LDFKRQfrJTWr-N1Jc0OPoo6e0q1kovByY8QAwsSN4TkVjIzN1DQbRW95_rqDQX7p6cg4YdRxtRzJx20LfOCI9Xh4PBmRkK1pNfp-AFCp_WHh5cQrozj3rJRzk-Bl2GtpynWn_nhM/s320/IMG_8945.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203214083633654098" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGLU2uUe0OLTwORoDHjxZux53FGT1EzjNyYSZYnWfE2a9hyRcEwXmRFEwEGRFujW0Kv26_XBFjJ-jlXBEFdUpvWKaQxsQUeHbrAp5dtm7JaVGpcaOl-A6KrQyn69CggJV2AH9Jo2T8xBo/s1600-h/IMG_8971.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGLU2uUe0OLTwORoDHjxZux53FGT1EzjNyYSZYnWfE2a9hyRcEwXmRFEwEGRFujW0Kv26_XBFjJ-jlXBEFdUpvWKaQxsQUeHbrAp5dtm7JaVGpcaOl-A6KrQyn69CggJV2AH9Jo2T8xBo/s320/IMG_8971.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203212189553076482" border="0" /></a><br />Omar Pene of Senegal<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9OyvtblR5EBpyXn1U8khdgeeW1DZSlbLVgjBC2EWQ1ronVwRf8l_EnpWSEI_jCYYVXzVGjR7_q6NLRczcItHdJnVwdoe6Zimnf6x3h1paMJK_MSv01WrTcX_3sPzVDKz2Z_8k23XDGE0/s1600-h/IMG_8966.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9OyvtblR5EBpyXn1U8khdgeeW1DZSlbLVgjBC2EWQ1ronVwRf8l_EnpWSEI_jCYYVXzVGjR7_q6NLRczcItHdJnVwdoe6Zimnf6x3h1paMJK_MSv01WrTcX_3sPzVDKz2Z_8k23XDGE0/s320/IMG_8966.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203212206732945682" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzFU6XxBlo51uwSWuMunidVeMXC37hUpyPEhcAO1eVvOKqIdRpawKRJs-Kt1GcOvDbQnInlqNNxihHZ1oT2OTfhpys6OWyHgubowkmMgXXmjTvgx-QiEfbSdW3NONL4e6xWFiiXYCNg3o/s1600-h/IMG_8964.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzFU6XxBlo51uwSWuMunidVeMXC37hUpyPEhcAO1eVvOKqIdRpawKRJs-Kt1GcOvDbQnInlqNNxihHZ1oT2OTfhpys6OWyHgubowkmMgXXmjTvgx-QiEfbSdW3NONL4e6xWFiiXYCNg3o/s320/IMG_8964.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203212215322880290" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVXfyiteT3m9DneJYQjQZZYZCpnRUeMWcdFrrBQ7t33oM3GIfcup6U_TrmH1cOr09y0YGROLASKVQvkyqD5_8_I-JojgQNO7ZW4_1AGRwg7UHqP3qTgPwgb08LrxbBvx21worv_Oc65I/s1600-h/IMG_8980.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVXfyiteT3m9DneJYQjQZZYZCpnRUeMWcdFrrBQ7t33oM3GIfcup6U_TrmH1cOr09y0YGROLASKVQvkyqD5_8_I-JojgQNO7ZW4_1AGRwg7UHqP3qTgPwgb08LrxbBvx21worv_Oc65I/s320/IMG_8980.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203209835910998226" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxPFk56E97ScYyNhZbT47Hu8ztvlDxdQfbSZk7OGwNniuthcUtHAWLpR7RxIk876nB2FbXEbAc_wFceLUDNlhc13nWMU6SVo3gt2kEPFIkfnFIfMjB3nkdnizxLc8jKTvBMJuAv52wkIM/s1600-h/IMG_8978.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxPFk56E97ScYyNhZbT47Hu8ztvlDxdQfbSZk7OGwNniuthcUtHAWLpR7RxIk876nB2FbXEbAc_wFceLUDNlhc13nWMU6SVo3gt2kEPFIkfnFIfMjB3nkdnizxLc8jKTvBMJuAv52wkIM/s320/IMG_8978.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203209844500932834" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPgX52Inb1amH2PVLRyVCeNihJujgXeJj0KL7E5-bt8xK3AfIoLUHlu6GUDPxhxuETZCIq9SFlq8dEX2aOsqhg7wu1qb8fXTDc32lBOIFpGvrN0FiCINPPB80ZXbazAcDl-df20A5NIag/s1600-h/IMG_8974.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPgX52Inb1amH2PVLRyVCeNihJujgXeJj0KL7E5-bt8xK3AfIoLUHlu6GUDPxhxuETZCIq9SFlq8dEX2aOsqhg7wu1qb8fXTDc32lBOIFpGvrN0FiCINPPB80ZXbazAcDl-df20A5NIag/s320/IMG_8974.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203209857385834738" border="0" /></a><br />View from the soundboard on the side of the stage.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcQrAl1BF9TeBwDof7oXpdMv6CY2wNuYiiquH636RCFDI9fDvz6PzKKciCTIlrlDV5t6HifqIqJu4BaZM7D0hYLpr7jiqtAQdKik5m0cIYe4o7jfRJU9lXTFYPhsRNn5J6ur5G9X9l5Z4/s1600-h/IMG_8999.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcQrAl1BF9TeBwDof7oXpdMv6CY2wNuYiiquH636RCFDI9fDvz6PzKKciCTIlrlDV5t6HifqIqJu4BaZM7D0hYLpr7jiqtAQdKik5m0cIYe4o7jfRJU9lXTFYPhsRNn5J6ur5G9X9l5Z4/s320/IMG_8999.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203207533808527522" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitw684m4kwpLbsWcAUJ_VpFTfGzDeWN6lcMZYEb2DX1puDa2jpsweIpXdYAGtKBTGSTtc32Gb8VlRG2K9uzy55vNL_r__AiutaG3FVdarlZcQhGw4IHvz1-P1pnQuPAZsPDVHAsNul_1Q/s1600-h/IMG_8997.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitw684m4kwpLbsWcAUJ_VpFTfGzDeWN6lcMZYEb2DX1puDa2jpsweIpXdYAGtKBTGSTtc32Gb8VlRG2K9uzy55vNL_r__AiutaG3FVdarlZcQhGw4IHvz1-P1pnQuPAZsPDVHAsNul_1Q/s320/IMG_8997.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203207546693429426" border="0" /></a><br /><br />A guest MC, also from Senegal<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibPTVb7vkHIwp53qIbN1QSiS9_QpfT1MSbs63-UxtYPIuRaCeUN_4FrDmp3i6k4tnDlxidLY3ZDoY3I6ydpXfR2bba6PZ7Li7VY90vj013qHRovsw1WXmQlpZwDZA3YnH-e75oD32AU0I/s1600-h/IMG_8987.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibPTVb7vkHIwp53qIbN1QSiS9_QpfT1MSbs63-UxtYPIuRaCeUN_4FrDmp3i6k4tnDlxidLY3ZDoY3I6ydpXfR2bba6PZ7Li7VY90vj013qHRovsw1WXmQlpZwDZA3YnH-e75oD32AU0I/s320/IMG_8987.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203207559578331330" border="0" /></a><br /><br />(Thanks Julie for taking this photo!)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuvzb7z-gHTqtnzNuzRQta2CEZxeICe-6hJ-Rcvfrx0oTvg87wGc6jIJcK3Wi1EiV-edUbo4mxokdqgDgOH1o-i5lYyxTYeLzp2kwF2bgfEakZ45jZj5e0WLvTrx7LqrCqNMD3XRbQBYU/s1600-h/IMG_9000.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuvzb7z-gHTqtnzNuzRQta2CEZxeICe-6hJ-Rcvfrx0oTvg87wGc6jIJcK3Wi1EiV-edUbo4mxokdqgDgOH1o-i5lYyxTYeLzp2kwF2bgfEakZ45jZj5e0WLvTrx7LqrCqNMD3XRbQBYU/s320/IMG_9000.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203206073519646834" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXrxhGgFoD97FHTXfEMjrF3X4xJ70BPgS_xyZpx_1xbcusmYT14VFgV7n9xdUSOZ0mtldH8yZmdYv375Km_0tKeCmkpXFT5c0vanoM-ynsjC2jonWUrVcWW-EaQgv54ScKjw3yr0CASeU/s1600-h/IMG_9001.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXrxhGgFoD97FHTXfEMjrF3X4xJ70BPgS_xyZpx_1xbcusmYT14VFgV7n9xdUSOZ0mtldH8yZmdYv375Km_0tKeCmkpXFT5c0vanoM-ynsjC2jonWUrVcWW-EaQgv54ScKjw3yr0CASeU/s320/IMG_9001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203206086404548738" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3mfrnEbC2J0tAJMBK_1BsDClB8sF4TmD_T5FrdSS_-RXJQ7SxWylfAO6994ayyegocUUQbr4S8ttliQ9GgF8lFjy6vaKjE5VpW9J9iPKNR2uuuqdgQDt0yhyeILGitQ4TQKjVXuYWI7Y/s1600-h/IMG_9003.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3mfrnEbC2J0tAJMBK_1BsDClB8sF4TmD_T5FrdSS_-RXJQ7SxWylfAO6994ayyegocUUQbr4S8ttliQ9GgF8lFjy6vaKjE5VpW9J9iPKNR2uuuqdgQDt0yhyeILGitQ4TQKjVXuYWI7Y/s320/IMG_9003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203206099289450642" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJE2K6ISpWD7luhOKgQ9O6bVtR6qaX54jyMbAOuV2GqXofiFYDO9T_P3q-BXePQ6NnhiZX0jLEzkWiAHz6H1ly8PfyDpuBTu9mAUXcRzJKTHKLvXaISuOpEllkgU7ts99kiVZi5A5SGGo/s1600-h/IMG_9007.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJE2K6ISpWD7luhOKgQ9O6bVtR6qaX54jyMbAOuV2GqXofiFYDO9T_P3q-BXePQ6NnhiZX0jLEzkWiAHz6H1ly8PfyDpuBTu9mAUXcRzJKTHKLvXaISuOpEllkgU7ts99kiVZi5A5SGGo/s320/IMG_9007.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203203994755475538" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4e0FOxoj3i3Kya0whKdomVbfH5oAMRfxDqRIiJt4J35YU0M0ZVTj4bJBrW_Lhv9RuTvfCrdb2C2xGSN4NjkW8ccuLCg-9Qy0S5a0i6qcnx_Kr7rIF-tSfAcRjooTdDJDRSm5WeT6hyphenhyphenHQ/s1600-h/IMG_8958.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4e0FOxoj3i3Kya0whKdomVbfH5oAMRfxDqRIiJt4J35YU0M0ZVTj4bJBrW_Lhv9RuTvfCrdb2C2xGSN4NjkW8ccuLCg-9Qy0S5a0i6qcnx_Kr7rIF-tSfAcRjooTdDJDRSm5WeT6hyphenhyphenHQ/s320/IMG_8958.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203214057863850290" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVc7zhciRaCFq0bGL9I3EKzT0g3SZghtGZFzWHhZuGi4VSVuEUko9FO1yzDvTTLVNVQkA-WAqu5iujLn_Sza0gC3j8e7WQpiiGOj95yvWZXyfhwdp-7p1Dx9fzHdPJSIqD2rkQ1dRlr3k/s1600-h/IMG_9005.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVc7zhciRaCFq0bGL9I3EKzT0g3SZghtGZFzWHhZuGi4VSVuEUko9FO1yzDvTTLVNVQkA-WAqu5iujLn_Sza0gC3j8e7WQpiiGOj95yvWZXyfhwdp-7p1Dx9fzHdPJSIqD2rkQ1dRlr3k/s320/IMG_9005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203204003345410146" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ug52t0kMmeo"> </param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ug52t0kMmeo" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5V2i_L0zsmo"> </param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5V2i_L0zsmo" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fPQ5FgwFa5Y"> </param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fPQ5FgwFa5Y" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Paixb9hlztE"> </param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Paixb9hlztE" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UNA8Ee-ZAcg"> </param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UNA8Ee-ZAcg" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qUlWhPdZL_o"> </param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qUlWhPdZL_o" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object>Jesse B-Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597375354093696062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700242472578777196.post-44380125123201969932008-05-21T14:22:00.016+00:002008-05-22T15:08:50.746+00:00MAWAZINE: ISSAC DELGADO & SCHÄL SICK BRASS BANDThere is something very special about attending a concert at the open-aired Bouregreg scene: just behind the historic Oudayas district, the Bouregreg has a clear view of Sale, the sister city of Rabat, which is located just across the river. Because the venue has a large capacity (about 90% of which is free for the public), there always a good turn out, and thus a positive atmosphere for a concert.<br /><br />Tuesday night at the Bouregreg featured the salsa superstar, Issac Delgado (yes, that is how you spell his first name). Born in Havana, Cuba, Issac Delgado is best known for his smash hit, “La Vida Es Un Carnaval.”<br /><br />Like most salsa ensembles, Issac Delgado’s band was rather large, fourteen members in total; specifically, keyboards, an electric standup bass, two trombones, two trumpets, one baritone saxophone, a synthesizer, two background male singers, congos, bongos and a timbales “kit”.<br /><br />The percussion section was fabulous: the main drummer played a hybrid drum kit, which included a bass drum, two big timbales, a snare drum, two crash cymbals, a pair of mini hi hats, two metal cowbells and a jam block (a plastic wood block). It was a pretty neat set up. In addition to that player, there was a hand percussionist who played three large congo drums, and a third percussionist who played the smaller bongo drums and the occasional cowbell.<br /><br />As a drummer, the rhythms in salsa, timba and mambo music are always extraordinary. For a clarification, timba is a form of salsa that is originates from Cuba – it is very similar to salsa, but is distinct. Mambo also is similar to salsa; yet, interestingly enough, mambo music is directly derived from West African music used in religious ceremonies. In fact, the word “mambo,” can be translated as, “conversation with god”.<br /><br />What is so enjoyable about salsa music is that each song tells a story: the composition of the music follows the flow of the story, thus allowing each piece to be distinct. While Cuban Spanish can be somewhat difficult, due to the plethora of slang and dropped syllables, for the most part, I was able to understand the lyrics, or at least the general message of each song.<br /><br />The crowd was really into the music: countless people were dancing, and there were even three sets of dancers on the stage, at various points in the concert. Issac Delgado often engaged the crowd, trying to get everyone to clap to the beat: I must admit that is always amusing to see an audience try to clap a salsa beat!<br /><br />Start to finish, the show was outstanding: I am so eager to spend time in Cuba and listen to salsa, timba and mambo in a localized context.<br /><br />After the show ended, I took a taxi to the Hay Ryad venue to catch the end of the set of the Schäl Sick Brass Band. Formed in Cologne, Germany, the band consists of a female vocalist, a trombonist, a trumpeter, a clarinetist, a tuba player, electric guitarist, drummer and djembe/hand drum player.<br /><br />To be completely honest, I find it difficult to fully enjoy a concert when I show up two-thirds into the set; yet, the band had such an interesting, full sound, it was easy to get right into the music.<br /><br />Compared to the other performances I have seen so far at the Mawazine Festival, the Schäl Sick Brass Band had a much “harder” sound. Although they are a “brass band,” there a serious rock influence to their music. Nonetheless, oddly enough, there are strong overtones of Turkish music. So, in sum, they sound like a rock, brass, Turkish band…a strange combination, but it actually sounded great!<br /><br />It was neat that there was not a bass player, and the tuba player filled in that piece of the rhythm section; unique, indeed. As for the drummer and percussionist, both were most excellent. Moreover, at least in the songs I saw, it seemed that there was a drum solo or two (or three!) in each piece. Of course, for me, I couldn’t ask for much more.<br /><br />I wish I was able to have seen the Schäl Sick Brass Band concert in its totality; but I am happy that I stayed for the full Issac Delgado show. Once again, this evening was an enjoyable contrast of genres of music.<br /><br />Below are videos and pictures from each show. It should be easy to distinguish between the two concerts…<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk2QxdeyBaETn8r1X4waPYDbIpkfOg0te9x5FGjwcb4u0ad0-kw5SDbjNn5Dnl4LDqASBD5rvZ67Krky_XO8iApGj7ymjWNflB9__wKqrL5NauEL_Te5bvNOiinTRhgKqlGO_ciVYgj4c/s1600-h/IMG_8871.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk2QxdeyBaETn8r1X4waPYDbIpkfOg0te9x5FGjwcb4u0ad0-kw5SDbjNn5Dnl4LDqASBD5rvZ67Krky_XO8iApGj7ymjWNflB9__wKqrL5NauEL_Te5bvNOiinTRhgKqlGO_ciVYgj4c/s320/IMG_8871.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202845517869993346" border="0" /></a><br />The Bouregreg Scene. You can catch a glimpse of the Oudayas in the background.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh44_P_sJ1Ahs7z3ue7jun1DepZy6PeScIDMbyhSvAdaAXMbxx9PCcu_I92RTmvfhHDOkbwexZwdvCw0wegsq6LAye1IqISjGrOsd8Z57WUBk_kvs3QYANXEAtvDIrNRY-x_wgdeeX4h00/s1600-h/IMG_8896.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh44_P_sJ1Ahs7z3ue7jun1DepZy6PeScIDMbyhSvAdaAXMbxx9PCcu_I92RTmvfhHDOkbwexZwdvCw0wegsq6LAye1IqISjGrOsd8Z57WUBk_kvs3QYANXEAtvDIrNRY-x_wgdeeX4h00/s320/IMG_8896.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202851638198390162" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Issac Delgado himself - yes, he spells his name with two Ss not two As.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9tvif_dghDlygcdhstFlLVusGQnxKP7A_Hm4rHK2sjHZmyLnm35By973_Nfxo6T-DdSWsbRYtFCps9YouvjnrR95wsLVPBSWXuGQBJDIE4jD4pi2a4wZDULb6Q2SWawNI4JwW5r8AAo/s1600-h/IMG_8902.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9tvif_dghDlygcdhstFlLVusGQnxKP7A_Hm4rHK2sjHZmyLnm35By973_Nfxo6T-DdSWsbRYtFCps9YouvjnrR95wsLVPBSWXuGQBJDIE4jD4pi2a4wZDULb6Q2SWawNI4JwW5r8AAo/s320/IMG_8902.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202843585134710098" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Che looks on...<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0kwsgU8AOdvYCWhDOEtdFs6BJCgUf9cI7Mxp8cHExNHELAkRL7_4dkmKtikr5g35RwkYm4djahUF6CBZ19Pr42k2JYbWmbU8r5GQY0dYyWwMAlQK14AB_XH9j-vVSWl7VgfNAmOXnHN0/s1600-h/IMG_8908.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0kwsgU8AOdvYCWhDOEtdFs6BJCgUf9cI7Mxp8cHExNHELAkRL7_4dkmKtikr5g35RwkYm4djahUF6CBZ19Pr42k2JYbWmbU8r5GQY0dYyWwMAlQK14AB_XH9j-vVSWl7VgfNAmOXnHN0/s320/IMG_8908.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202851651083292066" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBPae-8aXRrMX3QBLAC1hdnfZPV5x55HEHp1PTcrMbBxGrZ0KbGfK9zSQLVFP8UxNasEGwO3wPQL-_Mn5gAqI0iMkcx6Lq0OkPyN-yDM12BK6MdtVicpezbLb_ccYSIQuQD5bpRZfgvPs/s1600-h/IMG_8885.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBPae-8aXRrMX3QBLAC1hdnfZPV5x55HEHp1PTcrMbBxGrZ0KbGfK9zSQLVFP8UxNasEGwO3wPQL-_Mn5gAqI0iMkcx6Lq0OkPyN-yDM12BK6MdtVicpezbLb_ccYSIQuQD5bpRZfgvPs/s320/IMG_8885.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202843610904513890" border="0" /></a><br />Nothing but the best Cuban rhythms<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv1UmejIBC1X0MEnHjJazkMQOea6ojQaL5AYC3rm9w9H4j3E1pretnL9SStxJRPqcfvi4Y__BM1i-8MHYMWrJI6-QbZziAH6RzZJV-whQ3RlKkkRHJy3qQyaAFn6ywFRHTBNqaOoIIRr0/s1600-h/IMG_8932.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv1UmejIBC1X0MEnHjJazkMQOea6ojQaL5AYC3rm9w9H4j3E1pretnL9SStxJRPqcfvi4Y__BM1i-8MHYMWrJI6-QbZziAH6RzZJV-whQ3RlKkkRHJy3qQyaAFn6ywFRHTBNqaOoIIRr0/s320/IMG_8932.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202841858557857058" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZCMrWcTa8dwUzk_4np1bVflRbsXQeBEYlw2pyD_oVS9_CtrLlqDA2nUFnsAJVCQkpdDzKffWX5EkN9SgFcP4-N10APKoXPZM6rhADXDr2KESXoTzjqOjEW9r6W9J_wns798UX8jWdIYY/s1600-h/IMG_8931.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZCMrWcTa8dwUzk_4np1bVflRbsXQeBEYlw2pyD_oVS9_CtrLlqDA2nUFnsAJVCQkpdDzKffWX5EkN9SgFcP4-N10APKoXPZM6rhADXDr2KESXoTzjqOjEW9r6W9J_wns798UX8jWdIYY/s320/IMG_8931.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202841888622628146" border="0" /></a><br />The crowd chanted, "¡Cuba, sí!"<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyQBVmSwlDD8OWRKGb340CSzjIxIlzwvoOOjoQFAFh4PKmA6n-jptQ6zY01483ZePFZ6tX7ogMvcP1SDXfZsVibLToE_duvvQeOGZnpjrHZT6ZcQ-JUGNqcQ09K2hfT4HYon38xjRvAFI/s1600-h/IMG_8911.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyQBVmSwlDD8OWRKGb340CSzjIxIlzwvoOOjoQFAFh4PKmA6n-jptQ6zY01483ZePFZ6tX7ogMvcP1SDXfZsVibLToE_duvvQeOGZnpjrHZT6ZcQ-JUGNqcQ09K2hfT4HYon38xjRvAFI/s320/IMG_8911.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202841901507530050" border="0" /></a><br />Salsa without dance is like chips without salsa.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQo1zc_IjevKeVJSxBBRCuMxJ-aKHJblhcYc03OX-Fwt5SI8lNfzqmP4EmDEg7t0TneSddv8zrTCpSmb-r6wH8Ft8Ianz3EubROaGubjQrLNU8_MNYZfHA0SBxZyHhpb9xcwSFO3JvoE/s1600-h/IMG_8941.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQo1zc_IjevKeVJSxBBRCuMxJ-aKHJblhcYc03OX-Fwt5SI8lNfzqmP4EmDEg7t0TneSddv8zrTCpSmb-r6wH8Ft8Ianz3EubROaGubjQrLNU8_MNYZfHA0SBxZyHhpb9xcwSFO3JvoE/s320/IMG_8941.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202839835628260594" border="0" /></a><br />The Schäl Sick Brass Band, from Germany, perform at the Hay Ryad venue<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCYg1BX4chbR6TZVWDqzGLI9rGqnkXjtE9xWiGuG9J7SbqBNlXuydFXbhXQNuf54J-csROGnHUgMfsSsg4WTjfFnGiPz959Tjw5qRxHXp7AwffqfVgv07Ccjo8RXsVCITXqTONORvflKs/s1600-h/IMG_8940.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCYg1BX4chbR6TZVWDqzGLI9rGqnkXjtE9xWiGuG9J7SbqBNlXuydFXbhXQNuf54J-csROGnHUgMfsSsg4WTjfFnGiPz959Tjw5qRxHXp7AwffqfVgv07Ccjo8RXsVCITXqTONORvflKs/s320/IMG_8940.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202839848513162498" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ml7XhpYCOcHjYlfaaxIwLse7w0Zgkq_UwSWL52Uo91TxQrlRuHlYmDhvhjo4R0fPnhnLIiIHT5mqOwiAStyeWpBeoO4QdC9N2ETFKx3DdZTEaXPraRnnqcpQw_o1LklpqxEyJO__6jI/s1600-h/IMG_8938.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ml7XhpYCOcHjYlfaaxIwLse7w0Zgkq_UwSWL52Uo91TxQrlRuHlYmDhvhjo4R0fPnhnLIiIHT5mqOwiAStyeWpBeoO4QdC9N2ETFKx3DdZTEaXPraRnnqcpQw_o1LklpqxEyJO__6jI/s320/IMG_8938.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202839882872900882" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/seKsAF09I4k"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/seKsAF09I4k" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9yMUJEEtNf4"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9yMUJEEtNf4" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9TuhSFxbUdA"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9TuhSFxbUdA" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pwfGAuz41Gk"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pwfGAuz41Gk" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/LFo82N6dzOQ"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/LFo82N6dzOQ" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ch562oJjDIw"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ch562oJjDIw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qrYml2t4JCM"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qrYml2t4JCM" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FxPudYUjmrI"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FxPudYUjmrI" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5no--vspm30"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5no--vspm30" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object><br /><object height="350" width="425"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/seKsAF09I4k"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/seKsAF09I4k" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9yMUJEEtNf4"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9yMUJEEtNf4" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9TuhSFxbUdA"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9TuhSFxbUdA" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pwfGAuz41Gk"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pwfGAuz41Gk" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/LFo82N6dzOQ"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/LFo82N6dzOQ" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ch562oJjDIw"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ch562oJjDIw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qrYml2t4JCM"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qrYml2t4JCM" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FxPudYUjmrI"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FxPudYUjmrI" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object><br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5no--vspm30"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5no--vspm30" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object>Jesse B-Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597375354093696062noreply@blogger.com108tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700242472578777196.post-23060790498863984162008-05-21T14:19:00.000+00:002008-05-21T14:21:37.717+00:00MAWAZINE: AL DI MEOLAAround 11am on Monday morning, I arrived at the Hilton Hotel for Al Di Meola’s press conference only to find out that it was canceled. That evening, I attended a performance by Al Di Meola, the legendary jazz-fusion guitarist. Fortunately, thanks to my press pass, I was able to spend some time backstage before the beginning on the show. I did (very briefly) meet Mr. Di Meola, but, more interestingly, I was able to have a long chat with <a href="http://www.gumbiortiz.com/">Gumbi Ortiz</a>, Al Di Meola’s longtime percussionist.<br /><br />Gumbi (pronounced “Goom-bee”) is a really funny and warm individual: although he is a celebrated and internationally famous percussionist, in no way did he give off an air of pretentiousness. After I explained the dynamic of my research fellowship, we had some really compelling conversations about drums and spirituality. As he was talking a mile-a-minute (and we were covering so many different angles of the topic), there is no way I can transcribe everything we discussed.<br /><br />One of the more interesting parts of our conversation was when we were talking about spirituality in jazz music. Gumbi contended that jazz drumming is, “more revolutionary than evolutionary.” That is to say, unlike other genres of music, such as gospel, jazz does have any direct connection to “spirituality,” as in a formalized religious institution.<br />In terms of my project, he commented how important it is for me to have this exposure to the different genres of music around the world. Gumbi really helped me appreciate the fact that the Mawazine Festival takes places in Africa – the cradle of all music. Simply put, it is just really amazing to think of the festival in that context. It was a really wild, memorable experience just to be able to chat about my journeys this year with one of the finest percussionists in the world.<br /><br />Gumbi, a Cuban-American born in the South Bronx, recommended that while in Cuba, I make sure to check out the “bata”– a form of drumming that fuses Cuban and Nigerian beats. He also said I couldn’t miss attending a santeria ceremony; to see how the music is used in the ritual sacrifices.<br /><br />Moving on…<br /><br />The performance was at the Mohammed V Theatre in central Rabat. It is a standard theatre, red-plush seats and all – nothing extraordinary. More importantly, the acoustics were excellent. Not surprisingly, the show was completely sold out. The audience gave the band a huge reception at the start of the show – Mr. Di Meola commented that it was truly a “heartfelt” gesture.<br /><br />“Al Di Meola and World Symphony” consists of Mr. Di Meola on acoustic guitar, a second acoustic guitar player from Greece, an accordion player from Italy and Gumbi on hand percussion (darbuka and cajon). The darbuka is a North African hand drum; basically, it is identical to a djembe, with the exception that it is not made out of wood. The cajon is exactly what its name (in Spanish) indicts: it is a wooden box, and is commonly used in flamenco and Cuban music.<br /><br />Because this was an acoustic show, most of the numbers were rather soothing. That being said, often in the middle of a “lighter” song, Mr. Di Meola would burst out with light speed riff – remember, he is most famous for being one of the fastest guitar pickers of all time. Surely, Mr. Di Meola has an unprecedented level of technical skill.<br /><br />Unfortunately for me, overall, there was minimal percussion during the show; nonetheless, there were several times when Gumbi provided a prevalent beat.<br /><br />For the encore, the group played “Mediterranean Sundance,” one of the tracks off of the 1977 album Elegant Gypsy. They performed for just under two hours in total.<br /><br />Officially, cameras were not allowed – not even for the “press.” I was able to get a few shots and one short video in, so enjoy!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwfjl277h2XssYW_4UotANB-zqdJsFbHFqxc1zzQX7purtmho6BuD6W9Ki5BG6Sw5qYyO8ot-4cUtAbhbzQlumnAzVhM94W842XPFc1Y2Kc2f3Zc2A5vNfnqsZ-tORrMNDdJkrcniBI5Y/s1600-h/IMG_8857.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwfjl277h2XssYW_4UotANB-zqdJsFbHFqxc1zzQX7purtmho6BuD6W9Ki5BG6Sw5qYyO8ot-4cUtAbhbzQlumnAzVhM94W842XPFc1Y2Kc2f3Zc2A5vNfnqsZ-tORrMNDdJkrcniBI5Y/s320/IMG_8857.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202505103057079490" border="0" /></a><br />The great Gumbi Ortiz and myself.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQKb0PkYaiPb8mOfmCx2piq_lFWxrGUrXyFYTE1cr2zHo9HyOWKMoeA-FDQ9Wlt0hsCnbPOvUvdYWQdxtW2PYHgMBz2jZfck_kFvw02Ix2CRPupOhfp_e56NoqOz8OKfriC_fudqqwXo/s1600-h/IMG_8862.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQKb0PkYaiPb8mOfmCx2piq_lFWxrGUrXyFYTE1cr2zHo9HyOWKMoeA-FDQ9Wlt0hsCnbPOvUvdYWQdxtW2PYHgMBz2jZfck_kFvw02Ix2CRPupOhfp_e56NoqOz8OKfriC_fudqqwXo/s320/IMG_8862.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202505111647014098" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqOJySIj42r9eUl3fahpnz4oqtPy7uGnNd6qdXVeNlekT4xmPzDNxGkZhbH6hP54A-nyCsozR0W8E2gmtEfIaaaiXHS5e5SabLXHb8uI1TjSpSyQQA8MxYXl_iaaUlaUCktNU73h-F0u0/s1600-h/IMG_8863.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqOJySIj42r9eUl3fahpnz4oqtPy7uGnNd6qdXVeNlekT4xmPzDNxGkZhbH6hP54A-nyCsozR0W8E2gmtEfIaaaiXHS5e5SabLXHb8uI1TjSpSyQQA8MxYXl_iaaUlaUCktNU73h-F0u0/s320/IMG_8863.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202505120236948706" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMi6pNTmmSpVJBoKvnUeEZv0z1XqzwcmJwV8CHaMIfyjReCkNNyoP5ozPgXD1616c_FgsnzJxtkDzpM3kIpVLk4smKiSAPSX7nTZOq_COYuYtHZhDmwoZPLKyrSoeZY8E-2a32Ygv1ZZc/s1600-h/IMG_8870.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMi6pNTmmSpVJBoKvnUeEZv0z1XqzwcmJwV8CHaMIfyjReCkNNyoP5ozPgXD1616c_FgsnzJxtkDzpM3kIpVLk4smKiSAPSX7nTZOq_COYuYtHZhDmwoZPLKyrSoeZY8E-2a32Ygv1ZZc/s320/IMG_8870.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202498888239402130" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg79XIuekHFyyElrTfVVlyDT3DkvnfRdosYav13uipKJYI20j6AJHUcFqB7FKpb3ZPxthBOXkAkIofMEWGm3xOUKfRBk-s3Yan2uPfsaCLVkdyw4hAUNaBkWdwi3-V4Nj-c6Ie0FolTcY8/s1600-h/IMG_8867.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg79XIuekHFyyElrTfVVlyDT3DkvnfRdosYav13uipKJYI20j6AJHUcFqB7FKpb3ZPxthBOXkAkIofMEWGm3xOUKfRBk-s3Yan2uPfsaCLVkdyw4hAUNaBkWdwi3-V4Nj-c6Ie0FolTcY8/s320/IMG_8867.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202498914009205922" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1flG4XrHECYzPhPuYpEShRiB8pMBudGjhIOrZ53tcgKx1fhb8SOFy80OG4K7KlFHQRcaPwmqOAzuaIKyKrrxpRgjCJU_aYjIy6BvcBgohBL4hPKPY5dQUlQO3W5pTra0762OBLF_LVzw/s1600-h/IMG_8866.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1flG4XrHECYzPhPuYpEShRiB8pMBudGjhIOrZ53tcgKx1fhb8SOFy80OG4K7KlFHQRcaPwmqOAzuaIKyKrrxpRgjCJU_aYjIy6BvcBgohBL4hPKPY5dQUlQO3W5pTra0762OBLF_LVzw/s320/IMG_8866.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202498922599140530" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/seKsAF09I4k"> </param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/seKsAF09I4k" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object>Jesse B-Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02597375354093696062noreply@blogger.com0