Just as I had guessed: Aissawa Party at Boujloud

Not surprisingly, the Assawis put on a show.

Assawi Preview

Some info on tonight's Aissawa gig at Boujloud. (Unlike the other posts, the photo on the page is not mine and will hopefully be updated soon.)

Hot damn, this thing just keeps going!

Fatima Zahra La'aroussa last night at Boujloud.

Nass al-Ghiwane and Darqawiyya - great sounds from different worlds

Nass al-Ghiwane rocked Boujloud last night. Here is the article. PS: The titles of these things are not mine...

Saida Fikri @ Boujloud and Harakiyya Brotherhood at Dar Tazi

As the Fez Festival of Sacred Music gets underway, I'm going to be writing for a local blog (that gets many more hits than mine). Check out the first article here, about Saida Fikri's performance at Bab Boujloud and the beginning of the Sufi Nights afterward.

Trek to Meknès

Our grand taxi, and the kind man who supplied our tissue needs.

You may remember my summary of expectations, some things I jotted quickly before we went off to Meknès for the moussem. Well, we made the trip and went on our way, but (of course) I forgot to charge my battery beforehand. It's rare for me to be wandering around with the nice one, so I went a bit photo-crazy and ran it out before the actual moussem started. I'll give you what I got.

As for the celebration, we got to Meknès' central square, the Hdima, to find people milling around as if it were any old normal day. Disappointment set in. Then, in the crowd, we saw some flags rise above! Knowing Morocco, we assumed that things would take a few hours to get going, so we took our time and visited a café, strolled through the food market, and Annie even got herself a towel/hat for coming home from the public bath.

Then the crowd got itself going. For about 45 minutes we watched some kids and old men team up to try and lift a giant rug with a 10-foot business card pasted to the front (think of the signs that you sometimes see leading a parade, announcing just which fire department you're watching walk by). The wood-braced carpet followed the six flags and a fella carrying a two-foot wide incense burner. Then you had the 'Assawis who formed a circle and performed their "hadra" ceremony (lots of jumping and swinging, looked pretty fun), and 6 ghaita players sitting atop horses. The ghaita is a double reed, much like an oboe, but far, far, far louder, made for playing in large outdoor spaces such as this. The players maintained winding melodies that cut through the noise of the crowds and reached us as we attempted to snake toward and away from the activity. We retreated to a café sitting along one of the city walls so we could watch from a better viewpoint as the group slowly progressed under us and around a busy corner. Shops and salesmen pulled in their goods, waited for the spectacle to pass, and reset themselves as before as a more typical stroll overcame the streets.

We saw a good friend of mine leading the group, and I need to get a hold of him now that things are settling back down. I have questions, he has answers. PS: no one tried to eat our clothes (we were worried, since a few from our group wore black!).

It feels good to get out of the city every once in a while.

Annie and Carol enjoying the ride out.

The best part of this moderately ridiculous museum was the sunshine.

This was the last photo I took before the battery died. But isn't it a beautiful coffee?

The 'Aissawis of Meknès

Today we're heading to Meknès, a nearby city, for the moussem. Yesterday was the Prophet's birthday, a holiday that sets off a long series of celebrations across the country. The first, and in some ways, most well known, is only a few hours away by taxi. It began yesterday and will continue through tomorrow, so we'll be just in time to catch the height of the celebrations.

Meknès is home to the major shrine to Sheikh al-Kamil, the "patron saint" (if you will) of the 'Aissawa brotherhood. The 'Aissawis are one particular sect of Sufis who I have had the pleasure of working with in the past. Their music is incredibly popular, and the presence of a large group (15 or so  members) is a staple for weddings, naming day celebrations, and other life celebrations. They also perform layla rituals, not completely unlike the Gnawa (the sub-Saharan group that made of the bulk of my past research). They foster relationships with some of the same historical figures, saints, and spirits. Further, the ceremonies heal inflicted individuals (spiritually and physically) and provide baraka (blessing) to the families that are present.

During this moussem, I have been told a bit about what to expect, but of course, when you're dealing with religious topics, foreign languages, and multiple perspectives, you really can't get a grasp on what's coming. It will all be a bit of a surprise.

'Aissawa groups, led by flagbearers, will process from the central square to the shrine of Sheikh al-Kamil. They will be performing segments of the ritual, songs that are known to the crowds, and potentially a few things that invite adepts to fna, literally extinction (of the self into Allah). The groups are large, percussion heavy (mostly hand drums of different sorts), and include a few wind players. They usually have two or three 6-foot long trumpets that play complex and coordinated rhythms between them, creating an unexpectedly tight stereo experience. The ghaita, a relative of the oboe, plays long, winding, ornamented melodies alongside the chanting. Each group, I am told, will have a cow. Upon entering the shrine, there is a sacrifice, and celebration ensues once again.

We were warned that if we wear red or black, people who are trancing might try to eat our clothes. Not sure yet what to make of it, but I'm wearing brown.

After this, the mawsim (moussems) continue in two other cities, taking me on a trek across Morocco as I jump full steam into research. Classes are pretty much finished, and now the real work clicks into gear.

Peace

Tauregs!

Just got back from the best of the Sufi Nights programs. The Tatrit group was a collection of Tauregs (men and women) who had more energy and performance wisdom than any of the other ensembles thus far. The Qawwals may be able to complete, but what this group had was a sense of staging that included motion. They didn’t “dance” per se, but they would get up, move around, and, as Fiona had put it, did crazy things with their hands. These fluid gestures would have come across as silly, but the consistency with which they carried them out made the moves fit. They had an electric guitar, two n’gonis, and a series of small hand drums to go along with the singing and clapping. The French descriptions between songs elicited enormous applause each time, they were probably nationalist, or counter-nationalist statements, each firm and carried out with confidence. I only wish we could catch more of what they were saying.

Today I had my first gimbri/hajuj “lesson” with Abd ar-Rzaq. I’m going with him tomorrow to check out a maker, and I’m going to attempt to pay him for lessons.

The big question from the family

Today I finally got the question from Si Ahmed: Why do you ask about music, about Sufism, etc, but not about Islam? He shared his need to fill the duty that is opening the way for my path into the Muslim life. (I definitely heard the word “shabek,” window, in there somewhere.)

Annie was off from school, so we finally got to spend an entire day together. It was wonderful. After a fantastic lunch here, with the family (lamb, but in some sugary grease?), we went to meet Claudine. But, sadly, it turned into a bit of a goose chase to find her house. Since she didn’t feel like leaving to meet us, it will have to wait.

The concert tonight was impressive. Morocco is doing an outstanding job, adding small details since two years ago. The entrance to Bab Makina, an old armory, was adorned with a series of stalls, each housing representatives from companies: TV5, Century 21, local spas, etc. The performance itself was a collaboration between the Al-Kindi Ensemble and a Byzantine chorus.

Fez has been good to me. The people each time I visit continue to surprise me with their unnecessary generosity, Hassan and, now, Rachel’s family, Si Ahmed in Sa’ada, and now Si Ahmed and his son here in the old city. I met Annie here, we fell for each other on these streets. Well, maybe that was in Chefchaouen or Essouira, but the vast majority of our time together happened in Fez. And now we return. Maybe again next year, and for a full year after that… This place is a large part of my life. Why is that? What made me take Arabic? I wanted to kill time and it quickly (not losing any of that killed time) shifted me into a different place completely. I meet all these people and I can tell, even if they don’t ask, that they wonder the same thing. And so do I. Why study this stuff?

A Night In

(Everything before this is copied from the notebook – forgive the terseness. I’m not good when writing by hand.)

Today had some big moments, but not where they were expected. Early on I went to visit Said, who informed me that Hejji had tried to call yesterday and had arranged a meeting with his Gnawiyya friend. After fixing my phone, we sat with Claudine, who wants to introduce me to Fredric, who is with the Hamadcha Brotherhood. He is a French researcher who performs with the group regularly and has lived in Fez for the last 5 years. She is also a singer and is interested in electronic music (in Paris). My first trip back to that area. In the new city I got to see Annie again!

After pictures and lunch Annie made me talk to Thierry, a photographer at the café with the festival schedule at hand. He agreed to meet me tomorrow for coffee after we talked at some short length on his childhood in Algeria and his life here in Fez since. He returns frequently, but hasn’t found himself ready to try and head back home – a family of his name was recently killed on arrival.

Tonight dinner with the family and Hafid (uncle, brother of Ahmed) broke into song! Stories of the prophets, Allah, and muezzin-esque recitation by Si Ahmed himself! I learned that the family is Tijaniyya and was able to ask many questions on the group’s history and structure. According to Hafid, Tijani was not from Algeria (contrary to some popular beliefs), but from Saudi Arabia. And he scolded Algeria for using the man's legacy for political gains. And get this: their other uncle, the older one who was admonishing Mohammed’s friend yesterday, is the assistant Imam at the Zawia – quite the post, and a retired Arabic teacher. I now understand the significance of last night’s argument.

There’s a Tijaniyya performance with the Sufi Nights this week. I wonder what the family has to say.

The argument...

So I just witnessed quite the argument/discussion about Sufism between Ahmed’s brother (white jallaba, beards in hand) and this other fella (jeans, polo, younger, studying with Mohammad). The brother was lecturing the other on what a Sufi is. The other is now de-stressing with Mohammed’s sister, and I believe that I heard him say “Ana tasawwuf!” a few times. I think that he was just scolded, and I only hope that I didn’t cause this by coming downstairs at a terrible moment! I really need to learn my Arabic.

Earlier today I found out that Hejji Karim knows a Gnawa! Hopefully it’s true! I am afraid that I need to initiate more intentionally.

Annie and I had a wonderful morning, sitting with the group around the corner (Said, Hejji, some old men). We talked, had tea, and she was given earrings and a port d’eau (?). I even got a ring from the deal. We met my family and had some lunch before she had to head back.