Andalusiyat 2010 (Rabat and Casablanca)
The Seventh International Festival of Andalusi Music
Under the patronage of his Majesty King Muhammed VI.
November 30- December 4
The event was organised by the Association of Lovers of Andalusi Music in collaboration with the Association of the Fez Festival of Sufi Culture. Indeed the element of sufi and devotional music is significant within the different forms of Andalusi music and thus our concert of devotional music was not out of place within the programme.The artists who participated were from Morocco Algeria, Tunisia and Spain all of which are territories where different traditions of Andalusi music continue to flourish, excepting Spain. The inclusion of Spanish artists in the Festival, especially from the Flamenco tradition is due to the strong influences that Famenco has from Arabic and Andalusi music.
In recent years due to the strong affinity between these two traditions and there historical and geographical ties there have been numerous examples of significant collaborations of artists from the two traditions.
The concerts took place in venues both in Rabat and Casablanca.
The programme was as follows:
Tuesday November 30
The Mohammedia Theatre. Greater Casablanca
The Orchestra of Abdul Karim Rais led by Muhammed Briouel
Joined by the ensemble of Greater Casablanca specialised in madih songs in praise of the Prophet and sama spiritual music led by Abdul Majid Souiri.
Wednesday December 1
Muhammad 5 Theatre. Rabat
Flamenco Fusion and Medieval music with Samira Qadiri and Rocio Marquez.
The Tetouan Academy of Music Orchestra led by Mahdi Shashu, Marwan Hajji and Abderrahim Souiri
Thursday December 2
Parc des Expositions de L´Office de Changes-Casablanca
The Algerian Orchestra of Gharnati music led by Haj Qasim Ibrahim.
Ensemble Alkauthar from Granada Spain
Friday December 3
Ensemble Saqalli from Tunisia led by Murad Saqalli.
Shebab al Andalus Orchestra led by Amin Debbi and Haj Muhammad Bajedoub, Morrocco.
Saturday December 4
Esperanza Fernandez y Miguel Vargas performing Flamenco music.
The Orchestra of Abdul Karim Rais joined by Thami Harraq´s group led by Muhammad Brioul, Nurredin Tahiri and Aziz Alami Shentoufi.
This is an impressive line up of artists including some of the top names in Andalusi music in Morrocco, Algeria and Tunisia.
We arrived in Casablanca on December 1 in the aftermath of serious floods in the area. The previous day Casablanca had come to a standstill due to heavy flooding which had caused a number of fatalities and damage to some buildings and roads. The concert the previous night had to be cancelled. Fortunately when we arrived in Casablanca things were running as usual again. We were welcomed at the airport by members of the Festival organisation and taken to our hotel; the Hotel Suisse situated near the Corniche, or promenade. There we found a larger ensemble from Tunisia who had recently arrived waiting in the Foyer with their instuments. A late lunch was organised for us and two members of the organisation Houria Saqalli and AbdelHamid Azhari kindly sat with for lunch .
The dynamic Houria Saqalli insisted on practicing her dozen words of Spanish on us not that we had a communication problem with two Moroccans in our band. She affectionately took us under her wing and even offered us her house as a place for us to rehearse. Rehearsing is a more private affair and we declined the offer. They provided us with one of the conference rooms at the hotel for that purpose.
The following morning i took a walk with Hamza along the promenade until we reached a large Mega Cinema Complex which we discovered later was where we would perform, an unlikely place for spiritual music. We were amazed on our walk by the number of nightclubs and discos we passed. We also got a glimpse of the imposing Hasan II Mosque. These are the two faces of Morrocco. Unfortunately we didn´t have time to see much more of Casblanca.
However, Houria Saqalli invited us to lunch at her spacious flat in the centre of town where we were given full hospitality, full being the operative word. On arrival we were seated in the corner of a large living roomtray and promptly a tray was set down before us with a huge mountain of couscous and lamb with all its garnishings. It was quite overwhelming but fortunately our Moroccan companions with us were up to the challenge.
After this sumptuous meal, definately one of the highlights of the trip, green tea and exquisite traditional pastries were passed around. We had brought our intruments in the off chance that we might be able to offer a piece in appreciation of our host´s hospitality. She had also invited the Tunisian Saqalli ensemble who numbered about twelve with one lady in the group. Houria had also gathered a group of her friends for the occasion. The Tunisians had not brought their instruments so their singer Sufyan Zaidi borrowed our lute and launched into a light hearted song which was taken up by the rest of the group who sang along in chorus. Houria and her guests were animated and clapped along to the songs. Yusuf immediately offered his support with the Kanun. My fingers started to itch so i went and got my violin and tried to follow the melodies as best as i could. Among the chorus we were impressed by the stunning voice of Dorsaf Hamdani the lady of the group which stood out like a ruby among pebbles. The tradition of Andalusi music in Tunisia is called Malouf. Unfortunately we were not able to hear this group perform as their concert was the following night. After they had finished we played a couple of our songs and they joined us in the choruses. From Houria´s house we headed straight for the auditorium for the sound check. On the way, caught in a traffic jam we had glimpses of the walls of the old quarter and the souk. However, our lunch with Houria more than compensated for not having had the chance to do any sightseeing.
The auditorium was one of the larger of the theatres in the multi cinema complex, seating about five hundred people. Among the huge choice of films was our concert. The back set for the stage was a Moorish Gate with a couple of turrets and the name of the Festival Andalusiyat. The twelve piece Algerian orchestra had already done there sound check and were all set up, so temporarily we had to disturb their settings. We discovered then that contrary to the order in the programme we were on first. That meant that by the time we had finished our sound check we had an hour to return to the hotel and dress for the performance. Due to our extended lunch we were now pinched for time.
Anyway, we made it. We had a bit of extra time to tune up while the presenter of the programme made her introduction which was concluded with a prayer and Fatiha for the souls of those who had died in the floods the previous day. We had a good audience and the concert was well received. It was our first concert in this formation as a quintet with Othman Yaqoubi on lute and vocals, and Yusuf Mezghildi on Kanun. One of the highest moments for me in the concert was Yusuf´s outstanding solo in Maqam sigha which received a special applause. His solo was marked by use of a rich variety of tones with delicate subtlety, and some Turkish features in his modulations showing his experience in different styles.
Our gratitude goes out to Dr. Fawzi Saqalli who invited us to the Festival as part of the collaboration of the Association of the Fez Festival of Sufi Culture which he heads. He was called to the stage after the concert to say a few words about the event. As a token of appreciation we were given a bouquet of flowers and a a memento of the event.
The second part of the programme was dedicated to the Andalusi tradition centred in Tlemsan in Western Algeria. This style is called Gharnati which comes from the word Granada reflecting its geographical origins. It has its own distinctive style though sharing many features of Moroccan Andalusi music. If you don´t follow the Arabic poetry it could seem quite monotonous to the unaccustomed ear. The musical changes are quite subtle and marked by the rhythm. They ended their concert with a few popular pieces of devotional music which were more accessible. The twelve piece orchestra was led by the soloist singer Haj Qasim Ibrahim who also played a long necked lute. The orchestra showed amazing synchronisation, all the different instruments contributing to create one homogeneous sound. Apart from the instrumental solos the orchestra played a mainly accompanying role supporting the soloist singer. Without needing to look at each other each one knew exactly what to do and did it effortlessly. For me the most outstanding moment of their concert was the solo taqsim of the leading violinist Khalil Baba Ahmad. As I hold the violin in the Western way under the chin it amazes me to see how much feeling he could express with the base of the violin fixed to his knee in the traditional Andalusi position. After the concert he explained to me that he could play the violin both ways but that it was easier to play Andalusi music in the traditional way. He said that he couldn´t get the appropriate sound using the Western position. After the concert we were interviewed by an Algerian journalist. It was after midnight before we got back to the hotel. We were not sure whether we would catch supper but when we arrived we were relieved to see through the windows of the restaurant people dining. It was very lively in fact with a bunch of trendy moroccans hanging around the entrance of the hotel with flashy cars. On entering we were greeted by a pounding noise coming from beneath. It was the hotel disco which was clearly a popular attraction, certainly more popular than concerts of Andalusi music. In the restaurant we were delighted to find the Algerian orchestra dining. It was a good opportunity to congratulate them on their superb performance and meet some of the musicians. They informed us that their city Tlemsan had been chosen as the Islamic Cultural Capital for the year 2011.
So far our concerts in Morocco have been well received and we are always treated with great hospitality. We look forward to our next Moroccan encounter!
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