From top left: Habiba Msika, Zohra El Fassia, Leila Mourad, Raymonde Abecassis, Line Monty.

*They scorched the stages of Algeria and Tunis, in Casablanca and Baghdad, and also in Berlin and Paris. Upcoming concert is occasion to recall these artists who were honored in Morocco & elsewhere in the Arab world, but in Israel, not so much.*

Haaretz, by Tsafi Saar (May 20, 2013) — They scorched the stages of Algeria and Tunis, in Casablanca and Baghdad, and also in Berlin and Paris. With bobbed hair − a daring style for the time − a thin cigarette in a holder between their fingers, they were among the leaders of the musical and cultural scene in their countries and even became international stars. They are the great Jewish female musicians and singers who were active in North Africa and the Middle East in the mid-20th century: Leila Mourad, Faiza Rushdi, Zohra El Fassia, Habiba Msika, Louisa Tounsia, Reinette L’Oranaise, Line Monty and Raymonde Abecassis. Msika, a Tunisian Jew, was an actress in the Arab world’s most prominent theater. El Fassia, a Moroccan Jew, was the first woman from that milieu to release a record album. Like many others, she too wrote the lyrics and music of the songs she performed.

Abecassis, the last of the giants of that generation, will be appearing Thursday with the Mediterranean Andalusian Orchestra of Ashkelon in a concert titled Ki Kolech Arev ‏(For Your Voice is Beautiful‏), conducted by Tom Cohen. The concert, which will be part of the Heart at the East Festival in Tel Aviv, will be dedicated to the women who were singing stars in Arab and Maghreb countries.

Why were Jewish female singers so prominent among the pioneers of modern Arab music? And how did it come about that in Morocco and other places, they are engraved in the collective memory and remembered with esteem − yet most Israelis never heard of them?

Shira Ohayon. Photo by David Bachar

Shira Ohayon, the education director of the Mediterranean Andalusian Orchestra and a prominent Mizrahi feminist researcher and activist, conceived and produced the concert. She is researching the singers’ histories, has written essays about them on the Cafe Gibraltar website and plans to publish a book containing her findings. She says she started researching their stories when she started wondering why there were no female singers in the Andalusian Orchestra in Israel. Her father, who was born in Morocco, told her about the great singers of the past. The discovery that there were quite a few Jews among them surprised her. “I asked myself, Why Jewish women, specifically? After all, I know the conservative Moroccan Jewish way of life from home,” she says.

It turns out that the picture is a complex one. “Our knowledge here about Jews in Islamic countries is nourished by Zionist stereotypes that spoke about absorption by modernization, and portrayed the Jews who came from those backgrounds as coming from the back of beyond,” says Ohayon. “But of course, they didn’t all come from the same mold. They went through profound processes of secularization starting in the 1920s. Our history doesn’t start at the moment the Zionist movement discovered that it needed ‘natural workers’ and population distribution,” she says.

New ideas

“These processes affected the women a great deal. Women began to study. In 1886 the first Alliance school for girls was established in Tetouan, the city my mother came from. The legal age at which girls could marry was raised. The development of colonialism at the time strengthened the financial position of the Jews, many of whom were merchants and had connections overseas, and increased their openness to new ideas.”

It was in this atmosphere of mixed cultures and languages that the female singers appeared. Their successful appearances in Europe also exposed them to the feminist ideas of the period, says Ohayon.

“Habiba Msika became a legend. She was an admired artist, a hot subject of conversation during the 1920s in the Maghreb, France and the Middle East,” musicologist Mohammed Emskeen writes in an essay published in honor of the Atlantic Andalusian Music Festival held in Essaouira, Morocco last October. The festival was dedicated to the female singers and their contribution to Jewish-Arab music and culture. Msika was the first Arab woman to perform onstage, in 1911. She appeared throughout Europe and the Maghreb, living and loving freely. Coco Chanel described her as having “a fiery temperament under her Eastern graces.” She met a tragic end: In 1930, a jealous lover murdered her by setting her ablaze. Books were written and films made about her life.

Another superstar was Leila Mourad, the daughter of a well-known Jewish family of cantors and liturgical poets. “To the Egyptians, she’s an Egyptian in every way, a cultural icon, alongside other stars of Arab music such as Umm Kulthum and Asmahan,” says Ohayon. The Jewish community distanced itself from Mourad when she converted to Islam to marry the well-known actor Anwar Wagdi. Other Jewish stars in Egyptian film and theater such as Raqia Ibrahim, Camelia ‏(Liliane Levy Cohen‏), Nagma Ibrahim and Nagwa Salem also won recognition from the musical establishment and the audience, even though they remained Jewish and some even expressed solidarity with the State of Israel and the Zionist movement.

Ohayon says that in addition to these stars, “in Iraq there was Salima Pasha, a hugely popular star, who was the wife of Iraq’s greatest singer, Nazem al-Ghazali. There was Maya Casabianca, a native of Morocco, who was the wife of Farid al-Atrash. We can wonder how that could happen. After all, she was a Jewish woman who went with a Muslim man. In those communities, families sat shiva for women who did that, mourning them as if they had died. But these women had a different status. They were already deeply involved in Arab life, and here, too, they crossed boundaries.”

There were also Line Monty, “the Algerian Edith Piaf”; Reinette L’Oranaise, a rabbi’s daughter who became blind and became a virtuoso oud player; Louisa Tounsia and others.

Immigration tragedy

But Zohra El Fassia was fairly well known in Israel, if only because of the poem by Erez Biton lamenting her fate here.

El Fassia, who died in 1994, is a cultural heroine in Morocco.  In the Atlantic Andalusian Music Festival in Essaouira, an evening was held in her honor, says Ohayon. “Among the Muslim leaders of culture in Morocco, she was seen as an integral part of Moroccan culture and collective memory, and her contribution to folk music ‏(the chaabi and malhun styles‏) is held in high esteem there.

Source: http://moroccoonthemove.wordpress.com/2013/05/20/big-in-tetouan-the-jewish-women-who-pioneered-modern-arab-music-haaretz/

Oum – Moroccan singer, writer, composer.

Patriotic Vanguard, Sierra Leone’s News Portal (May 19, 2013) — Oum is the first word of moroccan first name Oum El Ghaït, which means ”Mother of relief “, and that used to be given to baby girls born in the desert in a rainy day or night. Oum wears well her name; her music generously brings in its flow feelings, dreams, and stories inspired by her own vision of the world.

Her singular voice, at the same time soft and powerful succeeds in combining the elements of her original culture, and those of a universal musical heritage whom she investigates.

Oum sings “Soul of Morocco” – Click on photo to play video

Singer, writer and composer, Oum begins by singing an eclectic soul in her first album Lik Oum which mixes pop, hip-hop and rhythm and blues, before moving on three years later, with Sweerty, a thirteen tracks in which she asserts her talent of melody maker inspired of new soul, and jazz, and her ease as bilingual lyric writer because she writes her songs in darija (moroccan dialect) and in English.

Playing with words between poetry and metaphor, she sings about love, hope, freedom, men and women…about life. Humble and humanist, she looks through the writing to bring a message of love.

Having conquered the heart of Moroccans, and seduced by her presence the audience of several stages in Europe and the Arab world, Oum gets ready to enchant the international musical sphere with “Soul of Morocco.”

This project arose from her desire to reveal the wealth and the cultural diversity of Morocco while conjugating it to the rhythms and to the sounds of other musics of the world. A dozen pieces played by a quartet double bass, percussions, guitar and flute / saxophone, with – on some songs – a line of Oud as well as the participation of renowned musicians such as Jean-Luc Oboman Fillon, Alain Debiossat ( Sixun) and Karim Ziad.

Source: http://www.thepatrioticvanguard.com/spip.php?article7090

Cooking School

Learn to cook traditional Moroccan food in the heart of the medina
with Clock Kitchen. Fez’s first dedicated cooking school.

Calligraphy

Discover the sacred art of calligraphy with master
Mohamed Charkaoui.

Fez Download

Let us introduce you to Moroccan culture, customs and language
with Khalid. In 1:30hrs you will wow your way round the souks.

Henna

Give your hands a fancy look with a beautiful henna tattoo.

Oud

Learn to play with master musician Mohamed Semlali. Oud provided.

Djemmbe

Wild Djemmbe rhythms with Yassine. Djemmbe provided.

Jam Session

Every Wednesday from 6pm to 8pm. All musisians are welcome.

Football

Every Thursday @ 5pm in Sports Complex batha. Speak to café manager for details. All welcome

If in Cafe Clock ask manager for details otherwise call/email using details below

Art Exhibitions

Graffiti Art by the urban artist Omar Lula

Gods From India Art exhibition in the Redroom

Habibi prints from a graphic noval

Cinema

Monday & Friday @ 6pm

Monday @ 6pmKhyal Dib Directed by Mohammed Benssouda with Mohammed
Bastaoui, Idriss Rokh and Naima Dokali. The movie is in Darija with French subtitles. (free)

Friday @ 6pm 127 Hours Directed by Danny Boyle with James Franco,
Kate Mara & Amber Tamblyn. The movie is in English with French subtitles. (free)

Concerts

Sunday Concert @ 6pm

Nomad Fusion music with djemmbe, hajhouj & percussion (20dh)

MarocPress/MAP (Rabat, Morocco, May 14, 2013) — King Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful, decided to personally finance the reconstruction of the Taroudant Grand Mosque which was partially destroyed by fire, a statement by the Endowments and Islamic Affairs Ministry said on Tuesday.

The statement added that, after having submitted to the Commander of the Faithful the preliminary results of the expertise conducted the day after fire broke out, the Sovereign gave to the Endowments and Islamic Affairs minister his instructions to rebuild the mosque.

The reconstruction works include:

1- Doing the necessary reinforcements to ensure security inside the mosque and near it.

2- Filling the gap caused by the mosque temporary closing.

3- Stepping up studies inherent to revamping the mosque.

4- Activating the restoration transaction procedure.

5- Ensuring that the deadline of studies, procedures and reconstruction does not exceed two years.

6- Rebuilding should respect mosque genuine architecture.

Source: http://moroccoonthemove.wordpress.com/2013/05/14/culture-king-mohammed-vi-decides-to-fund-reconstruction-of-taroudant-grand-mosque/

King Mohammed VI reviews ambitious Morocco project, 1st of two phases to be completed in 2020, cover 3,000 hectares & generate 500 megawatts. Saudi ACWA Power leads construction of the plant, with financing help from the World Bank, African Development Bank, & European Investment Bank.

*Head of Morocco’s solar energy agency MASEN says thermo-solar plant will cost 630 million euros, and is slated for completion in 2015*

Middle East Online (Rabat, Morocco, May 11, 2013) — Morocco on Friday officially launched the construction of a 160-megawatt solar power plant near the desert city of Ouarzazate, the first in a series of vast solar projects planned in the country.

The largest of its kind in the world, according to Mustapha Bakkoury, the head of Morocco’s solar energy agency MASEN, the thermo-solar plant will cost 7 billion dirhams (630 million euros) and is slated for completion in 2015, the official MAP news agency reported.

The ambitious project “reinforces the will… to optimise the exploitation of Morocco’s natural resources, to preserve its environment… and sustain its development,” Bakkoury said at the ceremony which was attended by King Mohammed VI.

A consortium led by Saudi developer ACWA Power won the contract to build the plant, near Morocco’s desert gateway city, last September.  The World Bank, the African Development Bank and the European Investment Bank are helping to finance the solar complex.

Runners in Sahara 300 km S. of Ouarzazate, where Morocco launched solar plant construction. AFP

It is the first of a two-phase project, due for completion in 2020, that is expected to cover 3,000 hectares and have a generation capacity of 500 megawatts, enough to met the electricity needs of Ouarzazate’s 1.5 million residents.

MASEN’s Bakkoury said in March that companies bidding for the second phase of the project had to submit their proposals by mid-April, with the contract to be awarded sometime next year.

The North African country is aiming to become a world-class renewable energy producer, and is eyeing the chance to export clean electricity to neighbouring Europe.

Morocco expects to build five new solar plants by the end of the decade with a combined production capacity of 2,000 megawatts and at an estimated cost of nine billion dollars (6.9 billion euros).

The kingdom has no oil and gas reserves to speak of and is hoping, with the solar projects, along with a string of planned wind farms along its Atlantic coast, to raise renewable energy production to 42 percent of its total power supply mix by 2020.

Source: http://moroccoonthemove.wordpress.com/2013/05/11/morocco-launches-worlds-largest-solar-power-project-middle-east-online/

Morocco’s Rose Festival starts this weekend, in the town of El Kelaa M’Gouna, nestled high in the Atlas Mountains in the Valley of the Roses.  Credit H.Zell / Wikimedia Commons

Texas Public Radio/NPR, by Nathan Cone (May 12, 2013) – Each week on World Music (Saturday nights from 8-10 on KSTX 89.1 FM), I take a look at celebrations happening around the world. This week, a fragrant festival in Morocco.

ROSE FESTIVAL

The Rose Festival in Morocco starts this weekend. Nestled high in the Atlas Mountains lies the town of El Kelaa M’Gouna in the Valley of the Roses. The fragrant Damask Rose was introduced to the area by the French in 1938. Shortly thereafter, a distillery was opened to extract the oil from the flowers.

Today, almost every rose infused perfume, is created by roses from this area. The roses are harvested and transported for treatment in huge trucks, which create an aura of sweet perfumed air, as they travel through the streets. People dress in pink and white clothing and many wear floral necklaces. As one might anticipate, there are also Rose Queens. Any thing that you can imagine which should smell of roses is available, from Rose Water to those luxurious and very expensive perfumes.

VIDEO

You can hear more about this and other celebrations happening around the world every Saturday night on World Music with Deirdre Saravia, from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. on KSTX 89.1 FM.

Source: http://moroccoonthemove.wordpress.com/2013/05/11/culture-world-music-celebrations-moroccan-rose-festival-texas-public-radio-video/

Carole Castiel, president, Cape Verde Jewish Heritage Project, Praia mayor Ulisses Correia Silva, Lisbon Grand Rabbi Eliezer Schai di Martino inaugurate Jewish gravesite

**While the Jewish-Moroccan community has long since disappeared from Cape Verde, the Moroccan government continues to be a ‘major benefactor’ of heritage preservation efforts on the island**

Haaretz, by JTA, AFP (Praia, Cape Verde, May 9, 2013) — A Jewish burial plot in the island state of Cape Verde was rededicated with help from the king of Morocco. About 100 people attended the rededication ceremony last week.

“The support of King Mohammed VI to this project is representative of Morocco’s attachment to the preservation of its patrimony – Arab, Jewish or Berber,” Andre Azoulay, the king’s Jewish advisor, said in a statement read during the ceremony by Abdellah Boutadghart, a Moroccan diplomat.

Jewish gravesites during inauguration in municipal cemetery of Praia, capital of Cape Verde. AFP

Several hundred Moroccan Jews settled in Cape Verde off the Senegalese coast in the 19th century, when it was still a Portuguese colony.

The community has since disappeared, but the Moroccan government has been a “major benefactor” of heritage preservation efforts, according to Carol Castiel of the Cape Verde Jewish Heritage Project.

“Just imagine, a Muslim king contributing to a Jewish project in a Christian country. I think it says it all,” Castiel said.

Situated in the heart of the Cape Verde’s largest cemetery, the Jewish burial plot is set apart by a low-hanging chain that encircles its ten restored headstones, the oldest dating back to 1864. The rededication ceremony was concluded with a prayer by Eliezer Di Martino, the rabbi of the Jewish Community of Lisbon.

“It was a very moving and surreal event,” one of the project’s Jewish supporters, the Casablanca-born American businessman Marc Avissar, told JTA.

The project has so far cost about $125,000 but may end up costing three times that amount as efforts continue to restore additional Jewish heritage sites in other parts of Cape Verde, a republic made up of 10 islands.

Source: http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/jewish-world-news/jewish-burial-site-restored-off-african-coast-with-help-from-morocco-s-king-1.522627

Writers, rock stars and eccentrics flocked to Tangier’s cafés in the first half of the 20th century. Cliffside Café Hafa, overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar, was a favorite hangout of Tangier’s most famous expat, Beat writer Paul Bowles.

(CNN) — Rainbows of color, spice-market smells, an urban orchestra of sounds: Morocco can be overwhelming at first.

Lying 13 kilometers, or 8 miles, from the coast of Spain, the North African country mixes Middle Eastern magic, Berber tradition and European flair.

Tourism has more than doubled since 2002, to nearly 10 million visitors in 2011. King Mohammed VI wants to increase the annual visitor numbers to 18 million by 2020.

The royal ruler’s strategy is underpinned by infrastructure development, making traveling around the country even easier.

Add to this a program of ongoing social, political and economic reforms, and Morocco is one of the most moderate and peaceful countries in the region.

Cafes dominate life in Tangier

Cafes are the key place to socialize, for Moroccan men at least. They gather to drink sweet mint tea and watch people as they go about their affairs.

The northern port city of Tangier has a history of literary bohemianism and illicit goings-on, thanks to its status as an International Zone from 1923 to 1956.

The Interzone years, and the heady decades that followed, saw writers, rock stars and eccentrics flock to the city’s 800-plus cafés.

Two must-visit spots: Cafe Hafa (Ave Hadi Mohammed Tazi), overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar, was a favorite hangout of Tangier’s most famous expat, Beat writer Paul Bowles.

Smoky and slightly edgy, Cafe Baba (1 rue Sidi-Hosni) is the coolest spot in the Kasbah. A photo of Keith Richards, kif-pipe in hand, still adorns the grimy walls.

Most mosques are off-limits to non-Muslims

Nearly 99% of the population is Muslim, and hearing the muezzin’s melodic call to prayer for the first time is a spine-tingling moment.

While very few Moroccan mosques are open to non-Muslims, one exception is the towering Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca (Blvd Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah; +212 522 22 25 63).

Located on a promontory over the Atlantic Ocean, the mosque was completed in 1993 and can hold 105,000 worshipers inside and out.

Tradition and technology sit side by side, with colorful zellij (mosaic tiles), intricate stucco and carved cedar complementing the retractable roof and heated flooring.

If you can’t make it to Casa, Marrakech’s 16th-century Ali ben Youssef madrassa-turned-museum (Pl Ben Youssef; +212 524 44 18 93) is open to all and also features impressive Islamic design.

Multilingual Moroccans will put you to shame

Arabic is the official language, but you’ll also hear French, Spanish, Berber and various dialects.

Moroccans switch languages mid-sentence, reflecting the cultures — Berber, Arab, French and Spanish — that have crisscrossed the country.

Arabic is the official language, and you’ll hear the Moroccan dialect, Darija, spoken on the street.

French continues to be widely spoken in cities; foreigners are often addressed in this first. Spanish is still spoken in Tangier.

There are also three main dialects spoken by the country’s Berber majority: Tashelhit, Tamazight and Tarifit.

You’ll be able to get by with English in the main tourist hubs, although “La, shukran” (“No, thank you” in Arabic) is one phrase to master.

Don’t get stuck in Marrakech

Marrakech is justifiably popular, but there’s so much more.

Fez tops the list for its maze-like medina, fabulous foodie scene and annual Festival of World Sacred Music.

For a slice of the Sahara, there’s the desert town of Merzouga, near the impressive Erg Chebbi sand dunes, accessible via camel treks.

Active types can hike between Berber villages in the High Atlas or head to the blue-hued Andalusian town of Chefchaouen to explore the Rif Mountains.

Beach bums will love laid-back Essaouira and Sidi Ifni on the Atlantic coast, while surfers often head south to Taghazout.

For quiet contemplation, Morocco’s holiest town, Moulay Idriss, is hard to beat. Plus, you’ll have the nearby Roman ruins of Volubilis pretty much to yourself.

If you don’t like cumin, you may starve

Cumin is one of the main spices used in Moroccan cooking. This pungent powder is used to flavor everything from tagines to mechoui (slow-roasted lamb).

Cumin is used as a condiment on most Moroccan tables, along with salt and chili. It’s also a popular natural remedy for diarrhea.

“Cumin has anti-parasitical properties, so if you’ve got an upset tummy, a spoonful of cumin knocked back with water will help,” said food guide Gail Leonard with Plan-It Fez.

Trains are cheap, comfortable and reliable

First class train travel in Morocco is affordable and worth it. Just be prepared to share your food.

Train company ONCF operates one of the best train networks in Africa, making it the easiest way to travel between cities.

It’s worth paying extra for first class, which comes with a reserved seat and A/C.

First class carriages have six-seat compartments or open-plan seating. Stock up on snacks, or buy them onboard, as it’s customary to share food.

When it comes to traveling to smaller towns and villages, buses and grand taxis, usually old Mercedes sedans that can seat six (at a squash), are best.

Couscous is served on Fridays

You’ll see it on every restaurant menu, but traditionally, couscous is served on Fridays, when families gather after prayers.

This is because the proper (not packet) stuff takes a long time to prepare.

Coarse semolina is hand-rolled into small granules to be steamed and fluffed three times. It’s pale in color, deliciously creamy and served with vegetables and/or meat or fish.

Bread is the staple carb and is served with every meal, except couscous.

It’s baked in communal wood-fired ovens, one of five amenities found in every neighborhood (the others being a hammam, or bathhouse; a drinking fountain; a mosque and a preschool).

Riad rooftops rock

The traditional Moroccan house (riad) is built around a central courtyard with windows facing inwards for privacy.

They’re decked out with elaborate zellij, stucco and painted cedar and are easily the most atmospheric places to stay.

While Moroccans tend to use their rooftops as clotheslines, a riad roof terrace is the place to be come sunset.

In Marrakech, Italian-designed Riad Joya (Derb El Hammam, Mouassine Quarter; +212 524 391 624; www.riadjoya.com) has prime views of the Koutoubia Mosque minaret, while five-star La Sultana (403 rue de la Kasbah; +212 524 388 008; www.ghotw.com/la-sultana) overlooks the Atlas Mountains.

Top picks in Fez are the bohemian Riad Idrissy (13 Derb Idrissi, Sieje, Sidi Ahmed Chaoui, +212 649 191 410; www.riadidrissy.com) and its suntrap terrace, while Dar Roumana (30 Derb el Amer, Zkak Roumane; +212 535 741 637; www.darroumana.com) has sweeping views of the world’s largest living medieval Islamic city.

When you hear ‘balak!’ watch out

The narrow streets of Morocco’s souks are filled with hagglers, hustlers, mule-drivers and motor scooters.

Morocco’s souks are not for the faint-hearted. The narrow streets teem with hagglers, hustlers, mule-drivers and motor scooters.

Rule No. 1 is to step aside when you hear “Balak!” It means there’s a heavily laden handcart or mule bearing down on you.

You’ll inevitably get lost, as maps don’t usually include the warren of small alleys that make up the medina.

A guide can help you get your bearings and fend off touts, but be aware that anything you buy will have his commission built in to the price.

Alternatively, taking snaps of landmarks with your smartphone can help you find your way back to your accommodation.

It’s not weird to be bathed by a stranger

There are plenty of posh hotel hammams, but nothing beats a visit to a no-frills public bathhouse.

Spotting the entrance can be tricky, as most signs are written in Arabic. Look for a shop selling toiletries or a mosque, as these are usually nearby.

It’s advisable to stock up on black olive oil soap, ghassoul (clay used as hair conditioner), a kiis (exfoliating glove) and a mat to sit on. Visitors need to take their own towels, comb and flip-flops.

Women strip to their knickers (no bra), and men wear underpants. Then you’ll be steamed, scrubbed and pummeled until you’re squeaky clean.

Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/08/travel/10-things-morocco/

“The warmth that we find in Moroccan houses—it’s something that we don’t find in any other culture.”

—Samy Ymar, with Magen David Sephardic Congregation.

Morocco on the Move (Washington, DC, May 7, 2013) — For Jewish American Heritage Month, Morocco on the Move interviews Samy Ymar, a founder of the Washington, DC area synagogue, Magen David Sephardic Congregation, on his experience being part of the Moroccan-American Jewish community.

Washington-DC area synagogue Magen David Sephardic Congregation

Source: http://moroccoonthemove.wordpress.com/2013/05/07/moroccos-jewish-heritage-interview-samy-ymar-magen-david-sephardic-congregation/

Caftan, one of the most prestigious events in the traditional Moroccan Haute Couture calendar, takes place in Marrakech and requires months of meticulous preparations from designers. Reuters

**The 17th edition of the prestigious Caftan fashion show in Marrakech centered around the theme “Women of Legend” for 2013**

Al Arabiya/Reuters (Marrakech, Morocco, Sunday, May 5, 2013) — The 17th edition of Caftan, one of the most prestigious events in the traditional Moroccan Haute Couture, dazzled a select audience in Marrakech on Saturday.

Every year fifteen fashion designers are selected from 50 candidates who send in their portfolios and CVs to the organizers. The chosen ones are then given four months to prepare their collection which needs to be made up of eight caftans.

The two-hour show required months of meticulous preparations, and taking part in Caftan was a nerve-racking experience even for the most seasoned fashion designers.

Top fashion designer Meriyem Boussikouk has 20 years of experience in the industry. Yet she said she was still nervous about how the public would react to her new collection.

“We have been nervous since we started preparing for the show, and our nerve grows as the event gets nearer because we are not sure about ourselves 100 percent. There are new creations as well as new ideas we want to propose to the public, and we are not sure about the reaction (it’ll get). Will the public accept or reject what we offer?” she told Reuters from her workshop in Casablanca.

The theme chosen by this year’s event organizers, a Fashion magazine called FDM, or Femmes du Maroc, was “Women of Legend”. The designers were to be inspired by a variety of women who made history for a variety of reasons, such as Audrey Hepburn, Umm Kulthum, Cleopatra. Coco Chanel and Marilyn Monroe among others.

The show’s producer said the goal was to pay tribute to these fascinating women who seemed to have had everything: beauty, power, talent, knowledge and glory.

“We chose the theme of ‘Women of legend’ because it inspires fashion designers. These women have always been full women (the embodiment of womanhood). In the Moroccan history, we took Kahina. We also chose Umm Kulthum, Marilyn Monroe and other women. The most important thing is that women are not there just to complement men. At the same time, we revisited the history of Morocco as well as the world’s history to put women up front. What can you find more beautiful than a caftan to showcase women?”, said show producer Khalid Bazizd.

Each edition of Caftan has a guest of honor, and this year it was the turn of the French-Lebanese designer Dany Atrache.

“I came to Morocco to learn how Moroccans work on this traditional garment, because there is a lot of work involved in it and also it is made in a special way,” said Atrache.

“We cannot call it a designer piece because a designer piece is linked to fashion that changes every six months. Here, we are talking of a traditional garment that is centuries old yet, it looks as new. It is not easy to reach this level of perfection,” he added.

The audience was entertained by colourful dance sequences inspired by Coco Chanel, Marie Antoinette and Marilyn Monroe.

“I will show off all these women through choreography and acting. What strikes me most is the beauty. For me, all women are beautiful regardless of their shape. They could be tall, short or fat, they are always beautiful,” explained Moroccan choreographer Malika Zaidi, whose dance troupe dazzled the crowd.

The caftan is a garment that has been around for centuries, and shows such as Caftan allow it to be regularly reinvented and remain appreciated in today’s fashion world.

Source: http://moroccoonthemove.wordpress.com/2013/05/06/culture-moroccan-haute-couture-dazzles-audience-al-arabiyareuters/