Cafe Clock » Fez Culture

Clock Culture this week 30 January -05 February

adil — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:20:36 +0000

Workshops

Cooking School

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

Dance

Belly Dance with Saida. Private lessons by arrangement

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 Jam @ the Clock with
Mohammed Jocker. All Musicians Welcome

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

Art Exhibitions

Footprint of Friends All Over the World Photography
exhibition by Omar Chennafi and Robert Harrison.

Cinema

Monday @ 6pm Azmat Charaf Directed by Walid Tabi with Ahmad Fahmi, Ghada Abdelrazak and Tarik Lotfi. The movie is in Arabic with French subtitles. (free)

Thursday@ 6pm Johnny English Reborn Directed by Oliver Parker with Rowan Atkinson, Rosamund Pike and Dominic West. The movie is in English with French subtitles. (free)

Concerts

Sunday Concert @ 6pm

Gnawa Traditional music with percussion (20dh)

Maqbool Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj with
Irrfan Khan, Tabu and Pankaj Kapur. The movie is in Hindi
with English subtitles. (free)

Dazed & Confused by Mhamed Mrani Alaoui

adil — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 10:27:25 +0000

No matter the medium, technique or format, the value of the canvas is found in the event it creates and the emotions it brings. At the intersection of Arabic calligraphy and contemporary painting currents, Mhamed Mrani, in his own words “plays with colours in order to extract the poetic spirit so keeping dreams alive. Like the sound of a musical instrument echoing in the tumult of the universe, with its subtle whispers”.

The artist ties the philosophy of his life to the worship of Rimbaud “” I will not speak, I will have no thoughts, but infinite love will mount in my soul; And I will go far, far off, like a gypsy, through the countryside, joyous as if I were with a woman”.

After careful exposure one can see varied, veiled references associated with Sufi doctrine, problems of identity and movements of the Arab spring.

The exhibition is presently showing in Cafe Clock before heading off to a gallery in Essaouira.

What’s Your Pleasure?

adil — Tue, 10 May 2011 10:03:21 +0000

The Floor

When you come to Café Clock, you have a variety of seating options. Depending on your mood, you can always find a place to match it. What’s your preference … cushions, a low stool? Maybe a small sofa — or perhaps a straight back chair? There’s even a throne or two! Take your pick.

Feeling a bit voyeuristic? Sit on The Floor and you can watch the world go by and in the early morning hours you can watch the kitchen set up for the day. Sooner or later Ismail will come in, toting large bags of fresh fruits and vegetables. Souad will survey the kitchen contents and place orders for chicken, lamb and camel. Cooking school participants arrive and get ready for a day of shopping, baking, cooking and eating. Suppliers and workers come and go as The Clock is always adding some new feature and making improvements. Tourists, locals, expats and students wind their way into the café and settle in to eat, chat, surf the net, inquire about cultural events or make new acquaintances.

The Balcony

Climb the stairs to The Balcony if you’re looking for a bright, airy space where you can peer down at the activities below or lose yourself in thought as the mobile of instruments suspended from the halqa slowly spins before your eyes. Peer into the sky above.

If you’re part of a large group, there’s alwaysThe Red Room with long tables to accommodate a party of twenty.

The redroom

There’s The Library for more intimate gatherings or quiet study — and off to one side is The Mansoura Room; another cozy corner for thosewho enjoy their privacy.

The Terrace

Looking for views and a bit of fresh air? There’s the incredible Garden Terrace with enclaves of seating and great vistas of the medina. The climb up the stairs is well worth the effort. Once you emerge onto the sun-filled terrace one of the most magnificent minarets in the medina stands right before you. And should Muslims wish to answer the call to prayer, there is the beautiful designated Prayer Room just below the terrace.

Climb to the topmost point onto The Eyrie and imgine you are atop a camel, traveling through space and time. The Garden Terrace is both intimate and expansive.

Mansoura Room

So whatever your mood, Café Clock has a spot waiting for you. Sit, lounge, work, sing, study, eat, drink, recoup, visit, do business and enjoy.

Your table awaits…

Fez to host Morocco’s first flamenco festival

khalid — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 13:57:16 +0000

Madrid – The imperial city of Fez will host Morocco’s first Flamenco Festival in April with more than sixty artists hoping to bring the traditional Spanish art to the Moroccan public.

The festival, to be held by the Cervantes Institute of Fez on April 4-9, is an opportunity to entertain the public with “the essence and tradition of Spanish musical art represented through Flamenco in multiple forms: music, song and dance,” several Spanish media outlets quoted organizers as saying.

Its purpose is also to celebrate a Spanish art whose roots can be traced back to Gitane musical traditions and Andalusian musical folklore.

Fez, known for its annual Festival of Sacred Music, was chosen as the venue for the artistic event thanks to its position as the spiritual and musical capital of the Kingdom, organizers explained.

The festival coincides with UNESCO’s declaration of Flamenco as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Clock Culture This Week April 19 – April 25

admin — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 14:15:56 +0000

CLOCK CULTURE CONCERTS:

Sunday at Sunset 6:30pm

Issawa Traditional music with percussion (20dh)

Every WEDNESDAY at 6:30 pm

Jam @ The Clock Young musicians play live music on the terrace (free)

CLOCK CULTURE MOVIES:

Thursday movie 6:30pm

El-el-Khobzi Hafi directed by Rachid Belhadj with Said Taghmaoui, Faisal Zghadi, Bilel Lasini, Sana Alaoui .The story of a boy without bread, without affection, who transforms his destiny at the age of 20 years through the power of writing (free)

CLOCK CULTURE EVENTS:

13^th March 2010 -16^th May 2010

Architectonic Maroc a watercolour and line-drawing by Mathy Engelen

17^th April 2010 -16^th May 2010

Whirling Dervishes Charcaol + pastel by Aicha

Dhiker photography exhibition by Robert s. Harison

CLOCK CULTURE COURSES:

Dance Belly Dance Workshop with Saida. Private lessons by arrangement

Calligraphy Discover the sacred art of calligraphy with the master Mohamed Charkaoui.Private lessons by arrangement.Speak to café manager for details.

Yoga Speak to café manager for details.

Bazaar Guzzar

Mike — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:25:58 +0000

Butchers Souk (Guzzarine) by Omar Chennafi

BLOGGERS UNEDITED

Cafe Clock encourages writers to send examples of their work for Cafe Clock Online. The following piece by Colleen Cassar really captures the mood and madness found just outside Cafe Clock. This is the first unabridged, unedited story we are publishing. We look forward to receiving your writings, too!

Having settled now very comfortably into my rental riad down in what I call “the small intestine” of the medina, I happily make my way up the Talaa Sghira, amid a sea of umbrella clashes and incessant rain via a couple of cobbled kinks up to my social hub, culture hit, office desk and eatery that is Cafe Clock!

The most interesting stretch of my walk each morning is through the butchers souk (GUZZAR-funnily this moroccan word sounds like a cross between gizzards and bazaar-most appropriate!)…..where cats beg on their hind quarters like dogs for meat scraps, ducks unknowingly ready for the kill roam freely pecking any vegie scraps alongside the begging cats, small rabbits, hardly a meal, sit in cages pacified with sacrificial carrots, goats heads merchandised with all tongues facing left line up for boiling and bone picking, pigeons ‘coo coo’ ready to be coo-cooked!, chickens sit, feet tied as though sleepily awaiting a 3 legged race and the lonesome camel kill pensively looks down on this fantastic scene with heavy lids, coiffed eyelashes and puckered lips. Men and women shop in their warm woollen jellabas and little chocolate donkeys with ever obedient faces carry sacks of vegetables and herbs. Add to the collage of pink, red and maroon flesh more of my favourite colour, large strawberries lovingly placed so as not to bruise one anothers plump beauty atop slow wooden carts. As if this is not enough, mix into this soup of life, a very large group of beautifully dressed Spanish tourists humorously clad in plastic tablecloths knotted over their heads, giggling and poking fun at their collective ridiculousness and improvised attempt to keep dry.

I so so love this place…..the dedication, the simplicity, the hilarity and great inspiration for my pallette, although definately not for the squeamish! When are you coming to Fes?

COLLEEN CASSAR, Melbourne, Australia. – assemblage artist, writer, tour guide and dj!

The Next Stage – Zanouba & Adil

Mike — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:03:36 +0000

1001 Arabian Nights Auditions

Cafe Clock is happy to report Zanouba and Adil made the cut during the recent auditions for 1001 Arabian Nights in Rabat. Next stop: Casablanca where they are joining 40 other hopeful actors from around Morocco.

Zanouba and Adil rose to the occasion under the direction of Tim Supple as they warmed up in a series of exercises designed to put the actors at ease and get them in character. I myself participated in the warm-ups and had a great time pretending to be an actor.

Should all go well for Zanouba and Adil, they will be asked to Egypt where final auditions will be held. After that, rehearsals begin in earnest.

Cafe Clock can’t imagine anything more gratifying than seeing two of Fes’ own get a shot at the ‘big time’. We wish nothing but the best for these two budding stars.

Better get your autographs next time you see Zanouba or Adil as there is every indication these two are on their way to the fame and fortune.

Clock Culture This Week March 08 – March 14

admin — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 13:01:44 +0000

CLOCK CULTURE CONCERTS :

Sunday at Sunset 6:30pm

Amdah soufia Suffi songs with drums (free)

Every WEDNESDAY at 6:30 pm
Jam @ The Clock

CLOCK CULTURE MOVIES :

Thursday movie 6:30pm

First Sunday Directed by David E. Talbert. With Ice Cube, Katt Williams, Tracy Morgan. Durell and LeeJohn are best friends and bumbling petty criminals attempting to deliver ten stolen wheelchairs worth $1200 each, they lose the merchandise in a police chase (Free)

CLOCK CULTURE EVENTS :

13^th Jan 2010 – 12^th Mar 2010

Dreaming In Pictures a photography exhibition by Taha Charkani

14^th Feb 2010 – 15^th Mar 2010

Smile a photography exhibition by Omar Chenaffi

13^th March 2010 -16^th May 2010

Architectonic Maroc a photography exhibition by Mathy

Welcome to Cafe Clock

admin — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 18:07:40 +0000

Café Clock has hands ticking rhythms to multiplying metronomes. The Clock Crew are behind the mechanics and after restoring the 250 year old courtyard house they have brought to Fez a cultural zone that we are all desperate to set our watches to. Musicians, thinkers, performers, lovers, restorers, teachers, travellers national international are walking onto our zellij carpet and playing out their tempos. It’s not just about the conversation piece camel burger or Tariq’s Taza style cheesecake that gets you (re)returning to Café Clock (but quite easily could be); it’s perching on revamped chairs picked up in junk souqs, it’s free wi-fi, it’s listening to Moroccan hip hop followed by belly dancing grooves, it’s swapping numbers with your neighbouring coffee drinker as you’re a lute player and he’s a djembe drummer and let’s jam sometime. The library, the terrace, the bar, the red room, the courtyard, the balcony – Café Clock oozes spaces to retreat, meet, mingle, dance, romanticise in. We are open every day of the week . Breakfast is served daily from 9am, last orders for dinner by 10:00pm (groups above 6 please reserve in advance). We love seasonal, we love local, we love traditional. We use what excites us from the neighbouring markets.

CLOCK CULTURE

And there’s more. We’re ringing all sorts of bells about our growing culture program. More than a coffeehouse, Clock Culture commissions and exhibits visual art, holds rooftop Sunday sunset concerts, runs henna workshops, belly dancing classes, cooking workshops and calligraphy courses. Bursting with ideas? Come on over for a coffee and lets chat.

Find us just 200m down from Bab Boujloud gate. Immediately after the display of dissections in the butchers’ guzzar on Talaa Kabira where on the right the 14th century Bouanania Medersa stands proud, up on the left are the restored remains of the clypsydra, Morocco’s only water clock. Below is slimline Derb el Magana, where, deep inside Café Clock nestles herself from the chaos.

Café Clock is a welcomed pause from the play inside Fez’s medieval capsule. Come breathe your life into the walls and let our cedar beams oil themselves with your histories.