The 1942 classic Hollywood movie Casablanca is full of romance and political espionage set against a backdrop of wartime conflict in Casablanca, Morocco. Deceit, danger, love, and betrayal are all common themes in this critically acclaimed and Academy Award winning film starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and Paul Henreid. Its…
Dates have played an important part in Moroccan cuisine for thousands of years. Archaeological evidence suggests the cultivation of dates all the way back in 6,000 BC in Arabia. The date palm was a major source of life for thousands…
After reading all about the traditional cuisine and sweet mint tea of Morocco I was more than ready to experience it myself when I headed to Amanouz Café in Northampton, Massachusetts. Located on Main Street this unassuming café specializes in the mouth-watering aromas and sumptuous tastes of Moroccan cuisine transporting…
Last years cries from the violin still echo off the ancient Roman ruins and the night’s faint stars add to the enchanting song. For the last thirteen years Jazz au Chella has made its home in the thick fortified walls of Morocco’s own capital city, Rabat. The Jazz Festival of…
For years producers have been lured to Morocco’s captivating culture, magnificence and diversity. It has been praised for its varied terrain of winding streets, Mediterranean coastal towns, lush river valleys, snow capped peaks, sandy deserts and imperial cities. Morocco’s moderate and rather dry climate has contributed to the sets of…
Shopping in Morocco is a unique and exciting experience. No visit to Morocco would be complete without exploring the medinas (walled cities with maze-like streets) of Marrakesh, Fès and Essaouira. Unlike shopping in the West, where people tend to visit local retailers,…
Akin to Spain, bread in Morocco is a key component of any Moroccan diet. There is an ancient proverb, “manage with bread and butter until God sends honey”. This ancient saying affirms that there is availability of bread to all groups in Morocco. For example, the Berbers of the Rif…
Nass El Ghiwane appeared on the scene in the late 1960’s in Morocco. Whenever mentioned in the Western literature, they are referred to as The Rolling Stones , as American Producer Martin Scorsese once put it. They have been the most politicized of all the chaabbi-fusion groups and placed great emphasis…
Fès is the fourth largest city in Morocco and also known as one of the ancient imperial cities). It is separated into three parts, Fès el Bali (the old, walled city), Fès -Jdid (new Fes, home of the Mellah), and the Ville Nouvelle (the French-created, newest section of Fes). The Medina…
The Fes Festival of Sacred Music is one of the widest acclaimed world music events. For fifteen years the festival has been bringing together musicians and visitors from all around the world and uniting them in Morocco with the spiritual music from a variety of different cultures. The idea of…
