Rabat – The Federation of Cultural and Creative Industries (FICC) argues that the COVID-19 crisis presents an unprecedented opportunity to reform cultural and creative industries in Morocco.

In a press release, the FICC said reform is possible through Morocco’s adoption of two strategic axes.

The first axis is based on a social approach aimed at young people to facilitate access to cultural and social living spaces. The approach seeks to stimulate the creative potential of young people and promote their development, according to the press release. 

The second axis is based on the development of the creative and cultural industries (ICC), the federation continued. Companies and professionals operating in the sectors should benefit from favorable conditions to encourage the emergence of a real creative economy, an economy that requires vision, ambition, professionalization, and mobilization.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 crisis in Morocco put the country’s cultural and creative activities on pause, the FICC recalled. Scores of events and gatherings were canceled and museums and other avenues closed. 

Since March 14, the sector’s activities stopped, including cinema, publishing, visual arts, audiovisual, live shows, concerts, theater, tours, galleries, festivals, and other events.

Cultural associations have had to cease their activity and several thousand independent professionals, artists, and technicians are left without work. Even with professional cards, artists must consider themselves “informal workers” to receive financial aid from the Moroccan government and keep their heads above water during the crisis, said the FICC.

The disruption has cost the sector an estimated MAD 2 billion ($204 million) and 100,000 jobs, and approximately 1,100 companies have experienced, on average, a 70% drop in turnover, the press release said.

Read also: COVID-19: Moroccan Museums to Purchase Artwork to Support Local Artists

Mobilizing creative solutions

Several countries around the world have already announced the establishment of aid funds for the revival of the creative and cultural industries, the FICC underlined, and Morocco should follow suit. 

The federation proposes 34 emergency measures aimed at preserving creative and cultural jobs and ensuring the revival of the sector.

Among the proposals, the FICC suggests an exemption of companies for six months — from June to December 2020 — from charges related to IR, CNSS, and AMO. Such exemptions would stabilize the income of employees in the sector.

The FICC also calls for a special fund to support professionals in the sector and for the Moroccan government to encourage regional and local authorities to commit to 2020 budgets dedicated to cultural and creative activities for the year 2020.

To reorganize events canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, project leaders should benefit from an event calendar adapted to Morocco’s deconfinement conditions, added the press release.

Legislative texts to accelerate the modernization of the sector must “see the light of day,” the FICC continued, highlighting artist contracts, BMDA law, and the extension of AMO to industry professionals. Such legal reforms would improve the process for assigning professional cards to artists.

To further benefit the creative and cultural sectors, the FICC seeks to develop digital platforms for the dissemination of cultural creations and productions and aspires to initiate a professional training program.

The federation also proposed a series of specific recommendations adapted to the needs and constraints of each sector. The recommendations incorporate 18 specific measures for the safeguarding of jobs, the unblocking and simplification of procedures, and the granting of subsidies as well as the support for sectors in difficulty, the press release concluded.

Read also: Moroccan Artisans Risk Bankruptcy as Handicraft Sector Faces Uncertainty

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Moroccans have long used natural products to purify and beautify. Traditional beauty secrets include ingredients ranging from essential oils to native plants.

Morocco is a land of diverse nature and beauty. It offers “wanderlust” landscapes from historical to modern, colorful cities and a shimmering sea that hugs its coast from Tangier in the North to Guererat in the South. Magnificent mountains stretching throughout the country and cascading waterfalls will bring you comfort and peace, not to mention the golden colors of Moroccan desert sands.

Morocco’s charm and warmth do not stop at its landscapes and natural wonders. It extends to the Moroccan people and their own unique perspective on beauty.

Purification and cleanliness are deeply rooted in religion, and cleansing both the body and spirit is an essential Moroccan custom. Many traditional beauty rituals derive from this.

This is also why Moroccans make a great deal of frequenting the “hammam,” or traditional Moroccan bathhouse, for deep cleansing, exfoliation, skin treatments, and other body care such as purifying massages and masks.

These are the most essential of the natural Moroccan cosmetics created and proven effective by local women. They will definitely benefit your own beauty rituals.

Rosewater and rose oil

Local women prepare rosewater in Morocco’s oasis valley “El kelaa M’gouna,” commonly known as Valley of the Roses. Every morning, women that live in the valley go to the fields to pick Damask roses.

They crush, steam, and distill the rose petals, creating oil vapor and water vapor. They then cool the steam, yielding both rose oil and rosewater.

The value of these products goes beyond their beautiful scent. Moroccans use rosewater for cleansing and hydrating purposes, to soothe and tone the skin. It can serve as a makeup remover as well as an anti-aging serum. 

Rosewater can also help treat acne and balance the skin’s pH, just by spraying it on a cotton pad and gently dabbing it on the affected area or spraying it directly onto the skin. The water can also soothe the eyes and calm inflammation.

You can also spray rosewater directly on dry or damp hair to keep it soft, hydrated, and frizz-free.

Argan oil

Argan oil comes from the seeds of the Argan tree, which grows almost exclusively in southwest Morocco. The oil comes in two forms, edible and cosmetic.

Aside from its physical health values, argan oil has marvelous beauty benefits. Moroccan women have incorporated argan oil in their beauty routines for centuries to improve skin, hair, and nail health.

Moroccans apply argan oil directly on the skin to treat everything from eczema and psoriasis to wrinkles and hair loss.

Argan oil is a great moisturizer thanks to its high level of vitamin E, which is why you can find it in many common beauty products such as lotions, soaps, and hair conditioners.

The oil contains a significant amount of vitamins and antioxidants, as well as antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. This is great for treating wounds, healing skin infections, countering acne, and addressing other skin conditions.

Argan oil can help restore the skin’s elasticity and leave it feeling plumper and softer, making the oil a great anti-aging product.

Ghassoul clay

“Ghassoul,” or “rhassoul” derives from the Arabic verb “rassala,” which means “to wash.” It is a natural mineral clay, mined from the Moroccan Atlas Mountains.

Moroccan women use ghassoul as part of their hammam ritual, applying the substance to their skin and hair, leaving it for approximately 15 minutes, then rinsing it off with warm water.

Ghassoul has cleansing, soothing, absorbing, and regenerative properties that come from its plentiful vitamins, minerals, and trace elements. These include iron, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, and silicon.

The natural clay can open up dead cells and cleanse pores by removing dirt. This purifies the skin, turning it smoother and softer.

Different methods of use can help with dry or oily hair. Women like to add rosewater to the clay when treating dry hair to hydrate it and create a glowing look. Ghassoul clay also cures dead and dull skin and stabilizes the secretion of sebum, which assists in fighting dandruff.

Beldi Soap

“Beldi” soap, or Moroccan black soap, is a high-alkaline castile soap with a gel-like consistency, made from olive oil and macerated olives. This substance is also part of Moroccans’ traditional hammam skin treatment ritual.

Locals use the multipurpose soap to cleanse, moisturize, and exfoliate the skin with the help of a coarse fabric washcloth, or “kessa,” which is used to remove dead skin cells.

It is rich in vitamin E which helps in purifying and moisturizing the skin, as well as fighting against dullness, aging, and dehydration. It is suitable for all skin types, especially dry and mature skin.

In addition to making the skin smooth and silky, beldi soap helps fight against discoloration and skin irritation with its antibacterial properties.

Other ingredients can enrich the Moroccan black soap, such as essential oils, eucalyptus, rosemary, or peppermint.

Henna

Henna is derived from a plant that grows in the Mediterranean area. It can be found in Morocco’s traditional “souks” and its more modern markets.

The leaves of the henna plant are ground to form a fine powder, which is then mixed with water to create a thick, mud-like paste.

Using Moroccan henna is a very popular tradition in the country. Women of all ages wear it during special celebrations and holidays such as weddings, engagement parties, “sboua,” which is the local version of a baby shower, and Eid.

Women use the semi-permanent vegetable dye to draw beautiful designs, with a brush or needle, on different parts of the body. Moroccan women–and men as well–can use it to dye their hair or beard for a lovely look or to cover white hair.

Besides using it to beautify hands with unique designs and as a hair dye, Moroccans also use henna as a natural body and hair moisturizer.

Moroccan women include henna in their bathing rituals. They scrub their skin and hair with it for a couple of minutes then rinse it off, leaving the skin feeling soft and the hair looking shiny and beautiful.

Amazigh tint / aker Fassi

Aker Fassi is a natural Amazigh (Berber) red tint. It is naturally made from powdered poppies, dried in the southern sun, and the bark of pomegranate trees.

It usually comes in powder form or will look like dried petals. Merchants often sell it in a lid made of clay.

The colorful pigment allows for a long-lasting tint and is traditionally used as a lipstick or blush. To dilute the natural color, moisten the shell with your finger, or ideally a brush, and spread it over your lips or cheeks.

The poppy petals are rich in active ingredients that provide moisturizing, softening, and anti-wrinkle properties.

Aker Fassi also contains antioxidants and calming, soothing features because it has natural flavonoids and alkaloids.

You can also mix Amazigh tint with henna to make a hair mask that will increase shine and softness. When added to ghassoul clay, it enhances the skin’s clarity and creates a natural, brightened, and soft complexion.

Read also: Imaan Hammam Shares Moroccan Beauty Secrets with Vogue

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Rabat – Essaouira officials and tourism professionals are hard at work developing a strategy for the city’s multidimensional revival following the end of Morocco’s COVID-19 lockdown, dubbed “Essaouira, the Day After.” 

For several weeks, the coastal city’s officials have engaged in a cycle of interactive consultation and collective reflection around the logistic and creative means to jumpstart the city’s activity post-lockdown and position it as a national and international tourist destination. 

The Essaouira-Mogador Association, in partnership with the Provincial Tourism Council (CPT), organized the strategic meetings via videoconferences. 

Fifty participants representing various sectors attended the third round of talks on Saturday, and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Essaouira-Mogador Association, Redwane Khanne, led the discussion of their proposed enrichment projects. 

Andre Azoulay, an adviser to King Mohammed VI and the president of the Essaouira-Mogador Association, also participated in the May 30 videoconference.

“The complementary nature of [this] mobilization has been and will be a decisive asset for the success of this open, creative, and participatory approach that Essaouira has chosen to favor,” Azoulay said during the discussion. 

“The exceptional convergence, coherence, and synergy that has characterized this collective, proactive, and pragmatic reflection … [have] made it possible to optimize and conceptualize in record time … scenarios of the multidisciplinary strategy that could be implemented as early as July,” he continued.

Read also: Marrakech Looks Towards Domestic Tourism to Revive Economy

Dynamic proposals from a diverse collective

Among the projects presented, a mobile application stands out as particularly promising. The app aims to enhance the historical and cultural heritage of Essaouira, reach a wider target of tourists, promote Essaouira on the web, and facilitate interactive communication and digital marketing in order to better inform visitors and spread a more dynamic image of the city.

Proposals also include the production of promotional videos, a museum space dedicated to Gnaoua art and culture, and a daily entertainment program for the summer months to promote Essaouira as the center of religious and cultural coexistence in Morocco.

“In Essaouira and for a little more than 30 years now, we have been enhancing our heritage and revisiting our history, immersing ourselves in the depth and modernity of the humanist values that have nurtured and largely determined the Souiri identity,” Azoulay remarked during Saturday’s videoconference.

Another proposal suggests live-streaming the city’s contemporary dance music and digital arts “Moga Festival” to reach a broader international audience.

Other project ideas include localized food tours, an app detailing tourist circuits to promote domestic tourism, and a simplified guide outlining the preventive health measures necessary for the resumption of cultural activities in the city.

“This Souiri agenda would fall within the regulatory framework decided by the government, and that is why we have developed for each project three feasibility scenarios, the minimal, the median, and the optimal,” said Azoulay.

“Essaouira now has a comprehensive, rational, and realistic roadmap that allows all hopes for the days after [lockdown],” he stated confidently. 

Read also: COVID-19 Can Propel Reform of Morocco’s Cultural, Creative Industries

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Rabat – Moroccan Minister of Culture Othman El Ferdaous announced a contest for musicians to play a “Funky version” of the Moroccan national anthem on June 1.

El Ferdaous shared a guitar version of Morocco’s national anthem on Twitter, asking if there’s anyone who can make “a better one.”

هذه نسخة "فونكي" من النشيد الوطني التي أداها رضا شريف. هل بإمكانكم أن تنجزوا أحسن منها؟ أرسلوا معزوفاتكم الصوتية أو بالآلات الموسيقية إلى رقم واتساب التالي : 0665222938. آخر أجل للمشاركة هو 5 يونيو pic.twitter.com/0qbbwZ1iUx

— Othman El Ferdaous – عثمان الفردوس (@oef75) June 1, 2020

The Ministry of Culture launched the contest on May 31 and will accept submissions until June 5. The first selection will take place on June 6 and 7, while the second selection will depend on public votes. The minister will announce the winners’ names on June 9.

Participants can either send a vocal recording of themselves singing the national anthem or playing it on instruments. All submissions should be sent by Whatsapp on the number +212665222938.

This competition falls under an initiative titled “Create and Benefit from Home,” that the ministry launched as part of the COVID-19 cultural programs with the aim to help Moroccans cope with the state of emergency. The next competition will be about Football, the ministry announced.

Ali Squalli Houssaini wrote the current Moroccan national anthem or Cherifian anthem in 1970 at the request of King Hassan II. The monarch called for the anthem to be written after the Moroccan National Football team’s qualification for the World Cup in Mexico.

The Moroccan National Anthem

Fountain of Freedom

Source of Light

Where sovereignty and safety meet,

Safety and sovereignty may you ever combine!

You have lived among nations

With title sublime,

Filling each heart,

Sung by each tongue,

Your champion has risen

And answered your call.

For your soul and your body,

The victory they have conquered.

In my mouth and in my blood

Your breezes have stirred both light and fire.

Up! my brethren,

Strive for the highest.

We call to the world

That we are here ready.

We salute as our emblem

God, Homeland, and King.

Read also: Moroccans Show Solidarity Against COVID-19 With National Anthem Tribute

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Rabat – Moroccan saxophonist Lotfi Sax has held a series of performances for his neighbors in Casablanca during the lockdown that has been in place since mid-March to curb the spread of COVID-19. 

“I want to bring to the world music that will make people dance and allow them to forget what bad things have happened in the day,” said Lotfi in an interview with Morocco World News. 

Lotfi, a full-time digital marketing consultant, has been playing the saxophone for just over six years and typically spends between three to four hours a day honing his instrumental skills. 

When Moroccan authorities issued the nationwide lockdown, he began dreaming up ways to share his music with the world while maintaining social distancing. 

After some of his neighbors mentioned the musical recordings that were spreading joy from balconies and rooftops in Italy and Spain, Lotfi said he decided to surprise his neighbors with a performance of their own. 

“I live in a place that has a big courtyard garden in between all of the apartments in the complex, so it was like having a real event.” 

Lotfi’s first of six balcony performances lasted over an hour. He says that his neighbors saw it all the way through with “only positive vibes.” Among others, he covered songs by Justin Timberlake, Luis Fonsi, Bruno Mars, Swedish House Mafia, and Avicii. 

While Lotfi has worked hard to memorize over 100 songs by other artists, he is also in the process of releasing more of his own creative work and expects to release his first single by the end of June. 

Lotfi’s inspiration and upcoming recordings 

The Oujda-born musician says he is most inspired by electronic dance music (EDM). In an effort to share Moroccan rhythms with the world in an innovative fashion, Lotfi is experimenting with recording his woodwind tunes over traditional Moroccan Gnawa beats, EDM-style. 

The saxophone, a non-traditional instrument in Morocco, was first designed in Belgium in the 1800s. Electronic dance music, one of the fastest growing musical genres today, emerged in the 1980s as an offshoot from the disco scene. 

Well-preserved heritage music such as Gnawa is popular across Morocco and other North African countries. The songs, played with guembri (a two-string bass instrument) and qraqeb (similar to castanets), often combine Islamic rituals, poetry, and dance. 

Lotfi’s combination of the three musical genres would bridge musical cultures and sounds from around the world. 

“The challenge was to find a concept that would make me different and set me apart from other musicians,” he said. Based on the 31-year-old musician’s love for EDM, Morocco, and the saxophone, the concept of combining the three seemed like the best option and one that would allow him to have the most fun. 

Typically, Lotfi performs at weddings, birthday parties, company gatherings, or galas around Marrakech and Casablanca. Once the lockdown lifts in Morocco, he hopes to extend his performances beyond the country’s borders. Lotfi also said he has plans to host a proper concert in his neighborhood courtyard to allow others to gather and enjoy his music.

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For over a decade I placed my oldest sister on a pedestal because of her scrumptious lasagna recipe. It was the best that I had tasted in my entire life, until I made my own lasagna and it tasted very similar to hers—with a lot less effort. 

I lost some reverence for my sister that day, but I had a mouth-watering lasagna to make me feel better about it. 

You may feel skeptical about lasagna requiring too much effort for the “lazy cooks” community. But if you really think about it, a lasagna is nothing more than a fancy bolognese spaghetti—and we all know how easy that is to make, albeit not as cheesy!

Let us get right down to taking shortcuts to make this delicious meal.

Ingredients:

12 lasagna sheets 

½ kg of minced beef (equivalent to around MAD 40 ($4))

1.5 kg of tomatoes (equivalent to around 12 relatively small tomatoes)

1 medium-to-small onion

Salt and pepper

1 liter of milk

2 Packets of powder bechamel sauce

500 g of edam cheese (that’s about half of a medium-sized ball) 

The meat filling 

The first step to making the meat filling is, unsurprisingly, cooking your meat. The original lasagna recipe mixes two kinds of meat. I am sure the Italians have their reasons, the same way you and I have our own to ignore them—we could not be bothered and it costs less to only use minced beef. 

Start by pan frying a finely chopped onion on medium heat for a few minutes, until lightly browned. Next, add the minced meat with some salt and pepper. 

While the meat is cooking, start on the marinara sauce (which is a fancy name for a well-seasoned tomato sauce.) You could skip this entire step and save yourselves 30 minutes. I probably recommend that, it just involves purchasing a store-bought can of the sauce. It will do the work just fine.

Since I had tomatoes at home that I didn’t want to go to waste, I made my sauce from scratch. First, boil the tomatoes in barely a teacup of water for about 20 minutes. Then turn them into a sauce using an electric mixer. 

Finally, add your seasoning. Salt and pepper are enough but if you are committed add basil, bay leaf, garlic, and/or hot sauce. The point is you want to have a rich and well-seasoned sauce. 

When your meat is ready, add the marinara sauce and let it cook for five more minutes. Now your meat filling mixture is ready, and it is time to move on to the bechamel sauce.

The bechamel sauce

You will find that the traditional lasagna recipe also lists a mixture of multiple wet cheeses and a layer of dry cheese. That is blasphemy in the “lazy cooks” book. In this version, we stick to one sauce and one dry cheese to minimize cost and labor.

In a saucepan, pour the milk and add the bechamel powder. The trick here is to slowly dissolve the powder in a cup of milk then add the cup of milk-powder mixture to the rest of the milk. This stops heterogenous chunks from forming in your bechamel sauce. Keep stirring for one to two minutes until the liquid turns into a condensed mixture. Your bechamel is ready. 

Pro tip: You can also make your bechamel sauce from scratch by mixing butter, milk, and a tablespoon of flour. But since the bechamel powder costs around MAD 5.5 ($0.5) per packet, why bother?

The lasagna sheets

The authentic lasagna recipe is made from freshly-made dough, but we are definitely not going to commit to that project.

The common practice is to boil sheets in a similar fashion to spaghetti. This is more appealing, but I am ambitious in looking to minimize my time and yours.

Behold, there is such a thing as oven-ready lasagna sheets! The catch with these sheets is that they absorb the sauce from your other ingredients in order to hydrate. This means using the raw sheets, you will need to be very generous with liquids in each layer and risk that your lasagna might turn out to be too runny. 

To counter this we will boil the oven-ready sheets in salted, hot water for about three minutes, trying to keep them in one piece. If your lasagna dish has similar dimensions to mine you will only need 12 sheets for three layers, but have two or three as spares in case you break the others.

Pro tip: Add vegetable oil to the water and only boil four sheets at a time to avoid the sheets sticking together. I also find rinsing the sheets with cold water to be helpful.

Layering the lasagna

Butter your lasagna dish–I learned the hard way that this means a rectangular, deep, and oven-friendly dish, but this is a story for another article–then start with a thin layer of the meat filling. If you happen to have leftovers from the marinara sauce, add a sauce layer first as an alternative to prevent wasting your meat.

Second, layer four lasagna sheets and add a generous layer of meat filling, then bechamel sauce and shredded edam cheese. Repeat this step one more time. Then, for the top layer, add four more lasagna sheets followed by bechamel sauce and the edam cheese—but skip the meat filling.

Your lasagna is ready for the oven. Cover your dish with tin foil and place it in a preheated oven around 170 degrees Celsius for about 45 minutes. Then remove the tin foil and let it cook for another 15 minutes. 

Pro tip: The tin foil protects the lasagna from drying up and losing its juice. When you remove it in the last 15 minutes you allow the cheese to melt and caramelize just enough.

Your lasagna is ready but stop! Do not cut it just yet. Let it rest for another 15 to 20 minutes after you take it out of the oven. If you cut it right after you bring it out of the oven it will be runny.

Let it settle before you enjoy a marvelous, cheesy, comfort food. If you ever run into my sister, feel free to mention that “lazy” lasagna is a winner.

The post Cooking for the Lazy: Easy Cheesy Lasagna Recipe appeared first on Morocco World News.

Rabat – American production company Good Films Collective has signed an agreement with Swedish filmmaker Daniel Espinosa for a film project about the murder of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Titled “The Execution,” the upcoming narrative drama will recount the murder of Khashoggi in the Saudi Arabian embassy in Istanbul on October 2, 2018, when he entered to acquire documents to apply for a marriage license.

The movie will explore the planning, the details, and the motives behind the murder, as well as the aftermath, according to Deadline.

A Saudi hit team that is closely connected to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) carried out the murder of the former Washington Post columnist.

The hit team included Saudi intelligence Colonel Maher Mutreb, who, according to CIA Director Gina Haspel, citing audio recordings from the embassy, was the leader of the operation.

The audio recordings included conversations between Mutreb and Saudi forensic pathologist Salah Muhammed Al Tubaigy during the killing that took place at the consul general’s office. Tubaigy was in charge of dismembering Khashoggi.

Good Films Collective has not yet revealed any information about the participating actors, nor the first day of the shooting.

The company has produced several films about notorious criminal cases, such as “City of Lies,” starring Johnny Depp, about the murder of American rapper Christopher Wallace, also known as The Notorious B.I.G, and “The Infiltrator,” starring Bryan Cranston, about the bust of drug lord and terrorist Pablo Escobar.

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Rabat – Moroccan writer and painter Mahi Binebine has won the 2020 “Prix Mediterranee” literary award for his latest French novel “Rue du pardon” (Street of Forgiveness), the award’s organizers announced on Monday, June 8.

“Whenever I receive an award, I am less happy for my ego than for the work itself which will have greater visibility,” Binebine told Morocco World News following the announcement.

“In France, books disappear from bookstores after two months of their publication. The awards serve to give them a second life,” he continued.

Published in May 2019, “Rue du pardon” tells the story of Hayat, a young girl who grows up in the Medina of Marrakech. Abused by her father, rejected by her mother, and accused of bastardism by her neighbors for her blond hair, Hayat takes refuge in her relationships with her grandfather and in Mamyta, the most well-known oriental dancer in the country.

“Mamyta represents a symbol of freedom in a country founded on the forbidden,” reads the novel’s synopsis.

Being a target of both slurs and admiration, the geisha-like figure takes Hayat under her wing and teaches her how to become an artist in a society where art is taboo.

Before winning the award, Binebine appeared on the shortlist of the 35th “Prix Mediterranee” alongside French novelist Sylvain Coher, for his novel “Vaincre a Rome” (To Defeat in Rome), and Lebanese writer Yasmine Khlat, for her book “Egypte 51” (Egypt 51).

The Moroccan writer is set to receive the award on October 3 during a ceremony in Perpignan, southern France.

With this new decoration, Binebine becomes only the second Moroccan writer to win the “Prix Mediterranee,” after Tahar Ben Jelloun received the prize in 1994 for his novel “L’Homme rompu” (Corruption).

Created in 1982, the “Prix Mediterranee” annually awards a book written in French and narrating stories from around the Mediterranean.

The post Morocco’s Mahi Binebine Wins 2020 ‘Prix Mediterranee’ Literary Award appeared first on Morocco World News.

Rabat – The Moroccan Cinematographic Center (CCM) has made 15 more Moroccan movies available for free online to offer more entertainment for citizens who remain under lockdown.

The decision to make the movies available online came following the Moroccan government’s decision to extend the state of emergency until July 10, and to only ease lockdown measures in regions where there are no active cases of COVID-19.

Under the new regulations, approximately 40% of the Moroccan population still cannot leave their homes without special authorization.

The CCM previously made 36 Moroccan movies available online, including 25 on March 31, and 11 on May 20, after the Moroccan government extended the lockdown for a second time. The new list brings the total of movies available to 51.

While the first two lists of movies included recently-released Moroccan movies, the new list includes several older movies, considered to be “classics” of Moroccan cinema, the CCM said in a press release.

Similarly to the previous list, each of the new films will be available for streaming on the CCM’s website for 48 hours, according to a pre-established schedule.

As of June 10, the movies had attracted more than 485,000 viewers from 101 different countries, the press release added.

The CCM expressed its “pride” in the enthusiasm the Moroccan and international public have shown for national cinema, and reiterated its thanks for the producers who agreed to the free streaming of their movies.

The initiative aims to add more entertainment options for Moroccans under the country’s state of emergency, especially as the government still forbids a large part of the population from leaving their homes except for work, essential grocery shopping, and medical emergencies.

In late March, a survey by Morocco’s Center of Interprofessional Media Audiences (CIAUMED) revealed that Moroccan households have increased their daily television intake by an hour and a half since the start of the lockdown.

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By Anika Reker

Rabat – A 30-year-old campervan, a German-Polish couple around the same age, and a load full of microphones, mic stands, amplifiers, and professional recording equipment comprise the “Hit the Road Music Studio.”

Founded by audio engineer Adrian Parzentry and artist Kasia Pisula, the project grants talented musicians access to high-quality music recording equipment, especially those who are not able to afford it otherwise. In the past year, the mobile studio has featured approximately 50 musicians and bands and reached over half a million listeners with their productions.

As a traveling journalist from Germany in Morocco, I found out about “Hit The Road Music Studio” by coincidence. I checked out their YouTube channel and got in touch via Instagram. Adrian and Kasia were based in the desert village of Tagounite at the time, working with the band Daraa Tribes. In the middle of February this year, we finally were able to set up a meeting when my route led me through nearby Zagora.

It was a hot and dusty day when Kasia and Adrian came to meet me with their friends from Daraa Tribes and with Noura, a female singer from Zagora. Despite the heat, the atmosphere was easy and relaxed as we all got to know each other over some mint tea. 

Inspiration to ‘Hit the Road’

The first thing I really wanted to know was how the couple got the idea to leave everything behind and start their project. Adrian, a tall man with long blond hair and lips always curved into a big smile, explained that he wanted to open up his own music studio for a long time but was not content with the prospect of sitting idly indoors, waiting for musicians to call: “So, the idea popped up to buy a campervan and build up a mobile recording studio and just go hunting musicians all over the world to bring them the good vibes.”

While Adrian takes care of the recording and audio mixing, his girlfriend Kasia is responsible for the project’s visual design aspects and shoots the music videos. In the past few years, the couple has lived in many different places like Berlin and Krakow and always spared lots of time for traveling. They are no longer choosing their destinations only because they are nice to visit, but are driven by the search for good sounds. “This is really our life now,” said Kasia with her dark eyes smiling underneath a black pageboy hairdo, adding that “we like slow travel and meeting people and [sharing] the life. The project allows us to combine all of this.”

Throughout the conversation, they told me about their pilot in the summer of 2018. They traveled for one month to Essaouira, a coastal city in southern Morocco. At the time, they did not yet have their campervan. Instead, they stuffed microphones and stands into their backpacks and simply walked through the city, asking anyone if they were interested in recording a single. 

The idea worked out. They met and recorded singer-songwriters, street musicians, and even entire orchestras. During this short time, they already developed the notion that Morocco is a very special country regarding sounds. “Music is such a big part of the culture,” said Adrian. “People just play and got the rhythm inside. Nobody is ashamed. This enables musicians to develop many different styles.” One year, later they had saved up enough money for their mobile studio and decided to return to Morocco, “the land of music.”

Tribal harmonies

Perhaps more than any other element of Moroccan music, the different styles of the Sahara coupled with the region’s extraordinary instruments left the couple deeply impressed. One example of the unique desert style is the band Daraa Tribes. “We play the blues of the desert,” said rhythm guitarist Mustapha Agermim. He had just returned to the scene along with his fellow band members after changing from street clothes into traditional outfits consisting of long colorful garments and turbans. “The band tries to take what is very old and traditional and mix it with modern instrument,” he explained.

Their sound is one thing, but what really made Kasia and Adrian want to work with the group is their message of peace, love, and unity. Each of the five members is from a different tribe. “In other places in the world you can still see tribal wars. So, we are showing people of the world that we are all here in the Draa Valley living in harmony,” Agermim added.

For Agermim and his bandmates, working with “Hit the Road Music Studio” was both a pleasure and a professional benefit. The band had worked with different producers before, but collaborating with Adrian really stuck out for them. They recorded the songs using 14 different microphones, which they said added significant value to the production. 

A supportive community experience

Kasia shot scenes with them playing in the desert and they emerged from the collaborative work with two professional music videos. Adrian and Kasia did not charge anything for their services. “Some bands pay, but we don’t want to build up a barrier for musicians that don’t have the money. That is the philosophy of the project. It would be a pity if bands would not be heard due to the lack of money,” said Adrian.

This seemed to me like a very noble and generous way of operating, but left me wondering how they could afford traveling while working mostly for free. It turned out that most of the groups and musicians, including Daraa Tribes, offer them a place to stay and food in return. Meanwhile, they maintain a low-cost lifestyle while traveling. “We made lots of very good friends and for me, this has more value than a few euros more in my pocket,” said Adrian.

Even though the couple picked up a little Tamazight (Berber) and Arabic throughout their journey, they are far from speaking either fluently. But language never has been a big issue for them. Agermim speaks English while the rest of the band does not feel comfortable with it — just like many other musicians they worked with. “You know, we are working in the domain of music,” said Agermim while Adrian added: “Most of the time we don’t need translation. Music is a beautiful language and easy language to work with.”

Adrian and Kasia have now spent almost a year in Morocco. Within that time, “Hit The Road Music Studio” featured approximately 50 musicians and produced a total of 60 songs. Alongside most of the tracks, they released one or even two videos on their YouTube channel. 

Among the featured musicians were some well-known bands such as Daraa Tribes, but also absolute newcomers who had only ever recorded with their phones. One of the less experienced musicians is the singer Noura, who also shared in the conversation and tea at our meeting in Zagora. “Before, I have played at a festival in Tan-Tan along with Daraa Tribes,” Noura said. “I am really excited to do my first recording with Adrian.”

Looking forward

“Noura was the first female musician from Morocco we worked with,” Adrian and Kasia told me over the phone when I recently contacted them for an update. “We don’t really strategize who will be featured but we would love to record more women and started to reach out to female musicians in Morocco,” said Kasia. Now they have some Moroccan women in the queue and are hoping to meet with them when lockdown ends.

When Morocco implemented its coronavirus containment measures in March, the couple found themselves stuck on a campground in Sidi Ifni. The cost for the long stay took up much of their savings. On top of that, bands who were willing and able to pay for their services suddenly did not have the money anymore due to canceled concerts. 

Instead of burying their heads in the sand, they came up with the idea of starting a fundraiser and are collecting money to eventually be able to realize the canceled productions when lockdown ends. Supporters of the campaign will also benefit. Depending on the chosen donation package, contributors are rewarded with access to the album or, for one example, mixing lessons by Adrian. “We turned a lose-lose-situation into a win-win for everyone,” said Adrian.

After getting to know the heads behind “Hit The Road Music Studio” and hearing about what they have done to support and productively challenge talented musicians, I can only conclude that the project is a winner.

Read also: Ramadan in Morocco: A Bohemian South Korean Chef’s Treasured Experience

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Rabat – Morocco’s Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sports, Othman El Ferdaous, has announced the launch of an exceptional program to support cultural actors from the worlds of art and books amid the socio-economic crisis due to COVID-19.

El Ferdaous detailed the ministry’s decision on his social networks, including Facebook and LinkedIn.

The minister said his department is aware of the national contributions of creators such as artists and writers and their efforts to promote social cohesion and unity.

To support the sector during the coronavirus-induced economic crisis, the Ministry of Culture launched the “exceptional program to support cultural actors from the worlds of arts and books, individuals, associations, and businesses, to mitigate the socio-economic impact of the state of emergency,” El Ferdaous announced.

The exceptional program includes the pre-distribution by the Moroccan Copyright Office (BMDA) of all the remaining distributions scheduled for the 2020 fiscal year, starting June 15.

The BMDA will distribute MAD 35.4 million ($3.65 million) in favor of “adhering authors and creators in particular, the 2019 collections of copyright and remuneration for private copying for the three categories: Lyric, dramatic, and literary in accordance with the recommendations of Authors and Composers (CISAC) and UNESCO ResiliArt P program.”

The program also includes the launch of a call for artistic projects for MAD 39 million ($4.02 million) in five main areas including theater and national tours (MAD 20 million or $2.06 million); music, song, performing arts, and choreographic arts (MAD 12 million or $1.24 million); and plastic arts exhibitions or visuals carried by galleries (MAD 2 million or $206,323).

The fourth area concerns the acquisition of works of plastic or visual art from artists for a budget of MAD 3 million ($309,485), at MAD 5,000 to MAD 30,000 per work ($516 to $3,095), to “enrich the collection of the ministry and encourage young talents.”

The fifth area concerns the participation of the National Museums Foundation, which is set to launch an initiative to acquire artwork from Moroccan creators.

El Ferdaous also outlined an “in-depth partnership with the National Museums Foundation concerning the loan of works from the unexposed collection of the ministry so that artworks of Moroccan artists could be featured for the public” at national museums and internationally.

The ministry said it will work with “high resolution” equipment to digitize the collections.

The minister announced that a call for projects in publishing and books for a budget of MAD 11 million ($1.13 million) to acquire works from bookstores and publishers for their distribution in public libraries will be launched on June 17.

The ministry will also publish cultural journals online as part of the initiatives to raise awareness of the importance of reading, as well as the participation of Moroccan authors at international fairs.

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Rabat – American music corporation Universal Music Group (UMG) has opened its first office in Morocco with the aim of discovering and promoting new talents.

In addition to setting up shop in Casablanca, UMG also opened its first office in Tel Aviv, Israel, with the objective of expanding its network in the North Africa and Middle East (MENA) region.

The inauguration in Morocco comes one month after UMG opened its first Southeast Asia office in Singapore. 

UMG Executive Vice President Adam Granite expressed the Group’s commitment to signing and developing domestic and regional talent, while “helping the entire regional music ecosystem grow.” He added that the new inauguration will accelerate the company’s ability to support local artistry and talent in Morocco and surrounding countries.

Owned by the French mass media conglomerate Vivendi since 2000, after its detachment from Universal Studios in 1998, UMG is present in over 60 countries around the world. 

Granite said that UMG’s intention is to offer “real support” on the ground and give local artists the best opportunity to reach new audiences around the world.

Serena Safieddine, who had already been working for UMG MENA, will lead Universal Music Morocco.

Universal Music MENA CEO Patrick Boulos highlighted the “wealth of untapped artist talent” within Morocco and its immediate neighbors” and said that the group is excited to introduce “these unique sounds” to global audiences, platforms, and partners.

Morocco is known for its diversity of traditional musical genres and has made significant achievements in the field of music throughout recent years. These achievements shine through in the forms of widely popular Moroccan singers and musicians as well as the organization of renowned music festivals.

Morocco has organized the Mawazine music festival under the theme “Rhythms of the World” since 2001.

The festival features both famous singers from around the world of all genres, including Sting, The Scorpions, Shakira, BB King, Bruno Mars, Julio Iglesias, and more, and popular regional artists such as Hamid El Kasri, Hoba Hoba Spirit, and Tinariwen.

The festival regularly gathers millions of music enthusiasts from around the world.

One of the many successful Moroccans in the field of contemporary music is two-time Grammy Award winner and music producer Nadir Khayat, also known as RedOne, who has worked with iconic musicians around the world such as Michael Jackson and Lady Gaga.

The post Universal Music Expands MENA Presence with First Office in Morocco appeared first on Morocco World News.

Rabat – A letter co-written by Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh and French painter Paul Gauguin sold yesterday at auction in Paris for $236,000.

The letter dates back to November 1888, two years before Van Gogh’s death at the age of 37. Van Gogh sent the letter from the southern French city of Arles to French painter Emile Bernard.

Rare letter detailing Van Gogh and Gauguin's brothel visits could sell for $282K at auction @Drouot via @CNNStyle https://t.co/uu2AE2upF1

— Artprice.com (@artpricedotcom) June 9, 2020

The letter was an invitation for Bernard to revive modern art and set up an association of painters, as well as recounting a number of adventures that the two artists shared in brothels.

“I don’t think it will astonish you greatly if I tell you that our discussions tend to deal with the terrific subject of an association of certain painters,” said Van Gogh in the letter.

The two artists wrote the letter in the context of Gauguin’s visit to Arles where Van Gogh lived. The two friends painted together for several months and exchanged their visions about art.

“For a long time it has seemed to me that in our filthy job as painters we have the greatest need of people with the hands and stomach of a labourer,” Van Gogh continued.

The two artists painted some of the most expensive paintings in history, with Gauguin’s “Nafea Faa Ipoipo ?” that a buyer in Qatar acquired for $300 million, and Van Gogh’s “Portrait of Doctor Gachet” which went to a Japanese businessman for $82.5 million.

Although Van Gogh’s paintings ranked among the most expensive in history, the Dutch painter suffered poverty depression and mental instability for most of his life until he committed suicide on July 27, 1890, when he shot himself in the chest with a revolver.

According to CNN, there are over 900 surviving letters written by or to Van Gogh that historians have used to better understand the painter’s “troubled life.”

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Rabat – The second highest grossing film in the history of cinema is back with James Cameron directing the sequel, “Avatar 2,” in New Zealand after the country almost completely eradicated COVID-19.

Producers of Titanic and Avatar, Jon Landau and Cameron received a permit to enter New Zealand earlier this month despite the closure of its borders to prevent a major COVID-19 outbreak.

The filmmakers postponed the shooting of “Avatar 2” in March, even before New Zealand ordered a COVID-19 lockdown.

“The Wellington skies greeted us with a beautiful rainbow on our first day back at Stone Street Studio for prep on the Avatar sequels,” wrote Landau on Instagram earlier this week.

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The Wellington skies greeted us with a beautiful rainbow on our first day back at Stone Street Studio for prep on the Avatar sequels.

A post shared by Jon Landau (@jonplandau) on Jun 14, 2020 at 8:21pm PDT

In an interview with One News, Landau said that “one of the great things about the film industry is that our spending is quite diversified. We don’t just spend money in one area. We spend money when we cater for 400 people a day – we go to the local market.”

The American producer revealed that his team will spend $70 million in the upcoming five months of shooting.

In April 2016, Cameron announced that there will be four Avatar sequels, released in 2021, 2023, 2025, and 2027.

The first “Avatar” hit theaters in 2009 and remains the most expensive movie in the history of cinema with a budget of $237 million.

The landscapes of New Zealand have served as popular shooting locations for several successful movies over the past two decades, such as “The Lord of the Rings” saga and related “The Hobbit” saga, as well as “The Last Samurai” and “Wolverine.”

After recording zero new cases for 20 consecutive days, the southern Pacific country declared on June 7 it had effectively halted the spread of COVID-19 within its borders.

“We are confident we have eliminated the transmission of the virus in New Zealand for now, but elimination is not a point in time, it is a sustained effort,” said New Zealand Prime Minister Jacina Ardern during a news conference the same day. 

New Zealand has since identified three new cases, stemming from Kiwis who returned to their home country after becoming infected abroad. On June 17, Ardern ordered the country’s military to assume oversight of the isolation of new arrivals.

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Rabat – Morocco celebrates today the 50th birthday of Prince Moulay Rachid, the younger brother of King Mohammed VI. 

Prince Moulay Rachid was born on June 20, 1970, in Rabat. He is the youngest child of the late King Hassan II and his second wife, Lalla Latifa Hammou. His four older siblings are King Mohammed VI, Princess Lalla Meryem, Princess Lalla Asma, and Princess Lalla Hasna.

He is second in the line of succession to the Moroccan throne, after Crown Prince Moulay Hassan, the King’s son. 

The royal married Oum Kalthum Boufares on June 15, 2014, and the couple welcomed their first child, Moulay Ahmed, on June 23, 2016. 

Prince Moulay Rachid often represents the monarchy at stately events such as the funeral of the late Omani Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said and chairs several organizations within the country such as the golf Association Trophee Hassan II (ATH). 

He is decorated with honors from 11 countries — including the UK, France, and Spain — in addition to the national honor of Knight Grand Cordon of the Order of the Throne.

Known for his passions for golf and hunting, the well-educated royal also serves Morocco as a diplomat, holding a doctorate in international politics and having spent 12 years pursuing higher education.

He carried out his primary and secondary studies at the Royal College in Rabat and obtained the Baccalaureat in June 1989. He studied law at Mohammed V University in Rabat and obtained his Bachelor of Law in May 1993, with a focus on economic and social law. 

The Moroccan royal also received in 1993 his license to practice public law. In June 1995, he completed his graduate studies and received a Master of Law in political science after researching and presenting a thesis on the Bosnia War, which ended six months later.

Prince Moulay Rachid entered into international diplomacy during his internship with the UN in New York, which he began in November 1993 to complete the necessary training for his postgraduate education.

He received a postgraduate degree in international relations in June 1996 and presented his doctorate thesis in May 2001 on the Organisation of the Islamic Conference at University Montesquieu-Bordeaux IV. The quality of his work earned the prince a special mention.

In addition to representing the kingdom at international events and serving as chairman of various associations, Prince Moulay Rachid made headlines recently for his charitable giving.

After a video went viral of a Frenchman viciously running down a young shepherd’s flock of sheep in Bouznika in May, the prince donated a flock of sheep to the shepherd. The gesture showed the prince’s solidarity with the shepherd and aimed to support him after he lost his main source of livelihood.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions on movement and social gatherings, Moroccans will not see any public celebrations of the prince’s birthday. Nonetheless, Morocco wishes Prince Moulay Rachid a joyous birthday and a happy year ahead.

Read also: Morocco’s Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan Celebrates 17th Birthday

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In this time of civil unrest in the United States and around the world, many are looking to educate themselves on one of today’s most prominent topics. Numerous recommended books are non-fiction, such as “How to Be an Antiracist” by Ibram X Kendi and “White Fragility” by Robin DiAngelo. 

These books are inarguably valuable, but fiction and memoir should not be overlooked. Novels and first-hand accounts can be particularly educational about the Black experience in the United States and provide a holistic view of the history of those experiences. I have read a variety of Black American-focused literature from many eras, which contributed largely to my own understanding of race today. 

This list features some of my favorite novels, memoirs, and prose that everyone should consider reading to develop a deeper understanding of race in the United States; now, and throughout history.

‘Beloved’ by Toni Morrison

Toni Morrison is a renowned Black American author who won a Pulitzer Prize for “Beloved” in 1988 and the Nobel prize in literature in 1993. “Beloved” explores the complexity of beauty and pain on a slave plantation called “Sweet Home,” which is anything but sweet. Morrison questions the meaning of freedom for a Black enslaved woman in the 1860s. 

Morrison reflects that even the responsibility of raising a child, of being a parent to one, is a freedom not destined for a slave. “Beloved” is Morrison’s fictional retelling of the life of Margaret Garner, a young mother who escaped slavery and was arrested for killing one of her children and attempting to kill the others. “Beloved” questions the morality of this act, when a mother could not accept that her children would grow up in the circumstances she was forced to endure.

Read also: Power Vs Pigmentation and Invoking the 1807 Insurrection Act

‘The Garies and Their Friends’ by Frank J. Webb

“The Garies and Their Friends” is a much lesser-known book but is one of my personal favorites. Written post-Civil War but taking place pre-Civil War, the novel explores the differences between racism in the North and the South, and the destruction of which the seemingly less malevolent Northerners are capable. 

“The Garies and Their Friends” explores themes of feminism, Black power, interracial relationships, and the experiences of Black people who are “white-passing.” It presents the strength of the Black community and the falsehood of freedom in the North. “The Garies and Their Friends” is a fascinating read and incredibly informative.  

‘Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave’ by Frederick Douglass

“Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass” is, in my opinion, one of the most important books anyone can read. The memoir is considered to be one of the most influential texts that fueled the abolitionist movement in the 19th century United States and is still widely studied today. 

In the book, Douglass discusses his experience enslaved on a plantation in Lynn, Massachusetts and life after his escape. Douglass writes about the details of the atrocities he faced, of people kind and evil, and how quickly one’s morals can change when they understand their position of power against the oppressed. Douglass writes about freedom. He states that he did not know his age because even that was a luxury never provided to a slave. The book is heart-wrenching and honest and is certainly an eye-opener on the history of the Black experience in the United States.

‘Citizen: An American Lyric’ by Claudia Rankine

Rankine’s book serves to “pull the lyric back into its realities” by highlighting acts of everyday racism in poetic form. Throughout the work, a non-African American reader begins to understand the simple racist aggressions that affect the lives of Black Americans every single day. From waiting in lines at the grocery store to the treatment of Serena Williams by and against her white competitors, Rankine exposes the constant anguish Black Americans face in beautiful prose that will move any reader.

Read also: 10 Important Movies and Documentaries About Racism You Need to Watch

‘Americanah’ by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Adichie follows the life of a Nigerian couple from youth into adulthood in this riveting novel. She explores the meaning of race, racism, culture, being a foreigner, and being a native through the eyes of her protagonist, Ifemelu, who follows her dream of immigrating to the United States. 

As Ifemelu struggles to make a living, she eventually starts a blog in which she discusses her life from the perspective of race, immigration, and womanhood. A review of “Americanah” from O, The Oprah Magazine calls the novel “masterful…. [it] pulls no punches with regard to race, class, and the high-risk, heart tearing struggle for belonging in a fractured world.” This makes it ideal for understanding race and racism in the United States, with the added bonus of an African immigrant perspective.

‘Kindred’ by Octavia Butler

This contemporary work crosses genre boundaries as an intensely emotional novel with sci-fi elements in time travel, speculative fiction with its major “What-If?” and even non-fiction with its vivid descriptions of a Maryland plantation, alluding to Frederick Douglass’s narrative. One of the most thrilling aspects of the novel comes to light through its movement through time. The main character, Dana, is mysteriously transported into the antebellum South to save the life of an ancestor, and thus the future existence of her family. 

Because of her race and the time to which she has been transported, other characters assume Dana to be a slave and treat her as such. Butler explores the experience of a modern Black woman enslaved in the antebellum South. As time goes on, Dana’s self-image changes and she begins to find her place in enslavement. “Kindred” is a unique representation of racism as it questions the relationship between American slavery and racism in the modern day. Butler’s novel is a thrilling, educational book for contemporary readers.

Read also: Black Lives Matter: The United States’ 401-Year-Old Crisis

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Farouk Essalhi founded the Moroccan Youth Film Festival (MYFF) in 2018. The festival is a contest where a jury of filmmakers judge a collection of short movies, animations, and documentaries after their screening. 

The event aims to shed light on the creations of young filmmakers from all over the world. As the word “youth” in the name of the festival indicates, only high school students under the age of 19 can submit their works to the managing team. 

In an interview with Morocco World News, Essalhi discussed the inspiration and logistics for the first run of the festival, as well as his hopes to revive the event in 2020.

The Festival’s Inspiration and Purpose:

The founder and president of the festival revealed that he has been passionate about videography, cinematography, and filmmaking for as long as he can remember. “It is a passion that I discovered early on in my childhood, and I nurtured and developed it in my own way,” he said.

Essalhi, being a filmmaking enthusiast, went on to create a club dedicated to his passion under the Addictest Center in Rabat. Through meeting and discussing with the members of the club, Essalhi came up with the idea of organizing an event as a fun way to screen short films created by the members of the club.

After contemplating the idea for quite some time, Essalhi came to the conclusion that he “really wanted to do something related to his passion that could help people whether in or outside of Morocco.” A mixture of passion, ambition, experience, and support turned the simple idea into a fully fledged project. 

The festival is an opportunity for young creative filmmakers to earn recognition for their work. “One thing I admire about the festival is how it was created by young people for young people,” Essalhi said. In fact, Essalhi created the festival as a 17-year-old high school student. The MYFF is the fruit of a passion that unites all young filmmakers, where their creations are valued and in some cases rewarded.  

Preparing for the Festival:

The first MYFF happened in September 2018, and according to Essalhi, required months of preparation. 

It took a team of four high school students to handle everything from selecting content for screening to shooting for locations, advertising, and finding sponsors. The MYFF team included Farouk Essalhi (founder and president), Adam Belfki (assistant director), Nouhayla Zoubir (director of logistics), and Kawtar Moumni (director of sponsoring). 

The team put out an announcement on the website FilmFreeway and later received over 1,100 projects from 93 countries. Essalhi had to narrow the submissions down to 15 projects from eight countries, including Morocco, for screening on the day of the festival.  

The preparation process entailed the design of logos, brochures, marketing the festival by managing its website and creating advertising videos, reaching out to the contestants, contacting various figures of the Moroccan filmmaking industry, and trying to find sponsors. Essalhi referred to the end result as a “delightful product of hard work.”

Essalhi emphasized the importance of his belief in the project: “The more we believed that it could be done, the faster we progressed and the more support we got,” he said. Despite the fact that the small team was juggling a wide range of responsibilities, Essalhi affirms that preparing for the festival was enjoyable.

The Final Product:

Madaris Al Hassania, Essalhi’s alma mater, sponsored the event along with Autoroutes du Maroc. The Addictest Center also provided support in handling paperwork. The festival received media coverage on Hit Radio, Medi1TV, and Chaine Inter. 

The organizers held the first MYFF in Cinema Renaissance in Rabat on September 29, 2018. The event saw the screening of 15 different projects created by high school students from eight different countries, including Morocco, Czechoslovakia, Iran, Australia, France, and the United States.

In addition to these projects, the MYFF team screened a coup-de-coeur movie titled “Kenza Des Choux” directed by Sofia Alaoui, a member of the jury. 

The jury of the MYFF 2018 included Alaoui, a French-Moroccan director and producer, Jamal Omari, and Ali Benchekroun. The varied opinions of each member played a key role in selecting the award-winning projects.

Following the screening of the 15 projects, the jury deliberated and announced their judgments. There were five different awards: Best Overall Project, Best Animation, Best Narrative, Best Short Film, and Best Script. 

Two movies by Radheya Jegatheva, a young Australian aspiring filmmaker, featured in the event. “Irony” and “Journey” both appealed to the audience and the jury and won three awards between them.

Australian Ambassador to Morocco Berenice Owen-Jones attended the festival, representing the Australian contestants who unfortunately could not attend themselves. Owen-Jones accepted the awards on Jegatheva’s behalf. 

Over 200 people of different age groups and nationalities attended the event: Groups of families and friends came to Cinema Renaissance on a Saturday to have a good time, leaving Essalhi feeling proud and happy. 

The Future of MYFF:

The MYFF 2018 was a successful event. As the festival was designed as a yearly occurrence, Essalhi planned to run it again in 2019. Due to logistical and financial difficulties, the event was cancelled. 

Essalhi hopes to move forward with the festival in 2020, despite the restrictions resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. The MYFF team is now separated by thousands of miles, with each one of the four organizers pursuing a college education in a different country.

These challenges have not made Essalhi lose hope. The young film enthusiast thought of having a virtual version of the MYFF this year to maintain social distancing guidelines.

“I am confident that we will be able to revive the MYFF very soon. It’s all about the right timing, the right funding and the right team,” Essalhi concluded.

The post Founder Farouk Essalhi Reflects on the Moroccan Youth Film Festival appeared first on Morocco World News.

Marseille’s Museum of Civilizations of Europe and the Mediterranean (MuCEM), the Jardin Majorelle Foundation in Marrakech, and the Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Paris have partnered to highlight the richness and diversity of Morocco’s Amazigh (Berber) heritage.

MuCEM and the Yves Saint Laurent Paris Museum, in partnership with the Jardin Majorelle Foundation, will exchange their different protocols on conservation, restoration, and inventory of Amazigh heritage collections.

A joint statement from the three partners explained that the collaboration adds to their policy of international cooperation and aims to improve knowledge of indigenous Moroccan culture and consolidate means to transmit that knowledge to the public.

The statement, quoted by Maghreb Arab Press (MAP), added that the three parties will collaborate in documenting the artifacts in their respective collections, as well as the artifacts’ history and identification, and share their resource networks.

MuCEM and the Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Paris are also set to exchange exhibitions in order to explore the diversity and richness of this heritage, both in Marseille and Marrakech, the statement added.

The tripartite agreement aims to establish and maintain privileged and lasting links between museums and their teams in France and Morocco, to improve the skills of museum professionals through the exchange of best practices, and to optimize the implementation of joint projects, the source continued.

“This ambitious collaboration is meant to enhance the heritage of both shores of the Mediterranean,” the statement concluded.

The Jardin Majorelle Foundation operates Marrakech’s iconic Jardin Majorelle, established in 1922 as a sanctuary for French painter Jacques Majorelle. In 1980, French designer Yves Saint Laurent bought the garden with YSL label co-founder Pierre Berge to save it from a hotel complex project. 

The opulent garden overflows with exotic plants and trees and is also the site of the Yves Saint Laurent Berber Museum, inaugurated in 2011 under the patronage of King Mohammed VI in Majorelle’s former painting studio.

“More than 600 objects, collected from the Rif Mountains to the Sahara by Pierre Berge and Yves Saint Laurent, attest to the richness and diversity of this vibrant culture, which is still very much alive today,” says the museum’s official website.

The Jardin Majorelle Foundation is now set to share its experience with its partners in France and advance the vision of its founders to spread knowledge of and appreciation for “the ancient people of North Africa.” 

Read also: Agadir Reflects on Morocco’s Judeo-Amazigh Heritage

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Rabat – From singing the Barbie song as a toddler to songwriting some of Spotify’s top 10 global hits, Morocco’s Hajar Sbihi, otherwise known as ASHA, is realizing her childhood dreams and making a name for herself as an entrepreneurial singer. 

The 23-year-old artist from Rabat said she knew she wanted to be a singer when she was eight years old. Inspired by Disney channel stars like Hilary Duff and Hannah Montana, ASHA grew up practicing in the local choir and imagining a life as an international star. 

After years of attempting to convince herself that singing was not a stable career choice, ASHA has taken the stage once more, leaving behind all ideas that discouraged pursuing work as an artist. 

“There is this ranking of importance in subjects and careers. It’s not true at all. You cannot expect everyone to be doctors or engineers. You need people to write books and to sing. If you go to a party and nobody is making music, what are you going to listen to? If nobody is writing, what are you going to read?” ASHA said.

At the start of her studies, ASHA convinced herself that pursuing a career in business was the right thing to do. In an attempt to appease the status quo, she left her dreams behind and immersed herself in business administration studies.

“I thought I couldn’t be a singer since I was studying business. It’s always been my passion, but for my parents, singing wasn’t a conservative choice.” 

Read also: Faces of Moroccan Design: The Eclectic Yassine Morabite

Composing for artists worldwide while studying business in Spain 

After ASHA negotiated with her parents to allow her to attend IE Business School in Spain when she was 18 years old, she busied herself with garnering the tools for her success. 

While focused on her studies, ASHA did not leave the world of singing behind completely. Throughout her time at university, she was president of the music club and connected herself to music by learning the art songwriting. 

Eventually, after her second year at university, the Moroccan business school student in Spain began writing for more established artists. 

At the age of 20, ASHA claimed her first songwriting success with Lola Indigo’s “Ya No Quiero Na” song, which went viral and ranked in 9th place on Spotify’s Global Viral Top 50. 

Months later, she composed Becky G and C. Tanagana’s song “Booty,” going 3x platinum in the US and 2x platinum in Spain. Shortly after, she saw success with another 3x platinum song in Mexico, “Oye Pablo” by Danna Paola. 

ASHA began developing close connections with artists and publishing companies. She traveled to other countries to attend songwriting camps and improve her skills. Meanwhile, the singer songwriter’s family gained trust in her independent decisions and noticed her ability to balance academics and arts. 

“I thought that writing for other artists was going to fulfill me but I realized it wasn’t enough.” 

After ASHA graduated from business school, she dreaded the idea of sitting in an office or continuing to write songs that other people would sing. She wanted to perform herself. While her talents in songwriting were not going to waste, the nature of the industry was challenging and unsteady.

“Songwriting is not a secure job and it is highly competitive,” said ASHA. “It’s very painful. You’re writing so many songs. From a hundred, maybe they [publishers] will take 2 or 3.” 

Even with close connections in the industry and talent, songwriters like ASHA struggle to see many of their carefully crafted lyrics leave a computer.

“I wanted to take control over the situation. I know how to write, I know how to sing. I wanted to be in control over every step of the process.” 

ASHA took hold of her lifelong aspirations and recently released her first official music video to her song, “Besame,” meaning kiss me in Spanish. 

Read also: Faces of Moroccan Design: Anwar Bougroug, Innovator of Unisex Fashion

Multilinguist inspiration rooted in Morocco’s boundless musical ear

The advancing singer describes her songs as “sheek” and “elegant,” with fresh sounds that depend on her culturally diverse background and multi-linguistic skills. Growing up in Morocco, ASHA said she first learned how to sing in French. 

“These [French songs] were the songs I grew up hearing in school and inside my household,” she explained. “I love Arabic music, but I honestly never felt as connected to it.” ASHA praised Arabic singers saying, “I would love to explore Arabic music. It is very difficult and it would be an incredible experience. For me, singing in Arabic is another level.” 

While she may not be singing in Arabic yet, ASHA’s songs are inspired by her country’s rhythms and beats. Noting the importance of sharing her culture, the young singer hopes to film upcoming music videos in Morocco. 

ASHA attributed her wide variety of musical comprehension and inspiration to Morocco’s multicultural music scene. “Morocco accepts songs from all over the world as if they are their own. We have a vast ear.” She added, “I think this is one of my most important attributes as an artist.”

“Depending on where you’re from, you’ll compose in one way or another. Thanks to fluently speaking Arabic, French, Spanish, and English,” ASHA said she can give her songs a unique touch. 

The business of singing and strategizing her own success 

Although a lot of people have made it in the music world without a degree, ASHA said her education has proved invaluable and empowered her to control her success. 

“I am using my business degree every day. As an independent artist, I need to promote myself and know how to brand myself, how to have partnerships, which offers to accept, marketing strategies, and negotiate contracts. Everything would have been impossible without having a business degree.” 

ASHA stressed not the importance of not being obliged to do work assigned by a label company and said she is very proud to be part of this generation of artists that have an “extra pulse in the industry.” 

“Before, the artist was just the beautiful face of the team. Now, the artist can be a businessman or businesswoman, and I think it’s very important.”

“I would advise anyone who wants to pursue music, to strategize their passion.” 

Although ASHA assumed her success wouldn’t reach Morocco, she said her sister recently called her and told her that family and friends are reaching out to their parents and congratulating them. “It’s as if I am getting married,” ASHA laughed. “People are happy for me. Many say ‘we have seen you singing since you were small, it’s amazing what you’re doing now.’” 

Read also: From Agadir to Asia: Moroccan Singers Took the Stage Across China

The post Moroccan Singer Songwriter ASHA Rises in Global Fame appeared first on Morocco World News.

Rabat – Mahdi Blaine, a Moroccan-Algerian candidate for a master’s degree in anthropology and Middle Eastern studies at New York University, is raising questions and shedding light on the perceived identities of Moors throughout history. His ideas surrounding the topic make considerable contributions to understanding histories of power and race. 

Originally from Rabat, 25-year-old Blaine began garnering interest around the question, “who were the Moors?” a few years ago. The depths of his interest and inquisitions stemmed from the ambiguous and ambivalent depictions of people who never claimed Moorish as their own identity throughout history. 

“If you Google ‘the Moors’ or look at modern representations of the Moors, they are all what we would agree as racially black,” Blaine told Morocco World News. However, there is clear evidence that this has not always been the case. 

Over the years, Blaine contemplated the iconography associated with the word. He said, “I saw this incongruence and I wondered, why?” 

As he continues to explore questions surrounding contradictions of Moors made throughout history, Blaine shares his ideas with the Afikra community. Afikra is a grassroots organization intended to cultivate curiosity around Arab history and culture through discussions led by a global community of people interested in sharing intellectual thought around such topics. 

In a recent virtual presentation hosted by the organization, Blaine details the ways in which “the figure of the Moor” has been reformulated, reproduced, and used to advance agendas or legitimate positions of power. 

Read also: Expulsion of Moors from Spain: A Forgotten Human Tragedy

“It is important to ask who were the Moors, but it is more important to ask ‘who were the Moors, according to which group of people?’”

While the word “Moor” itself derives from the Greek word “marvo,” which literally means black or charred, for years the term was associated with a geographical destination and not necessarily racial characteristics. 

Until the Muslim conquest in the early 700s, people identified Moors as being people of the Maghreb and Iberian peninsula, including Amazigh (Berber) people. 

Following the Muslim invasion, the region drew a clear distinction between Arabs and Moors. Moors had an African essence that Arabs did not. Over time, Europeans assigned racial adjectives to Moors in order to make their own clear distinctions.

Blaine again points to images that inform the changing etymology. In the 12th and 13th centuries, depictions of the Moors seem to better represent the cosmopolitan identities of the people claiming roots across a wide region. He said that in his opinion, the most accurate depictions are ones that did not limit the image of Moors to having “typical features.” 

By the 19th century, Moors were almost unanimously depicted as black. Their casted identity masked their self proclaimed heritage or roots, simplifying them to a category of cultural otherness. Blaine stressed that nobody was calling themselves Moors. Rather, the term remained reserved for discourses that aimed to fix specific narratives and create a figure based upon race-related identifiers — ones steeped in racism and estimated by the imaginations of Europeans.

French anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss uses the term “floating signifier” to mark words with no agreed-upon meaning. Blaine considers the term “Moor” to lack symbolic significance and instead finds people use the word to permit symbolic thoughts that may override inherent contradictions.  

Read also: Expulsion of Moors from Spain: Why Spaniards and Moroccans Will Never Be the Same (Part II)

Leveraging power through ambiguity 

Political activist and scholar Edward Said would describe the distinctions made as another example of Orientalism. Imperialist societies produced narratives of people from Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East in ways that inherently leveraged political power. 

“The power of the word [Moors] is found in its ambiguity. It allowed for European discourses to legitimize relations of power and helped forge moral, cultural, and biological superiority of white Christianity,” said Blaine. 

He cites examples of images of Moors who gave up Islam, and suddenly in new depictions of them, their skin whitens. 

In addition to noting the ways in which people of color were whitewashed as they conformed to European standards, Blaine believes that the example of everchanging Moorish imagery supports the theory that identity is fluid. 

Maintaining that the figure of Moors is one defined and upheld by Europeans to denote concepts of power, Blaine expands upon ways in which people have related to the term and why. 

“Moors become very significant in this key moment where ‘we’ [people from the Maghreb region] were in power — the people who were eventually colonized by Europe,” said Blaine. In some cases then, the historical narrative of victory is therefore claimed by black Africans with pride.

Black Americans have a history of harnessing Moorish identity by claiming Moroccan roots to achieve freedom under racial laws in the United States. In 1790, the South Carolina House of Representatives passed the Sundry Moor Act, liberating free citizens of Morocco from laws oppressing Black people and slaves in the US. 

“Their Moorish-ness got them legal rights and citizenship.” 

Blaine suggests that Moorish qualities linked to being Muslim and African inform larger conceptions of how we think about race. His research on the topic ties directly into recent debates and scholarship concerning racism and socially constructed identities. 

Competing narratives rooted in racism 

The figure of the Moor was not originally linked to the particular racialized group of people. As many began attending to the racial and political identities of what it meant to be Moorish, suddenly so many people who were once excluded from the bounds of being Moorish, became that. 

Through constantly turning over depictions of the Moors, we can better understand the ways in which projected identities are rooted in positions of power and ways of advancing nationalist narratives. 

Blaine first presented his findings and ideas around Moorish depictions two years ago. He said that at the time, he sought to offer a coherent narrative of the Moors and the imagery associated with their perceived identities. After deepening his understanding of the anthropological concepts and theories tied into the construction of race and power, he realized that the definition of Moors is intentionally vague and arbitrary. 

“That’s where racism gets its power — it’s not supposed to be logical, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a rationality.” Blaine identifies the rationale as privy to attempts to reconcile with “otherness” that inspires narratives used to uphold power. 

Referencing his coursework and assigned readings for critical race and theory classes at NYU, Blaine echoed Barbara and Karen Fields’ book “Race Craft: The Soul of Inequality in American Life” and said, “We need to stop talking about race as something that exists, but rather something that comes from racism. Racism creates race.” 

Read also: Expulsion of Moors from Spain: Why Spaniards and Moroccans Will Never Be the Same (Part III)

The post Moroccan Scholar Explores Racist, Imperialist Roots of Moorish Identity appeared first on Morocco World News.