Morocco has a rich musical heritage and it is not surprising that today’s Moroccan musicians have an international influence.
The song below is performed by the award winning multi-cultural group Outlandish and the words are translated in to English. One of the group, Isam Bachiri is Moroccan while the others two, Lenny Martinez aand Waqas Qadri are from Honduras and Pakistan respectively.
There is no doubt that the Outlandish version is brilliant and the video is excellent but it is no better than the original by the King of Rai Cheb Khalid, which you can hear here:
Ask any nonagenarian in Morocco the secret of his or her longevity and he or she will most likely put it down to the glass of pure olive oil that they drink each morning.
The health and beauty benefits of olive oil have been known for thousands of years. From promoting glossy hair and strong nails, to radiant complexions and glowing health inside and out. Whether you ingest olive oil or anoint yourself with it, it has been a staple of the natural beauty cabinet since the days of Cleopatra.
A lesser known beauty aid that is taking the world by storm right now is the oil from the nut of the argan tree which has been used by Berber women for centuries. (If you have ever made the trip out of Agadir to the old Berber town of Taroudant and taken photos of the goats clambering round in a gnarled old tree – that is an argan tree – maybe that is why goats don’t get wrinkles?)
The Argania tree used to cover North Africa but now is found mainly in the Moroccan southwest where it thrives in the dry, semi-desert conditions.
UNESCO have established a reserve for the Argania and set up a women’s collective through which all Argan oil sold today is processed. The proceeds from the sale of this oil is shared amongst the local Berber women and also goes back into a reforestation project.
Argan oil can be used from head to toe to nourish hair, skin, nails and it is its anti-aging properties which first inspired the UNESCO protection project and gave the impetus for the collective to be set up. It can also be used in cooking or for drizzling on salad or bread.
What oil from the collective that is not snapped up by the cosmetic industry is found for sale in Agadir markets for a far more reasonable price than you will find it in your local health store so definately, if you are visiting Agadir, make Argan oil one of the things you buy to take home. You will be supporting the local collective and treating yourself to an ancient beauty secret that has just been discovered by modern science.
One of the most delightful things about visiting a foreign country is discovering all the new tastes and spices that make up the country’s cuisine. Not everyone relishes diving into dishes of unknown ingredients made in an unfamiliar cooking style and yet it would be a shame to miss the varied and delicious flavours of Morocco.
The tagine – a funneled cooking pot – is a common cooking utensil in Morocco. Meat cooked in it is tender and bursting with flavour. Here is an example of a chicken dish cooked in a tagine using typical Moroccan spices.
Morocco is an exotic holiday destination, rich in opportunity to try new experiences, taste new flavours, dance to a different kind of drum… You could visit the country every year for a decade and never do the same thing twice.
Everywhere you go in Morocco you will find your senses stimulated by rich colours, pungent aromas of spices and leather, food fiery or aromatic, beautiful mosaics and handmade objets d’art of both simplicity and admirable craftsmanship.
If you visit the country, don’t squander the opportunity to dive into this rich culture by staying in your hotel: get out and interact with the locals.
While there, take a cooking course to find out just what exotic spices make the lamb tagine so succulent and tasty. Join a camel trek into the desert, or sign up for a language course – there are some immersion courses where you can live in the local community and really get involved in the local culture.
There is much to do in Morocco and the heritage is rich and diverse. Visit the country with a spirit of adventure and take pleasure in the knowledge that when you return home, you will go with a suitcase full of happy memories of your time in this country of rich earth and warm hearts.
UNESCO have established a reserve for the Argania and set up a women’s collective through which all Argan oil sold today is processed. The proceeds from the sale of this oil is shared amongst the local Berber women and also goes back into a reforestation project.
