EXPERIENCING MARRAKECH
 

 

 

Marrakech is surreal. It's everything I hoped it would be and more. A real extrasensorial experience.

 

The whole city looks like a market maze. Intertwining alleys bordered by low taracota buildings and a constant flow of people, motorbikes and donkies..
 

I was completely captivated by the local music (called Gnawa, a mixture of Arab and African) and wished to see where and how the local musical instruments are made.
 

In a small music shop called Bob's Magik Music, a man by the name of Moustaffa sits and jams on his djembe to gnawa.

 

I politely ask if I can jam with him, he just smiled and pointed to any instrument from the store for me to pick and play.

 

After coming back to the store numerous times to jam, I asked him if I could meet a local instrument maker, or if he knows one?
 

Moustaffa said yes and arranged a meet between the 2 of us. In Marrakech it's illegal for a local to walk together with a tourist in the street.

 

Local law: If you're not an official guide and am seen walking with a tourist, you're to either arrested for 2 nights or fined 50E.
 

So I met my artisan, his name is Youssef and I had to follow him at least 5 meters behind for us not get noticed by the local authorities or any informants.

 

As we were heading deep into the slums of Marrakech, to his 'boutique', I realized how authentic this experience actually is.

 

At his 'boutique' I got experience at carving out the body of gnawa bass guitar, while learning about the materials he uses.
 

There I also met his family, friends and colleagues. Together we had lunch (goat lungs, throat and stomach) and jammed.

 

Night fell, Youssef stops to work as the Mouazin plays in the background, he doesn't pray, just stops listens to it.

 

The amazing part of this day wasn't the fact that I was the only foreigner there, but that I was the only one who spoke English.

 

It was a truly amazing day and I wish for every tourist to go through something like this at least once...