Essaouira Gnaoua Festival 2010

The 13th annual festival of Gnaoua music started with a bang!   Special guests, the famous 'Fantasia' horses, were there to start the festivities.The sound of gunfire from the guns of the horsemen signaled that the parade was now starting.  The musicians, all dressed up in their colorful outfits, were a wonderful sight.  Some were beating drums, others playing, krkabo (metal instruments worn on the thumb/fingers), and other instruments that they would be playing later in the festival.   Later in the evening there were fine performances on various stages throughout the medina.  The Armenian Army Band (go figure....Gnaoua?).....actually yes it did not sound at all out of place. They were accompanied by the Georgian dancers....sort of a cross between Russian Kossaks and whirling Dervishes!!!  Wish I had that much energy!  Later that evening we witnessed Maalem Omar Hayat at a small indoor venue. It started around 12.30am and went on until just after 3am. It commenced with just candles for the opening which enhanced the mystical atmosphere of what we were about to witness.  This was my favorite performance to date, although we did see some equally good performances last night - also at the same venue.  This time it was Maalem Abdelkader Amlil, together with various other groups. There was a young boy in the group, no more than 8 or 10 years of age, who played the krkabo and also sang and danced.  He gave an excellent performance.   In the afternoon we also interviewed some young people who were visitors at the festival and also shared a table with two young men from Cassablanca, Hemoda and Hassan.  They are also from many generation Gnaoua and Hemoda had some interesting facts about the start of Gnaoua....... Must rush now as off to see what's happening tonight....will tell you later.......Christine.