Marocco

heneras · 07-01-2008, 08:17 AM

where to dance ?
where to buy?

meissoun · 07-02-2008, 04:27 AM

I have been thinking about going to Morocco as well.
I've been to Egypt, the UAE and Turkey several times. Also to Syria and Tunesia.
But interestingly I never made it to Morocco although I danced for Moroccans a lot during some years...

I guess there isn't much dance-wise (since Raqs Sharqi is not native there)
but I would love to get a taste of the culture, architecture etc.
And I ADOOOOOORE Moroccan food!!!

MEISSOUN

lizajuk · 07-02-2008, 05:30 AM

I'm off to Marakkesh early next year for my ...err...Ruby Wedding Anniversary...that's dates me well and truly.
I believe there is some good dancing in restaurants and there is also a large folkloric show.
Last time I was in Morocco(Agadir), I saw so-so belly dancing but good folkloric dancing and some wondeful views and intriguing places...what more do you want!?
It's a fascinating place. Big and a bit frightening but there's some cracking Tuareg jewellery and other delights to buy and delicious food...and mint tea to take your mind of any perils!
Mostly mind where you put your foot when down the souk!

meissoun · 07-02-2008, 05:46 AM

Isn't Agadir very, very touristy? Like a Moroccan version of Playa del Ingles?

What about Marrakesh and Casablanca?

Folklore shows: Yes, please! In Egypt it's the same at some hotels: Good folklore show followed by a not-very-good bellydancer...
Because folkore dancing has a better reputation I guess.

MEISSOUN

lizajuk · 07-02-2008, 06:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meissoun

Isn't Agadir very, very touristy? Like a Moroccan version of Playa del Ingles?

What about Marrakesh and Casablanca?

Folklore shows: Yes, please! In Egypt it's the same at some hotels: Good folklore show followed by a not-very-good bellydancer...
Because folkore dancing has a better reputation I guess.

MEISSOUN

Yes touristy but hardly their fault the town was completely destroyed by and earthquake in the 1960s. There is a souk that is very typical and the beach is enormous. I liked the place. We had a hotel in dire need of refurb. but the staff were lovely. We found good places to eat and enjoyed the shopping.
However if you want to get away from the beach resort it is..it doesn't advertise itself as anything else...you can visit places like Taroudant and Essouria easily and off to Marrakesh etc.We have dancer here in England, Houda who is orignally from Morocco and she is organisng dancer holidays. I'll hunt out the link.

lizajuk · 07-02-2008, 06:17 AM

Leeds Belly Dance, Banat

she hasn't got the holday page up yet but you can contact her.

meissoun · 07-02-2008, 06:38 AM

Thanks.

Now, one more question: Did you see any surfers in Agadir?

I think I will try to catch some waves as I know that there are surf spots in Morocco (forget about the dancing, I can have that here all the time...).

MEISSOUN

lizajuk · 07-02-2008, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meissoun

Thanks.

Now, one more question: Did you see any surfers in Agadir?

I think I will try to catch some waves as I know that there are surf spots in Morocco (forget about the dancing, I can have that here all the time...).

MEISSOUN

Can't say I was looking

but I do know they go to Essouria. That place was fave with ye old Rolling Stones and all things hippie'ish!

We are staying in a 10 room Riad in the old part of Marakkesh...very "Hideous Kinky"

meissoun · 07-02-2008, 08:43 AM

Oh my Goodness.

Just as I was wondering where to go on my autumn holidays...

This thread started my brain to work and now I have the perfect plan:
1 week Morocco in late November, 2 days in Marrakesh, 5 days of surfing.
(I did a little research - there are plenty of surf spots North of Agadir).

Sounds perfect to me!

And there's an airline in Switzerland that flies Zurich - Agadir - Marrakesh - Zurich. So I can book that flight and easily do both!

Finally something to look forward to in November!
If anybody wants to come along, just ask me!

MEISSOUN

(mmmmmmmh... Moroccan food... mmmmmmh....)

carolabrie · 07-02-2008, 10:25 AM

I'm leaving Saturday for Morocco.

I will stay there for 21 days and go accross the country.

I'm not going there to see dance but for culture, landscape and architecture but if I can catch up bellydance and/or folkloric dance show, I will be happy.
I'm with a driver, maybe he can help me find something good.

So, if I find great places, I will tell you when I will be back or during my trip if I haven't solve my Bhuz addiction to read everything.

Caroline

meissoun · 07-04-2008, 04:33 AM

Another question: Most of the Moroccan women I see here like to wear stylish clothes, mostly on the tight, revealing side...
But I guess that doesn't really reflect what they would wear back home?

So what's the dress code for
- Agadir
- Marrakesh

I guess it will be different, Agadir being a beach resort?

MEISSOUN

lizajuk · 07-04-2008, 05:52 AM

I am sure if you visit urban areas the girls will be more European in dress. There were a lot of Moroccans on holiday in an August when I was there and they were dressed much more like the French and British on holiday.
Locally it was a mix just like Turkey with some local women in skimpier.
modern clothes and other in traditionally modest clothing.Once you get into the countryside the Berber clothes are much in evidence
My husband was twice approached by a very atractive lady in tight lime green pedal pushers and a lovely suede jacket who assured him she could do business with him while I was shopping!!!!!!

lilybellydance · 09-25-2008, 10:44 PM

So, it's been a few months since the last post... Does Carolabrie or Meissoun have any updates? I'm planning to go to Marrakech in December. Any advice on dress, things to do, things to buy at the souks? I'm planning to stay at a riad centrally located. Thanks!

meissoun · 09-26-2008, 04:11 PM

I have booked all my flights and hotels.

I will go to Marrakech on November 21 (Friday) and move over to Taghazout on Sunday night until the next Friday.

I have a contact in Marrakech with an ex-dancer and costume designer (but I have seen pictures - it's not really what you'd buy when you can have Egyptian or Turkish costumes). I plan to interview her, she had interesting things to say about the dancers in restaurants being forced to prostitute themselves (also in the expensive places)....

I am SO looking forward to this trip!

MEISSOUN

lallakahina · 09-26-2008, 09:40 PM

Marrakech was one of the only places I managed to pull off a tank top and skirt, which would have been unpassable in Cairo or Amman.
In Morocco I felt like it doesn't matter if a foreign woman wears a miniskirt or a djellaba-- the attention is always there (yes, I did get approached while wearing a djellaba...

) So I say go for comfort, because the men won't shut up either way

Quote:

Originally Posted by meissoun

Another question: Most of the Moroccan women I see here like to wear stylish clothes, mostly on the tight, revealing side...
But I guess that doesn't really reflect what they would wear back home?

So what's the dress code for
- Agadir
- Marrakesh

I guess it will be different, Agadir being a beach resort?

MEISSOUN

rakkasah_barbara · 10-09-2008, 06:01 AM

I'm finally going to Morocco on October 19

We're planning to visit Casablanca, Marrakech, Fes and Ouarzazate. Surely we'll visit some quality cabarets to enjoy good live music and dancing

I'll post my experience when I return early November.

B

carolabrie · 10-11-2008, 02:51 PM

Hi!

I went to Morocco from July 5th to July 26th.

I had a *wonderful* time there. The architecture is splendid and the landscape are stunning.

Of course, people there are very warm. Compared to Egypt that I visited in 2004 and 2006, you don't feel the pression of Islam. Moroccans are very respectful for the Christians and the Jews. I even thought that Morocco is a country too much westernized. In Marrakeck, a lot of teens and young women are dressed in a way that they wouldn't be allowed to enter my class at school.

You probably noticed, I speak French. It was so easy for me to travel there, almost everybody speak a perfect French except maybe in some villages far in the South. I wished I could have hear more Arabic language. For me, it was not a country providing a great change of the scene. Not after seeing Egypt.

I hoped to hear a lot of Moroccan/Arabic/Maghreb Music but it was *really* not the case. When you open the radio in your car, you have the music coming from France. You have 1 channel that provides traditional music but you can capt it in a very small area. If you don't hear a French channel, you have Moroccan channel that provides Madonna's Music or hip hop, or any pop song from anywhere in the world. I heard a little bit of Nancy Ajram and Nagua Karam.

As for seeing dance, as I said in a previous message I didn't go there for the dance but for the culture.
In Marrakeck, I went to see Fantasia Ali (Chez Ali) which is the biggest fantasia show in all Morocco. Moroccan are very proud of this show. For those who know Hurghada's Alf Leyla Wa Leyla show, it's the same thing but in worst. In that show, there was an Oriental dancer that danced for... 2 min. 37 seconds on the music Gala Oriental :-) It was not good.
And before the show officialy starts, you have differents folkloric groups that entertain the tourists around the arena. You see beautiful regional costumes but you don't see good dance at all (well... for the night I was there) because the musicians and most of all the dancers don't seem happy to be there.

There is a club in Marrakech that is known for his nightclub style of oriental show where I was supposed to go but didn't. It called "Le Comptoir Paris-Marrakeck". You can eat if you go early and around 11PM, there is one or some dancers coming for 30 to 60 min. show. There is 2 floors where you can hear more Arabic pop music or international music. I bought a CD from this place and it's like the music played by the Buddha Bar of Paris. I saw a picture of the dancers from Le Comptoir and their costumes were all the basic bedlah that we know here.

to be continued...

carolabrie · 10-11-2008, 02:52 PM

...

I also know that the Jad Mahal markets dancers but I didn't go there, just saw the front of the building. It seems like a really beautiful place but I question the talent of the dancer for the price paid to be there.

In Fès, a local man told me that the best place to see oriental and folkloric dancers was at the "Palais Médina". It was not cheap and I didn't go there.

I invite you to go to see my pictures of Morocco on my website : Caroline Labrie - Danse Égyptienne des Bois-Francs in the Menu: Voyages choose Maroc 2008.
You will see a picture of the dancer I took at the fantasia and some of the folkloric dancers too.

As you can see, I'm not a big help with dancing in Morocco

Hope you have a nice trip and that you see good dancing!

Caro

hannanesfo · 10-17-2008, 04:23 AM

Morocco is very, very prepared for Western tourists. Last year I spent a few days in Tangiers, because it was the one part of Morocco I hadn't been to, we took a ferry over from Spain. They have been very busy modernizing the town in expectation of the World Expo they are hosting in 2012. We also took a one day tour to Chefchouan, one of the most touristy places I've been to in the world, and yet, I loved it.
There was the obligatory "folkloric" show and belly dance with couscous dinner. Even though it was Ramadan, many tourists restaurants were serving food, no problem. However, I do believe the Moroccans are among the most aggressive bargainers I've ever dealt with. I would love to go back to Marrakech, it's been years.

AmandaRose2 · 10-22-2008, 11:50 AM

just so you know, i didn't go through all of these posts before i responded. I'm living in spain right now and just did a week trip to morocco. I saw 4 different dancers there but i wouldn't really call any of them that good. (i'm a stickler for standard :oP) anyhoo, it was interesting to see the way they were different though, the things to me that often show that your an obvi

Marocco

Travel to the Lands of Dance