Tuesday 22 June Villa des Orangers Marrakech Great stuff! As in not! My back has siezed up - will have to change plans. I am dictating this to John - it's about time he earned his keep!
But it's hot and sunny and resting in this beautiful riad hotel is a pleasure. Everyone's talking about the festival. Hope I'll be up to dancing.
Portugal 7 North Korea 0 - That's a surprise.
Off now to have a facial.
Wednesday 23 June
Drove to Essaouira - half motorway ( great), half rubble ( awful). Hobbling around with stiff back. Lovely welcome from friends.
Got our Press badges. Yeah!!!
Thursday 24 June Essaouira
Fantastic opening ceremony in square opposite room. Gnaoua groups, tribesmen on horses, music.
First set in evening at Moulay Hassan. The maalem brothers Kouyou and Georgian dancers. Brilliant contrast dancing. Took photos from edge of stage with the professionals!
Second set was the wonderful Maalem Hassan Boussou.
Missed the Armenian Navy Band, though, who I really wanted to see.
WEDNESDAY 30TH JUNE - WINCHESTER ENGLAND (BACK FROM THE FESTIVAL).
THIS HAS BEEN MY FIRST ATTEMPT TO SAME-DAY BLOG AT THE FESTIVAL USING MY I-POD. NOT BAD REALLY, I THINK. HOWEVER, WE JUST COULDN'T GET A SIGNAL AFTER FRIDAY, PLUS WE WERE FAR TOO BUSY/EXHAUSTED TO KEEP IT UP.
ANYWAY, HAVING SPENT FOUR EVENINGS/NIGHTS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE MUSICIANS AND DANCERS, I'M GOING TO START AGAIN FROM THIS NEW PERSPECTIVE.
THE PHOTOGRAPHS ARE FANTASTIC. NOT BAD USING A LITTLE LUMIX (WHICH OTHER PHOTOGRAPHERS LAUGHED AT.)
IT'LL TAKE ME SOME TO COMPLETE THIS (BECAUSE YOU ALL NOW KNOW THAT MY BACK HAS BEEN SERIOUSLY COMPROMISED) BUT BE PATIENT - IT WILL BE WORTH THE WAIT.
FINALLY, A BIG HI TO U-CEF. SORRY YOU MISSED OUT ON SOME KIP ON THE PLANE! I'D LOVE BE YOUR FRIEND ON FACEBOOK - BUT JOHN WILL HAVE TO DO IT FOR ME. SO, PATEINCE.
To read my complete report on the Festival and to view the many photographs I took, click onto The Wonder and Beauty of Gnaoua and World Music - Essaouira 2010
Tuesday, 22 June 2010
Sunday, 20 June 2010
ESSAOUIRA 2010
The bags are packed, the tension is growing. We now have the line up and it's going to be fantastic: a mixture of gnawa, jazz, reagee, heavy metal, groups, individuals, world musicians, excellent Morocco Gnawa groups plus The Georgian State Ballet! (I saw them years ago, in Sunderland, and they are brilliant - as if they're floating on air) and The Armenian Navy Band (!).
The Festival always likes to throw in someone you would never expect and the ANB fits that bill exactly! The Festival will open wth a fusion of the Georgian State Ballet, the ANB and Maalem Mohamed Kouyou and Said Kouyou, which should be fascinating.
Other Gnawa groups include:-
*Maalem Hassan Boussou (maalem means master)
*Maalem Said Ouressan
*Maalem Abdellah Guinea
*Maalem Mahmoud Guinea
*Hamid El Kasri
Other Groups:-
*Daby Toure
*Ganga d'Agadir
*Step Africa
*Speed Caravan
Individual artists:-
*Patrice
*Fatima Tabaamrant
*Daniel Zimmerman
*Scott Kinley
*Mattiew Garrison
* Horacio El Negro
(these last three will play together)
Plus loads, loads more - I'm running out of time here.
Just to add that it looks as if we'll be getting press badges, so we can record close up and interview some of the artists.
LOOKS LIKE I'LL NEED A HOLIDAY AFTER THIS - WE'RE GOING TO BUSY, BUSY, BUSY !!!
Did someone mention the World Cup. What World Cup?
You may well never have heard of most/all of these musicians but hopefully, after we've posted our recordings, you'll have a better idea and want to find out more.
The Festival always likes to throw in someone you would never expect and the ANB fits that bill exactly! The Festival will open wth a fusion of the Georgian State Ballet, the ANB and Maalem Mohamed Kouyou and Said Kouyou, which should be fascinating.
Other Gnawa groups include:-
*Maalem Hassan Boussou (maalem means master)
*Maalem Said Ouressan
*Maalem Abdellah Guinea
*Maalem Mahmoud Guinea
*Hamid El Kasri
Other Groups:-
*Daby Toure
*Ganga d'Agadir
*Step Africa
*Speed Caravan
Individual artists:-
*Patrice
*Fatima Tabaamrant
*Daniel Zimmerman
*Scott Kinley
*Mattiew Garrison
* Horacio El Negro
(these last three will play together)
Plus loads, loads more - I'm running out of time here.
Just to add that it looks as if we'll be getting press badges, so we can record close up and interview some of the artists.
LOOKS LIKE I'LL NEED A HOLIDAY AFTER THIS - WE'RE GOING TO BUSY, BUSY, BUSY !!!
Did someone mention the World Cup. What World Cup?
You may well never have heard of most/all of these musicians but hopefully, after we've posted our recordings, you'll have a better idea and want to find out more.
Tuesday, 15 June 2010
BOOK REVIEWS - THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO by STIEG LARSSON
This is a phenomonal novel. The first in a trilogy and set in Sweden it combines several major plots in one novel. It's more than a murder/mystery novel: there's also an expose of big business and finance.
Sometimes it reads more like a financial journal and this can be a bit tedious at times but it's essential to the plot and I managed to read those parts, as apposed to John, who skim-read them.
But it's really the characters who maintain the interest and push the story forward.
Mikael Blomkist is the leading character in this first novel. As a financial journalist, he has been found guilty of libel and spends some time in prison. However, this is barely covered. The plot revolves around his employment to discover what happened to Harrient Venger, the grand-daughter of the successful and influential Henrik Venger, who disappeared years previously.
If you think you have the family from hell, take a look at the Venger family. They may be rich but they're a nasty lot.
The most interesting character, however, is Lisbeth Salander, who is a disfunctional, possibly autistic, private investigator, who is brilliant with computers. She becomes involved in Mikael's work and together they form a formidable team.
It's written in an incredible amount of depth which I can only, as a writer, marvel at.
It was my osteopath, Nick Harding, who recommended the trilogy and since I value his judgement, I bought all three novels.
John had now read them all but I shall pace myself with the other two. But I'm looking forward to reading them. It's impossible to clear the characters from your mind.
Sadly, the author died at an early age but I'm sure he would be pleased at the popularity:there are ceratinly films to follow.
Sometimes it reads more like a financial journal and this can be a bit tedious at times but it's essential to the plot and I managed to read those parts, as apposed to John, who skim-read them.
But it's really the characters who maintain the interest and push the story forward.
Mikael Blomkist is the leading character in this first novel. As a financial journalist, he has been found guilty of libel and spends some time in prison. However, this is barely covered. The plot revolves around his employment to discover what happened to Harrient Venger, the grand-daughter of the successful and influential Henrik Venger, who disappeared years previously.
If you think you have the family from hell, take a look at the Venger family. They may be rich but they're a nasty lot.
The most interesting character, however, is Lisbeth Salander, who is a disfunctional, possibly autistic, private investigator, who is brilliant with computers. She becomes involved in Mikael's work and together they form a formidable team.
It's written in an incredible amount of depth which I can only, as a writer, marvel at.
It was my osteopath, Nick Harding, who recommended the trilogy and since I value his judgement, I bought all three novels.
John had now read them all but I shall pace myself with the other two. But I'm looking forward to reading them. It's impossible to clear the characters from your mind.
Sadly, the author died at an early age but I'm sure he would be pleased at the popularity:there are ceratinly films to follow.
Sunday, 13 June 2010
BLAME IT ON THE OVEN GLOVES
It's the day after the evening before and so, okay, I got the score wrong.
Football is certainly a bitch!
We were ecstatic when Gerrard scored after 4 minutes and thought that England would go on to dominate the game. However, they allowed the US too much possession afterwards and then there was that goal.
I reckon that the gloves the goalie - Robart Green - was wearing were far too large and clumsy. He could hardly have felt enough sensation through the darn things to realise that he hadn't secured the ball. Why didn't he just throw himself on the ball and smother it with his body?
Oh well, he did save an excellent US shot in the second half so we could have actually ended up losing 1-2.
I thought we played good attacking football in the second half and if the US goalie hadn't been so good, we could have won at least 4-1. Perhaps he was wearing better gloves. However, John did point out that we didn't really play as a fluent, co-ordinated team. And this was most obvious when we had a throw in. Poor Ashley Cole was screaming for players to get in place.
When I was in the school netball team decades ago, we used to practice set pieces and we were only amateur. Can't understand why England don't have such moves ready.
And I can't understand why Wayne Rooney doesn't contribute more. He can do more than just wait for a good ball to come his way. In premiership football, he is far more dominant. Imposes himself far more in the game.
So, I was left with that dull feeling of resignation afterwards that I so often feel after England have not fulfilled their potential. It's the same feeling that I had this morning when I tried on my holiday clothes and discovered, as I knew I would, that what looked great last year, didn't this year.
Some good news, though. There have been so many complaints about those damn hooters that they could possibly be banned inside the stadium. Go for it, is what I say.
On a note of past victories, however, I will leave you with the memory of the international match a few years ago when England smashed Germany 5-1. So it can be done.
My final comment- I know England won't win the World Cup but it's still a disappointment. And my advice to Fabio Capello is this : Get some set pieces set-up. Adjust them accordingly at half-time, taking into account the strengths and weaknesses shown in all players in the first half. Stick with the same goalie - he's got something to prove. And if possible, change those bloody gloves, which look like oven gloves, and make him practice holding onto the ball over and over again.
But will he take my advice? I doubt it. Same old story.
Football is certainly a bitch!
We were ecstatic when Gerrard scored after 4 minutes and thought that England would go on to dominate the game. However, they allowed the US too much possession afterwards and then there was that goal.
I reckon that the gloves the goalie - Robart Green - was wearing were far too large and clumsy. He could hardly have felt enough sensation through the darn things to realise that he hadn't secured the ball. Why didn't he just throw himself on the ball and smother it with his body?
Oh well, he did save an excellent US shot in the second half so we could have actually ended up losing 1-2.
I thought we played good attacking football in the second half and if the US goalie hadn't been so good, we could have won at least 4-1. Perhaps he was wearing better gloves. However, John did point out that we didn't really play as a fluent, co-ordinated team. And this was most obvious when we had a throw in. Poor Ashley Cole was screaming for players to get in place.
When I was in the school netball team decades ago, we used to practice set pieces and we were only amateur. Can't understand why England don't have such moves ready.
And I can't understand why Wayne Rooney doesn't contribute more. He can do more than just wait for a good ball to come his way. In premiership football, he is far more dominant. Imposes himself far more in the game.
So, I was left with that dull feeling of resignation afterwards that I so often feel after England have not fulfilled their potential. It's the same feeling that I had this morning when I tried on my holiday clothes and discovered, as I knew I would, that what looked great last year, didn't this year.
Some good news, though. There have been so many complaints about those damn hooters that they could possibly be banned inside the stadium. Go for it, is what I say.
On a note of past victories, however, I will leave you with the memory of the international match a few years ago when England smashed Germany 5-1. So it can be done.
My final comment- I know England won't win the World Cup but it's still a disappointment. And my advice to Fabio Capello is this : Get some set pieces set-up. Adjust them accordingly at half-time, taking into account the strengths and weaknesses shown in all players in the first half. Stick with the same goalie - he's got something to prove. And if possible, change those bloody gloves, which look like oven gloves, and make him practice holding onto the ball over and over again.
But will he take my advice? I doubt it. Same old story.
Saturday, 12 June 2010
WORLD CUP 2010, SOUTH AFRICA
As is quite clearly obvious, I have done very little blogging recently. This is because of my back/neck problems, as those of you who visit my blog regularly (and I love you all!) already know about.
The plan had been to dictate to John, so he could write my blog exerts for me, but it hasn't panned out like that.
However, I'm getting a new chair on Wednesday, which should give far more support for my back, and then John (and this will takes weeks for him to get round to) will lower my table appropriately so that my arms can actually rest properly on the table. Then we'll see if I can write again more regularly without my back seizing up. Fingers crossed because I've found myself very bored not being able to write. (And, by the way, steriod injections have helped greatly.)
But I can't go off to Morocco next week for the Festival without airing my views on the World Cup. So, here goes.
* I adore the World Cup. It's such an opportunity for people across the world to have a positive shared experience. And I like watching football, which helps.
* Very moved by watching and listening to the people of South Africa celebrating this massive event in their country after all those years of exclusion from world sport.
*Supporting England, of course. We have a large England flag hanging out of our bedroom window and I have a flag on my car. Now, we live on a very long street in Winchester and there are only three flags on display. Says a lot about our street. I'm half-expecting some-one to say that we're lowering the tone of the street, so I'm practising my sarcastic, you-must-be-crazy laugh. As one of my friends commented, though, it just confirms to some of my neighbours how crazy I am. (It's always me, never John.)
*Do I think Enland will win? Let me just stop here until my laughter has ceased...As I've been telling all those prepared to listen to me (including total stangers), in order to win the World Cup you need good ball control and accurate passing. I rest my case.
*However, I would love to be proved wrong!
*Think it's very unfair that only days before the tournament started, players have been told that they'll be sent off if they swear. Now, I'm all in favour of that in theory, but to give so little notice I think is asking too much for players who like to let off steam by using an expletive or two. And how can the referrees learn all the different swear words in so many different languages in just a few days?
*The tournament started yesterday and the only match I've seen so far was France v Uruguay, which was so lack-lustre that I couldn't wait for it to end so we could watch Prison Break, which I hope to write about at some time. Suffice to say, we're on Season Three so that tells you something. (Bob Wisdom from 'The Wire', who we met at the Festival last year (such a charming man) is in this season and plays a very different character from the jovial Bunny. Plus the actor, Wentworth Miller, who plays a pivitol role in all the seasons, is a delight to watch because he's so handsome.)
*Back to the football. Must mention those the irriting noise of those foul hooters being blown during matches. Before even half-time of last night's match, I was heartedly wishing they had never been invented.
*In less than half-an-hour England will play their first match against the USA. I predict a 2-1 win for England but that could just be wishful thinking and I certainly haven't put money on it. But fingers crossed!
The plan had been to dictate to John, so he could write my blog exerts for me, but it hasn't panned out like that.
However, I'm getting a new chair on Wednesday, which should give far more support for my back, and then John (and this will takes weeks for him to get round to) will lower my table appropriately so that my arms can actually rest properly on the table. Then we'll see if I can write again more regularly without my back seizing up. Fingers crossed because I've found myself very bored not being able to write. (And, by the way, steriod injections have helped greatly.)
But I can't go off to Morocco next week for the Festival without airing my views on the World Cup. So, here goes.
* I adore the World Cup. It's such an opportunity for people across the world to have a positive shared experience. And I like watching football, which helps.
* Very moved by watching and listening to the people of South Africa celebrating this massive event in their country after all those years of exclusion from world sport.
*Supporting England, of course. We have a large England flag hanging out of our bedroom window and I have a flag on my car. Now, we live on a very long street in Winchester and there are only three flags on display. Says a lot about our street. I'm half-expecting some-one to say that we're lowering the tone of the street, so I'm practising my sarcastic, you-must-be-crazy laugh. As one of my friends commented, though, it just confirms to some of my neighbours how crazy I am. (It's always me, never John.)
*Do I think Enland will win? Let me just stop here until my laughter has ceased...As I've been telling all those prepared to listen to me (including total stangers), in order to win the World Cup you need good ball control and accurate passing. I rest my case.
*However, I would love to be proved wrong!
*Think it's very unfair that only days before the tournament started, players have been told that they'll be sent off if they swear. Now, I'm all in favour of that in theory, but to give so little notice I think is asking too much for players who like to let off steam by using an expletive or two. And how can the referrees learn all the different swear words in so many different languages in just a few days?
*The tournament started yesterday and the only match I've seen so far was France v Uruguay, which was so lack-lustre that I couldn't wait for it to end so we could watch Prison Break, which I hope to write about at some time. Suffice to say, we're on Season Three so that tells you something. (Bob Wisdom from 'The Wire', who we met at the Festival last year (such a charming man) is in this season and plays a very different character from the jovial Bunny. Plus the actor, Wentworth Miller, who plays a pivitol role in all the seasons, is a delight to watch because he's so handsome.)
*Back to the football. Must mention those the irriting noise of those foul hooters being blown during matches. Before even half-time of last night's match, I was heartedly wishing they had never been invented.
*In less than half-an-hour England will play their first match against the USA. I predict a 2-1 win for England but that could just be wishful thinking and I certainly haven't put money on it. But fingers crossed!
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