Banjo, oud, gimbri, mandolin, guitar, tambourines, and… chopsticks. Though the combination was unlikely, the result was anything but cacophony. The fusion was complete. "Bluegrass Maghribi" is the name of a pickup band of Americans and Moroccans, brought together by the cultural diplomats at the American Embassy in Rabat, and sponsored here by the American Language … Read more Appalachian Andalusian Berber Bluegrass – Fusion in Tangier
The setting is magnificent: the Palais des Institutions Italiennes, home to several Italian cultural institutes and NGOs (Elisa Chimenti, COSPE). A.k.a. the Moulay Hafidh palace, the venue is one of Tangier's most prestigious, and the arcades around an Islamic garden make for a perfect setting to browse the bookstalls. This year, for the first time … Read more Tangier’s Salon du Livre – Much More Than a Book Fair
The author on a research trip near Al-Hoceima in the Rif Mountains Caitlyn Olson, writing the guest post below, tells of her 2010 Fulbright fellowhip in Tetouan (near Tangier), and meeting a young Spanish artist also working in the city. “I requested some feedback on the project abstract I’d translated to Spanish. It provided background … Read more Moroccans On Both Sides In Spain’s Civil War
This post has no purpose other than showing pretty pictures. The first, thanks to a visit to the Legation garden by Europa Nostra. Europa Nostra is a Netherlands – based group dedicated to the preservation of historic buildings. As you can see in the background, we have plenty of restoration work to do at our … Read more Cherry Blossoms and Clivia, Washington and Tangier
Engineer and Commercial Director of the Moroccan government chartered company SAPT Hassan Mzerma opened Day Two of the 2011 April Seminar, with the focus on the SAPT project of the conversion of Tangier's city port. We thank SAPT chief Abdelouafi Laftit and Mr. Mzerma, probably two of the busiest people in Morocco, for their valuable … Read more Tangier’s New Port: Let the Water Flow
Note: Marking its 10th edition in 2011, TALIM’s April Seminars have attracted audiences from Tangier, the rest of Morocco, and beyond. This year, with the theme of Tangier’s Ports: Circles of Impact, we piggybacked on the US Trade Mission which participated in the Med-Log (logistics, with a focus on foreign investment) Conference. – – – … Read more Live Blogging The 2011 TALIM April Seminar
A very interesting meeting took place last week in Paris between Moroccan and French industry groups. MEDEF, the French employers association, welcomed its Moroccan counterpart CGEM for a round table under the rubric of "Reforms and Growth: Where Does Morocco Stand?" Six Moroccan ministers attented. But what was especially interesting for readers in Tangier was … Read more Your Choice: Electricity, Food, or Shelter
WeatherOnline gives a great description of Tangier's crazy wind called the chergui. Crazy, in that it blows in over the waters of the Strait of Gibraltar, laden with desert sand. Figure that one out. Crazy, in that sometimes, like yesterday, it blew low towards the west, while up above the wind from the Atlantic Ocean … Read more Blame It On the Chergui
Wildlife in the medina of Tangier Actually, the French Consulate General isn't in the medina any longer (the old French Legation was in a historic building – Dar al Niyaba – that once housed the Sultan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the International Zone era). Now it's at the center of the modern city, la … Read more Legation Lions & Les Oies du Consulat
At left: American Consul in Tangier, James De Long, circa 1861 (Click on photo to enlarge to full-size pop up). Thanks to Tangier native and Parisian pediatrician (and author) Philip Abensur, we have this photo of the Civil War era Consul James De Long. De Long, who served from September 1861 through March 1862, might … Read more Topic In Search of Historian: The US Civil War in Tangier, Morocco
