radio fes

Sound Portrait of Rabat’s Old City

Sarah Kramer — Thu, 19 May 2011 01:54:44 +0000

A scene from Rabat in 2008. (Photo: Sarah Kate Kramer)

Our friend Sarah Dohrmann sent us this recording of Rabat’s old medina in May 2011.

It Will Happen

sumayya33 — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 23:46:17 +0000

The call to prayer in Morocco seems inevitable, like the sun rising.

In this clip one of us is with a group of people in the old city of Fes watching the clock and waiting for the call for the sunset prayer. Someone says, ” I think it’ll happen,” and then one by one each mosque in the area begins the call to prayer, each one coming in a little behind the other so that it seems as if they are singing in a round.

Filed under: Daily Life, Religion, Street Sounds Tagged: call to prayer

Shhh…and listen

Sarah Kramer — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 05:45:15 +0000

It’s been a year since we were in AlMaghreb, but a friend who just returned from a summer in Rabat passed along this recording. It’s a recitation of Hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad) that tells people not to speak while the Imam is giving the Friday sermon–so that they may get the full benefit of the sermon.

Posted in Prayers, Religion

Storks at the Chellah

Sarah Kramer — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 18:49:07 +0000

The elegant profiles of storks dominate Moroccan skies. Like us, they seem to like the old medinas! In Fes they swoop over rooftops, in Marrakesh their nests perch like hats on the old fortification walls, and in Rabat, they’ve officially taken over the Chellah, a site with remants of both Roman and Islamic civilizations. In spring, they emit mating calls, which are noisy but cool. Here’s the sound:

Posted in Daily Life Tagged: storks birds chellah ruins

Salawat on the Prophet (asking God to Bless the Prophet Muhammad)

Sarah Kramer — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:15:10 +0000

Walking home on a Wednesday night in Rabat we heard from a few blocks away the sound of a party (assumed to be either a wedding or a baby naming ceremony). A group of men are singing amdah, religious songs praising the qualities of the Prophet Muhammad and asking God to bless him. The sound is coming from an apartment building where several apartments are being used to house the party guests. This clip was taped on the sidewalk outside the building.

Dayf Ullah

Sarah Kramer — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:03:27 +0000

Bab Bou Jelloud, is a popular starting point for groups touring the medina (old city) of Fes. One Saturday morning a group of about 50 Moroccan women entered the gate carrying small drums and singing a traditional Moroccan song “Dayf Ullah” which means “God’s guest” and is a term used to describe someone who shows up surprisingly or uninvited – you would still accept them and welcome them because God sent them to you. At the end of the sound clip you will hear the tour guide with a bull horn trying to get the women’s attention and explaining to them where they are at in the medina.

May Day Protest in Rabat

Sarah Kramer — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 13:27:42 +0000

Workers protest unemployment, wages, and government policies on International Labor Day. “Lhokuma maghrebia: zero!” (trans: the Moroccan government: Zero!)

The King’s Arrival in Fes

Sarah Kramer — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:08:08 +0000

Crowds are “gathered” by Moroccan Authorities to welcome the king during his drives through Fes. The king often visits the city during religious holidays, and this recording is from the days preceding the Maulid–the Prophet’s birthday. The crowd is composed of several different tradiional music groups, and children.

Umsiyah Quraniyah

Sarah Kramer — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:04:30 +0000

This afternoon Quran recitation was organized by a group so that people could enjoyably listen to different Quran reciters. Each person recites for only a minutes, and between each reciter there are short talks about the relationship and place of the Quaran in the life of Muslims. This Umsiyah was held at a meeting hall used for lectures and meetings of religious leaders. It is on a busy street across from the Royal Mirage Hotel in Fes.

Dhar Mahraz Student Protest

Sarah Kramer — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:46:46 +0000

Night time protest of students from the Dhar Mahraz University in the Lidu neighborhood of Fes. The protesters want an increase in student stipends. They raise complaints about the level of luxury some of the administration is living in, while they struggle to subsist on their educational stipends.