Workers protest unemployment, wages, and government policies on International Labor Day. “Lhokuma maghrebia: zero!” (trans: the Moroccan government: Zero!)
Archive for the Work Category
May Day Protest in Rabat
Posted in People, Work with tags morocco government protest demonstration activism labor on June 8, 2008 by Sarah Kate KramerSpinning thread, on different levels
Posted in Work with tags morocco work economy fes string textiles, thread labor commerce morocco export textile conversati on March 31, 2008 by Sarah Kate Kramer40 percent of Morocco’s export comes from textile makers, and the industry operates across a huge spectrum of production levels, from needle and thread to modern factories and technology. Walking through the alleys of Fes you often see boys or men with hand-held motors spinning individual spools of thread that are attached at one end to an ancient wall:
Here is the sound of the motor spinning, with the bonus of a conversation with the spooler, explaining the purpose of his work (the thread gets sewn into caftans, jelabas…) and then the common Moroccan experience of having our dialogue interrupted by a third party, who feels the need to translate, and we talk about the spooler’s uncle who lives in America, and we end with the third party beginning to talk about his personal business, selling carpets.
The next level up is a shoelace and belt making factory located behind a nondescript door in the medina, where two rooms have been crammed with German machines furiously and loudly sewing. It’s a family owned and run business.
The second hand market at Bab Boujeloud
Posted in Daily Life, Street Sounds, Work with tags commerce shouts morocco fes fez prices on February 20, 2008 by Sarah Kate KramerThe Fes Tanneries
Posted in Work with tags fes fez medina tannery tanneries work labor on January 12, 2008 by Sarah Kate KramerThree minutes in the public oven
Posted in Daily Life, Work with tags "public oven", "public space", fes, morocco on December 20, 2007 by Sarah Kate KramerTraditional Moroccan homes do not have individual ovens, instead, for centuries people have taken their kneaded dough to communal ovens that are located in each neighborhood. Nowadays many families in Fes do have their own small ovens, but most Moroccans still prefer the taste of bread looked after by the neighborhood baker. Public ovens are busy spaces–in this recording you hear the sound of bread being shoveled in and out of the fire, tossed into a pile, prices shouted out, and of course greetings as people pass through to drop off dough and buy bread.
Walk in Fes Jdid
Posted in Daily Life, Street Sounds, Work with tags "fes jdid" morocco, vendors on December 17, 2007 by Sarah Kate KramerA walk down the main thoroughfare in Fes Jdid, from Bab al-Makina all the way to Bab Semarrine. It is filled with merchants selling food, clothing, rugs, scarfs, toiletries, shoes, upholstery fabric,- you name it. In this recording you hear a cacophony of people yelling out prices, people greeting each other, shop music, and bits of conversations.
Man collecting old bread from houses in the medina
Posted in Daily Life, Street Sounds, Work with tags bread, peddling, recycling, Work on December 17, 2007 by Sarah Kate KramerEvery morning this man walks through the BatHa neighborhood of the old medina calling out for people to please give him their old Khoubz (bread). Food is rarely wasted here–this bread will be set out in in the sun and then, and then recycled into other animal feed.
Hooooooot!
Posted in Daily Life, Street Sounds, Work with tags "la ville nouvelle", fes, fish, morocco, vendor on December 16, 2007 by Sarah Kate KramerMorocco is a place where you can be buy things cheap, fresh, and close to home. The man here is riding a bike through a residential neighborhood and selling fresh sardines from a crate. He repeats the words, “Hoot, Dines” (Fish-Sardines) over and over as he pedals slowly waiting for someone to come outside and buy a kilo or two for lunch.