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Essaouira 2006, Gnaoua Festival, closing day. Rachid Taha.

Flag Morocco

Sunday, June 25 2006

1 year, 11 months, 3 days

Essaouira, Morocco

About Travel Photography,
Colors of the World.

Manfred is creator of ThisFabTrek.com, travel photography, a travel blog and a photography blog (a journey from 2004 to 2013). 'I set out to see the colors of the world, always I try to capture the colors'.

Seeing, is understanding, so I report and photograph, but formost enjoy and live those different conceptions of life (all that TV [and the web] cannot give). I reject jealousy, animosity, bigotry. Be free!

Manfred in the desert of the Western Sahara

The mind, when pondering at night and always asked those questions. What am I doing in corporate wonderland of bank, university, office or church? Who is the other animal asleep deep inside, the thinker, punk, creative, or Indian, vagabond and healer, maybe artist, writer, photographer, traveler, globetrotter? Oh God, dare you to think. When I saw the lies, gambles and manipulations I follow the old dream and set out for the journey of life lived, the journey to see the colors of the world.

During years on the road I have taken the turns as they came along, and realized one thing: Only such a small part of the planet can be explored and such a vast land and sea mass will always remain unknown, to me; many swamps, jungles, deserts and oceans will never be traveled. But then I am father of twin boys, Daniel and David, my most important, and I show them some of the wonders and colors out there.

ThisFabTrek, Photography and Journey, the Stories from the Road and Life around the World, stopped in August 2013 after more than 9 years, Love and Peace.

Last vehicle.

G20, Chevy Gladiator.

Chevrolet Gladiator G20, The boys in Cordillera Blanca, Peru.
The boys and Chevy van, Peru.

The G20, the vehicle that came to me for the Americas adventures.

6 wheeled Land Rover.

Land Rover Defender 6x6
Link to Foley

The vehicle of the Africa adventures, a Foley 6-Wheeled Land Rover Defender.

Before, the MB307.

Manfred and MB307
Journey, Middle East.

The vehicle of the Middle-East and North-Cape Journeys. See all vehicles.

Daniel and David with nanny Aisha, the best we ever had, black African Woman carrying white twin babies, in Bamako, Mali.

Land Rover 47,032km

Trekking 313km

Ferry 730km

Train 150km

Other cars 12,443km

(MB207 7,208km)

Travel Blog

contains Festival/Fiesta/Art photography.

"There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come." - Victor Hugo.

"What matters in life is not what happens to you but what you remember and how you remember it, to tell the tale." Living to Tell the Tale - Gabriel García Márquez.

"They never taught wandering in any school I attended. ... they never taught the art of writing a book, either. It's all so mysterious."
"Wandering is an art in itself. Wandering and writing don't mix"
"Writing demands commitment and if one thing your wanderer is allergic to is that very quality of commitment, for once one is committed he runs that very risk of failure ..." Wanderer - Sterling Hayden.

"Photography enables you to grasp a place first time round. ... Photography is a means of exploration, it's a vital part of travel, almost as essential as a car or a plane. " - Wim Wenders.

"The worst prejudice we acquire during our youth is the idea that life is serious. Children have the right instincts: they know that life is not serious, and treat it as a game..." , Egon Friedell.

"How far you gonna go. Before you lose your way back home" - Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World, Achtung Baby, U2.

"If you want to be a hero well just follow me." - Working Class Hero, John Lennon.

"When I think of all the things I have done, I know that it's only just begun." - I love you, Lou Reed.

"One does not escape the Sahara - the Sahara let's you go or not" - Touareg.

"Planet earth is blue and there`s nothing I can do" - This is Ground Control to Major Tom, David Bowie.

"Glory for the crazy people/in this stupid world" - Ahmed Fouad Negm.

www.thisfabtrek.com > journey > africa > morocco > 20060625-essaouira

Rachid Taha.

Algerian Rachid Taha, lives in Paris, cannot go visit his country. The Moroccans are more then happy to stage him. Well I have to make the next point, I know of groups that perform in Algeria but not in Morocco. Though reasons for that are less driven by fundamental religiouse believes.

I go into this last concert with a lot of expectations. Much have I heard of Rai this Algerian pop-rebel music. From Taha records I know he can be be rolling and rocking, speeding and stampeding.

But what is Rai? This one is good. So is this: Rebel music from Algeria. But is Taha Rai? Who cares.

Rachid Taha, Essaouira 2006
Rachid Taha.
Rachid Taha, Essaouira 2006, face detail.
Rachid Taha, face detail.
Rachid Taha, Essaouira 2006
Rachid Taha, Essaouira 06.
Rachid Taha, Essaouira 2006
Rachid Taha, eccentricity.
Rachid Taha, Essaouira 2006
Rachid Taha, Essaouira 2006, detail
Rachid Taha, Essaouira 2006
Rachid Taha, Essaouira 2006
Rachid Taha, Essaouira 2006
Rachid Taha, Essaouira 2006
Bad guitar, unsophisticated, annoying bass.

Strangely Taha's records feature a much better guitar. This one is sleepy and too simple, others would say the guy can't play ... The bass is just annoying. But maybe it is just me having got used to the phenomena Pat Metheny and Christian Mc Bride the night before.

In general I like Rachid Taha's music, I have bought the Medina and Diwan records. Taha has a great many melodious pop songs interpreted by great musicians, fusion of Rai and Rock music, some say.

I as I don't speak Arabic can only guess what his songs are all about. The rebel is obvious, and I remember me saying to Hasna a while ago that "what you lack in your (Arab) countries, is a real rebel culture!" I have to concede there is more around than I thought.

And Taha makes a point (makes many), - my musician friends are Christians, Jews, "He is a Jew!" he repeats, shouts, wants to say "and I like him, and he is my friend" and Muslims and ...

More on Rachid Taha, The Globalist, BBC world music, official site.

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Barry, earlier in the day.

Another rebel, that I enjoy listening. Reggae, Gnaoua, Latino whatever mix with direct lyrics, - that I don't understand. But it's good to know they're there.

Barry, Essaouira 2006
Moroccan Barry, Reggae rebel.
Oum, Essaouira 2006, Morocco
Oum, before she became famous.
Gnaoua, Essaouira 2006
Barry Gnaoua.
Gnaoua, Essaouira 2006
Gnaouas on closing day.
Gnaoua, Essaouira 2006
Gnaoua detail, Essaouira 2006

www.thisfabtrek.com > journey > africa > morocco > 20060625-essaouira

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