DAY 215

Saturday 11 February 2012

Before leaving for Jajouka, Aziz swung by one last time to take us to a certain Cafe Hafa (a favorite spot of Paul Bowles' when he lived in Tangier), and it was breathtaking. They served mint tea and...mint tea. You could also buy hot peanuts from a man walking around, which we did, and they were a delicious accompaniment to the tea and spectacular seaside view.

The holders workers carry the teas in

Mint tea and hot peanuts

After getting to know a sister and brother who were clients of Aziz, we finished our tea and headed back to the apartment where we saw Mustafa waiting in his jeep to take us the three hours drive from Paul Bowles’ apartment to Jajouka. Dian rode in the jeep with Mustafa while Charles and Nicole followed behind. We arrived after dark and picked up Abdullah in the little town called Ksar El Kiber (the last one before the dirt road turn off with no sign at all for Jajouka). Nicole and Charles joked that Mustafa resembled a Marx Brother with the way he not once, not twice, but three times stopped his car in town and scuttled around the back, smiling and waving at them, as he ran into a shop to get provisions.

The stone walled compound was opened by Mustafa and we drove through to a large grassy area that enclosed a house and “lodge” for the musicians. The other musician, Mohamed, greeted us and then we saw our friend, Bachir. After having tea and homemade lemon cake we went inside the music room with pillows and low couches along the walls. Bachir’s wife Fatima sent over a feast of two vegetable-stuffed chickens with lemon cooked to perfection with olives and potatoes. There was a bell pepper mixture (special for guests), spinach with beans and fresh bread. The musicians ate the traditional way with bread soaking up the food, which Nicole tried to emulate, but Charles and Dian used utensils. Afterwards we had lira (flute) music (with circular breathing), accompanied by two drums. Then, we heard Bachir play the gimbri (guitar like instrument) while the others either sang or drummed to a tune about “I’m lovesick but you’re my medicine”.

The repetitive tones and pulsating rhythms were intoxicating. Dian wasn’t so hot on all the cigarette smoke, though. We heard GREAT stories by Bachir, not only a master musician who’s played with The Rolling Stones, Debbie Harry, Ornette Coleman, Peter Gabriel, Steve Lacy, Paul Bowles, Steven Tyler, Randy Westin, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Patti Smith and Robert Palmer but also is a master storyteller with a ready laugh.

Charles stayed to talk more with the musicians and hear music while Dian and Nicole retired to the beautiful room reserved for us, but upon hearing more music faintly through the wall, Nicole ran back to hear more, not wanting to miss anything.