The Music and Arts of Morocco

         As you travel through Morocco, you will not go a step without experiencing some music. The nation of Morocco is internationally known for their festivals of music. The people of Morocco cherish their music because it has been a part of their history for a long period of time. The people of Morocco want to experience their music all day with every celebration the people go through. The music has a strong Arabian feel to it because of the strong Arabic tradition for Morocco. The Arabic music has been around since the people settled in Morocco. However, the 1970s have brought along what is known as chabbi music, which is the most popular music in Morocco. The chabbi music is infused with three different types of Arab, African, and modern Western. The chabbi music is very uplifting and has twice the speed of regular music. The uplifting and dancing spirit of the music is a reflection of the culture and tradition of the people of Morocco.  Morocco shares many festivals with their people where they can experience the Moroccan music of Berber, Gnawa, Jajouka, Chabbi, Griha, Moroccan Rap, Sephardic, and Sufi. The people of Morocco enjoy the music that brings this wonderful nation full of joy.

            Furthermore, Morocco’s art is also known internationally for the festival of art in the nation. Morocco is the host to one of the most popular art festivals, the Marrakech. The festival shares the many traditions of the Moroccan people’s culture, which involves many arts, crafts, photograph exhibitions, dances, and much more. The Marrakech festival is known for snake charmers, acrobats, and fire swallowers. Another important culture and tradition for Morocco is the gallery showing of the hand woven carpets. The styles of the carpets are each unique based on the form the creators choose to weave. The people of Morocco also enjoy crafting their own wood furniture. The crafting of the arts is a huge tradition for the people of Morocco. The nation continues to show the traditions of the Arabic culture Morocco encompasses.

          

                                                                                                                                      

Hassan, Hakmoun. “Morocco.” Nyce FM: The Heartbeat of Africa (2014). 27 Jan. 2016. http://nycefm.com/morocco-hassan-hakmoun/

Lahrichi, Kamilia. “Music, Magic and Art in Morocco, Africa’s Festival Capital.” CNN Travel (22 Nov. 2012). 27 Jan. 2016. http://travel.cnn.com/africas-festival-capital-morocco-761316/

“Art – Traditional Woodworks and Colorful Woven Carpets.” Morocco.com (2016). 27 Jan. 2016. http://www.morocco.com/art/

“Buying Moroccan Carpets in Fez.” The View From Fez (23 June 2011). 27 Jan. 2016. http://riadzany.blogspot.com/2011/06/buying-moroccan-carpets-in-fez.html

“Travel Morocco: Moroccan Music & Artists.” Travel Exploration: Discover the Best of Morocco (2016). 27 Jan. 2016. http://www.travel-exploration.com/mpage.cfm/Moroccan_Music_Artists

Morocco's Geography

 The nation of Morocco, also known as the Kingdom of Morocco, is located on the North end of Africa. Morocco is on the coasts of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Morocco has four different mountain ranges including the Rif, the Middle Atlas, the High Atlas, and the Anti-Atlas. Morocco’s mountains are often covered in a layer of snow during the winter season. The highest mountain is Jbel Toubkal at 4,162 meters. The Jbel Toubkal is home of one of the biggest tourist attractions for Morocco. Jbel Toubkal is a place where many people can enjoy the beautiful scenery. The major river of Morocco is Sebou River which has helped with the production of olive, rice, wheat, sugar beet, citrus, and grape. The Sebou River helps with draining part of the Atlas Mountains and Gharb plain into the Atlantic. The river is home of the hydroelectric plant at El-Kansera.

The weather in Morocco varies based on the season the people are currently experiencing. The highest temperature is on average 95 degrees and the low is 41 degrees. However, the people experience hot and dry temperatures with a dramatic cold front at night especially in December and January. The rainfall is prominent in Morocco especially throughout the month of November up until March. The mountains contain the heaviest rainfall, but the Sahara consists of the desert climate. The Sahara desert is the largest desert in the world being at least 3,000 miles long.

The population of Morocco is 32,649,130 since the year 2013. The largest city in Morocco is Casablanca with a population of 3,144,909, latitude of 33.588, and a longitude of -7.611. The remaining largest cities of Morocco are Rabat (1,655,753), Fes (964,891), Sale (903,485), Marrakesh (839,296), Agadir (698,310), Tangier (688,356), Meknes (545,705), Oujda (405,253), and Al Hoceima (395,644). The cities latitudes range from 35.252 to 30.42 and longitude from -9.598 to -1.909.

Resources:

https://www.journeybeyondtravel.com/blog/morocco-jbel-toubkal-summit.html

http://www.britannica.com/place/Sahara-desert-Africa

http://www.geonames.org/MA/highest-mountains-in-morocco.html

http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/africa/morocco/maland.htm#page

http://www.geographia.com/morocco/

http://www.worldtravelguide.net/morocco/weather-climate-geography

http://medomed.org/2010/morocco-physical-geography-data/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2045232/Casablanca-Moroccan-city-isnt-like-movies.html

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