(Photo - City Awaits Arrival of His Majesty The King Mohammad VI)

Essaouira Hosts The Alizes Classical Music Festival

The 7th Annual Alizes Classical Music Festival one of the biggest musical events of the year. Last year it was spectacular with performances by great artists like Amira Selim, the beautiful opera star from Egypt, Michael Wolf, the virtuoso double bass player from America and the French virtuoso violinist Didier Lockwood.

This year the festival features over 20 concerts with musicians and singers from around the world. They will perform pieces from Brahms, Mendelssohn, Schubert, Mozart, Bacri, Messiaen, Ravel and many others.

The concerts will be held in The Dar Souiri and the newly refurbished Bab El Menzeh which is located at the end of Main Street near the clock tower. Last year the outdoor concerts were held in the grain market that proved to be too small. The Bab El Menzeh should provide an excellent atmosphere with the two big Ramparts and rear gate as a background. This year will also have midnight concerts at the Dar Souiri which should be magical.

Here are the events not to be missed:

Friday 9PM, Dar Souiri - Didier Lockwood, Caroline Casadessus, Thomas Enko, piano perform Alain Sachs's 'Le Jazz et la Diva' (Molière 2006, best musical)

Saturday 9PM, Bab El Menzeh - The Chorus of the Three Cultures will perform songs in Arabic, Hebrew and Latin. Then Didier Lockwood will emerge and provide a fantastic musical melange of classical violin and the Three Cultures Choir. This was excellent last year and is not to be missed. Bundle up! It may be a bit breezy.

Other News:

His Majesty The King Mohammad VI was in town for 4 days last week to meet with representatives from the new Atlas Resort and to inaugurate the new Aquatic Center. He arrived on Tuesday afternoon and the entire city was out greet him. The autocade went past at around 5pm and the King looked fit, healthy and happy. Every evening during his visit there were concerts in the place Moulay Hassan with great local headliners like Ganga Fusion.

Weather - Just like summer, warm and great surf every morning this week at Safi Beach. The afternoons will be great for wind sports in the Bay. Things could not be better. Have fun in our fabulous city!

Check the surf in Essaouira:

http://www.windguru.com/int/index.php?sc=26

Check the Weather in Essaouira:

http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=essaouira

 

Next Week: Update on Atlas Resort

Current Events:

The Alliance Francoise is hosting the exhibition

«Portraits in Oil» by Anna - from April 2 to

the 24th.

For at full schedule of events at the Alliance

Francoise, go to their website at:

http://www.ambafrance-ma.org/institut/afm-essaouira/index.cfm?num=948&archive...

The Alliance Francoise is located on Rue Laalouj not

far from Dar Suki.

Upcoming Events

The Alizes Classical Music Festival 2007 April 19 -22.

I was at this festival last year and it was really

fantastic. For all information go to the official

websight at: http://www.alizesfestival.com/

10th Annual Essaouira International Gnaoua Festival

2007 June 19 - 23. For all information go to the

official websight at:

http://www.festival-gnaoua.co.ma/

Blog Posted each Monday by Ron Bauer, see you soon!