North African Vibes

The Islam Re-Observed conference was enriched by a musical concert (Concert PDF here) presented by members of the Sefrou Municipal Orchestra joined by tenors Abderahim Souiri and Raphael Skouri, who demonstrated the rich variety of Muslim and Jewish performance styles from Sefrou’s Andalusian heritage. These traditions have been preserved for over five centuries, ever since Muslims and Jews were exiled from Spain in 1492 and found refuge in Morocco where they created a remarkable musical culture.

Fez's 1200 years of living history were celebrated in an exhilarating evening of music and dance, featuring performances by master percussionist Ali Alaoui and the Moultaqa Salam Ensemble; Achinta S. McDaniel and the Blue13 Dance Company; and special guests Abderrahim Amrani from the Fez Sufi Brotherhood of the Hamadsha, A. J. Racy, Raphael Skouri, Momo Loudiyi and Loud Oasis, and Fattah Abbou from AZA.

A third concert, North African Vibes, was offered in Summer 2008 at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The standing-room-only event at the Bing Theater featured vocalists Fella Oudani, Hassan Tawil, Raphael Skouri, and Sabri Sabri leading the ensemble of singers and musicians who showcased Arab-Andalusian melodies from Granada, the uplifting vocals of Jewish songs from across the Maghreb, and the pulsating rhythms of Algerian Ra’i that swept around the world and found a home in Los Angeles.