Notes from the Red City: My Musician's Marrakech
wandering through marrakech feels like trying to play a song in a key that doesn't exist. i'm here chasing something, maybe just the perfect chord progression to capture what i'm feeling, but mostly just running away from the noise back home. the red buildings pulse like the veins in my temples, and every corner seems to hold a rhythm i can't quite grasp yet.
i just checked the weather and it's hovering around 12 degrees with a humidity that makes every breath feel like you're singing underwater. hope you like that kind of thing - my vocal cords certainly don't. this semi-desert climate is playing havoc with my voice, though the locals seem unfazed. maybe that's what i need to learn - how to sing through the dust and heat without cracking on the high notes.
if you get tired of the city's pulse, essaouira and agadir are just a short drive away, apparently. i say apparently because i haven't made it that far yet. the atlas mountains keep calling me like a siren's song - maybe i'll find some melody up there that i can't find in the souks. who knows, maybe my next album will be written on some mountaintop where the air is thin and the thoughts are clearer.
the medina is a labyrinth that makes my most complicated chord changes look simple. getting lost here is inevitable, and honestly, that's the point. i've been trying to find a quiet spot to work on some new material, but between the call to prayer five times a day and the constant hum of life in the streets, silence is a luxury. i did find a rooftop cafe with decent acoustics where i've been scribbling lyrics between mint tea refills. the owner says i should come back at sunset when the light hits just right for photos - but i'm here for the sounds, not the sights.
jemaa el-fnaa at night is a symphony of chaos. snake charmers with their hypnotic flutes, storytellers with voices that carry across the square, food sizzling on grills - it's all there. i tried to capture some of it on my phone, but nothing compares to being there, feeling the vibrations through the cobblestones. someone told me that yves saint laurent used to sit in the gardens just listening, letting the city's rhythms seep into his designs. maybe that's what i'm looking for - to let this place infiltrate my music without trying to force it.
the cuisine here is another form of music - tagines slow-cooked like a ballad, pastilla with its sweet and savory notes like a jazz improvisation. i've been living on harira soup and mint tea, fueling my late-night writing sessions. every meal feels like a performance, with spices that dance on your tongue like a well-crafted bridge between verses.
i heard that the saadian tombs have acoustics that would make any singer weep with envy. haven't made it there yet - keep getting sidetracked by another musician playing in the streets or another alley that promises some hidden melody. that's the thing about marrakech - it's a city that doesn't let you rush. it pulls you in, makes you slow down, listen to what's between the notes.
the red ochre buildings against the endless blue sky - it's a visual chord that my eyes can't get enough of. i keep trying to translate it into sound, to find the frequency that matches this color. maybe that's why i'm here - to find the color in sound and the sound in color.
if you're looking for recommendations beyond my ramblings, check out the reviews on tripadvisor for hidden gems in the medina. the lonely planet guide has some useful tips on navigating the souks without losing your mind or your wallet. and if you need to escape the heat like i do, this local blog has some great suggestions for cool spots around the city.
i'm not sure how long i'll stay - until i find the song i came for, or until my money runs out, whichever comes first. the city has a way of making time both stand still and race by. maybe that's the lesson here - to find my rhythm in the chaos, to make sense of the noise. or maybe i'll just keep getting lost and hope that somewhere in this maze, i'll find myself again.
You might also be interested in:
- https://topiclo.com/post/fez-where-the-medina-swallows-you-whole
- https://topiclo.com/post/gwangju-a-chaotic-journey-through-south-koreas-sixthlargest-metropolis
- https://topiclo.com/post/dakar-the-city-that-never-stops-moving
- https://topiclo.com/post/khartoum-where-two-rivers-meet-and-i-sweat
- https://topiclo.com/post/mecca-dust-dates-and-a-whole-lot-of-faith-and-heat