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"Welcome"
(Recorded at the Hotel Batha, in the old city of Fes, Morocco- 6/4/97)

 
After a long day recording Barrada's group, we went to the cafe in our hotel for a late night drink. A musician was performing for a small crowd of about fifteen people. The people were enjoying themselves, filled with drink and sentimental music. As the music began to move us, Matt ran back to the room and grabbed the DAT recorder. He positioned the mic through an open window from outside the cafe as to not pique the interest of onlookers. This music is a mixture of Jewish and romantic Fes style folk. It is a song of hope, celebrating friends, festivities and life. The song begins with an improvisation and then moves to the melody. The instrument used is the oud. The oud is to Arabic music what the piano is to Western music.It has eleven strings; five pairs and one bass string.