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Every time I walked past this guy he was fast asleep and snoring while minding his shop, despite all the hustle and bustle of the medina in Marrakech. I got the feeling his sixth sense would wake him up pretty quickly if customers, especially tourists, started looking at his wares. I'm not even sure what it is he's selling. Straw hats are a very uncommon sight in Morocco. This guy was working unloading the fishing boats in the harbour at Essaouira and stood out from his peers. He also has a very photogenic demeanour. A little pensive, a little doleful, perhaps. Blankets getting some morning air in Essaouira. A man of balloons spotted in Essaouira. About half a dozen of these guys go from café to café in Essaouira every day playing the same few tunes and then pass a hollow drum around, hopefully to be filled with money. The notion comes easily that they're only able to play a handful of songs. Every year in May, Essaouira hosts a festival of gnawa and other African music on a stage in the main square. Though I've been to this town several times over three decades, I've never made it to the festival. However, I was fortunate enough to be shown some images of performances over the years by a local photographer and was surprised to see some of these street musicians playing alongside some of the featured artists on the main stage. It must be a hell of a comedown to play centre stage for a few days a year and then have to return to itinerant busking for a few coins. |