Official name	Fes
Other name	فاس ''Fās''
Native name
Settlement type
Motto
Dot x	|dot_y
Pushpin map	Morocco
Pushpin label position	bottom
Pushpin map caption	Location in Morocco
Pushpin mapsize	300
Coordinates region	MA
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision name
Subdivision type1	Region
Subdivision name1	Fès-Boulemane
Leader title1
Established title
Established title2
Established title3
Established date3
Unit pref	Imperial
Area land km2
Area metro sq mi
Population as of	2010
Population total	1,000,000
Population blank1 title	Ethnicities
Population blank2 title	Religions
Population density blank1 sq mi
Elevation footnotes
Elevation m	383.7
Elevation ft
Postal code type
Footnotes	}}

Fes or Fez ( ''Fās'', ) is the second largest city of Morocco, following Casablanca, with a population of approximately 1 million (2010). It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region.

Fes, the former capital, is one of the country's four "imperial cities," the others being Rabat, Marrakech and Meknes. It comprises three distinct parts, Fes el Bali (the old, walled city), Fes-Jdid (new Fes, home of the Mellah) and the Ville Nouvelle (the French-created, newest section of Fes).

Fes el Bali is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its medina, the larger of the two medinas of Fes, is believed to be the world's largest contiguous car-free urban area. The University of Al-Karaouine, founded in AD 859, is the oldest continuously functioning university in the world. It has been called the "Mecca of the West" and the "Athens of Africa".

History

The city was founded on a bank of the Fez River by Idris I in 789, founder of the Zaydi Shi'ite Idrisid dynasty, the works being continued on the opposite bank by his son Idris II (808).

Arab emigration to Fes, including 800 Al-Andalusian families expelled after a rebellion which took place in Córdoba in 817–818, and other 2,000 families banned from Kairouan (modern Tunisia) after another rebellion that took place in 824, gave the city a definite Arab character. 'Adwat Al-Andalus and 'Adwat al-Qarawiyyin, the two main quarters of Fes, were called respectively after the two waves of Arab immigrants to the new city. During Yahya ibn Muhammad's rule the Kairouyine mosque, one of the oldest and largest in Africa, was built, together with the associated University of Al-Karaouine was founded (859).

After Ali ibn Umar (Ali II) came to power, the Berber tribes of Madyuna, Gayatha and Miknasa, which were Sufrite Kharijites, formed a common front against the Idrisid and, after defeating Ali's armies, occupied Fes. They were driven out of the city by Yahya ibn Al-Qassim, who declared himself Ali's successor.

The city was populated by Muslims from elsewhere in North Africa, the Middle East, Moriscos (especially after the Spanish conquest of Granada in 1492), as well as many Jews, who had their own quarter, or Mellah, in the city. Most of the city's population was of Berber descent, with rural Berbers from the surrounding countryside settling the city throughout its history, mainly in the Andalusian quarter and later in the 'new city' of Fes. The two halves of Fes were united in 1069, after the destruction of the wall dividing them. Although losing its capital status to Marrakech and Tlemcen under the Almoravids, Fes became the scientific and religious center, where both Muslims and Christians from Europe came to study. In 1250 it regained its capital status under the Marinid dynasty.

In the Early Modern Age, the Ottoman Empire neared to Fes after the conquest of Oujda in the 16th century. In 1554 the Wattasid Dynasty took Fes with the support of the Turks, and the city became a vassal of the Ottomans, who finally conquered it in 1579 under sulat Murad III. The Ottoman power in the North Africa concentrated itself more on the threats posed by Habsburg Spain and the Portuguese Kingdom. As a result, Fes was not under pressure by the Ottoman rulers. The conquest of Fes was the catalyst for the move of the capital city of the Saadi Dynasty to Marrakech City. At the beginning of the 17th century the town returned under Morocco with Ahmad al Mansur.

After the fall of the Saadi Dynasty (1649), Fes was a major trading post of the Barbary Coast of North Africa. Until the 19th century it was the only source of Fez hats (also known as the ''tarboosh''), before they began to be manufactured in France and Turkey; originally, the dye for the hats came from a berry that was grown outside the city, known as the Turkish "''kızılcık''" or Greek "''akenia''" (''Cornus mascula''). Fes was also the end of a north-south gold trading route from Timbuktu. Fes was also a prime manufacturing location for leather goods such as the Adarga.

It became independent in 1790, under the leadership of Yazid (1790–1792), and later, of Abu´r-Rabi Sulayman, who fell however to Morocco in 1795. In 1819–1821 Fes took part in the rebellion led by Ibrahim ibn Yazid, as well as to the 1832 rebellion, led by Muhammad ibn Tayyib.

Fes was again the capital of Morocco until 1912, when most of Morocco came under French control and Rabat was chosen as the capital of the new colony, a status retained even when Morocco achieved independence in 1956. While many of the original inhabitants of Fes have since emigrated, the Jewish quarter has been emptied of its Jewish population (in 1465, there was large massacre of Jews by Arab riots.), and the economy has stagnated. Despite the traditional character of most of the city, there is also a modern section, the Ville Nouvelle, or "New City", which is a bustling commercial center. The popularity of the city has increased since the King of Morocco took a computer engineer from Fes, Salma Bennani, as his wife.

Climate

Fes features a Mediterranean climate, with hot dry summers and chilly wet winters. Located along the Atlas Mountains, Fes has a seasonal climate, shifting from cool in winter to hot days in the summer months of July–September. The nights are always cool (or colder in winter), with daytime temperatures generally rising about +9~14 C° (+15~26 F°) every day. The winter highs typically reach only in December–January (''see weather-table below'').

location	Fes, Morocco
source	Lat34North.com, Yahoo.com

Main sights

Fes is becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination and many non-Moroccans are now restoring traditional houses (riads and dars) as second homes in the Fes medina. The most important monuments in the city are:

Bou Inania Madrasa

Al-Attarine Madrasa

University of Al-Karaouine

Zaouia Moulay Idriss II

Dar al-Magana

Aben Danan Synagogue

Transport

The city is served by Saïss Airport. It also has an ONCF train station which goes east to Oujda and west to Tanger and Casablanca.

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Fes is twinned with: Montpellier, France, since 1961 Strasbourg, France, since 1961 Florence, Italy, since 1961 Kairouan, Tunisia, since 1965 Saint Louis, Senegal, since 1979 Córdoba, Andalusia, Spain, since 1982 Coimbra, Portugal Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, since 2003 Lahore, Pakistan Suwon, South Korea, since 2003 İzmir, Turkey, since 1995 Puebla, Mexico Jerusalem, since 1982. (The twinning was signed with the Palestinian Authority, and the city is referred to as "Al-Quds")

Partnerships

Kraków in Poland ''(since 1985)''

Notes

See also

Treaty of Fez

Book by Roger Le Tourneau (English translation by Besse Clement), ''Fez in the Age of the Marinides'', Oklahoma University, editions 1961 and 1974 (latter ISBN 0806111984).

Article by Julian Vigo. "The Renovation of Fes’ medina qdima and the (re)Creation of the Traditional", Writing the City, Transforming the City, New Delhi: Katha, edition 2006.

The Open International Project Competition for Lalla Yeddouna, A Neighborhood in the Medina of Fez, announced in September 2010 in collaboration with the Union International des Architectes (UIA) and the Millenium Challenge Corporation (MCC), to renew the area and upgrade the living and working standards of the artisans in the medina. The approach of the project is probably one of the most ambitious for an Arab medina and therefor of exemplary character (www.projectcompetition-fez.com). The Open International Project was won by the London based architecture practice Mossessian & Partners.

External links

Fez City Fez Portal

complexe culturel de fes complexe culturel de fes, Morocco

The portal of Fès

The Fes Festival: Sacred Music From Around The World – audio report by ''NPR''

* Category:Populated places in the Fès-Boulemane Region Category:Populated places established in the 8th century Category:789 establishments Category:Metropolitan areas of Morocco Category:Fès-Boulemane Region Category:Prefectures of Morocco Category:Arabic architecture

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name	Rahsaan Roland Kirk
background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
birth name	Ronald Theodore Kirk
birth date	August 07, 1935
birth place	Columbus, Ohio, United States
death date	December 05, 1977
instrument	Tenor saxophone, clarinet, stritch, manzello, flute
genre	JazzHard-bopSoul jazzPost-bopAvant-garde jazzMainstream jazz
occupation	Musician, composer, arranger, bandleader
years active	1955–1977
label	King, Chess, Prestige, Mercury, Limelight, Verve, Atlantic, Warner Bros
website	http://www.alfanet.hu/kirk/index2.html
notable instruments	}}

Rahsaan Roland Kirk (August 7, 1935 – December 5, 1977) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist who played tenor saxophone, flute and many other instruments. He was renowned for his onstage vitality, during which virtuoso improvisation was accompanied by comic banter, political ranting, and the ability to play several instruments simultaneously.

Biography

Kirk was born Ronald Theodore Kirk in Columbus, Ohio, but felt compelled by a dream to transpose two letters in his first name to make ''Roland.'' He became blind at an early age as a result of poor medical treatment. In 1970, Kirk added "Rahsaan" to his name after hearing it in a dream.

Preferring to lead his own bands, Kirk rarely performed as a sideman, although he did record with arranger Quincy Jones and drummer Roy Haynes and had notable stints with bassist Charles Mingus. One of his best-known recorded performances is the lead flute and solo on Jones' "Soul Bossa Nova", a 1964 hit song repopularized in the ''Austin Powers'' films (Jones 1964; McLeod et al. 1997).

His playing was generally rooted in soul jazz or hard bop, but Kirk's knowledge of jazz history allowed him to draw on many elements of the music's past, from ragtime to swing and free jazz. Kirk also absorbed classical influences, and his artistry reflected elements of pop music by composers such as Smokey Robinson and Burt Bacharach, as well as Duke Ellington, John Coltrane and other jazz musicians. The live album ''Bright Moments'' (1973) is an example of one of his shows. His main instrument was the tenor saxophone, supplemented by other saxes, and contrasted with the lighter sound of the flute. At times he would play a number of these horns at once, harmonising with himself, or sustain a note for lengthy durations by using circular breathing, or play the flute through his nose. A number of his instruments were exotic or homemade, but even while playing two or three saxophones at once, the music was intricate, powerful jazz with a strong feel for the blues.

Kirk was politically outspoken. During his concerts, between songs he often talked about topical issues, including black history and the civil rights movement. His monologues were often laced with satire and absurdist humor.

In 1975, Kirk suffered a major stroke which led to partial paralysis of one side of his body. However, he continued to perform and record, modifying his instruments to enable him to play with one arm. At a live performance at Ronnie Scott's club in London he even managed to play two instruments, and carried on to tour internationally and even appear on television.

He died from a second stroke in 1977 after performing in the Frangipani Room of the Indiana University Student Union in Bloomington, Indiana.

Instruments and technique

Kirk played and collected a number of musical instruments, mainly various saxophones, clarinets and flutes. His main instruments were tenor saxophone and two obscure saxophones: the stritch (a straight alto sax lacking the instrument's characteristic upturned bell) and a manzello (a modified saxello soprano sax, with a larger, upturned bell). Kirk modified these instruments himself to accommodate his simultaneous playing technique.

He typically appeared on stage with all three horns hanging around his neck, as well as a variety of other instruments, including flutes and whistles, and often kept a gong within reach. Kirk also played clarinet, harmonica, English horn, and recorders, and was a competent trumpeter. He often had unique approaches, using a saxophone mouthpiece on a trumpet or playing nose flute. He additionally used many non-musical devices, such as alarm clocks, sirens, or a section of common garden hose (dubbed "the black mystery pipes"). His studio recordings also used tape-manipulated ''musique concrète'', and primitive electronic sounds (before such things became commonplace).

Kirk was also an influential flautist, employing several techniques that he developed himself. One technique was to sing or hum into the flute at the same time as playing. Another was to play the standard transverse flute at the same time as a nose flute.

Some observers thought that Kirk's bizarre onstage appearance and simultaneous multi-instrumentalism were just gimmicks, especially when coming from a blind man, but these opinions usually vanished when Kirk began to play. He used the multiple horns to play true chords, essentially functioning as a one-man saxophone section. Kirk insisted that he was only trying to emulate the sounds he heard in his head.

Kirk was a major exponent of circular breathing. Using this technique, Kirk was not only able to sustain a single note for an extended period; he could also play sixteenth-note runs of almost unlimited length, and at high speeds. His circular breathing ability enabled him to record "Concerto For Saxophone" on the ''Prepare Thyself to Deal With a Miracle'' LP in one continuous take of about 20 minutes' playing with no discernible "break" for inhaling. His long-time producer at Atlantic Jazz, Joel Dorn, believed he should have received credit in ''The Guinness Book of World Records'' for such feats (he was capable of playing continuously "without taking a breath" for far longer than exhibited on that LP), but this never happened.

''The Case of the 3 Sided Dream in Audio Color'' was a unique album in jazz and popular music recorded annals. It was a two-LP set, with Side 4 apparently "blank," the label not indicating any content. However, once word of "the secret message" got around among Rahsaan's fans, one would find that about 12 minutes into Side 4 appeared the first of two telephone answering machine messages recorded by Kirk, the second following soon thereafter (but separated by more blank grooves). The surprise impact of these segments appearing on "blank" Side 4 was lost on the CD reissue of this album. These spoken-word segments reflected the tenor of the times, so to speak, with the rather pessimistic theme that humanity had "blown" its chance to live in a world of peace and harmony. But this was entirely in keeping with the fact that, despite his loss at an early age of his sight, Rahsaan was very much on top of societal developments, racial and economic injustice and disparity. Indeed, he had participated many years previously in protests against the failure of TV show hosts like Merv Griffin to hire any non-white musicians.

He gleaned information on what was happening in the world via audio media like radio and the sounds coming from TV sets. His later recordings often incorporated his spoken commentaries on current events, including Richard Nixon's involvement in the Watergate scandal. The ''3-Sided Dream'' album was a 'concept album', somewhat akin to the Beatles' 'psychedelic' phase in the incorporation of "found" or environmental sounds and tape loops, tapes being played backwards, etc. Snippets of Billie Holiday singing are also heard briefly. The album even confronts the rise of influence of computers in society, as Rahsaan threatens to pull the plug on the machine trying to tell him what to do.

Legacy and influence

Virtuoso guitarist Jimi Hendrix "idolized" Kirk, and even hoped to one day collaborate with him. Trombonist Steve Turre was strongly influenced by Kirk's music (and by his use of a conch shell as a second instrument).

Kirk's technique of humming while playing the flute was adopted later by many other players, including Jeremy Steig, Thijs van Leer and Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull (who covered the Kirk tune "Serenade to a Cuckoo" on Jethro Tull's first album ''This Was'' in 1968).

David Jackson, of Van der Graaf Generator, was also highly influenced by the style and technique of Kirk, and he plays multiple saxophones simultaneously since at least 1969.

Eric Burdon and War's debut 1970 release Eric Burdon Declares War has a track on it entitled "Roll On Kirk", which is a tribute to Kirk.

British reed player Dick Heckstall-Smith also emulated Kirk in playing multiple saxophones simultaneously.

Courtney Pine, a saxophonist from the UK, also uses circular breathing and plays two saxophones at once in live performance.

Jeff Coffin, solo artist and member of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones (from 1988 on), plays multiple saxophones simultaneously.

Thurston Moore wore a Rahsaan Roland Kirk t-shirt for a promo shoot for Sonic Youth's album ''Goo'' (1990). Hope Clayburn, one-time lead singer and multi-instrumentalist for funky band Deep Banana Blackout, was frequently known to hum and play flute and to sing while playing multiple saxophones at the same time, teasing common themes and soul standards. Jonny Greenwood, the guitarist and multi-instrumentalist of Radiohead, acknowledged his respect and love for Kirk's music on the band's blog.

Drummer Ramon Lopez paid tribute to Rahsaan Roland Kirk in his 2002 album ''Duets 2 Rahsaan Roland Kirk'', inviting nine differents artists (Joëlle Léandre, Thierry Madiot, Harry Beckett, Majid Bekkas, Beñat Achiary...) for nine duets on nine compositions of Kirk's.

Guitarist Michael Angelo Batio mentioned in an interview with Ultimate Guitar Archive that Kirk's playing of two saxophones at once inspired him to create his "double guitar". T.J. Kirk was a San Francisco-based band named after the three artists it tributed: Thelonious Monk, James Brown, and Rahsaan Roland Kirk. Formed by eight-string guitarist Charlie Hunter as a side group to his own self-titled and San Francisco-based band, other members include Scott Amendola, Will Bernard and John Schott. Paul Weller cited the Kirk album ''I Talk with the Spirits'' (1964) as one of his 'Most Influential Albums' in an interview with ''The Times''.

Rahsaan Roland Kirk is the namesake of jazz artists Roland and Rahsaan Barber, brothers who play trombone and saxophone respectively.

Discography

As leader

;King Records

1956 - ''Triple Threat''

;Argo/Cadet/Chess Records

1960 - ''Introducing Roland Kirk''

;Prestige Records

1961 - ''Kirk's Work'' - with Jack McDuff on organ

;Mercury Records

1961 - ''We Free Kings'' - with Richard Wyands on piano

1962 - ''Domino''

1963 - ''Reeds & Deeds''

1964 - ''The Roland Kirk Quartet Meets the Benny Golson Orchestra''

1964 - ''Kirk in Copenhagen''

1964 - ''Gifts & Messages''

;Limelight Records

1964 - ''I Talk with the Spirits'' - album of Kirk playing the flute

1965 - ''Slightly Latin''

1965 - ''Rip, Rig and Panic'' - fast bop with Jaki Byard on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and drummer Elvin Jones

;Verve Records

1967 - ''Now Please Don't You Cry, Beautiful Edith''

;Atlantic Records

1965 - ''Here Comes the Whistleman'' (Live) - including all Kirk's banter between tracks

1967 - ''The Inflated Tear''

1968 - ''Left & Right''

1969 - ''Volunteered Slavery'' - a meltdown of pop tunes, hard bop, African chanting

1970 - ''Rahsaan Rahsaan''

1971 - ''Natural Black Inventions: Root Strata'' - mostly Kirk alone, on many instruments

1971 - ''Blacknuss''

1972 - ''A Meeting of the Times'' w ex-Duke Ellington singer Al Hibbler

1973 - ''Prepare Thyself to Deal With a Miracle''

1973 - ''Bright Moments'' - live at Keystone Korner, San Francisco

1975 - ''The Case of the 3 Sided Dream in Audio Color''

1976 - ''Other Folks' Music''

;Warner Bros. Records

1976 - ''The Return of the 5000 Lb. Man''

1977 - ''Kirkatron''

1977 - ''Boogie-Woogie String Along for Real''

;Posthumous releases of new material

''I, Eye, Aye: Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival, 1972'' (Rhino)

''The Man Who Cried Fire'' (Night)

''Dog Years in the Fourth Ring'' (32 Jazz)

''Compliments of the Mysterious Phantom'' (Hyena)

''Brotherman in the Fatherland'' - Recorded "Live" in Germany 1972 (Hyena)

;Compilations

''Rahsaan: The Complete Mercury Recordings Of Roland Kirk''

''Does Your House Have Lions: The Rahsaan Roland Kirk Anthology''

''Simmer, Reduce, Garnish & Serve - compilation from his last three albums

''Talkin' Verve: Roots of Acid Jazz''

''The Art of Rahsaan Roland Kirk''

''Third Dimension and Beyond'' combines ''Triple Threat'' and ''Introducing Roland Kirk''

''Left Hook, Right Cross'' combines ''Volunteered Slavery'' and ''Blacknuss''

''Aces Back to Back'' combines ''Left & Right'', ''Rahsaan Rahsaan'', ''Prepare Thyself to Deal With a Miracle'', and ''Other Folks' Music''

''A Standing Eight'' combines ''The Return of the 5000 Lb. Man'', ''Kirkatron'' and ''Boogie-Woogie String Along for Real''

''Only The Best Of Rahsaan Roland Kirk Volume 1'' combines ''Blacknuss'', ''The Case of the 3 Sided Dream in Audio Color'', ''The Inflated Tear/Natural Black Inventions: Roots Strata'', ''Kirkatron'', ''Boogie-Woogie String Along for Real'', and ''Other Folks' Music'' (7CD)

As sideman

With Charles Mingus

''Oh Yeah'' (1962)

''Tonight at Noon'' (1965)

''Mingus at Carnegie Hall'' (1974)

With Roy Haynes

''Out of the Afternoon'' (1962)

With Tubby Hayes

''Tubby's Back in Town'' (1962)

With Quincy Jones

''Big Band Bossa Nova'' (1962)

''Explores Music of Henry Mancini'' (1964)

''Walking in Space'' (1969)

With Tommy Peltier

''The Jazz Corps Under the Direction of Tommy Peltier''

With Jaki Byard

''The Jaki Byard Experience'' (1968)

With Les McCann

''Les McCann Live at Montreux'' (1972)

Bibliography

Jones, Quincy (Composer). (1964). ''Big band bossa nova'' [Phonograph]. Mercury. (Reissued on compact disc by Verve in 1998, 2005)

Kruth, John: ''Bright Moments. The Life and Legacy of Rahsaan Roland Kirk.'' Welcome Rain Publishers, New York 2000 ISBN 1-56649-105-3

McLeod, Eric (Producer), & Roach, Jay (Director). (1997). ''Austin Powers: International man of mystery'' [DVD]. New Line Home Video

References

External links

the Rahsaan Roland Kirk website

Stopping the white wash - Rahsaan Roland Kirk on TV

Roland Kirk Discography (Jazz Discography Project)

''Sound??'' film of Kirk with John Cage at UbuWeb

Video: Rahsaan Roland Kirk (1975)

Video: Rahsaan Roland Kirk and The Vibration Society (1972)

Category:1935 births Category:1977 deaths Category:African American musicians Category:American jazz composers Category:American jazz flautists Category:American jazz saxophonists Category:American multi-instrumentalists Category:Atlantic Records artists Category:Avant-garde jazz musicians Category:Blind musicians Category:Cor anglais players Category:Hard bop musicians Category:People from Columbus, Ohio Category:Soul-jazz musicians Category:Verve Records artists Category:King Records artists Category:Chess Records artists Category:Prestige Records artists Category:Mercury Records artists Category:Warner Bros. Records artists

cs:Rahsaan Roland Kirk da:Rahsaan Roland Kirk de:Rahsaan Roland Kirk es:Roland Kirk fr:Roland Kirk it:Rahsaan Roland Kirk nl:Rahsaan Roland Kirk ja:ローランド・カーク no:Rahsaan Roland Kirk pt:Roland Kirk fi:Rahsaan Roland Kirk