Impressionen aus Fès
Vor knapp einem Monat, am 19. und 20. Juni 2019, haben wir mit Kol Colé beim internationalen Festival der religiösen Musik gespielt.
Spielort war die alte Synagoge im ehemaligen jüdischen Viertel am Rande der Medina von Fès. Das Publikum war international (viele jüdische Touristen aus aller Welt), zahlreich und ein ganz liebes!
Fotos: Ramon Fornos, Ulrich Popp, Daniel Marsch
Review in The View from Fez
Another false start was on the cards today, as festival-goers arrived at Ibn Danan Synagogue to enjoy Kol Colé ensemble. However, the concert had been moved to the nearby Synagogue Fassiyine. As usual, none of the festival management were present to inform ticket holders of the new location.
With some determination they meandered to the new venue, which was unable to seat the number of attendees. People stood for the duration of the concert, nevertheless eager to hear music steeped in Jewish tradition in such an apt venue.
Kol Colé was founded in Cologne, Germany, but unites musicians from across countries. They frequent mostly Jewish weddings and celebrations, but have travelled to Fes today to perform somewhere quite different.
In keeping with the spirit of the festival, they draw on musical traditions from across the Abrahamic faiths- evoking the fields of rural Ukraine, the Qanun songs of Syria, the shepherd flocks of Russia and old Jewish chansons.
The mixed ensemble included an Ukrainian violinist, a German accordion player, a female Moldovan percussionist/vocalist and a German accordion player.
They entered the stage looking pleased at the packed our room before them. Greeting the audience with both Shalom and Salaam, they began with a spritely piece that mixed melancholic melodies with the energy of the accordion.
It wasn’t long before the audience were clapping and bouncing their feet as if we were at a Jewish wedding. Introducing an old Turkish piece, they told the audience to feel free to dance and clap whenever they pleased.
Despite the temperature rising in the venue and the audience starting to sweat beads, few left early. Despite there being fewer locals than at other performances, the concert was a crowd pleaser.
