Luxury

Paris seemed small to Josephine Baker  compared to New York, however she fell in love with the city instantly and set out to conquer it. Her strategy was to consider the city as a lover and little by little seduce it. She was chic and funny, a winning combination . The rich flocked to Paris […]

yves-saint-laurent-pierre Berge

Sadly the great Pierre Berge passed away on the 8th September 2017, he will be sadly missed in Marrakech. In 1966 Yves St Laurent and Pierre Berge were visiting Marrakech. They were enthralled by the contrasts and the views of the Atlas Mountains. It was on this visit that they purchased their first Moroccan home. […]

The palace of the Glaoui Marrakech

Josephine Baker stayed in Casablanca for medical treatment following a prolonged illness. During her time in hospital in Casablanca she was visited regularly by the Pacha of Marrakech; Thami El Glaoui. Their close relationship was well known, and it was also rumoured that she had miscarried his child, leading to her illness and spell in hospital. […]

Koutoubia Mosque Marrakech

Sally Evans visited Marrakech for  Candis Women’s family & Lifestyle magazine. Her account of staying in Marrakech describes beautiful mosques, enchanting palaces and thriving souks. With a beautiful account of her experiences and a host of helpful tips the essence of this beautiful ancient city is vibrantly shared by her clear passion for the red city.   […]

Condor airways fly to Marrakech from Germany

Condor from November 2017 is introducing service to Marrakech, from various German airports. The airline plans to offer following flights once a week, with Airbus A320/321 aircraft. Current schedule listing shows these new routes will be served on year-round basis. Dusseldorf – Marrakech eff 10NOV17 1 weekly A320 (Day 5) DE192 DUS1400 – 1655RAK 320 […]

oldest homosapien bones found near marrakech

Fossils recovered from an old mine on a desolate mountain in Morocco have rocked one of the most enduring foundations of the human story: that Homo sapiens arose in a cradle of humankind in East Africa 200,000 years ago. Archaeologists unearthed the bones of at least five people at Jebel Irhoud, a former barite mine […]

Claude_Hopkins

Claude Hopkins was a jazz pianist who led one of the most popular big bands to come out of Harlem. He went to Europe as musical director for the singer Josephine Baker, leading a band that included Sidney Bechet, the saxophonist and clarinetist. He led the orchestra on the opening night of the Revue Negre in Paris. […]

Iftar in Morocco

Iftar or Ftour is the shared meal eaten at sunset during Ramadan to break the fasting of the day. Muslims break their fast at the time of the call to prayer for the evening prayer. Iftar is often done as a community, with people gathering to break their fast together. Iftar is taken around sunset. Feeding others […]

cactus fruit in marrakech riad

The cactus plants seen at the roadsides of Morocco bear a wonderful fruit; the prickly pear. The plants are often a natural boundary between properties, and in the late summer they become laden with fruit. Take care when opening the fruit, as the spines are fine and spiky! You will notice that the street vendors […]

Travelling alone can be a rewarding, challenging and sometimes daunting choice. National Geographic Traveller: “According to research in the ABTA Consumer Survey 2015: Holiday Habits Report, nearly one in six people — or 15% of us — holiday alone. And this is just one of a raft of recent reports that indicate solo travel is […]

Beyonce star Marrakech henna

When it comes to contemporary  iconic women and their style choices Beyonce is the lady who turns heads. Her pregnancy has been covered in the media since her creative photo shoot to make the news public. At her elaborate baby shower the most alluring of details was her intricate henna tattoo.  Beyonce’s choice is a beautiful […]

Josephine Baker Danse Sauvage

Flexibility is a greatly valued quality in African dance, and was in great contrast to the style of European dancing in the 1920’s. In African culture flexibility is a sign of youth and vigour, these aspects of Josephine’s performances were deemed exotic and intoxicating by the audiences who saw her. Josephine was almost double jointed, […]

Josephine Baker in 1926 .

“The grinning, wide eyed woman exploded into energy just barely contained by skin and a human form. Every part of her seemed to go in a different direction, flung from some central volcano of spirit. She made faces and flailed about. She shook her rear end, then drew it in and strutted in place. The […]

Riad Star (16)

Bananas were introduced to Morocco as a crop in the early 1940’s, production was confined to small plantings in special micro climates along the Atlantic coast, north of Agadir, The best sites for banana cultivation are low areas along the Atlantic coast that are essentially frost-free. Sites are protected from strong winds; also, windbreaks, typically living fences of […]

What's on Marrakech

The museum of Mouassine is housed in a house from the 17-18th century. The space is used to show exhibitions of the arts of Morocco.From the 15th of May until the 15th of June 2017 there will be an exhibition titled “A spring in the High Atlas.” Showcasing Precious Berber textiles from the High Atlas. […]

A secret garden in Marrakech

Lonely Planet and the Daily Express have voted Morocco as a perfect destination for the month of May. Their Darling buds of May selections urges travellers to visit in the spring. The Kingdom of Morocco made it to the listing thanks to its “ideal temperature”, marvelous landscapes and flower festival. Marrakech hovers in the high 20°C […]

Josephine Baker arrives in France

On September 15th 1925 two dozen black musicians, singers and dancers sailed for France on the SS Berengaria. The ship arrived in France 7 days later. This was the start of Josephine Baker’s epic career. Rehearsals for the first shows began immediately, and it was clear from the first days that Josephine Baker would soon […]

riad-star-marrakesh-party

In November 1951 Josephine Baker graced the cover of Jet Magazine. She is given the accolade of the World’s best dressed woman, with claims of a value of $250,000 for her wardrobe. Whether or not this claim regarding the astronomical value of her clothes is accurate, we do know that Josephine loved to dress up. […]

Josephine-Baker-sheet-music-3

Josephine Baker, one time resident of Riad Star in Marrakech is of course celebrated worldwide as an iconic Singer, dancer and actress. Her glittering career as an entertainer spanned five decades. A lesser known fact about this Jazz age icon is the amazing and brave role she played as a spy for the French resistance […]

Josephine Baker Hair product Bakerfix

In the early 1920’s A new chapter of freedom and style emerged for women, corsets were shunned and loose long line dresses were the height of style embracing colours and even bright, neon ensembles. The flapper image is synonymous with the 1920s for most people. A flapper, with  short skirts, short hair, dark make-up, and […]

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Josephine Baker was adored by the fashionable set in Paris. Josephine was a natural and excellent dancer and at a very early age, she found notoriety and success in the Parisian music halls of the day. At just fourteen years of age she landed her first part in a play at the Booker Washington Theatre […]

Josephine Baker by Alexander calder

Alexander Calder was an artist who created dynamic sculptures using wire. He gained recognition and acclaim for his wire sculptures in Paris in the late 1920s. He once remarked that he ” Thought best in wire”. Dancing on stage wearing a banana skirt, Josephine Baker enthralled the Paris of the 1920s and ’30s.  Alexander Calder was enthralled with […]

Wellness at MARRAKECH RIADS

Transformation is a mysterious process which happens naturally when we allow ourselves time and calm to process our goals and to find our life path. The understanding each of us seeks is within our core self and this latent wisdom can; given calm and space, manifest itself and be a beacon of guidance. A holistic approach to cohesive […]

Josephine baker tour de france1933

Never let it be said that Josephine Baker did not lead a varied life! On 27 June 1933, she started the cyclists on their way to a very eventful Tour de France. The French team, that had won the last three Tours de France, started well. Maurice Archambaud won the first stage, and lead the general […]

secret garden marrakech

The walls of Marrakech Medina hold hidden spaces. As we walk through the sun kissed, busy, vibrant streets we are often unaware of the beauty concealed behind the doors. Your first experience as a visitor to one of our riad hotels will illustrate this, as you step through the doors for the first time, the hidden […]

riad-papillon-_ALK2248

From the moment you step off the plane you are immersed in the beauty and wonder of Marrakech. The heat of the desert sun greets you warmly like an old friend as you disembark from your flight. The cool slick interior of the brand new airport terminal greets you and ‘wows’ you with stunning architecture. The […]

Marrakech Wellness

The pursuit of wellness through self awareness and healing is challenging for those of us who lead busy lives. The pace of  life can seem to be an obstacle to the realisation of the calm we desire in our core selves; however there is always a route present to facilitate wellness. This is something we […]