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, […]
“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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
At Riad Star we have considered all of the aspects which make running a retreat simple and effective for group leaders. We offer: A seamless arrival service for your guests , with private airport transfers Private Hammam and Spa Delicious meals made with healthy locally sourced ingredients Concierge service for all guests Dietary plans to suit […]
Josephine Baker was a vocal supporter of racial equality. There were many times during her life when she stood up for tolerance and against racism. Josephine was an extraordinary woman, and some of her life choices and ambitions were extraordinary too. Josephine was unable to have children of her own, so she undertook an unprecedented […]
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 […]
On November 28th 1973 Josephine Baker sang at a very special event. A fashion show was organised to raise funds to restore King Louis XIV’s palace of Versaille in France. Created by Eleanor Lambert and Versailles curator Gerald Van der Kemp, the show pitted French designers (Yves Saint Laurent, Pierre Cardin, Emanuel Ungaro, Christian Dior, […]
On the south-western side of the central square of Jemaa al-Fnaa you will discover a large post office (Poste Maroc). Sending a postcard or letter is usually cheap, but in Morocco it is especially so. For less than 10 Dirham (around 70p) you can send a postcard to anywhere in Europe. The yellow post boxes […]
Lamp’s have held a hugely high value in Moroccan architecture and design for hundreds of years and are used in all four corners of Morocco to decorate shops, restaurants and houses. Hand-crafted Moroccan lamps come in all shapes and sizes and often take a painstakingly long time to complete. In Jemaa al-Fnaa many lamp salesmen […]
The Marrakech street ‘traffic’ whizzes by as young plaster carver Yussef works on a piece in his boutique in the Souk Sidi Isshak near to the Ben Yussef Medersa in central Marrakech just around the corner from Riad Cinnamon. Youssef is a 17 years old, since he left school he has been learning this craft […]
We are grateful to our guests at our Riad hotels who have been wonderfully supportive recommending us to family and friends. With so few rooms at each Riad we have, more often than we would have liked, had to explain that we were fully booked for returning guests preferred dates. It seems our Marrakech Riads are not […]