me w the kids
Its been quite a whirlwind as of late between my music and film workshops with the street children at Darna in Tangier, my music workshops for the heroin users at the ASCMP Clinic, and my band, Zerobridge who played some shows for MTV and released a new record last week as well. Here are some quick blips from what’s been going on:
REST IN PEACE OULIA
Oulia is in the far right
Oulia, (pictured in far right w brOwn skin) worked at the Dar Lekbira, where I currently spend time and work with street children. Oulia dedicated her life to caring for children. She always greeted with a warm smile, was ever cordial, and put the kids first. She passed away last week unexpectedly. I will miss your smile and I will miss your grace. The children of Darlekbira will miss you. You were a light in thier world so poor. Keep her spirit in your prayers.
MUSIC WORKSHOPS W/ DRUG USERS AT THE ASCMP CLINIC TANGIER, MAROC
-I’ve been conducting music workshops at the clinic with the heroin users, an association called ASCMP. I am writing music for the drug users who then come up with lyrics of their own for the music I write. The lyrics are based on their experiences in the streets. In July, my brother Din and I wrote a song with Hicham and Hana and Mohammad. Mohammad rapped a poem about his experiences as a user. Hana sang the chorus. She has an Incredible voice. Hana, one of the users I been working with on a song, relapsed so we still looking for her to continue more tunes. Despite the set back, last week I wrote a new song with the staff and the drug users at the clinic about thier lives as addicts. It came out pretty well. I am recording the work on my computer using Garage Band. During my workshop, I met a morocccan heroin addict who became addicted when he was in NYC in the 1970s. Intense. He told me stories of NY at that time and of how a bag of heroin only cost 5 bucks. He took my guitar and relayed stories of how he could play any Dylan song. I later found out that he went to America to study bio-chemistry, before falling addicted to heroin. Here are ROUGH CUTS of the songs my brother and I wrote with ASCMP in July and the one I wrote last week w ASCMP. I will be posting more songs as they become finished. CLICK ON LINKS BELOW TO HEAR THE DEMOS, SO FAR. Stay tuned:
come look, listen DEMO w_ ASCMP
MY FILM + MUSIC WORKSHOPS W/ STREET CHILDREN @ DARNA CENTER TANGIER, MAROC
Another round of workshops with my students at the Darna Center for street children in Maroc. Finally got some coordination and order b/w the staff and the kids. Up until now, I have some how manged to produce 8 shorts written and directed and starring the children but the system of being given a random group of children each week has been taking its toll. Now we are at a level where this chaotic set up of classes will not suffice and it has proven too difficult and very frustrating. But we hanging in and the creativity of the kids is coming alive and they are growing in their confidence and most importantly, they are having a good time. My fav moment last week was after I taught, a young student from the center named Raeda follwed me out and I inivited him to tag along. I gave him my camera and we walked around the Casbah and Gran Socco where he took 80 pictures and he had biggest smile on his face, saying ‘ I love this.’ Raeda started out in my workshops being very shy and quiet and he is often picked on by other kids. But when behind a camera he displays a passsion and confidence that keeps growing and growing. Here are some of the pictures last week that he and some other students have taken in my photo demos w/ them:
photo taken by my student Raeda from Darna
photo by Raeda in Cinema Rif
Above: Me and Raeda
photo by student Baghouz @ Darna
Last week we wrote and shot a short story about things a bad father does. Crazy day. * 8 films made by the kids so far. Here is one of the earlier films we have finished. In this short film, (written and shot by my students), a boy falls asleep in class and has a dream where he is kicked out of his home after fighting with his mother. Instead of staying in school, he gets sucked into the troublesome lifestyle of the streets. **This is a rough cut. More to come, so stay tuned:
MY BAND ZEROBRIDGE HAVE RELEASED OUR LATEST ALBUM OUT ON I-TUNES AND CD BABY NOW.
Here is footage of our latest show for MTV Iggy. What a night. Our song ‘Havre De Grace’ is also in a major motion picture in theaters across America. The film is called ‘The Messenger’ starring Woodey Harrelson, Ben Foster, and Samantha Morten, directed by Oren Moverman. Please check out our new E.P on i-tunes!
Info on zerobridge music and shows: www.myspace.com/zerobridge
UPCOMING SCHEMES 
I plan to start a modest scholarship for 2 promising artists I encounter at the various centers where I am doing workshops. Upon returning to the States, I hope to compile the best short films by the kids, the music by addicts at the drug clinic and from the Single Mothers Association. From the content, I hop to create an Art Package of sorts showcasing the work we have produced. The discs will then be sold and all proceeds from the art package will go to the scholarship. Inshallah.
So, intense times. But inspiring nonetheless. Much love .
-Mohsin Mohi Ud Din
U.S Fulbright Fellow:http://dangerville.wordpress.com/
Founder of Lollipops Crown Music and Arts Initiative: Morocco
Drummer of Zerobridge: www.myspace.com/zerobridge
Huffington Post Blogger:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mohsin-…
It has been quite the week. As I mentioned in my previous post, the music and arts initiative I started for orphans and street children has grown to incorporate not only the children’s centers of Darna in Tangier and DarLekbira in Kenitra, but I am now also dong workshops with ASCMP Drug Clinic in Tangier as well as with Association: 100% Single Mothers. I am in awe of the dedicated, selfless youth activists and community activists who run these grass roots organizations and it is indeed an honor to work with them.
On Monday I started the second semester of my music and arts initiative at Darna, which supports street children and children living in extreme poverty. I am leading music workshops every Monday. This past Monday I began teaching the kids music literature and how to read drum patterns. Like most classes, the students were afraid and many lacked confidence in trying out something alien to them. But with a little push, the kids came through and we got off to a superb start. I had a good laugh when one of my students expressed her dislike of rock music, but that she can handle “With Or Without You” by U2. Tuesdays and Thursdays I continue with my photography-film workshops with 2 different groups at Darna. In these workshops I have the kids develop their own short stories based on any topics they choose. In my lecture I state that in the world of music and art there is no wrong answer. You only have to express what you feel. The only requirement is that the short story they develop must have a message. Once the class agrees on a story, one group of kids handles shooting the images with our digital camera and the other group acts in the film. I then edit the photos into an animated short.
This past Tuesday’s class was, well, grueling. I had to kick one student out. Not all the students were interested and they were easily distracted. If one showed a little interest in the project, the others would hit or make fun of him. So I said we will shoot an action film and fight sequence today. They then got interested. We then developed a story about pick-pocketers who get into a fight with some good samaritans. We had a blast. In every workshop I do, there is always chaos and uncertainty. But the key is not to let up, to keep momentum and not get discouraged. Tuesday’s group were violent and disinterested in the beginning. But as soon as the creative spark was attained, we hit the ground running. There is a moment in every workshop one can tell whether or not it was a success or a failure. Upon shooting the story, all the kids gathered together around me and we watched what we had collectively created, and we were smiling and jumping and laughing. Success, even though one of my students kept trying to steal my Ray Ban sunglasses Thats the goal of all of this though: To inspire, to create, to get these kids, who endure tremendous pressures, to smile and have the space to breath.
Thursday I had my other group at Darna. The arrangement of my classes was disorganized since my students schedules are not finalized as of yet. I was lucky on Thursday to have 3 of my students from June participate on Thursday’s workshop. One of my students Adil, who was in my classes earlier this year, lead the group and really displayed not only his acting potential but his leadership qualities too. The start of class was slow as the kids were scared to put forth ideas of a story to shoot on camera. The kids put forth an idea of filming a gambling scenario that breaks out into a fight. I reiterated that we need a story with a message. So I asked the kids why was there gambling which turned into the kids describing the problems they see in the streets: drugs,poverty, begging, hunger, fights. We developed a short story about a boy who is not into school. He falls asleep in class and has a dream where he runs away from home after getting into a fight with his mother. He falls into drugs, begging, and gambling. After quitting school the boy gets involved in a gang and after a fight he gets arrested and put in prison. Once in prison the boy wakes up in class. The final shot is the boy reading a book, looking out at the Straits of Gibraltar. The creative energy in this class was magnificent. My students and I were running from here to there, shooting the movie, intoxicated with excitement over what we were creating. Again, confidence grew, teamwork was solidified, and so did inspiration at exploring new ways to express their ideas and experiences. This is the first short film in which my students directly depict the challenges they face on the streets on Tangier.
Friday I took a bus to Rabat, then a train to the town of Kenitra to see the children at the DarLekbira Association. Since working and spending time with the youth since January, we have developed a mutual relationship of trust and respect. I love these kids and feel a deep responsibility for them. These children often are abandoned by their families, have been made to beg on the streets, have been sexually abused, and constantly struggle with extreme poverty. Like Darna in Tangier, the association DarLekbira in Kenitra provides shelter, counseling, clothes, medical care, and schooling for these kids. Friday night I met the kids and we developed a short story that followed the lives of three boys who grapple with drugs, abuse, poverty, immigration. When I asked my group how their problems will be resolved in the story, the boys said DarLekbira comes to find them. We shot the film the next day at an ‘Education Caravan’ organized by DarLekbira’s director Maroua. (She is perhaps one of the most dedicated and hardworking community activists i have ever met.) As with the other workshops, one group shoots with the camera, the others act in the film. Saturday’s workshop went smoothly and I am looking forward to editing the film. Today I am back in Tangier to resume my weekly workshops with the children at Darna.
Somedays are good, somedays are bad, but hearing the kids laugh or seeing them get excited and inspired once in a while is always worth the search. Even more significant are the young Moroccan women and men I meet who are dedicating their lives to help the drug addicts, the poor, the abandons. These youth activists are doing so with little resources, little compensation, little attention. That is true heroism, and it these type of people that keep the light of humanity alive. We can all learn from their selflessness, humility, and dedication.
It has been an intense 9 months but I am happy to say that the Lollipops Crown Project has grown. Word has spread of the project and not only I am still conducting music and photography and film workshops with the orphans and street children of Darna in Tangier and DarLekbira in Kenitra, but I am now involved in additional projects with two new organizations and I have also partnered with the U.S Embassy in Rabat. The children have been incredible and eager to learn and the hard work and dedication of the staff at these grassroots-community development organizations never ceases to stir the soul.
1)Association de Soutien au CMP-Hassouna
I am doing music workshops with members of ASCMP, which is an association in Tangier that provides care and mentoring for drug addicts. The former users I work with write poetry about their addiction and their lives on the streets. We arrange music and lyrics into a song and we then submit clips to be aired on the local radio. We finished one song far with the help of my brother Din, lead singer and songwriter of our band, Zerobridge. The results were amazing. Music opened up the former addicts to express their stories in an creative and educational way. They are super talented. My work with the members of ASCMP continues. CONTACT THEM @ rdrtanger@yahoo.fr
2) Association 100% Single Mothers-Tangier, Morocco
I had the pleasure of visiting this association and meeting the mothers and babies that the organization supports. It is the only center providing shelter and mentoring and free day care for the single mothers in all of North Morocco. I will be doing music workshops with the mothers, using music as means for mothers to express their grievances and to raise awareness about their status in Moroccan society. CONTACT them: centpourcentmamans@gmail.com
These are great organizations with incredibly dedicated staff and directors. There is a lot of darkness in this world, but community development projects led by such motivated social workers leaves one with hope that there is good in this world too.
***I am still making short films and doing music workshops with the awesome kids of Darna Center in Tangier and Association DarLekbira in Kenitra. Ill post our new vids soon.
Here is vid clip I made from my workshops with some of the most talented youth artists in Morocco. The event was sponsored by the U.S Embassy and the Moroccan Ministry of Youth. I participated as a judge for the National Youth Music Festival in Bensaliman in which led music workshops for the young artists during the day. At night, the artists would perform for a grand prize of new equipment.
Log from the Festival:
I had no idea what to expect. In fact, I was incredibly nervous and stressed, perhaps a little scared. Yet, by the end of the of National Youth Music Festival I was inspired and overwhelmed by the over 60 young Moroccan musicians and artists whom I had the honor of teaching as well as learning from. The young talent of Morocco reminded me of how music has no boundaries, no right or wrong answer. Music is a language unto itself, a language of unity and soul. I would meet scores of Moroccan B-Boy dance crews spinning on their heads like drill into the ground like a crew would in the New York City Subway. I would play guitar and drums while Moroccan MCs free-styled with the snarl of Lil Wayne, and I would witness the resurrection of The Ramones in a punk band called Oxygen. Ironically, just a few days before the world would mourn the loss of the King of Pop, I witnessed a performance by a moon walking, glove wearing, Moroccan MJ impersonator and rising pop star. The artists did not hide their love of western music, the kids unapologetically, yet successfully, fused their western influences with Arab-African music thus making the sounds unique and fresh.
The Moroccan Ministry of Youth, in partnership with the United States Embassy, invited me to participate as a music teacher and judge at the National Youth Music Festival in the farm town of Bensalimaan. I was happy to participate as a founder of my own music and arts initiative here in Morocco called the Lollipops Crown Music and Arts Initiative for street children and orphans in Morocco. Over 60 of Morocco’s leading performers and songwriters were selected from over 14 provinces across Morocco to attend and compete.
Over the course of two days I led music workshops with the artists, and from those groups, certain finalists were given the opportunity to perform at night to 100s of onlookers. The jury and I were tasked with selecting the top three, who would be awarded with new instruments to help them continue pursuing their music careers.
Winners:
1) Hiyaha( in Arabic) Brilliant Rap crew from Casablanca
2) Oxygen Punk rockers from Kenitra
3) Syphax Awesome fusion rock band whose guitarist wails on a Gibson guitar like Slash
Other great young acts from Morocco:
Red Line—Moroccan MCs
BM City Flow Moroccan MCs
Chakhda CRW—Moroccan B-By Dance Crew
Team Skullz—Pop group combining Jackson moves and vocals.
Peace,
M
When I was leading music workshops (under Lollipops Crown Music/Arts Initiative) for the Ministry of Youth in Bensaliman, Morocco in June, the awesome officers at the US Embassy Bureau of Public Affairs offered to sponsor my band Zerobridge (from New York) to come to Morocco to play concerts and to do music workshops for kids. It happened and it was an amazing experience. I was so stoked to have the boys in the band come here. We were mobbed by awesome fans in every town we played throughout the country signing t-shirts, heads, arms, phones. We in the band certainly don’t get such attention in NY, so it was kinda nice. Although it was pretty akward when 15 year old girls slipped us their numbers. Some of the scenes on tour i’ll most remember: young girls wearing the traditional head covering throwing up fists and dancing and wanting to play drums and guitar; impromptu jam sessions with talented young Moroccan rappers and female R&B singers; having scores of fans asking for pictures and autographs with us; playing to 5,000 Moroccans in Meknes; seeing a group of traditional dancers from Saudi dance with a member of the US Embassy during our concert; and the beautiful drives through villages and mountains and coasts of Morocco.
During our workshops we had kids come up and try playing our own songs with us on stage. Usually we picked our song “How Long’ in which we had some kids sing the chorus with us and another group drum. It was magic man. We also had question and answer sessions about music and art, and we had jam sessions with talented rappers, singers, dancers from the audience. It was just simply inspiring to feel this overwhelming energy from the kids in each town…kids who were so amped and grateful and talented. Everyone we met on tour, be it the kids or the sound guys, or the Embassy staff…everyone truly inspired us and lifted our spirits. I only hope we did the same. Morocco is all about the union between music, rhythm, and spirituality. It was so refreshing to play for kids who were just eager to learn and to dance and to express themselves, unlike in NYC where crowds at shows can be pretty indifferent or jaded. And in the end, I think we accomplished some inspiring workshops for the kids too while also using music for building better understanding between America and the Arab world. Thanks to the US Embassy for hooking this up and for giving us equipment, a driver, a sound-man, and for booking the shows. And thanks to Morocco. Here are the vid links to each day on the tour and of the workshops we lead. I never dreamed our band from New York would be playing rock shows for youth in Morocco. Life is a trip.It was a dream that came to reality.
7/14: workshops with kids and private concert in Tassaout
7/15: workshops with kids and private concert in Beni Mallal
7/16: workshops with kids and private concert in El Jadia, Morocco
7/17: concert at Cinema Rif w The Candles in Tangier, Morocco
7/18: Volubilis Festival in Meknes Morocco
Thanks to:
Mary and Mohammad from the US Embassy-Rabat, Morocco for their hard work and support
Mohammad, our awesome driver, and Ramadan, our beloved soundman!
Karima- for everything
K.D.–for being so cool
Micheal for filming Meknes
Big thanks to the beautiful inspiring people of Morocco for their support of Zerobridge!!
My Project: if you want to help, email me to be able to send $10.00 towards this project. Anything you send will help. Please email the founders at lollipopscrown@gmail.com
Lollipops Crown Music and Arts Initiative: Morocco
I. Summation
What?
A multi-dimensional pilot youth arts/music education program with the aim of empowering children, (specifically those children identified as street children and orphans), and encouraging them to pursue creative outlets to express and record their unique experiences and learn new skills. Music and art can be the avenue of not only inspiring the youth, but art can further be a bridge of understanding between America and the Arab world. Our workshops will combine education in film animation, music, photography, painting, and dance workshops. The outcome of our workshops will be a number of short-animation films produced and scored by the children. At the conclusion of the workshops, the art and music produced by the children (photos, paintings, and the short animation film) will be on display and sold at a series of events for the associations of DARNA and Dar Lekbira and the Rabat Children’s Hospital.
Where?
The workshops will focus on two children’s centers and we will engage in smaller workshops at the Rabat Children’s Hospital, 100% Single Mother Association in Tangier, Drug Clinic-Tangier. I am also partner with the U.S Embassy in Rabat and leading music workshops they organize for youth in Morocco. The centers of focus, (which we already are working with) are:
1) Association Dar Lekbira in Kenitra, Morocco: http://www.darlekbira.org/: music,film, and photography workshops.
2) DARNA Association in Tangier, Morocco: http://www.darnamaroc.org/contact.html: music,film, and photography workshops.
3) 100% Single Mothers Association of Tangier: Music workshops
4) Drug Clinic providing aid and mentoring for drug addicts in Tangier: Music workshop
Why?
The children of today are the movers of our world tomorrow. But what of the tens of thousands of children who are left alienated and who are exploited on the streets? These children also determine the future health of our society just the same as the privileged youth of society. The experiences of the orphans and disadvantaged youth of Morocco can only be disseminated and understood if they are recorded. From this process, society as a whole may gain greater understanding of the needs of such youth and how to better enhance their lives and protect them and thus better society as a whole. We believe that if we strengthen the music and arts programs for the street children and orphans of Morocco, then the children may grow spiritually and creatively by having the forum to peacefully express their hopes, dreams, fears, and emotions through the arts and music.
Secondly, this project involves the partnership between American artists and Moroccan artists, which in itself symbolizes to the children and to our greater world the need for America and the Arab world to communicate through art as a means towards better understanding one another.
To view videos of our workshops with the children visit our channel here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/dangervillemaroc
Strategy
We have been working with the children workshops at both DARNA and Dar Lekbira Since February 2009. Each workshop will last two months and consist of a group of ten children from each center. At the end of each two month cycle, a new group of ten children will be incorporated into the workshops. Within the two month workshops we will introduce children to film animation using educational videos translated from French to Darija. Then we will have children develop their own story from which we will teach them how to shoot images and film their story. After filming, the children score their own music and record their own audio to compliment the images in the animated short film. The workshops will involve photography, painting, music, dance and film animation. After each workshop, we will screen the short film and the photos produced by the children at four main events across Morocco. DVDs of the short film will be sold and performances and exhibitions of the kids’ music and photography will be showcased. All proceeds from the events will go straight to the children’s centers.
We based in Tangier near DARNA while also traveling twice a month to Kenitra to conduct our workshops with Dar Lekbira. Three days of the week will be spent at DARNA and three to four days of every other week will be spent at Dar Lekbira in conjunction with our workshops at DARNA.
The Artists?
Mohsin Mohi-Ud-Din: U.S Fulbright Scholar; Drummer for indie rock band Zerobridge, human rights activist and writer for the Huffington Post
Radouane Arraoui: Moroccan filmaker and photogrpaher
Proposed Budget for June 2009-January 2010
**Please see attached budget spread sheet for detailed lay out of expenses.
The approximate budget is $4,000 USD, or, 40,000 DH. This budget includes all travel expenses, costs of art supplies film, cameras, instruments, and event expenses.
II. Lollipops Crown: Project Proposal In Depth
Our music/arts initiative seeks to develop a multi-dimensional pilot youth arts-music education program in order to inspire children, (predominantly those children identified as street children and orphans), to pursue creative outlets in expressing and recording their unique experiences of living within Morocco and the ever evolving world around them. The project in effect, shall contribute to the mutual understanding between American youth, Arab youth, and the greater Moroccan community through art and music as a common ground and tool for encouraging creativity and providing skills and opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable.
In Moroccan society, music and art already have a rich place in Morocco’s unique history as exhibited within cultural interactions and artistic exchange between Spain, France, and its African neighbors. However, many children are unable to study or even attempt to engage in artistic expression or study. In our interaction with Moroccans and Moroccan NGOs, they generally convey to us that if arts programs for children do exist, some are weak and underdeveloped. More often than not, there is disproportionate availability of these programs between the cities and rural areas.
Through our experiences in working with orphans and street children in India, South Africa, America, and Morocco we have learned that music and arts programs are generally rare in most Arab countries. We wish to capitalize on Morocco’s brilliant and colorful musical and artistic past by further developing a bold music and arts program for Moroccan street children and orphans in Tangier, Kenitra, and Rabat.
As professional artists ourselves, we have experienced first hand the spiritual benefits and educational effect music and art programs have on its students. Art and music have always been great levelers for encouraging ways of looking at the world as a whole, grounded in universal experiences rather than cultural differences. Being that there are over approximately 10,000-14,000 street children in Morocco, (5,000 in Casablanca alone) the target group for the arts therapy shall be street children and orphans who have suffered alienation, abuse, and exploitation. There are already brilliant and dedicated NGOs in Morocco, who with strong support from the government, are working in providing care for these children. However, in our discussions and experiences with NGOs, there is still more that can be done.
The experiences of the orphans and disadvantaged youth of Morocco can only be disseminated and understood if they are recorded. From this process, society as a whole may gain greater understanding of the needs of such youth and how to better enhance their lives and protect them. We believe that by strengthening music and arts initiatives at the children’s centers in Morocco; the children will grow spiritually and creatively by having the forum to peacefully express their hopes, dreams, fears, and emotions through the arts and music. We would like to encourage the orphans and street children of Morocco to feel that their experiences are worth recording, and to provide a forum where they will feel artistically confident, develop skills, and grow.
We seek to spend 2-3 months at two children’s centers across Morocco. Our project encompasses several elements. It seeks to develop a music and arts program for Moroccan youth from ages 8 to 16. The lessons will be audio-visual. One of the main outcomes of our workshop is to introduce the children to film-animation so that they may develop their own story, film it themselves, and write their own music and dialogue to the film. We shall introduce the children to the basic fundamentals of film-making and computer animation by screening educational videos about film animation and then encourage the kids to collectively agree on a story to film themselves. The children will be taught how to take the photos and film their story through using a video camera and digital camera. Once the contents are recorded, we will then work with the kids to add their own music and audio to the film. We have already successfully completed such a workshops with the Dar Lekbira Center in Kenitra and teh Darna Center in Tangier. As a result of our workshops, the kids have written and filmed 4 short stories so far and we have led 2 music workshops for over 100 village children for the U.S Embassy in Morocco. The results have been phenomenal and the kids take pride in writing, producing, and creating a film of their own. The workshops subtly teach the children about team-work, collaboration, patience, and creative expression. The films and photos and music will be screened at various events for Dar Lekbira and Darna.
Other workshops in our program will include actual playing in the form of drumming, and exposing the students to influential genres in international music, jazz and rock and roll as well as local Moroccan sounds. For example, in the drumming workshops, each child will have a drum and one child will be in the center of the drumming circle. The child in the center will create his /her own rhythm. The kids surrounding the center will then be asked to listen to the rhythm and play a single rhythm to compliment the rhythm of the child playing in the center. Thus, the kids are taught how to have their individual rhythm in harmony with the rhythm of the world around them. Thanks to volunteers from Promethean Spark, two professional dancers from America will arrive in Morocco to do a month’s worth of dance workshops within the arts initiative for those children interested in dance. There will also be painting exercises in which, for example, children will hear a music piece and relate their emotions and experiences to the paper and paint whatever comes to mind as they hear the song.
Also, we plan to expose the children to photography by bringing traditional film and digital cameras, enabling children to capture their lives and the world as they see it through the lens. For example, in a previous workshop with the children in Kenitra, we had taught the kids how to use our digital camera, and each child took turns filming the other expressing, through body language, what they felt emotionally before arriving to the center and after arriving to the center. The kids were encouraged to ask themselves tough questions and think of creative ways to express emotions which some of them otherwise have difficulty expressing through words.
At the end of each 2-3 month workshop, we will create and art exhibit/concert, thus showcasing the work that the children produce. The short films will be sold as DVDs at the events and the photos will be on exhibition. Money obtained from the events will be donated directly to the orphanages or children’s centers. Provided our collective obtains sufficient funding and sponsorship, at the end of each workshop, we hope to leave a certain amount of cameras, film, and art supplies with each center we work with so that the kids at each orphanage or center may continue with their artistic endeavors and self-expression.
We are currently engaged in multiple workshops with DARNA , a notable NGO in Tangiers which provides therapy and education and inspiration for alienated and neglected Moroccan children and refugees. We are also currently leading workshops with the children of the Dar Lekbira Association in Kenitra, whose staff work under limited resources yet still provide comprehensive care, education, and shelter for 40 children. Additionally we are doing smaller music workshops for Moroccan children in partnership with the US Embassy. We hope to observe the work of some of Morocco’s schools and NGOs and work with them to develop enhanced programs in which the children may nonviolently, yet, creatively express themselves and their stories through music and art. The overall goal is to open doors to creativity and expression for the children and enable them to develop art skills, develop confidence, critical analysis skills, and above all have fun.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/talesfrommaroc/
Bus to Israeli border, interrogated at border, made it to Jerusalem, prayed at the holy sites, walked the archaic streets of the golden city, met drummer of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, ate pizza in the jewish quarter, bus to ramallah in west bank, hiked the mount of olives @ sunrise, bus to Jordan, Bus to ancient city of Petra.
The US Embassy’s Office of Public Affairs invited me to do a workshop with some 55 children from several Moroccan villages. Most of the kids had never left their village before, or heard rock and roll, or met an American. I did not have any supplies, just my guitar, my two Moroccan friends Hicham and Najib, and one Jimbai drum.
I was terrified being that I did not have any trusted relationships with any of these kids as I have with the kids at Dar Lekbira childrens center. I barley speak Arabic, I barley play guitar, I had to work with 55 village kids, and I just gotten off a 5 hour bus ride from Tangier. I brought my talented friends who are MOroccan to join me in my workshop, which made it more open, real, and special. Hicham adn Najib were instrumental in the success of today’s event. I gave a short speech in Arabic then I played 3 songs accompanied by Hicham on Kazoo and Harmonica and Najib on a hand drum. We did the Yeah Yeahs Yeahs: Soft Shock; Oasis; and our own Zerobridge tune written by brother Mubashir Mohi Ud Din, called ‘How Long’. After playing the songs for the kids, we split the kids into groups and had one group drum a rhythm to the song ‘How Long’, another group sang the chorus which is “how long”. Such was the first time many of the kids spoke English.
The Kids were magic and were so awesome and talented. It sounded great and it was such a trip to play music and have a chorus of Moroccan village kids singing along in a Zerobridge tune. The children were so open to try somehting new and were so happy to experiment with music. Some were shy, but then later they could not stop singing! The kids had a blast and wanted my autograph (even tho it aint worth nothing) and kept hounding me to take pics with them afterwards and were so grateful to just shake hands with me. I felt so honored. It was wierd but so humbling bc in fact I learned more from them. They could not stop singing the song!! They were super amped and they lifted my spirit and they show to all of us that no matter Arab or American, music is universal and we are all one. Our music arts initiative, Lollipops Crown, is really having an impact, thanks to these talented and brave kids.
Love,
Mohsin
Fulbright Scholar
Zerobridge
How Long w. Kazoo
Oasis in Morocco:
What is Lollipops Crown Music and Arts Initiative-Morocco?
Lollipops Crown is a multi-dimensional pilot youth arts/music education initiative founded by Radouane Arraoui and Mohsin Mohi Ud Din. Our program aims to empower children, (specifically those children identified as street children and orphans), and encourage them to pursue creative outlets to express and record their unique experiences and learn new skills. Music and art can be the avenue of not only inspiring the youth, but art can further be a bridge of understanding between America and the Arab world. Our workshops will combine education in film animation, music, photography, painting, and dance workshops. The outcome of our workshops will be a number of short-animation films produced and scored by the children. At the conclusion of the workshops, the art and music produced by the children (photos, paintings, and the short animation film) will be on display and sold at a series of events for the associations of DARNA and Dar Lekbira and the Rabat Children’s Hospital.
At the end of the workshop I said in Arabic, ” I am from America and you are from Morocco, but the language of music is the language of the world. We are one and in this together.” Cheesy but true. Sounds cooler in Arabic. See below:
Hey world,
Mo here from Zerobridge and current Fulbright Scholar, reporting to you from Tangier, Morocco, exploring today’s question, “Do Arabs rock?” Yes, they do. I witnessed a crazy show by the Moroccan Metal band called WANTED in the Cinema Rif. The place was packed. Young Arabs wearing crazy hoodies and Korn and AC/DC t-shirts, rocking out. The young Arab rock fans here are no different from the routy, bored, confused teen rockers in America. Yet, there is something really cool and special about seeing a girl wearing the conservative head covering (Hijab) who throws up the universal Metal/Rock sign with her hands! Such is not your typical image of Arab, Muslim youth, yet the Arab world is dynamic and rich and in the world of music and art, Western and Middle Eastern actually can co-exist and communicate with one another, case in point: Metal music, (music originating in West), being played by young Arab-Muslims in Morocco. Or even visually, you can see this when you see a young Arab metal head walking around in a Korn t-shirt. I asked the band about the status of Rock music in Moroccan-Muslim society and also their thoughts on America and the world. I hope you take the time to hear what these Arab youth are saying. It might surprise you.
These are awesome,peace loving, practicing Muslims who love to play rock and roll. Great players. Hope you dig.
Cheers from Morocko,
Mo
Zerobridge
I was invited to tag along to see a friends rock band rehearse in a space in Rabat, Morocco. This was not a pretentious band o hipsters looking to get signed with a gimmick. These are just some young Moroccans who love rock and roll and want to make noise. I hope you see tht Arabs are not limited to negative images we see of them in America. They are artists, they are punks, they are young, they are bored, the same as we are. They also introduced me to my first dose of Broken Social Scene. Awesome. Hope you dig. This clip is dedicated to all those hipsters in Brooklyn.
