The Tuaregs, a nomadic tribe in North and West Africa, dominated the caravan trade through the Sahara Desert for thousands of years. Their entire way of life was disrupted, however, by the imposition of borders, natural desertification, urbanization and the rise of maritime trade. In their quest to survive, the Tuaregs have launched several revolts in Mali and Niger, fought as mercenaries in the Libyan civil war and used their expertise to smuggle illicit goods, which brought them into contact with al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). It is the development of these skills and links to AQIM that have brought the Tuaregs to Western governments’ attention.  More here: The Tuaregs: From African Nomads to Smugglers and Mercenaries | STRATFOR.

More info and registration here: http://tinyurl.com/moorclass

This is a quickie, late-night henna I did with some new henna I just got. The henna will be available soon and I think you’ll love it: quick release, mixes into a smooth, creamy paste, goes on like a dream and stains rich and dark. More on that soon.

The design is pretty typical Moroccan of my own creation. I felt very inspired using this yummy new henna from a new supplier; I wanted to cover my entire body with Moroccan henna designs. Unfortunately it was late!

I’m still working on getting this henna out to the public; I want everything to be perfect. If you want to be notified when this henna powder is released, follow me on twitter @moorhenna.

Details will be emailed to all who RSVP to kenzilisa@gmail.com. Class size is limited so be sure to sign up early.
Filed under: classes, henna, morocco, traditions, women, workshop ]]> http://moorhenna.wordpress.com/2011/06/13/henna-isnt-just-for-redheads-or-wannabes-free-class/feed/ 1 kenzilisa beautyTOP http://moorhenna.wordpress.com/2011/06/02/hard-to-believe-but-this-is-my-first-moroccan-bridal/ http://moorhenna.wordpress.com/2011/06/02/hard-to-believe-but-this-is-my-first-moroccan-bridal/#comments Thu, 02 Jun 2011 23:52:29 +0000 kenzilisa http://moorhenna.wordpress.com/?p=290 ]]> I do a lot of bridal henna and especially now that it’s spring-going-on-summer.  Most of my brides are S. Asian women or women marrying S. Asian men and they all want Indian-style designs.  I get to the point where I don’t even bother showing them Moroccan designs because they skip right over them and I get sad thinking about how underappreciated Moroccan designs are.   I had a bride meet me for a consult a few weeks ago and I handed her all my Indian bridal books; as I was turning away from her to hang up her coat I caught the tiniest glimmer of disappointment in her face which confused me, so when we started talking I tried to observe her and see what that disappointed look meant.

What a pleasure to create something crazy and Moroccan on this big canvas. Pregnant bellies are so potent with possibilities that I find them a bit unnerving. My creativity runs for cover at the sight of all this space; I try to coax it out of hiding by asking the clients lots of questions about what she wants from her henna design. My client’s instructions to me were “random and tribal stuff all over”. Confused, I tried to tease out more information until I realized that she wanted Moroccan designs. My client is a painter who has lived in Morocco and has been very inspired by Moroccan rug designs as well as henna. I went with the idea of Moroccan rugs–which I also love with a passion–specifically the bands of design that are a common feature especially in the kilims from the north of Morocco. I also wanted to stay away from a radial and centered design on her belly which is very common. I think that I definitely got the “random” that she asked for.

I had a blast doing this design while pumping my client for information about her experiences in Morocco. She was thrilled with what I channeled for her and I hope that she and her baby will always be protected from the evil eye!

Moroccan zellij - photo by Jonathan Khoo

“The Moroccans, who are known for their restoration work on important mosques and other landmarks in the Middle East, are in essence living historians who have carried on patterns and designs preserved in practice for generations. But they have never attempted a job requiring this level of historical attention or artistry, one whose goal is to look as authentic to Moroccan eyes as to those of scholars.”

I know that headline is kind of disturbing, but bear with me!  I found this news interesting not just because I follow what is going on in Moroccan culture but also because the film’s subject touches on some of the themes of our book on Moroccan henna.  Specifically the film talks about demon-possession in Morocco.   From the article, “Set in the countryside of the north African nation of Morocco “Pegase”, the debut film of young filmmaker Mouftakir, is a drama of rape of Rihanna, 20, perpetrated by her father in the belief she is “pregnant” with a demon.”  Henna is often used to placate demons but sometimes also to protect a person against demon possession, either by wearing henna to keep the demons away or by making an offering of henna at a saint’s tomb to gain protection from the saint.  I haven’t seen this movie yet but I will see if I can find it somewhere.

From Afrol News, 22 February – Human rights groups and the opposition youth movement are preparing new mass protests in Morocco for 26 and 27 February, while denouncing government “lies” that Sunday’s protests had been peaceful.

Already during the Sunday mass protests in Morocco, key groups gathered in front of the Rabat parliament announced that new protests would be held on Saturday and Sunday, 26 and 27 February. This was today confirmed by the Moroccan Human Rights Association (AMDH), calling for massive protests all over the country during the weekend.

The AMDH also strongly challenges the government’s and Moroccan press’ version of Sunday’s protests. The official version is that the protests, which had been allowed, in general went peacefully, with a friendly cooperation from security forces. However, looting criminals during the evening had caused great damage and violence, resulting in 5 persons being killed and 138 injured.

Not so, says the AMDH, which is among the key groups organising the protest movement. Indeed, AMDH President Khadija Riyadi herself was among the injured as she, other human rights activists and a journalist had been attacked by “pro-government thugs” outside a court in Rabat, the capital, in the late afternoon.

According to an AMDH statement in Arabic language, received by afrol News, “repressive forces” were used against the peaceful protesters in central Rabat. Both uniformed and plain-cloth government agents, “armed with batons,” started beating the peaceful protesters, causing severe injuries. Ms Riyadi and several others were hospitalised.

The AMDH strongly condemned “this heinous attack” and human rights violation, urging an “investigation into these violations” and further pro-democracy demonstrations in the coming weekend.

And as the first joy over Morocco’s “Day of Dignity” demonstrations is settling, an increasing number of reports document that government repression in Morocco had followed the same lines as other Arab regimes; only executed in a more elegant and discrete way.

For example, trains between Casablanca – Morocco’s largest city – and nearby Rabat were cancelled during the period protesters could have used them to flock to the capital. Protest organiser Mohammed Elaoudi and many other activists saw their websites and e-mail accounts blocked. Foreign journalists covering the events report being tailed by intelligence agents. “Activists” on state TV declared that the protests were cancelled one day before.

After the protests, the message is the same. While Moroccan media reported widely about the protests, they all refer to the official version. All disturbances are attributed to criminals, looters and drug addicts. Security forces had done nothing wrong.

King Mohammed VI in a televised speech yesterday commented on the protests, insisting he would keep faithful to Morocco’s “unique model of democracy and development,” not bowing into “demagoguery and improvisation” as represented by the protest movement.

For the masses of Moroccans, the messages from government so far are credible. Most people believe the protests were widely peaceful, only disturbed by looting criminals.

However, discontent is rife and Sunday’s protests also in Morocco helped to lift the barrier of fear. Protests like those on Sunday would not have been allowed before the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions, and the masses can again be mobilised next weekend. 

But there are also more and more people that have stopped believing in the government version. Organisers like the AMDH are increasingly angered. But, even worse, in the areas witnessing violence on Sunday, discontent may grow into an Egypt-like force as people for the first time in decades dear protesting. Sunday’s deaths and injured may ignite deeper anger.

The nucleus of discontent and unrest remains the northern Rif region and the central Atlas mountains; both historically disadvantaged regions dominated by the Berber minority.

Especially in the Rif region, which includes the port city of Al-Hoceima where 5 persons were killed during the Sunday riots, resistance against the capital has deep roots. Indeed, the great political discussion in the Rif right now is whether the government or the King himself is responsible for the problems in Morocco.

In forums, politically conscious Rif residents are discussing the way forward and whether to keep revolting until the King steps down. A person calling himself “Khattabi” in a Rif discussion forum urges people not to believe in the King’s “false promises.” Rather, he says, “we now have a golden opportunity to confront the government; an opportunity that may not present itself again.”

The future of Morocco’s protest – whether they can become peaceful or violent – will probably be decided in the Rif region and around Marrakech, the unofficial Berber capital, next weekend.

By staff writers

© afrol News

The book is 20 pages of designs at the low, low price  of just $7, and since it’s an e-book you get instant gratification.  Download here.

Sample page from Moor on the Spot

If you have a hankering for more Moroccan designs, you can also download the original Moor book, “Moor: A Henna Atlas of Morocco”, at the same link above.  And if that still isn’t enough, you can get more books at our henna site, HennaTribe.com.  Here is the book page. You can pick up a copy of HennaTribe’s Hot 100 which is great for parties and festivals and Nic’s Rajasthan book is also there for a bargain price of $7.  Nic will also be releasing a truly gorgeous collection of henna designs based on Hmong batiks which he will announce on HennaTribe and possibly here.

I think that pretty much covers all your henna book needs.  As the weather warms up and the drifts melt into slush the henna season is taking off.  Enough hibernating, let’s get hennaing!

So, when creating chaine motifs in your own work, remember to leave it a little bit messy. When the triangles of the zigzag become too defined, it begins to creep up visually, and changes the effect of the design as a whole.  It helps to think of the chaine as three parts, in order: one set of parallel lines, one zigzag, and another set of parallel lines. Create the zigzag quickly, in one smooth motion, without pausing, and you should have the right effect.

Some chaine examples for you, from our work:

Our baby–our book–was born in June and unlike parents of human babies, our sleepless nights were before the birth, not after.  We have been chilling since the book came out but always discussing where to go next in our devious plan for world domination via Moroccan henna.  In August we taught the first Moor Moroccan Henna Master Class, in Seattle which was a lot of fun for us.  People say that they like it, so I guess it would count as a success!  Our next workshop was in NYC; it was great to teach close to home and share henna and NYC with our students.  We get to meet a lot of new people through our workshop and expand the henna community.

This fall/winter I went for a whirlwind tour of Southeast Asia.  One of my stops was in Singapore to meet my longtime, online friend and fellow henna artist, Jewel.  She organized another Moor workshop for the Singapore artists.  I loved meeting all of them and I think they enjoyed the class.  Meanwhile Nic was in LA teaching his own workshop to the henna peeps there.  Technically speaking we can now say that we are teaching classes worldwide.  We hope to spread our passion for Moroccan henna even more widely in the world. Right now we have some classes coming up in various venues in the US.  We are hoping that we can do classes in Europe and maybe even father afield in the future.  If you and the henna artists in your area would like a workshop taught by me and Nic, please email us or leave a comment.  We’ll let you know how to make that happen.

After every workshop we usually get several participants making roughly the same comment as the following from Katy DeBra, who attended Nic’s lecture in LA:

It’s so clear now, so demystified. I used to painstakingly copy Moroccan designs and now I feel I can create them or alter them on the spot to suit my henna-ee, which is how I usually work, creating something custom on-the-spot.

I experienced the same revelation when I read Nic’s design manual in the book; I thought I knew Moroccan henna and how to do it, but learning how to create them according to certain guidelines was so helpful and, eventually, creatively liberating.  We hope to spread this experience to as many people as possible so that we can all share the joy of doing Moroccan henna.

Nic and I are still researching Moroccan henna and collecting designs wherever we can find them.  We hope that those of you who have joined us on this path are getting lots of practice and hennaing clients with Moroccan designs.  Stay tuned here for future plans and all our new discoveries in the field of Moroccan henna.

Happy moor year to all!

Abraham Serfaty, the leftist Moroccan militant and "unsubdued" opponent to the regime of late king Hassan II, has died today at the age of 84 in the city of Marrakech. His lifelong struggle for democracy and social justice in his country made him an icon for a Moroccan Left he helped create back in the early days of independence. He was a Moroccan Jew, a relentless anti-Zionist and pro-Palestinian advocate. He paid a heavy price for his positions … Read Morevia the Mirror | المرآة

Filed under: Uncategorized ]]> http://moorhenna.wordpress.com/2010/11/18/unsubdued-jew-proud-moroccan-abraham-serfaty-dies-at-84-via-the-mirror-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%b1%d8%a2%d8%a9/feed/ 0 kenzilisa http://moorhenna.wordpress.com/2010/11/13/les-femmes-du-maroc-via-v-for-voracious-bobcat/ http://moorhenna.wordpress.com/2010/11/13/les-femmes-du-maroc-via-v-for-voracious-bobcat/#comments Sat, 13 Nov 2010 17:25:12 +0000 kenzilisa http://moorhenna.wordpress.com/2010/11/13/les-femmes-du-maroc-via-v-for-voracious-bobcat/ ]]> Nic and I LOVE Lalla Essaydi, we hope you will like her too!

…which translates to "the women of Morocco"; in addition, is artist Lalla Essaydi's own take on the classic Les Femmes d'Algiers: Where to begin a single interpretation? I … Read More

via V for Voracious Bobcat

Filed under: Uncategorized ]]> http://moorhenna.wordpress.com/2010/11/13/les-femmes-du-maroc-via-v-for-voracious-bobcat/feed/ 0 kenzilisa Les Femmes Du Maroc http://moorhenna.wordpress.com/2010/11/11/edwin-lord-weeks-orientalist-american-oil-painter-of-morocco-via-luxurious-pastimes-in-marrakesh-writing-painting-music-and-wine/ http://moorhenna.wordpress.com/2010/11/11/edwin-lord-weeks-orientalist-american-oil-painter-of-morocco-via-luxurious-pastimes-in-marrakesh-writing-painting-music-and-wine/#comments Fri, 12 Nov 2010 04:30:13 +0000 kenzilisa http://moorhenna.wordpress.com/2010/11/11/edwin-lord-weeks-orientalist-american-oil-painter-of-morocco-via-luxurious-pastimes-in-marrakesh-writing-painting-music-and-wine/ ]]>

Edwin Lord Weeks, one of the two most celebrated Amercian Orientalist Oil Painters. [caption id="attachment_1999" align="alignnone" width="435" caption=""Man Leading a Camel" – by American Orientalist oil painter Edw … Read More

via Luxurious Pastimes in Marrakesh – Writing, Painting, Music, and Wine

Frederick Arthur Bridgman, the most famous American Orientalist painter of Morocco and North Africa, was born the son of a physician in Tuskegee, Alabama, and lived from 1847-1928.  In his early career, he became a draughtsman for the American Banknote Company in New York City, while co … Read More

via Luxurious Pastimes in Marrakesh – Writing, Painting, Music, and Wine

Sitting here on a Sunday afternoon with a workshop hangover, but the kind of hangover where you smile a lot and hope that others are suffering similarly.  What’s on my mind today is something that Nic and I talked about over drinks last night, long after the workshop.  We both noticed that the most common reaction from our workshop participants is a big, flashing lightbulb.  We keep hearing comments along the lines of “oh I get it now!”, “I see how Moroccan designs are created and I feel like I can do it now!”  and “I always thought these designs were impossible but something clicked and I understand them now.”

Yes, this is exactly what a teacher hopes for but it’s rare that one gets this kind of clear feedback. We heard that a lot after our Seattle workshop and we saw evidence that this was true when the workshop participants started playing around with designs and posting them.  Yes, hot damn, they DID get it!  The same comments came out of our NYC workshop as well and we’re waiting with bated breath to see the designs that these lovely people are going to churn out.

We’re totally thrilled to have succeeded, with the few people we have taught so far, in infecting them with our passion for Moroccan henna designs and culture, but also with the confidence and the knowledge that they can whip out awesome Moroccan henna designs without fear.  Nic’s design manual in the book, and also his section of the workshop is worth the price of admission; even though I have sat through it several times and read that section of the book hundreds of times, I would pay to go through it again. Each time I listen I make new discoveries about Moroccan henna that positively impact my work as an artist.

Thanks to all the workshop participants who came yesterday.  Your energy, passion and inquisitiveness really amped up the quality for everyone there.  I hope that you will post your photos and let us know how you are progressing.  Also, please keep us posted on your efforts to spread the good word about Moroccan henna to clients and friends and students.

Consistently we find that experiencing Moroccan henna in person, with demos and practice sessions as well as an extensive question and answer period really opens everyone up to learning.  There seems to be nothing like watching someone henna Moroccan designs to really cement the lessons from the book and the workshop.  In this NYC class we added some time to the class to allow for more demonstration and practice.

We hope everyone who signed up is ready for a Moroccan onslaught, prepared to catch the Moroccan bug for which there is no cure!

For more info or to register please go here.  If you would like to host a Moroccan henna workshop where you live, please contact us for more information.

On October 1 the price for registration goes up to $75 so get it while it’s cheap! 

Register and read what others are saying about this workshop here.

Saturday, October 16, 2010
Noon – 5 pm
Alwan for the Arts, New York City

We’ll be covering Moroccan henna traditions and designs in an in-depth 5-hour master class with live demos and hands-on coaching. This is a rare opportunity to not only learn from two of the premiere experts in Moroccan henna but also a chance to hang with us after (afterparty location to be announced).

The lecture/demo part of the workshop will be about 3-3.5 hours long. Everyone will get handouts of the information presented and we plan to dazzle you with a slideshow of awesome henna photos. There will be a Q&A period afterwards and a lot of hangout time to henna each other and practice what you have learned. Nic and I will be there, walking around and helping out as you practice. We will have henna and applicators, but you can bring your own henna and applicator to play with.

Cost for the workshop will be $60 for early registration (before October 1, 2010), $75 thereafter.  You pay for your spot online here.

See you in NYC!!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/aug/29/saudi-arabia-ban-moroccan-women-stereotype

Because of my work schedule I had to fly in on Saturday, do the workshop on Sunday and fly out right away.  It was a whirlwind trip but packed full of great people and great experiences.  The workshop was held at the Art Not Terminal Gallery in the same room as the Artful Henna show.  To be surrounded by these great henna-inspired works by some of my favorite artists was very inspiring.  We had a great turnout of 15 people…enough to make it worthwhile but not so many that it became impersonal.  We started the workshop with my presentation of the history of henna in Morocco, covering various aspects of Moroccan culture and how henna is used in Morocco.  After a break Nic talked about the foundations of Moroccan henna designs with detailed explanations of the various structures and elements.  Questions and comments from the participants brought the  class to a higher level; thanks for that because it definitely added value to the class for everyone and gave us a better idea of what people want to know.  Nic did some live henna on me so that everyone could see how to get started creating an awesome henna design. 

After the class we hung out and chatted a bit.  Some people had other commitments but the rest of us went to a local dive for food and drinks, and some henna.  My tablemates were so sweet and paid for my dinner; I hope I paid them back with the henna designs I did on them.  I’ll post some photos here later.

Thanks to everyone who helped and/or participated.  The first Moor workshop was a success because of your presence.  I hope that we get the opportunity to do this workshop in other parts of the country and the world.  I can’t wait to see what comes out of this experience; I hope that we all start to see more Moroccan henna designs posted on HennaTribe, and that more of our henna clients request Moroccan designs.

If you want to post photos or a review of the class feel free to do it in the comments.  Feel free to link to photo albums in Facebook, Flickr etc. 

If  you are in the Northeast US and would be interested in attending a Moor workshop, please post in the comments or email us.  We are looking to organize a workshop in NYC in October.

Fez. Oh Fez! Described by many as “the soul of Morocco.” Fez, a city of cracked and dusty streets that hide all kinds of beautiful and forlorn relics. Mysterious and mystical. Faded but stately. Crumbling but proud. Fez… As Bowles put it, an “enchanted labyrinth sheltered from time,” Fez manages to reveal its beauty, while still remaining hidden. Fez speak in symbols, you see? The symbols that encrypt the meaning contained in the patters of han … Read More

via Bazaar Hopping

Where were we?  Oh yes, we were following a joyful musical Berber wedding procession down a dusty dirt road. Kenzilisa over at http://moorhenna.wordpress.com asked if I had any pictures of henna.  As you may know, in Morocco women decorate their hands with henna for special occasions.  In this little procession, all the hands were clapping… There were lots of smiling faces… Here comes the rosewater… Now we are in the front yard of the bride … Read More

via Life in Marrakesh

I am here in Taos, New Mexico.  But I still have a lot to share from back home in Morocco.  In fact, yet another benefit of blogging is that I can stay connected to my Moroccan home, and revisit some things that touched me. A few weeks ago, at my parents' farm out in Ourika, we heard lots of music and noise.  My first thought was "world cup fever".  We grabbed the kids and rushed outside.  We didn't see any football fanatics, thank goodness.  Wha … Read More

via Life in Marrakesh