Collective Soul

Ait Benhaddou in Morocco

Some not very interesting American musicians go to Morocco. In a town square, you got the drum circle, the belly dancers, street performers doing various dangerous and astonishing feats, local musicians, vendors. It’s just like Venice Beach, especially when one boy of 7 or so does American-style dance moves with great authority.

Marvelous settings, but it might be better to watch a National Geographic documentary with the sound turned off and your favorite album playing instead. I dunno, they sound okay, but…. Maybe it’s just that I don’t like the lead singer’s look. I keep thinking it’s a joke, like Spinal Tap. The main guy raps about international relations and provides proof, if more was needed, that some musicians should never open their mouths.

The most interesting part is their exploration of a 700-year-old fortress called Ait Benhaddou, which is not exactly unknown, since around twenty other movies have been shot there, including The Sheltering Sky and The Last Temptation of Christ and Lawrence of Arabia.

Photo courtesy of amerune via this Creative Commons license