Camels, Ouds And Riad Rooftops: A Journey To Morocco

Before The Tea Party hit our shores for their Edges Of Twilight tour, Jeff Martin recently visited Morocco and shared some of his favourite places with a select group of fans and travellers. Here he gave The Music an exclusive photo diary of what happened on the journey.

Arrived in Fes

Arrived in Fes.

Ismail El Belkani

This is Ismail El Belkani, another incredible musician from Morocco. His father is a master of the Gimbri which is the bass lute of Morocco who has played with Jimmy Page and Robert Plant.

Morocco Oud maker

One of Morocco's finest Oud makers.

Old Medina in Fes

One of so many beautiful doorways within the maze that is the Old Medina in Fes.

Old Medina Music Store

One of literally hundreds of little music stores in the Old Medina... I wanted to bring them all home.

Outar

Selecting an Outar to add to my collection. Beautiful instrument.

Riad Rooftop performance

Rooftop performance at Riad Le Jardin Des Beihns with classical musicians from Fes. Along with classical, traditional Moroccan tunes, we also played an acoustic version of The Tea Party's The Bazaar.

Riad

Riad Laaroussa in Fes – from the rooftop of the first acoustic performance.

Sahara

In the Sahara walking toward my desert camp... The serenity was incomparable and overwhelming at the same time.

Berber Women

At the desert camp in the Sahara listening to the powerful voices of the Berber women (Berbers are a nomadic tribe).

Camel

About to commence our long journey to the desert camp in the Sahara where I will perform with Issawa and Berber musicians.

Scorpion House

Here we are at Scorpion House in the magical Moulay Idriss. The local Issawa musicians played into the night. I took a field recorder with me and have come home with some very inspiring sounds for future projects, that's for sure and certain.

Jeff Martin of The Tea Party's Australian tour kicks off tonight in Perth. Head to theGuide for full details on Jeff Martin on his tour dates in Australia.