On September 8, 2023, a violent 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck the mountainous Al Haouz province of Morocco shortly before midnight, resulting in over 2,960 deaths and 5,674 injuries. It set adrift countless families who in an instant had their homes and communities reduced to rubble. The tremor was felt across the country, from the northern coast to the southern desert, including my home in Rabat.
Nearly as immediate as the earthquake was the response, which saw Moroccans from all walks of life pouring their hearts into acts of solidarity for their neighbors whose lives had been upturned. Civilians donated blood and collected necessities, while the government set up a field hospital, mapped the damaged zones, and began clearing roads.
Many of the disasters that I’ve witnessed struck places that are very disconnected from my life; I’ve never been to New Orleans, Haiti, or northern Syria, but this one was different. I’ve spent time in the Al Haouz province, I know Ouirgane, and Ourika, Imlil, Azilal, and Ait Bouguemez, and I can picture exactly what those communities look like- the small earthen homes nestled together on a hillside with massive snowcapped peaks in the distance. It doesn’t require a great leap of imagination to put myself in their shoes.
In Memoriam: Music for Morocco is dedicated to the memory of those lives lost and upturned and the spirit of solidarity of the Moroccan people. It was composed in 2023 and 2024 for the Musaic Choir in Rabat.