September 18 marks the 50th anniversary of Jimi Hendrix's death: both the rock legend’s life and music are now close to mythology for many.
This is evocatively underscored in the Moroccan seaside city of Essaouira, where the guitarist's image is everywhere, from the walls of cafes and hotels to T-shirts in souvenir shops.
The reason for this idolisation is the musical wizard’s 11-day visit, which is said to have taken place in July 1969.
Riding high from the success of his masterpiece Electric Ladyland album, and a few weeks away from that conquering Woodstock performance, Hendrix was understandably looking for a place to chill.
And he couldn’t have found a better spot than Essaouira.
Facing the Atlantic Ocean, it has built a reputation over the last six decades as a bohemian paradise, and has welcomed a slew of rock legends looking for rest and recreation after weary world tours.
Essaouira’s guest list reads like a who's who of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: The Rolling Stones, Frank Zappa, Bob Morrison, Jefferson Airplane and Cat Stevens all spent time soaking up the sunshine on its famed beaches.
However, none have captured the imagination of the population, now nearing 77,000 people, as much as Hendrix.
While there are no official images of Hendrix spending time in Essaouira, the city is full of elderly citizens who recall his supposed exploits like it was yesterday.
"I saw him here. He was young and carried a guitar on his back," Mohammed Boulala told AFP. "He visited friends who were staying in the village. It was the last time that we saw him."
Also remembering the rocker is 72-year-old Abdelaziz Khaba, who told AFP he lost a photo that he snapped with Hendrix. "He looked in good shape," he said. "He was surrounded by hefty bodyguards."
What did Hendrix do while in Essaouira? Well, some claim he tried to buy an island off the coast, or the village of Diabat. Others say he composed Castles Made of Sand while there (however, the track was released two years prior).
But biographer Caesar Glebbeek seemed unsure, having reportedly said that Hendrix's short stay "produced a mountain of erroneous information and fictitious stories.”
That said, something special must have happened to spark the city’s enduring love affair with the rock legend who chose to cool down in Morocco before sadly burning out and passing away a mere 14 months later.
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
Company profile
Name: Fruitful Day
Founders: Marie-Christine Luijckx, Lyla Dalal AlRawi, Lindsey Fournie
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2015
Number of employees: 30
Sector: F&B
Funding so far: Dh3 million
Future funding plans: None at present
Future markets: Saudi Arabia, potentially Kuwait and other GCC countries
Paris Can Wait
Dir: Eleanor Coppola
Starring: Alec Baldwin, Diane Lane, Arnaud Viard
Two stars
The%20specs
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SCORES
Yorkshire Vikings 144-1 in 12.5 overs
(Tom Kohler 72 not out, Harry Broook 42 not out)
bt Hobart Hurricanes 140-7 in 20 overs
(Caleb Jewell 38, Sean Willis 35, Karl Carver 2-29, Josh Shaw 2-39)
Feeding the thousands for iftar
Six industrial scale vats of 500litres each are used to cook the kanji or broth
Each vat contains kanji or porridge to feed 1,000 people
The rice porridge is poured into a 500ml plastic box
350 plastic tubs are placed in one container trolley
Each aluminium container trolley weighing 300kg is unloaded by a small crane fitted on a truck
RESULT
Bayern Munich 5 Eintrracht Frankfurt 2
Bayern: Goretzka (17'), Müller (41'), Lewandowski (46'), Davies (61'), Hinteregger (74' og)
Frankfurt: Hinteregger (52', 55')
