Loreena McKennitt - Marrakesh night market

Would you like my mask?
would you like my mirror?
cries the man in the shadowing hood
You can look at yourself
you can look at each other
or you can look at the face, the face of your god

The stories are woven
and fortunes are told
The truth is measured by the weight of your gold
The magic lies scattered
on rugs on the ground
Faith is conjured in the night market's sound

Would you like my mask?
would you like my mirror?
cries the man in the shadowing hood
You can look at yourself
you can look at each other
or you can look at the face, the face of your god

The lessons are written
on parchments of paper
They're carried by horse from the river Nile
says the shadowy voice
In the firelight, the cobra
is casting the flame a winsome smile

Would you like my mask?
would you like my mirror?
cries the man in the shadowing hood
You can look at yourself
you can look at each other
or you can look at the face, the face of your god

Loreena writes in the CD booklet about this song:

March 16, 1993 - Arrived tonight in Marrakesh and am staying on the edge of the market. It is Ramadan and there is heightened activity all around. I am struck by the hooded features of men as they pass through the lights and shadows: they look monk-like. Horses, carriages, cars, bicycles and thousands of people are embroiled in the activities of the night ... a cacophony of sound. I retreat to a rooftop café to watch while sipping mint tea ... many circles of twenty or so people are scattered around the market, each involved in their own drama of music, storytelling monkeys on men's shoulders, or cobras being coaxed to "dance" on rugs; "magic" concoctions of bone, seeds, stones and spices are sold ... women are veiled to a great degree ... I am stuck by the sense of intrigue the environment creates; as much is concealed as is revealed ...

Music and lyrics by Loreena McKennitt
From: The mask and mirror (1994)
and: The mask and mirror Live (2024)

Live version: Live in San Francisco at the Palace of Fine Arts (1995).

 
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last modified: 9 May 2024