Clay and Maggie bought and restored an ancient Riad in the heart of the medina of Marrakech, this gave Clay the time to get to know a little of this beguiling but complex country. The portraits of the tribal musicians were a wonderful project, shot in a temperature of 40 degrees centigrade in the centre of the medina. They were exhibited at the AIM Biennale in Marrakech, a festival of music and literature in Tangier, and have raised money for the charity ‘Help For Heroes’ at the Guildhall in London. The remaining photographs have been chosen to portray the diversity of this mysterious and fascinating land. The timeless photograph of the dates being picked in the Dra valley show an age old harvest of a fruit that is a precious crop, for nothing is wasted. The women from a local co-operative near Essaouira are pressing the argan nuts, the decaying grandeur of the Kasbah of Telouet built by the traitorous Glaoui Pasha, is in complete contrast to the wonderful Majorelle Gardens bequeathed to the nation by Yves St Laurent. Morocco is a place where religion is observed with a gentle ease. The invisible protocol and mutual respect somehow calms the seeming chaos, enabling miracles to happen in this beautiful country.
