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The following is a translation of the original article, written in French, which appeared in the TelQuel weekly newspaper in Morocco. The original article can be read here. Thanks to Beth M. for our translation.

Surrounded by producers Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, the group U2 spent two weeks in a Riad in Fez recording the sketches for their next album, expected in 2008. TelQuel met Bono for an exclusive interview.

U2 in Fez: people didn't give it much credence at the start, but sure enough, it was true. While the information did get published on several web sites around the time the band was getting ready to pack their bags, June 3, the secret was well kept. And with preparations for the Festival of Sacred Music going full steam around the corner, at the site of the Esprit Foundation of Fez, only a few passersby at the entrance to Riad Yacout marveled at the guitars resounding. The presence of one of the biggest rock groups in the world went almost unnoticed. A little further away at the town square, the old ladies were chattering away and the children were playing under the early summer sun, as if nothing at all were going on. They didn't suspect that Bernadette and Jacques Chirac were staying a few meters away, either.

So, a riad in the Batha neighborhood of the spiritual capitol of the kingdom is where the Irish quartet came to recharge themselves for two weeks. Time enough to put in the can the first sketches of their 12th album, whose release is expected next year. Around them, the historic producers Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno. The former worked on several Bob Dylan albums; the second was David Bowie's acolyte in the late '70s before becoming the guru of experimental music. Quite a crew.

U2 and Fez, a love story

U2 and Fez is a story that goes back to the beginning of the '90s. The group, at the height of their career in the period after The Joshua Tree and Rattle and Hum, came here to film the surrealist, psychedelic video for "Mysterious Ways," one of the singles from Achtung Baby, under the direction of director Stephane Sednaoui. Fifteen years later, the Irish group returned, arriving in a private jet and preceded by two trucks full of studio equipment, to set up their amps in Fez' medina, between a concert in the steps of the Palais des Festivals at Cannes and singer Bono's detour to the G8 summit.

Guest editor of the most recent issue of Vanity Fair, dedicated to Africa and published with 20 different covers from Oprah Winfey to Muhammad Ali, the singer known for his advocacy for Africa and nominated twice for the Nobel Peace Prize met Nicholas Sarkozy there last Wednesday, along with Bob Geldof and Youssou N'Dour, to talk about poverty in Africa. A second meeting with the new French president, and another with George W. Bush, were scheduled over the next few days.

"I feel as if it's never been this easy to write," Bono testified, a little before the group's departure from the Merinid capitol. "Fez is a holy place for musicians. We've come here to pay tribute to this town, and especially to learn." The singer continued, taking a mystical tone, "We're on pilgrimage."

Ten selections in all were born during this session, where for the first time ever local musicians were also recorded. An oud player, notably, and percussionists from Gnawa and Sufi brotherhoods. On the white board, in between the chord tabs, you could read "For Your Love," or "One Bird," titles (probably provisional) of two of their new songs.

It was a discreet visit, but not completely: housed at the Jamai Palace, the group turned up on foot to attend the concert by Iranian singer Parissa and the Dastan Ensemble of poems by Jalal ad-Din Rumi, provoking curiosity from audience members, passers-by, and tourists. Near the musicians, you could see Jordan's Queen Rania, with whom Bono had presented the Frontline Award For Human Rights a few days earlier in Dublin. It was even whispered that she'd spent an evening and shared a meal with the group, and that Bono had sung for her. Blessed queen!

Exclusive Interview

TQ: You already filmed a video in Fez. Does this city inspire you?

The thing that always strikes me in Morocco is certain similarities with Irish music and culture. The singers here are very talented. I can learn from them, and they bring back to me certain traditions from back home, like the Sean-nos [a traditional dance accompanied by a cappella song and percussion -Ed.] There are lots of other similarities, like the pentatonic scales. We feel good about this music and these people. And then Fez is like a holy place for music and musicians. So we've also come here to pay tribute to this town, to get inspired, learn rhythms. We're really happy to be here. TQ: Apparently you recorded with Moroccan artists. Is your the first time recording with Arab or North African musicians?

That's right. We had an oud player in, and some Gnawa and Sufi musicians. These guys were great masters. It was a very special atmosphere. Now, we don't really know what's going to come of all that. We wrote about ten songs here in two weeks. They're not completely finished, but I feel as if it's never been this easy to write, so many things were just flowing by themselves. We were recording in the courtyard of a riad, under a square of blue sky. TQ: Did you attend the Festival of Sacred Music?

Tonight I saw this fantastic Iranian singer, Parissa. It was really something. But we saw almost nothing else of the Festival. We did come for that as well, but in the end we sort of let ourselves go within our own music.

TQ: Do you know what themes you'll be dealing with on this album?

What I do, is I wait for the music to tell me what I'm going to sing. I improvise a lot, and I don't really know where we're going. It's only later that I sit down to write. It's sort of like we're on pilgrimage, barefoot, and we truly don't know where the music will take us.

TQ: Do you guys listen to mystical music, spiritual music?

I was saying that the sounds from here are fairly familiar to us. And then, our music has always been rather ecstatic, in a certain sense. We listen, we learn. In the position we're in, people look at us more as teachers than as students. But that's not how we look at ourselves or how we look at things. We'll see what comes out of it, but I'm pretty excited.

Apparently Tinariwen is going to open for you in Dublin. [sic; Tinariwen is opening for the Rolling Stones at Slane Castle. - B.M.] Are you interested in Tuareg rock?

I really enjoyed them. They come from a very tough situation. There's a big difference when people are singing for their life rather than to make a living. Really, they're singing and playing for their lives, and you can feel it in their music. It was the Edge especially who introduced me to this music. It's true that this kind of music represents a breath that I can feel, that could make my singing style evolve. It's discovering new tones, new harmonies. So we're trying to get inspired, but just a little. We don't want to end up as tourists.

TQ: A word on the situation in Ireland. It seems to be going better, since Bloody Sunday?

The situation in Ireland proves what people ready to compromise can achieve. Compromise is a word people neglect, don't want to look in the face. They shouldn't do that. It's maybe one of the most interesting words in every language. It shows how much each person can make room for the other, the capacity of human beings to evolve with regard to each other. There were 30 very tough years, but over this last decade a lot of compromises have allowed peace to come to Ireland. It's fantastic.

TQ: You're going to the G8. What are your motivations? What messages do you want to get across?

I'll be there to remind them of the promises they made two years ago. I want them to know the world is watching them. There's a lot to do, and that's my job. I'm a little like a foghorn. And a bulldog, too.



© TelQuel, 2007.

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