HI, MICKELA.

HELLO, CHEF ASSOU!

HOW ARE YOU?

NICE TO SEE YOU.

WONDERFUL.

NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

NO, WE DIDN'T SEE EACH OTHER BEFORE.

HA HA HA!

MICKELA MALLOZZI: I'M A DANCER... AND I'M A TRAVELER.

AND WHEREVER I GO, I EXPERIENCE THE WORLD ONE DANCE AT A TIME.

I'M MICKELA MALLOZZI, AND THIS IS "BARE FEET."

MERHABA.

WELCOME TO MOROCCO, THE GATEWAY BETWEEN AFRICA AND EUROPE.

AS WE CONTINUE MY DNA JOURNEY, I FIND MYSELF ALONG THE NORTH AFRICAN COAST IN A MUSLIM COUNTRY WITH A RICH HISTORY OF DANCE AND MUSIC.

NORTHERN MOROCCO'S CULTURAL INFLUENCES ARE A MIX OF ARAB, ANDALUS, INDIGENOUS NORTH AFRICAN, AND WESTERN EUROPEAN.

STARTING IN THE 7th CENTURY A.D., WHEN THE ARABIC LANGUAGE AND ISLAM WAS BROUGHT TO THIS LAND, MOROCCO BECAME A MECCA FOR LEARNING AND HOME TO ONE OF THE OLDEST UNIVERSITIES IN THE WORLD.

AND I AM HERE TO DISCOVER MORE OF TODAY'S KINGDOM OF MOROCCO THAN JUST THE RED SANDS OF THE SAHARA, ESPECIALLY THROUGH MUSIC AND DANCE.

MY FIRST STOP IS IN TANGIER, IN THE NORTHWESTERN TIP OF MOROCCO.

FROM HERE, ON A CLEAR DAY, YOU CAN SEE SOUTHERN SPAIN ACROSS THE STRAIT OF GIBRALTAR.

I'M HERE TO MEET WITH ABDELLAH BOULKHAIR EL GOURD AND HIS GROUP, DAR GNAWA.

"DAR" MEANS HOUSE IN ARABIC, AND GNAWA IS THE MUSICAL STYLE THAT MIXES SUFISM WITH PRE-ISLAMIC AFRICAN TRADITIONS.

GNAWA IS A SPIRITUAL MUSIC USED TO HEAL, ORIGINALLY CREATED BY THE ENSLAVED PEOPLE OF MOROCCO.

ABDELLAH'S DAR GNAWA GROUP WAS FORMED IN THE 1980s TO PRESERVE, PROMOTE, AND PRACTICE THE ART OF GNAWA.

THEY ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR PURIFICATION CEREMONIES, USING THE MAGNIFICENT POWERS OF THE GNAWA MUSIC AND RHYTHMS IN RITUAL FOR HEALING PURPOSES.

MALLOZZI: HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN PLAYING GNAWA MUSIC?

WELL, I WAS BORN IN GNAWA HOUSE.

FROM BORN UNTIL NOW, I PLAY MUSIC.

WOW.

SO YOUR WHOLE LIFE?

YEAH, ALL MY LIFE.

[GNAWA MUSIC PLAYING] IT SEEMS LIKE EACH PERSON HAD THEIR OWN STYLE OF GNAWA.

EXACTLY.

IT'S A SPIRITUAL MUSIC.

SO IT'S ACCEPTANCE OF IT.

YEAH.

YEAH.

BECAUSE WE ARE A GENERATION OF SLAVERY IN MOROCCO.

YEAH, YEAH.

TO BECOME GNAWA, YOU HAVE TO BE FIRST EDUCATE.

IF IT IS NOT POLITE, IF IT IS NOT EDUCATE, WE DON'T NEED IT.

YOU'RE GONNA TEACH ME, ABDELLAH?

[LAUGHS] IN THE VERY SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME WE HAVE.

[INDISTINCT] THAT YOU FEEL IT.

I ALREADY FEEL IT.

I WANT TO JUMP IN.

IF YOU FEEL IT, YOU ARE ABLE TO DANCE TO IT, TO PLAY, TO DO EVERYTHING.

I WANT TO TRY.

OH, MY.

HERE WE GO.

TRANSFORMATION STARTS.

OH.

[GNAWA MUSIC PLAYING] MALLOZZI: WHAT ARE THOSE INSTRUMENTS?

ABDELLAH: THOSE ARE KARKABA.

AND IT'S LOUD AND IT'S--YES.

OF COURSE.

OF COURSE.

EVERYBODY CAN HEAR IT.

THE DRUMS ARE LOUD.

IT'S BEAUTIFUL.

[SINGING IN ARABIC] MALLOZZI, VOICE-OVER: WE MAKE OUR WAY INTO THE BEAUTIFUL INSTITUTE OF DAR GNAWA, A MUSEUM OF SORTS THAT REFLECTS NOT ONLY GNAWA'S HISTORY BUT ALSO THE LEGACY OF THE GROUP.

IT IS A SACRED SPACE THAT ABDELLAH CREATED TO PRACTICE AND CONTINUE HIS TRADITION.

WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE INSTRUMENT, ABDELLAH?

IT'S HEJHOUJ.

HEJHOUJ.

GNAWAN NAME, HEJHOUJ, BUT POPULARLY, THEY SAY GIMBRI.

GIMBRI.

YEAH.

[PLAYING GIMBRI] AND THIS IS A HOLLOWED-OUT PIECE OF WOOD, ONE PIECE.

YEAH.

THIS IS HALF OF A TREE.

AND WE TAKE OFF WHAT YOU HAVE INSIDE, AND THEN WE COVER IT WITH SKIN-- THE SKIN OF THE NECK OF THE CAMEL.

NECK OF THE CAMEL?

YES.

WOW.

WE HAVE 3 STRINGS.

FOR US, IT'S IMAGINATION FOR A SHIP WHO BROUGHT OUR BROTHER TO ANOTHER WORLD BEFORE.

IT'S LIKE A SHIP AND THE PEOPLE INSIDE.

WHEN THEY BECOME TIRED, THEY THROW IT IN THE SEA.

[PLAYING GNAWA MUSIC] MALLOZZI, VOICE-OVER: SINCE ITS ORIGIN, GNAWA HAS NOW BECOME AN OFFICIAL REPRESENTATION OF MOROCCAN CULTURE.

OVER THE PAST 50 YEARS, THIS STYLE OF MUSIC HAS BEEN CLOSELY TIED TO THE AMERICAN BLUES AND JAZZ MUSICAL TRADITIONS, BORN FROM THE PARALLEL HARDSHIPS OF AMERICAN SLAVERY, EVOLVING INTO STYLES THAT CONVEY THESE EMOTIONS.

GNAWA MUSIC CONSISTS OF SPIRITUAL SONGS AND RHYTHMS WITH POETRY, AND THESE CHANTS ARE REPEATED WITH THE INTENTION OF PROVOKING A STATE OF TRANCE.

AS ABDELLAH TOLD ME EARLIER, YOU CAN DO GNAWA DEPENDING ON HOW YOU FEEL THE MUSIC.

AND I STARTED TO FEEL SOMETHING IN THIS MOMENT, AS IF MY BODY MOVED ON ITS OWN, PULLED BY THE MOVEMENTS OF THE DANCERS AND MUSICIANS AROUND ME.

[ALL CHANTING] MALLOZZI: THERE WAS THIS ENERGY THAT KEPT ME GOING, AND THESE PEOPLE ARE SO WARM AND SO KIND, AND THE MUSIC IS SO BEAUTIFUL.

OHH.

IT'S BEAUTIFUL.

[EXHALES] I NEED TO COLLECT MYSELF, BUT THIS IS MOROCCO.

THIS IS MOROCCO.

THIS IS REAL MOROCCO RIGHT HERE.

MALLOZZI: VOICE-OVER: THE HOME OF DAR GNAWA SITS ON THE EDGE OF THE MEDINA, OR THE OLD CITY OF TANGIER.

THIS ANCIENT CITY HAS BEEN THE CONNECTION POINT OF SO MANY CULTURES, STARTING AROUND THE 8th CENTURY B.C.

TRADERS AND MERCHANTS HAVE BEEN A CONSTANT IN THE MEDINA, AND SHOPPING FOR LEATHER GOODS, TEXTILES, AND FRESH MOROCCAN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE ARE WHAT KEEP THE OLD CITY BUZZING WITH LIFE.

WITH MY FIRST DAY IN MOROCCO, I MAKE MY WAY TO CAFÉ BAYT TARAB AT THE EDGE OF THE ANCIENT MEDINA.

THE WORD "TARAB" REFERS TO ARABIC MUSIC AS A GENRE, BUT ALSO AS A FEELING THAT THIS MUSICAL STYLE MAY CONVEY.

[PLAYING TARAB MUSIC] IT'S CRAZY.

OR LIKE MY GRANDFATHER.

IT'S IN OUR DNA, ISN'T IT?

IT'S BEAUTIFUL.

IT'S REALLY BEAUTIFUL.

OH, MY GOD.

I FEEL LIKE WE'RE RELATED SOMEHOW IN ANOTHER LIFE.

HA HA HA!

SHUKRAAN.

MALLOZZI, VOICE-OVER: FROM THE CITY OF TANGIER, WE DRIVE TWO HOURS SOUTH THROUGH THE RIF MOUNTAINS TO THE 500-YEAR OLD BLUE CITY OF CHEFCHAOUEN.

I MEET WITH OUAFA BRIK, WHO WILL GIVE ME A TOUR OF THIS PICTURE-PERFECT CITY.

OH, MY GOODNESS.

YOU GO AHEAD.

HA HA.

THESE ARE ALL MADE BY HAND?

YEAH, IT'S MADE BY HAND, AND IT'S LOCAL FABRIC.

I LOVE THAT THEY'RE HANGING RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET.

MALLOZZI, VOICE-OVER: CHEFCHAOUEN'S ICONIC BLUE COLOR DIFFERENTIATED IT FROM OTHER SURROUNDING CITIES FOR TRAVELERS AND SPIRITUAL PILGRIMS.

THE BLUE SIGNIFIED IT AS A CITY OF ECONOMIC TRADE FULL OF MERCHANTS WITH GOODS TO SELL.

MALLOZZI: TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS EVERY YEAR WHEN THEY PAINT THIS CITY.

IT'S AN ACTIVITY FOR WOMENS, ACTUALLY.

ONLY WOMEN?

YEAH.

ALL THE LADIES, THEY SAID, "OK, LET'S DO IT NEXT WEEK."

AND THEY ALL HAVE THEIR PAINTS, AND IT'S LIKE HAVING THE EXPERIENCE TOGETHER AND HAVING TEA LATER AND HAVING LUNCH TOGETHER.

IT'S A CAMARADERIE.

YEAH, EXACTLY.

MALLOZZI: WHAT'S UP?

AHH.

I LOVE THE BLUE.

THIS BLUE IS GORGEOUS.

YEAH.

MANY SHADES OF BLUE.

YEAH.

MALLOZZI, VOICE-OVER: MOROCCO IS KNOWN FOR ITS SPICES, ESSENTIAL OILS, AND LOCALLY-SOURCED BEAUTY PRODUCTS THAT HAVE BEEN USED BY WOMEN FOR CENTURIES.

OUAFA BRINGS ME TO A SPICES AND OILS SHOP WHERE WE ARE TAKEN ON A JOURNEY OF A SENSORY OVERLOAD.

IT SMELLS INCREDIBLE IN HERE.

IT SMELLS VERY CLEAN, [LAUGHS] BUT ALSO BRIGHT.

HERE IS A COLLECTION OF ALL MOROCCAN SPICES.

WOW.

ONLY IN MOROCCO.

ONLY IN MOROCCO.

AND IT'S LIKE A RAINBOW.

LOOK AT THIS.

YEAH.

[LAUGHS] SHADES.

YEAH, IT'S INCREDIBLE.

JUST SPEND A WHOLE AFTERNOON HERE WITH INCENSE AND CREAMS AND OILS.

THIS IS A PUMICE STONE FOR YOUR FEET.

SO I THINK MY BARE FEET NEEDS SOME--SOME CLEANING UP TO DO.

MALLOZZI, VOICE-OVER: CHEFCHAOUEN IS A FAIRLY CONSERVATIVE CITY.

HOWEVER, AS OUAFA MENTIONED, THE WOMEN OF THE BLUE CITY ARE IMPRESSIVE AND HAVE MADE INCREDIBLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIS CITY'S HERITAGE.

A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THAT IS THE GROUP HADRA CHAUONIA.

I MEET WITH HANAN AND THE YOUNG WOMEN KEEPING THIS AGE-OLD TRADITION ALIVE IN ONE OF THE MOST INSTAGRAMMABLE CITIES ON EARTH.

THE ART FORM OF HADRA IS CLOSELY TIED TO SUFISM, A MYSTICAL SECT OF ISLAM.

AND HERE IN CHEFCHAOUEN, THE ALL-WOMEN SINGERS, MUSICIANS, AND DANCERS CELEBRATE TOGETHER THROUGH ARAB-ANDALUCIAN SONG.

THE WORD "HADRA" MEANS PRESENCE IN ARABIC, AND HANAN, THE GROUP'S LEADER, SHARES WITH ME THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS BEAUTIFUL TRADITION.

MALLOZZI: THE HADRA COLLECTIVE RITUAL WAS ORIGINALLY DONE ONLY BY MEN, BUT AT THE END OF THE 19th CENTURY, THE ART FORM WAS ADOPTED BY WOMEN AND HAS GROWN EVER SINCE AS A TRADITIONAL FORM OF SUFI PRACTICE.

HANAN AND HER GROUP ARE PERFORMING THE JALOUSI HADRA, OR THE SITTING HADRA, TO START, AND THE SONG THAT THE WOMEN PLAY IS MEDITATIVE IN NATURE.

MALLOZZI: I WAS FOCUSING VERY HARD, AND IT WAS IN 16.

THAT'S LIKE 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, RIGHT?

3, 3, 3, 3, 4.

3, 4.

YEAH.

LOT OF RHY-- LOT OF BEATS IN ONE PHRASE.

YEAH.

IT WAS VERY NICE.

SO I'M GONNA TRY.

IS THAT OK?

YEAH, OK. CAN I JOIN YOU?

YEAH?

AHH.

HA HA HA!

OOH, IT'S--IT IS HEAVY.

IT FEELS PRETTY INCREDIBLE TO WEAR A PIECE THAT'S OVER A HUNDRED YEARS OLD.

THIS IS 80 YEARS OLD, A HUNDRED YEARS OLD.

HANDMADE GOLDEN THREAD.

I'M OFFICIALLY SHAOUNYA.

SHAOUNYA.

YEAH, SHAOUNYA.

YEAH, [SPEAKS ARABIC] OOH, SOMETHING'S WIGGLING ON TOP OF MY HEAD.

[SPEAKING ARABIC] [ALL HOLLERING] WHAT CAN I PLAY?

[MUSIC PLAYING] NO SHOES.

NO, DON'T DO--OK. [ALL SINGING IN ARABIC] MALLOZZI, VOICE-OVER: THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST SUBTLE DANCES I HAVE EVER TRIED ON MY "BARE FEET" ADVENTURES-- SWAYING SLOWLY BACK AND FORTH-- YET, IT IS JUST AS STRENUOUS AS ANY OTHER.

I CONCENTRATE ON THE FEELING OF THE COLLECTIVE, OF WHAT THE OTHER WOMEN'S MOVEMENTS ARE TELLING ME TO DO, AND WITHOUT THAT CONVERSATION WITH OUR BODIES, WE WOULD PROBABLY FALL OVER.

WOW.

WOW.

WOW, WOW, WOW.

MALLOZZI: WE'RE HERE IN THE IMPERIAL CITY OF FES TO DIG A LITTLE DEEPER INTO THE MOROCCAN CULTURE.

HA HA HA!

MALLOZZI, VOICE-OVER: THE 1,200-YEAR-OLD CITY OF FES IS HOME TO THE COUNTRY'S ROYAL FAMILY, AS WELL AS ONE OF THE OLDEST MEDINAS IN MOROCCO, LISTED AS A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE.

ITS ICONIC CITY GATES THAT WERE BUILT BETWEEN THE 13th AND 15th CENTURIES LEAD ME THROUGH THE TINY STREETS OF THE SOUQ, OR THE MARKETPLACE.

FES IS ALSO THE CENTER OF MOSAIC TILING, AN ISLAMIC ART FORM THAT IS CHARACTERISTIC TO MOROCCAN ARCHITECTURE.

WITH SIGNIFICANTLY LESS TOURISTS THAN ITS COUNTERPART OF MARRAKESH, THIS TRULY ARABIC CITY BRINGS ME BACK IN TIME TO WHAT IT MUST HAVE FELT LIKE DURING ITS GOLDEN AGE OF THE MARINID DYNASTY OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

I MEET WITH CHEF ASSOU, FORMER EXPAT WHO RETURNED TO HIS BELOVED MOROCCO AFTER COOKING IN THE U.S., SHARING HIS LOVE FOR HIS LOCAL CUISINE WITH AMERICANS.

NOW HE'S GOING TO SHOW ME WHY HE DECIDED TO COME BACK TO COOK HERE IN FES.

ASSOU: THIS IS MY BUTCHER.

THIS IS AZIZ.

[SPEAKS ARABIC] DO YOU KNOW THE CUTS THAT YOU WANT EXACTLY?

YES.

SO WE'RE GETTING THE V.I.P.

TREATMENT HERE?

OH, YEAH.

YOU GONNA EAT GOOD TODAY.

OH, GOOD.

GOOD, GOOD.

MALLOZZI, VOICE-OVER: THE MENU FOR TODAY WILL BE THE TRADITIONAL MOROCCAN DISH LAMB TAGINE, BUT WITH A SLIGHT TWIST TO IT.

AZIZ, THANK YOU.

MALLOZZI: SHUKRAAN.

MALLOZZI, VOICE-OVER: OUR NEXT STOP IS TO THE DAILY MARKET TO PICK UP THE FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES NEEDED FOR OUR DISH.

LOOK AT THESE ARTICHOKES.

THOSE ARE BEAUTIFUL.

ASSOU: NO, I SHOW YOU BEAUTIFUL.

HA!

HE KNOWS THE GUY.

SO YOU'RE LOOKING FOR PURPLE.

YEAH, PURPLE AND NOT SAME.

LOOK, IT'S HARD.

IT'S NOT WEAK, YOU KNOW.

IT'S NOT FLOPPY.

YEAH.

YEAH, THAT IS GORGEOUS.

PRODUCE YOU WANT TO BUY, LOOK FIRM, THE COLOR.

SEE?

THIS IS FRESH.

NICE AND FRESH.

OK.

I LOOK FOR THIS, ALWAYS.

TOMATOES.

I LOVE TOMATOES.

I LOVE TOMATOES.

I COULD EAT THESE LIKE APPLES.

I JUST LOVE TOMATOES.

I LOVE THEM.

THIS IS SNOW PEAS, FRESH.

HI.

[MAN SPEAKS ARABIC] OH, THEY'RE SWEET.

25 DIRHAM, WHICH IS $2.50, FOR TWO FULL BAGS OF VEGETABLES.

MALLOZZI: SO NOW WE GET FRUIT.

OH, I CAN SMELL IT AS HE'S UNPEELING IT.

OH, MY GOSH, THAT'S SO SWEET.

THIS IS WHERE I GET MY SPICES.

I CAN SMELL THE SPICES RIGHT NOW.

YEAH, YOU CAN SMELL IT FROM THE STREET, YEAH.

YEAH.

I LOVE THIS SPICES.

OH, THE GINGER.

SMELL THE CUMIN.

OH, MY-- YES, THAT IS MY-- WITH THE BEANS.

I LOVE THAT.

IS THAT TURMERIC?

IT SMELLS BRIGHT, TOO, ALMOST LEMONY.

YES, YES.

YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.

SAFFRON?

OH, WOW.

I HAVE-- [SPEAKS ARABIC] OOH!

I'VE NEVER SMELLED SAFFRON LIKE THAT.

THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL SOUVENIR TO BRING BACK HOME WHEN YOU COME TO MOROCCO.

YOU BRING BACK THE FLAVORS FROM MOROCCO, THE SPICES, AND THEY'RE AFFORDABLE.

WHEN I USED TO OWN A RESTAURANT FROM UNITED STATES, I USED TO COME TO MOROCCO AND BUY SPICES, TAKE THEM WITH ME.

I USED TO COOK WITH MOROCCAN SPICES.

STARTING WITH FRESH FOOD, THEN I USE THIS.

A LITTLE INFLUENCE FROM BACK HOME, YEAH.

YES, AND IT SO GIVES AN EXPLOSION.

YEAH, IT DOES.

MALLOZZI, VOICE-OVER: WITH OUR INGREDIENTS IN TOW, WE HEAD TO THE RIAD EL AMINE TO PREPARE OUR MEAL.

RIADS ARE UNASSUMING FROM THE OUTSIDE, INDISTINGUISHABLE FROM ANY OTHER BUILDING IN THE MEDINA.

BUT ON THE INSIDE, THESE PALACES ARE FILLED WITH INCREDIBLE MOSAIC TILE-WORK AND SWEEPING ROOMS THAT CENTER AROUND COURTYARDS FILLED WITH TREES AND FOUNTAINS.

NOW MOST OF THESE TRADITIONAL RIADS HAVE BEEN CONVERTED INTO HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS.

MALLOZZI: CHEF ASSOU.

ASSOU: HI.

I AM YOUR SOUS CHEF.

YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.

I CAN TELL.

LOOK AT YOU.

I NEED YOUR HELP.

THIS IS TAGINE.

AND AFTER I FRY THOSE ONIONS TO TAKE THE SUGAR FROM IT, YOU PUT YOUR VEGETABLE.

ASSOU: THAT'S WHY I FELL IN LOVE WITH COOKING, WITH THIS FLAVOR, WITH THE SMELLS OF THE SPICES AND FRUIT AND VEGETABLE AND COMBINATION OF EVERYTHING.

AND YOU OFFER IT TO PEOPLE.

THAT'S MY PLEASURE.

MALLOZZI: YEAH.

CHEERS.

CHEERS.

ENJOY.

[SPEAKS ARABIC] MMM.

MMM!

♪ MMM MMM MMM ♪ WOW.

I AMAZE MYSELF SOMETIMES.

I LOVE IT.

THAT IS DELICIOUS.

MALLOZZI, VOICE-OVER: MY LAST STOP BRINGS ME AN HOUR SOUTH OF FES TO IMOUZER KANDAR TO MEET BACK UP WITH OUR DEAR FRIEND OUAFA BRIK.

I AM IN FOR A REAL TREAT, AS I'M ABOUT TO BE TAKEN INTO A BERBER FAMILY.

NICE TO MEET YOU.

HELLO.

NICE TO MEET YOU.

HI.

THANK YOU FOR BRINGING US INTO YOUR HOME.

SO HE'S FROM HERE.

HE'S BERBER.

WOW.

[SPEAKS ARABIC] MALLOZZI, VOICE-OVER: THE BERBERS, OR THE AMAZIGH, ARE THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF NORTH AFRICA.

MAMA KHADIJA HAS INVITED ME INTO HER HOME TO EXPERIENCE TRUE BERBER HOSPITALITY, AND IN ANTICIPATION OF MEETING THE AHIDOUZ MUSICIANS AND PERFORMERS, SHE DRESSES ME IN A TRADITIONAL AMAZIGH OUTFIT.

WE HAVE A RED ONE, WHICH IS BIGGER.

AND WE HAVE THIS YELLOW ONE.

WHICHEVER ONE FITS BETTER.

YOU DRESS ME.

I TRUST YOU, MAMA.

OUAFA: WE CALL IT LULIWA, AND LULIWA MEANS PEARL.

A PEARL.

PEARL, YEAH, 'CAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE A PEARL.

IT'S SHINY.

AND WHEN YOU WEAR IT, YOU ARE WELCOMING YOUR GUESTS.

MALLOZZI, VOICE-OVER: AFTER GETTING DRESSED, WE ENJOY A TYPICAL MOROCCAN TRADITION OF DRINKING TEA.

IN THE AMAZIGH TRADITION, THE MEN ARE IN CHARGE OF WAITING ON THE GUESTS TO POUR THE TEA AS A SIGN OF HUMILITY.

OUAFA: SO THE MORE IT IS HIGH, THE MORE YOU ARE WELCOME.

YOU SEE?

WE'RE VERY WELCOME THEN, HUH?

SHUKRAAN.

CHEERS.

DID YOU MAKE THIS?

YES, IN THE MORNING.

YOU MADE THIS?

ALL RIGHT, I HAVE TO TRY IT, THEN.

OOH, IS THAT ORANGE?

YEAH, ORANGE.

YES.

WOW.

YOU CAN SEE THE ORANGE RINDS IN HERE.

MMM.

MMM-MMM-MMM.

VERY GOOD.

A LITTLE BIT OF ENERGY FROM MAMA'S CAKE, SOME TEA, DRESSED PERFECTLY IN THIS BERBER OUTFIT.

I THINK I'M READY TO DANCE.

MALLOZZI, VOICE-OVER: IN TRUE BERBER TRADITION, WE HEAD TO THE NEIGHBORING MOUNTAINS.

WEEKENDS ARE MEANT TO BE SPENT IN THE FRESH MOUNTAIN AIR, PICNICKING IN COOLER CLIMATES AWAY FROM THE HOT CITIES.

FAMILIES BRING FOOD TO COOK, AND THEY BOTTLE UP THE NATURAL SPRING WATER THAT RUNS HERE.

MAN: THE BERBER PEOPLE ARE THE AMAZIGH PEOPLE.

AMAZIGH MEANS FREE PEOPLE.

IT MEAN THAT WE HAVE NEVER BEEN SLAVED AND THAT WE OWN THE LAND IN THE NORTH AFRICA.

MALLOZZI: THE ORIGINAL PEOPLE FROM THIS LAND?

YES, YES.

IT'S OUR FAMILY'S LAND.

THEY USED TO LIVE UP IN HERE.

MOROCCAN PEOPLE HAVE THE-- THE HOSPITALITY?

YES.

YES.

OH, WE'VE EXPERIENCED INCREDIBLE HOSPITALITY HERE.

YOUR FAMILY, ESPECIALLY, JUST LET US INTO THEIR HOME TODAY.

OUAFA, THANK YOU.

YOU'RE NOT BERBER.

YOU MARRIED INTO BERBER.

YEAH.

RIGHT?

I WAS LUCKY.

I WAS LUCKY TO HAVE SUCH A GREAT MOTHER-IN-LAW, AND WE HAVE VACATIONS.

AND EVERY TIME WE HAVE VACATION, WE COME HERE.

I'M SURE LIVING IN TANGIER, IT'S A GOOD REPRIEVE TO COME HERE AND JUST SAY, I'M GONNA BE BACK HOME WITH MAMA.

SHE'S GONNA COOK ME SOME GOOD FOOD AND PASTRIES.

I LOVE MAMA.

I KNOW.

I LOVE MAMA, TOO.

WE ALL LOVE OUR MAMA.

WE ALL LOVE MAMA.

MALLOZZI, VOICE-OVER: WE'RE HERE TO MEET WITH THE AHIDOUZ TROUPE, WHO PERFORMED AT ZAKARIA AND OUAFA'S OWN WEDDING.

TODAY, I'M GOING TO EXPERIENCE WHAT CELEBRATING THE GUEST IN THE AMAZIGH TRADITION IS ALL ABOUT.

[ALL CHANTING] [DRUMMING] THE TRADITIONAL BERBER OR AMAZIGH FOLKLORE DANCE AND MUSIC FROM MOROCCO IS DONE AS A COLLECTIVE, WITH BOTH MEN AND WOMEN FROM THE VILLAGE OR THE TROUPE PARTICIPATING.

THE MAESTRO, OR THE LEADER OF THE TROUPE, GUIDES THE REST OF THE MUSICIANS AND DANCERS THROUGH POETRY, MOVEMENT, AND OF COURSE, HIS DRUM, THE BENDIR.

THE MAESTRO LEADS EACH SONG WITH A CALL AND RESPONSE, GUIDING EACH SIDE OF THE TROUPE WITH SO MUCH ENERGY.

THE AMAZIGH WOMEN THEN SHOW ME THEIR DANCES.

[ALL HOLLERING] THE BIGGEST HONOR FOR ME IS THE MAESTRO GUIDING ME ON THE BENDIR, OR THE HAND DRUM, AND LETTING ME FOLLOW HIS EVERY MOVE.

[WOMEN HOLLERING] [MEN CHANTING] MALLOZZI: WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LETTING ME BE A PART OF THE FAMILY, FOR LETTING ME EXPERIENCE THE BERBER CULTURE.

AND TO BE REALLY-- THIS IS THE MOROCCAN PEOPLE.

THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT WERE HERE FIRST.

IT'S INCREDIBLE.

[ALL SINGING AND CHANTING] MALLOZZI, VOICE-OVER: NORTHERN MOROCCO'S MEDITERRANEAN LANDSCAPE MIXED WITH ITS ARABIC CULTURE AND NORTH AFRICAN ROOTS COME TOGETHER IN A BEAUTIFUL HARMONY OF SPIRITUALITY, AND ABOVE ALL FOR ME, CONNECTION.

THIS OVERWHELMING CONNECTION I FEEL WITH EVERYONE I MEET, ESPECIALLY ON THIS "BARE FEET" DNA JOURNEY, CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO THIS COUNTRY'S UNBELIEVABLE HOSPITALITY.

I TRULY FEEL SOMETHING POWERFUL HERE-- A SENSE OF BELONGING, OF FAMILIARITY, YET AT THE SAME TIME, OF SOMETHING SO UNFAMILIAR AND NEW, KEEPING ME FULL OF WONDER.

SHUKRAAN, MOROCCO.

THANK YOU FOR TOUCHING MY HEART IN SUCH A DEEP AND UNFORGETTABLE WAY.

TO SAY THIS IS AN EMOTIONAL PLACE FOR ME IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT.

AND I'LL SEE YOU ON MY NEXT "BARE FEET" ADVENTURE, WHERE IT MAY TAKE ME.

MALLOZZI: YOU CAN STAY CONNECTED WITH US AT TRAVELBAREFEET.COM, WHERE YOU'LL FIND EXTRA BONUS VIDEOS, JOIN OUR "BARE FEET" SERIES CONVERSATIONS THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, AND STAY UPDATED WITH OUR NEWSLETTER.

WELCOME.

THANK YOU.

SHUKRAAN.

WELCOME TO CHEFCHAOUEN.

[BEEP] GOOD MORNING.

GOOD MORNING.

HOW ARE YOU DOING?

I'M GOOD.

I'M WONDERFUL NOW.

HOW ARE YOU DOING?

OH, I ALREADY... [LAUGHS] AND LET'S DISCOVER IT.

LET'S GO.

LET'S GO.

WOMAN: THAT WAS GREAT.

HA HA HA!

I THINK WE'RE GONNA GO THAT WAY!

WOMAN: OK, SO... ANNOUNCER: "BARE FEET" IS FUNDED IN PART BY... ANNOUNCER: THE ISLAND OF IRELAND.

YOU SHOULD ALWAYS LISTEN TO YOUR HEART.

FILL YOUR HEART WITH IRELAND.

ADDITIONAL FUNDING WAS PROVIDED BY KOO AND PATRICIA YUEN THROUGH THE YUEN FOUNDATION, COMMITTED TO BRIDGING CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN OUR COMMUNITIES; AND BY THE ANN H. SYMINGTON FOUNDATION.

DIFFERENT ANNOUNCER: THE FARMERS AND PRODUCERS AT LANDCRAFTED FOOD IN GRAYSON COUNTY, VIRGINIA, ARE DEDICATED TO SUSTAINING AND SERVING OUR FARMS AND COMMUNITY WITH A GOAL OF PRODUCING FOODS THAT ARE AS GOOD FOR THE LAND AS THEY ARE FOR THE PEOPLE WHO EAT THEM.

LANDCRAFTED FOOD-- STUBBORNLY REAL, FARMER OWNED.

DIFFERENT ANNOUNCER: TAUCK--GUIDING TRAVELERS AROUND THE WORLD SINCE 1925 BECAUSE WE BELIEVE ONCE IN A LIFETIME ONLY HAPPENS ONCE.

HOW YOU SEE THE WORLD MATTERS.

[CHILD BABBLES]