Here is our incredible story of our participation the cultural exchange program between the City of Issaquah and Chefchaouen, Morocco.
"Music is one of the few things that can unite every culture and peoples of the entire globe together in a moment of celebration, shared harmony and joy."
That being so, the Issaquah Sister Cities Commission's ongoing mission of cultural exchange and goodwill with their sister city was expressed in Music by sending the Astro Cats to Chefchaouen, Morocco.
The story begins with a young Issaquah girl. At age 12, Iman Belali took action. She began to notice after 911 while visiting her grandparents in Morocco & here at home “negative stereotyping” of Arabs in the American media and Americans in the Arab media. At her level – she decided to do something to make a change. Brought on by Iman’s urging and with her parents approval an exchange program for high school age girls – AMIE American Moroccan International Exchange www.amieonline.org/ was formed.
Shortly after her return in 2006 from Morocco, where exchange students visited and delivered computers to a school in Chefchaouen, she went to the City of Issaquah and proposed a sister-city connection. It was unanimously voted in by the Issaquah City Council and AMIE is now working with both governments to create a framework for the two cities to achieve closer ties and gain better cultural understanding.
Issaquah Sends Music Ambassadors and Students to
Sister City Chefchaouen, Morocco
Early in 2008, City of Issaquah representatives and the American Morocco International Exchange (AMIE) held auditions for musicians to be sent to Morocco. The Astro Cats were selected based on their talent, attitude and energetic blend of original and popular rock and roll music.
In June 2008, the Issaquah Sister Cities Commission successfully presented a benefit concert to raise funds to send Issaquah's own rock band, The Astro Cats to play their unique brand of American music at an annual Moroccan music festival in Issaquah’s sister city, Chefchaouen, Morocco in July.
With the support of local Issaquah area businesses and music lovers of all ages, the successful benefit concert and supper event attracted an audience of well over 200 people. Proceeds and donations from the event as well as matching funds from Microsoft garnered financial support to help fund the band’s trip to Chefchaouen and support the AMIE program.
The Astro Cats trip to Chefchaouen was "mission accomplished". Thousands of Moroccans cheered on the band at the International Alegria Music Festival. Many times over, local citizens would express their warm regards for Americans and welcomed us to their country. Local dignitaries and politicians treated us like kings and we literally got the red carpet treatment. We are honored and grateful for the opportunity to participate in this successful and exciting cultural exchange program. We also want to thank all those wonderfully generous people that made this trip possible.
