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Lifestyle FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

Actress Lily Tomlin (R) presents with the Lifetime Achievement Award onstage at the 50th annual CMA Awards at the , from left, Reba McEntire, Jennifer Nettles, Martina McBride, and Carrie Bridgestone Arena on Underwood perform “” during a tribute to Dolly Parton at the 50th annu- November 2, 2016 in al CMA Awards at the Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016, in Nashville. —AFP Nashville. — AFP

op superstar Beyonce was rumored to last lines of the song. When Thomas Rhett worked well, as when Tim McGraw’s “Humble be showing up at ’s big won single of the year award, he said the and Kind” was accompanied by a montage of Pnight, which sounded like an unusual sequence left him in tears. The rest of the diverse American faces and when Kelsea pairing that sent social media into a frenzy. night was virtually wall-to-wall music, as it Ballerini performed her hit “Peter Pan” in front Would she do a duet or a solo? Just present? should have been. of two dancers who did an elegant ballet When she did show up, it was in a respectful, combining muscular aerial work on wires. But boisterous and collaborative performance Roasted politicians sometimes it crashed, as when with the Dixie Chicks of her country-flavored Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton both performed “Better Man” in what looked like a song “Daddy Lessons” from her new album came in for some gentle jokes. Co-hosts Brad hay field with a wind machine on full force. It “Lemonade.” Beyonce, who apparently need- Paisley and pulled out a was poorly lit, the well-dressed group seemed ed no introduction, looked gorgeous in duffel bag they called a “basket of uncomfortable and it looked like they were strands of pearls and a hip-hugging Zuhair deplorables,” which Clinton used to describe performing in truck exhaust. Murad gown, swaying happily to the sound of some Trump supporters. (Inside was “camo a sax solo, boogying while others sang and and ammo”). Paisley, meanwhile, channeled Hello, Dolly clapping along. The Dixie Chicks had been Trump when he announced: “This show is No matter who was going to be the big covering her song on the road so it made rigged!” He said he’d accept the results - only winner, it was always going to be Dolly sense to invite her. For her part, Beyonce may if he won, though he wasn’t nominated for Parton’s night and the CMAs did this beloved have made some new red-state fans. It was a any awards - and referred to his co-host as a genre-breaking performer proud. Some of the win-win. “nasty woman” and “crooked Carrie.” Later, he most skillful and genuine female singers in jokingly called Jason Aldean and Brooks & the genre - Reba, Jennifer Nettles, Carrie Honoring the twang Dunn “bad hombres.” None of the presenters The CMAs elegantly straddled the line or performers got in on the act, avoiding any between nostalgia and moldy oldies by mak- politics just days before the election. ing elegant nods to past idols and educating new country fans to artists who paved the Birthday overshadowed way like , , The CMAs may have been celebrating their and . Old clips from previous golden anniversary but the awards took place shows honored those who have died. And in the national shadow of an even more spe- when married couple and Trisha cial event - Game 7 of the World Series, pitting Yearwood performed an epic medley of coun- the Cleveland Indians, who last won the Fall try standards, it ended with a lip lock that Classic in 1948, and the Chicago Cubs, who seemed rooted in genuine love and respect. famously hadn’t won the World Series since All night, it was fun to see so many artists in 1908. The show was more than half over by the audience singing along to classics being the time presenter ESPN broadcaster Kirk Recipient of the Willie Nelson Lifetime performed onstage like “Don’t It Make My Herbstreit made the first on-air reference to Achievement Award Dolly Parton poses Brown Eyes Blue.” the other big show - informing the audience backstage. — AFP that the Cubs were up in the fifth inning. Underwood, Martina McBride and Kacey Songs, songs, songs Later, Vince Gill said the Cubs were up 6-3. Musgraves - stood facing the country icon Full credit goes to organizers for front- The CMAs ended with the game in the eighth and sang some of her hits like “9 to 5” and loading a ton of live music right from the top. inning, meaning a whole lot of country stars “Jolene” in a stunning serenade. Then she was A portion of a dozen songs - from Alabama’s probably pulled out their phones as soon as presented with the Willie Nelson Lifetime “Mountain Music” to Reba’s “Fancy” and Garth Brooks won the top award and the Achievement Award and quipped, “This is an Carrie Underwood’s “Stand By Your Man” - hosts waved goodbye. absolute high for me.” The fact that her took a blistering 10 minutes and gracefully acceptance speech was rushed was the only ended with the microphone in the hands of Production values strange note. Chris Stapleton, who won the , who has been rehabilitating The CMAs pulled out all the stops to make Beyonce performs onstage with Martie following award, like a gentleman, offered to after a 2013 stroke, and he joined in on the their birthday look elegant. Sometimes, it Maguire of Dixie Chicks. — AFP give her some of his time. — AP Lifestyle FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

A woman walks past a painted wall. — AFP photos A man stands overlooking the Tafilalet oasis on October 27, 2016.

n the edge of the southwestern town “Look over there. Those lands are dead. “But of Rissani, Abdelrahman Ahmidani on my farm, thanks to my date palms, the Osighs as he reflects on the state of the land is fertile. My farm turns a profit and is Moroccan oasis, endangered by drought and environmentally friendly.” climate change. “Whoever lives here,” he says, Sadok rears sheep for their dung and refus- “is condemned to a life of poverty.” es to use industrial fertilizers. He also pumps In Rissani, the sinuous mountain oasis of groundwater using solar power and tries not Tafilalet gradually disappears into the Sahara to over consume it. Clear water runs between desert, after snaking green for dozens of kilo- his 1,800 date palms, while plaited reed barri- meters down the Ziz valley. ers hold back the desert beyond. The town, the tourist pamphlets say, was where Morocco’s ruling family established ‘Sustainable oasis’ itself in the 17th century and was once a “Oases withstand drought much better with major crossroads-famous for gold trade-on these ancient methods,” says Ali Oubarhou, ancient merchant routes to Senegal and who is in charge of oasis areas at the agricul- Sudan. But since the 1980s, the sands have ture ministry. been advancing on the town. On the outskirts Rabat launched an ambitious project to of Rissani, hundreds of palm tree trunks rot revive its oases in 2008 as part of the “Green away on cracked ochre soil shot through with Morocco” plan, he says. After the number of parched irrigation channels. date palms dropped nationwide from 15 mil- “When I was a child, the oasis was green lion a century ago to just 4.8 million, it has and thriving. In one generation, it has become now increased back to 6.6 million trees-with a A Morrocan man harvests dates at a farm. almost completely dry and sterile,” says 37- goal of eight million date palms in 2020. year-old Ahmidani, who grew up in Rissani tuaries that for centuries have formed a shield tating seven hectares (around 17 acres) of Oases are the most vulnerable ecosystems and now works as an official in town. against desertification. But mismanagement land for the past 15 years. “Date palms are a to climate change, according to the UN inter- The late 20th century brought long peri- of surface water and overexploitation of natural barrier against desertification,” says governmental panel on climate change, and ods of drought, leading farmers to flee the groundwater-notably due to urbanization-has the former hotel owner turned farmer for lack their disappearance comes at heavy environ- area abandoning their earthen houses to dis- led to increasing drought. of tourists. mental, economic, social and cultural cost. solve whipped up in sandy winds. Morocco has lost a third of its oases in a “In the beginning everyone laughed at Rabat will be presenting an action plan to “Oases are part of Morocco’s natural century. Twenty kilometers outside Rissani, me,” he said. “The land was dry and sterile, save the world’s oases at an international cli- resources,” Ahmidani says of the green sanc- Hassan Sadok has been working on rehabili- and growing anything in it was very difficult. mate conference it is hosting this month.

A man harvests dates at a farm near A man walks the southeast- past dying ern oasis town palm trees in of Erfoud, the Tafilalet north of oasis on Er-Rissani in October 27, the Sahara 2016. Desert.