In Tunis for the 10th edition of the Carthage Musical Days (Jmc), we find ourselves at the table with a Moroccan booker, the Russian-German reporter without borders, Sasha G., joined later by an Algerian journalist and turner and Tunisians .
The atmosphere is warm and delicious. It talks about the arts, music in particular, with its universal and beneficial notes. It was friendly and enchanting until one word came out: “Sahara”. Ah, this desert… of shifting sand! Minds become bogged down all at once. This desert separates us from the North Africans, who unconsciously begin to say “Africans” at this moment, when talking about us Sub-Saharans. This desert, symbol of friction and enmity between Moroccans, Algerians and the unsinkable Polisario Front. The atmosphere tenses a little. Sasha, before leaving, was there, intervening with a grin (that is, however, his nature, this friendly Tubaab from Africa), the circumstantial face in spite of himself of the colonist and the mercenary.
The discussion remained diplomatic, without real skirmishes, but unease could take over at this time of lunch. Although on both sides we have fun breaking a few sugars on backs, when we go to help ourselves to sweets for dessert. Ah damn politics! At the time, the reflection of an old friend comes to mind in a distant echo: “The Arabs only agree on Oum Kalthoum”. The indescribable Egyptian diva is still adored throughout the Arab world; we can still see this in these JMCs. She is the only figure who makes the hearts of Easterners beat in unison. Even on the Palestinian cause, beliefs and actions remain fluid in the Arab League.
Moreover, it is not just them who vibrate with the genius of Oum Kalthoum who, for history, opened the Olympia in Paris as well as several stages to Africans (without distinction of complexion, of course). Did you know that Youssou Ndour, for his opus “Egypt” which won him the Grammy Awards (2005), the supreme achievement in music, was distantly inspired by the Star of the Orient? Yes, when he was very young, in the 60s, he was immersed in the celestial voice of Oum Kalthoum, every first Thursday evening of the month on the transistor radio, with the show “La Voix du Caire” on Radio Senegal. Youssou Ndour will even pay homage to the Egyptian by borrowing the tunes of “Ansak” for his single “Teyel Ko”.
-You will have guessed it, we plead the argument that culture remains the best diplomatic instrument and aggregation of peoples. Autocratic regimes had intelligently invested this boulevard, promoting strong cultural groups which adorned their images, covered austerities and romanticized Caesarism. Cuba sang to the tunes of the Orquesta Aragon in the midst of its crisis and the irons of Castro, while admitting the Orchestra Broadway of the Yankee enemy. Ahmed Sékou Touré had sworn for the influence of the legendary Bembeya National Jazz of Guinea and other cultural joys. The African Ballets of Guinea financed the State with revenue from tours, when the country was experiencing the worst economic difficulties because of France which was annoyed by the No of September 1958.
Another anecdote: from what people say, Sékou Touré smiled when listening to the sumptuous “Beni Barale” for the first time. He subsequently admitted the return of some Guinean exiles. Ah when we tell you that music softens morals! Our States benefit from strongly supporting the arts, promoting them and, better still, building solid cultural policies. They are not only this refreshing breath of hearts and souls.
The arts actually generate enormous economic happiness, at a time when they are establishing themselves as the major issue in the world. The flows are estimated at thousands of billions of FCfa. Tunisia, with more than 400 festivals during the year, laughs despite the crisis largely thanks to its artistic vitality. With good infrastructure, congruent content and events such as “Patriotic Cultural Days”, walaay our Gross National Happiness will soar. And it only takes so little! It’s not so bad to serve bread and circuses. The important thing is that the bread is not poisoned, and the games are not perverse.
