the slam artist on the war in Gaza

“It’s gassy in Gaza”: it is with these words that the artist Yo du Milieu begins the Caen Advent calendar show. This evocation of the war in the Middle East was not planned and provoked numerous reactions. Faced with the angry town hall, the artist accepts his choice.

A tightrope walker, brass bands, Christmas carols or even a concert by Joseph Kamel. Since December 1st, the windows of Caen town hall have revealed a festivity every evening in a giant Advent calendar. But on the day of the fifteenth box, the spectacle offered somewhat disconcerted the public and the town hall.

It’s 6 p.m. this Sunday evening. The esplanade in front of the Caen town hall is full. “I was supposed to come on Saturday with my children but there was no place to park. So we went back the next day to finish the weekend”explains Marion, who came from Escoville, twenty minutes away.

After strolling through the aisles of the Christmas market, the family crowds in front of the town hall, in the first rows. Not far from her, Romain is also with his daughters aged 2, 9 and 12. “It was crowded! Plus, the weather wasn’t too bad”remembers the father of the family, who came to see “a magical spectacle”.

The time to open a new box in the Advent calendar has arrived. This evening, the audience is treated to accordion notes and singing from another window before Yohan Leforestier, a Caen artist known as Yo du Milieu takes the microphone. “It’s gassy… in Gaza…”he begins in a slam rhythm.

“There, I started to wonder what I had in front of me. I found it very limited and above all very poorly placed. I didn’t really dare to leave, but we only stayed for five minutes”testifies Romain, who was not the only one to leave the esplanade earlier than expected. “My children told me ‘Mom, it sucks! We’re leaving“adds Marion. “It’s true that it was quite disconcerting, and above all particularly unsuitable for a Christmas show.”

For ten minutes, Yo du Milieu recounts in his slam the Christmas of a child, Amar, from Gaza. A text written with alliteration in “A”, which therefore surprised part of the public. But above all, the Caen town hall is furious. For her, the specifications were not completed correctly by the artist. “We are asking the artists of this Advent calendar to do something festive, for children and with a Christmas theme”recalls the mayor’s office.

Above all, the municipality claims to have made itself “trap” by Yo du Milieu. “In rehearsal, there was nothing like that. It was originally supposed to be a slam with an accordion to tell the story of Christmas. But he continued with a second text with something that was not at all appropriate!” protests the cabinet which insists on “apologize” with the public, as did Mayor (DVD) Aristide Olivier on Facebook.

“He went out of the box. However, we chose him because he has already done shows for young people, whether in MJCs or elsewhere. But there, he played a bad trick on us. Because once he has the microphone, he has the microphone, we are not going to cut him off”annoys Thierry Malon, of the Utopia events agency, which manages the shows offered on this giant Advent calendar.

The latter also took the slammer to task when he left the stage, reminding him that what he had just done was not in the order initially planned. “Last night, we were all angry! The advent calendar project is brilliant and this guy is taking us hostage. The town hall opens a door for you and you turn it upside down”continues Thierry Malon.

We contacted the artist, Yohan Leforestier who is responsible for his performance. “I knew that the text could be disturbing, just as it could delight others. I also got a lot of feedback from people who appreciated it, telling me that it was beautiful, although sad”replies the slammer, who claims to have done rehearsals at home before. “On the other hand, during the soundchecks, we didn’t have much time. So I couldn’t do everything”he retorts at the town hall.

Children miss the words, they are more touched by the music

Yo from the Middle

Caen slammer

The Caen artist explains that this text, written in 2008 during Israel’s military operation in Gaza just after Christmas, had its rightful place in the town hall window.. “Perhaps people did not understand all the meanings of the words, with the alliterations and the words in Arabic that there might be. But I was asked to do a show for the general public, which I did . Children miss the words, they are more affected by the music. Often, it is the parents who are afraid that it will disturb the children.

Concerned about “transmit words that touch people”Middle Yo defends himself. “I wanted to do what seemed most right to me, without provoking. I didn’t make any outrageous comments. It’s a bias, but a poetic bias. I wanted to remind people that there is places where Christmas is not like here”he continues, referring to “The Little Match Girl” by Andersen. And to ensure: “I didn’t want to shock but deliver a message of peace and unity.”