Swirling rock formations are seen in the Sahara Desert, near the town of Reggane, Algeria. The climate in this region is torrid and almost rainless, with an average annual rainfall of less than 0.4 inches (10 mm). In the summer, daytime temperatures are known to consistently reach 122°F (50°C), earning this area its nickname — the “triangle of fire.”
Arrête, arrête ne me touche pas Je t'en supplie, aie pitié de moi Je ne peux plus, plus supporter Avec une autre te partager
D'ailleurs, demain tu te maries Elle a de l'argent, elle est jolie Elle a toutes les qualités Mon grand défaut, c'est de t'aimer
Arrête, arrête ne me touche pas Je t'en supplie, aie pitié de moi Dès que tes mains se posent sur moi Je suis prête à subir ta loi
Mais tu as préféré les grands honneurs À la place de notre bonheur Et, et pour garder tes ambitions Tu as détruit mes illusions
Je sais, je sais, tu m'aimes encore L'orgueil pour toi est le plus fort Il a vaincu le grand amour Pour garantir tes vieux jours
Il faut, il faut nous quitter sans remords Tu es le maître de ton sort Laisse-moi, laisse moi te féliciter Demain tu vas te marier
Chez elle, tu auras le confort Chez moi, tu jouais avec mon corps Chez elle, tu vas te distinguer Chez moi, tu venais te griser
Ce soir, ce soir c'est la dernière fois Que je te parle, que je te vois Puisque, puisque c'est elle qui aura ton nom Ce soir, ce soir moi je te dis non
A selection of favourite locations from the first half of DELILAH DIRK AND THE PILLARS OF HERCULES, which, DEAR READER, you may or may not know is a globe-trotting, tomb-raiding, sword-swinging tale of adventure.
Sixty years on, the war of independence from France remains a defining moment for Algeria and its elite, like 79-year-old Zohra Drif, a senator who once set off a bomb that left three people dead.
On the night of November 1, 1954, known as “Toussaint Rouge” (Red All Saints Day) because it coincided with the Catholic festival, some 30 explosions rocked government targets in the colony which had been under French occupation for 132 years, leaving seven people dead.
Algerian-born Yves Saint Laurent launched ‘Le Smoking’ Look in 1966, his couture collection featured a style that divided fashion critics: a black tailored tuxedo with a classic satin side stripe (similar to adidas 3 stripe today), worn with a white ruffled shirt.
Responses were tepid – it was the first time that any couturier had presented trousers as an option for eveningwear, and women wearing it were refused entry by some restaurants the following season.. My How Times have changed, this is prety tame..
Beautifully-observed & realistic figure of a sleeping Antelope incised on rock up to 10,000 years ago at Tin Taghirt, Tassili n'Ajjer in Algeria, one of the largest & most important groupings of prehistoric cave art in the world.
Aïcha,Cheb Khaled (Algerian singer) 1996 With delightful verses filled with biblical and koranic allusions, this ballad is a classic love story. The singer belts out his love for Aïcha, who is not too interested in him and prefers to be independent. This song, written by a Jew and interpreted by a Muslim, is a cry for peace, and truly a masterpiece. Khaled went on to become one of the Arab world’s most famous singers, and has been named the King of Raï. His most recent hit, C’est la vie, has over 50 million views on YouTube.
Papaoutai,Stromae (Belgian singer) 2013 How could I not mention it. With over 270 million views, this song is the most successful French song on YouTube. The contrast between its cheery beat and depressing lyrics about a boy searching desperately for his father (Papa, où t’es?) makes Papaoutai exceptional. The lyrics and video are just gorgeous, and definitely worth a listen. Amongst Stromae’s other hits, we count Formidable,Alors on dance,CarmenandTe Quiero.
Quelqu’un m’a dit,Carla Bruni-Sarkozy (Franco-Italian singer) 2002 France’s very own ex First Lady ! Yes, Carla Bruni, on top of being Nicolas Sarkozy’s wife, is also a renowned and beloved singer. In this sweet ballad, she faintly remembers someone telling her that he ex-lover stills loves her (perhaps in a dream?).
À toi,Mister You (Franco-Moroccan rapper) 2014 To you my little heart, to you my butterfly. In this sweet song, hardened rapper Mister You shows us his delicate side while nostalgically missing his ex-girlfriend. In the « thug French rapper from Morocco who also has a soft side » category, we also find La Fouine, whose notable piano ballad Tous les Mêmes delivers a message of equality between classes.
Aux armes et cetera,Serge Gainsbourg (French singer) 1979 Out of Gainsbourg’s very large musical repertoire, I chose to include his Reggae rendition of France’s national anthem because of its innovator aspect. Indeed, France’s favourite bad boy recorded this song in Jamaica (Bob Marley’s wife is one of the backup singers) and thus brought the Reggae genre to France. The song sparked a controversy at the time of its release (but then again, Gainsbourg’s career is scandal after scandal). Amongst his best hits are Je t’aime… moi non plus,La Javanaise,Bonnie & ClydeandLa chanson de Prévert, to name a few. If you are interested in Gainsbarre’s life, I recommend Joann Sfar’s 2010 fictional film Gainsbourg, vie héroïque, in which Laetitia Casta plays Brigitte Bardot.
Mishapan Nitassinan,Chloé Sainte-Marie (French Canadian singer) 2009 Granted, it is not French technically. But I wanted to include this lullaby in the mix because Native people in Canada don’t have much of a voice and aren’t represented well in the media. This song doesn’t have any actual lyrics (except something along the lines of « Remember how big our land was »), the singer just sings a list of places and cities in present-day Canada, USA and Mexico that used to belong to the Native people. Other Amerindians singers include Philippe Mckenzie, Floyd Western and rapper Samian.
Other memorable French musical artists : Charlotte Gainsbourg, Françoise Hardy, Johnny Hallyday, George Brassens, Francis Cabrel, Coeur de Pirate, France Gall, Charles Aznavour, Edith Piaf, Celine Dion, Jacques Brel, Joe Dassin, Michel Delpech, Michel Polnareff, Lorie, Alizée.
Présentation de Karim Ouaras : « Aux sources de l'ambiguïté linguistique et identitaire en Algérie ». À l'appui, les premiers débats de l'Assemblée nationale constituante (1962-65).
#FCAV2016: Il Festival del Cinema Africano di Verona, giunto alla sua 36esima edizione, è ormai un appuntamento fisso di inizio novembre per chi ama il cinema e la produzione artistica africana.
Lungometraggi, corti, incontri coi registi e una mostra d'arte contemporanea animeranno i nove giorni di festival, che si svolgerà dal 4 al 13 novembre, e ad aprire la serata inaugurale, presso il Cinema Santa Teresa, saranno il corto “Bout-à-bout” della regista marocchina Asmae El Moudir e il lungometraggio “Good Luck Algeria” del regista franco-algerino Farid Bentoumi.
Nel pomeriggio della stessa giornata, presso il Circolo del Cinema, il critico tunisino Tahar Chikhaoui dialogherà con Bentoumi.
Sinossi “Good Luck Algeria”: «Sam e Stephane sono due amici e colleghi che lavorano insieme nel loro laboratorio di progettazione sci di alta qualità artigianale. Con l'arrivo delle grandi multinazionali, la loro attività subirà una concorrenza spietata che minaccia il fallimento del negozio. Per promuovere il loro lavoro, i due amici decidono di scommettere sulla qualificazione di Sam ai Giochi invernali di sci di fondo sotto la bandiera del paese dei loro padri: l'Algeria.»
illusztrációm Ferdinand Ossendowski: A szahara lelke c. könyvének (1925) “A szahara babilonja” fejezetéhez
“Néhány évvel ezelőtt Biskra lakosait éjjel hirtelen egy oroszlán folyamatos ordítása zavarta fel. Másnap reggel, mikor az asszonyok szokás szerint a folyóhoz mentek hogy kimossák ruháikat és egyéb háztartási dolgaikat, visszasiettek a városba és félelemtől remegve beszélték el, hogy Szidi Zerzur kubbájának bejáratánál egy óriási oroszlán fekszik. Kitűnt hogy igazuk van; egy nagy oroszlán, gyönyörű sörénnyel aludt a kubba árnyékában, még pedig minden támadó szándék nélkül. Naplementekor az oroszlán felállt és csöndesen haladt a város felé, ahol a megrémült lakosság a házakba rejtőzött.De senki sem mert az állatra lőni, mivel az a hír terjedt el, hogy a nagy marabut lelke szállott az oroszlán testébe. Az oroszlán egészen nyugodtan bement egy kocsma udvarába, amely tele volt tevékkel, lovakkal és öszvérekkel és mit sem törődve azzal, ami körülötte volt, lefeküdt a szalmára és elaludt. A bennszülöttek ettől kezdve naponként ételt vittek a kubbá-hoz az oroszlán számára s mindenki marabutnak tartotta őt. Kitűnt hogy vak, s midőn tíz évvel ezelőtt kiszenvedett, nagyszerű temetési menettel kísérték örök nyugvó helyére. Ez talán az utolsó élő oroszlán volt Algériában, pedig ez az ország valamikor híres volt ezekről a királyi állatokról.”
