Leyali El Medh 2019 plus bonus sketches

photographe

The best year of the Festival of El Medh (songs of praise for the prophet). The Vilage de la Biodiversité was full every night. The public, as every year, a mix of all the components and strata from this mixed country and even the minister of Culture showed up for the first time in the 6 years the Festival has been going on.

This Festival organized by Teranim an NGO that tries by all means to preserve the culture of the Haratines (former slaves and tributaries) has a lot of problems trying to get funding as some see them as putting ahead the ancient slaves and others are afraid they're doing some kind of proselytism.

public

Teranim really deserves to be know and hopefully soon they will get some big sponsors as every year the Festival runs thanks to the group of volunteers, the energy of its Director Mohamed Ali Bilal and a few donations.

The Meddahas

A writing by a journalist really sums up what happens in the Park during the Festival :

 ''The space of Biodiversity becomes during the nights of the Festival Leyali El medh an outlet where are canalized the frustrations of the day, those of the year in a momentum of joy that produces a collective therapy and a eternal moment of human fraternity.''

my drum

Teranim gave me this beautiful drum to thank me for my presence and help, unfortunately when I'm in stage I get completely hopeless and I didn't manage to say thank you.

And now for the bonus images from Leyali El Medh from other years that I had not posted, from the songs of praise in the neighborhoods and others. Starting with a drawing done at the Village de la Biodiversité with a troupe of women doing Bendja.

Bendja ,Village de la Biodiversité

Meddah

Meeting Teranim and Meddahas

Meeting at Village de la Biodiversité

Meeting

Songs of Praise in the neighborhoods

dancing

El Medh message of peace

Public and Meddahas

Public and Meddahas

Arafat

Village de la Biodiversité

El Medh à Bouhdida Toujounine

These drawings date, they're from the 22nd of december 2018, I hadn't touched them since as many others I need to post. I was invited to come and listen to El Medh - songs of praise - by one of the medhahe ( men or women who sings praise songs) it was the christening of her daughter.
A small tent in front of the house for  all to come and sit,his friends, neighbors and us.

There is a recording device on the floor it belongs to an artist Abdessamad El Montassir that was doing a residency at Espace Diadé Camara. You can check is very interesting work in this link. He is interested in poetry and in oral transmission used by the Maures from Mauritania and also from Western Sahara where he cames from.
We always leave before the end as the songs go on till the first light in the sky...

El Medh à PK14 - AlJawhara

Invitation au dernière minute de la part de Mohamed Ali de Teranim pour aller jusqu'à P.K. 14 pour la fête de inauguration de Al Jawhara cérémonies. El Medh sera présente avec plusieurs groupes de chanteurs chaque un essayant de faire mieux que le précédente dans les chants de louange au prophète.

Une voiture plein de filles et on y va route de Rosso, Carrefour Bamako ... retour tarde la nuite avec du couscous dans la marmite pour les filles.

El Medh à Toujounine chez une Medahha

El Watania, Toujounine 

Neyfara/la flute

Far from the center of town in the neighborhood of Toujounine, Nouakchott. We're the guest of Mohamed Ali Bilal founder of Teranim, an independent culturel institution that promotes the culture of the haratines (old tributaires or ancient slaves and descendants)

flute, mains, tambour et voix

The Medh that we went to listen, is a special music of praise towards the prophet, sang by men and women. Drums, hand clapping,  voices and this special night someone playing the neyfara, the flute.

louanges au prophète

El Medh chez Mohamed Ali

In a roof at Arafat

El Medh, songs of praise for the prophet

El Medah, he that sings the songs 

Thursday night on a rooftop on the neighborhood of Arafat, Nouakchott.
An invitation to celebrate the birth of a little girl. After a wonderful dinner, the music started. Most of the people on the roof men and women were singers of Medh, the songs of praise for the prophet Mohamed.
Two drums, voices and the hands clapping, beautiful.
Mohamed Ali, the host is in charge of the Festival of Medh that happens every year in Nouakchott during Ramadan. He organises musique in different neighborhoods and in the city center at the Village de la Biodivérsité.

Here's a link for a video from this years Festival enjoy.

Festival Leyali El medh, Nouakchott

Le Medh Mauritanien, c'est un genre musical spirituel spécifique aux anciens esclaves, par lequel ils exprimaient leurs souffrances et par lequel ils imploraient Allah d'alléger leur souffrances.
Au Village de la Biodiversité à Nouakchott et pendant trois nuits plusieurs Medahes (les deux genres et toutes les générations) ont enchanté un publique mélange que c'est déplace pour écouter les louanges au Prophète.
Une très belle initiative que ne se limite à une sortie dans une espace agréable comme le jardin du Village puisque des Conférences sont organisés et une mise en place de documentation de cette tradition orale est déjà en cour.
Bravo au directeur du Festival et à toutes les organisateurs.
Vous pouvez aimer leur page facebook ici et découvrir les photos des soirées.