Soirée at the Fondation Malouma

Malouma mint Meidah, the poet Abdelkader from Boutilimit and Mr...

griots from every region of Mauritania

griots from the Southern regions

Qadi

Malouma mint Meidah

I was extremely pleased to have been invited to the Malouma's event at her foundation.
She brought a musician from each region of the country from all the different groups ( moors and African ethnies) and together they played a mode called "Karr", you can read here in french a good explanation about the traditional music from Mauritania each musician interpreting it in a different way influenced by their regional area.
Malouma's music mixes other rythmes like blues but she wanted to show the traditional musicians how her way of interpreting comes from the same roots.
 I specialy enjoyed the voices of  Lalla mint Tenarmich and of Qadi, being a bit older they cover their mouths with their veils when singing. If you're enjoying the music don't miss this old recording with great singing by Jeich ould Sedoum ould Abba and the great dances of the two teenager girls.

Amano ag Issa & Tadiazt

Amano playing the teharden last night wit his group Tadiazt. To find more about these Touaregue family from Mali living as refugees in Nouakchott check here.

fashion design Mauritania

 Bana Korel, a young Mauritanian fashion designer chose to have an exhibition of her new collection at the Institute Français by recreating a shop inside the gallery and having a mini fashion show for the opening. The five models wore some beautiful gowns and outfits made with local dyed clothes.

Very colorful and elegant, the show was a success and the sales where going steadily as I left.
Sketches from last year exhibition here. The show marked the opening of the Libre Art festival.

Women's day, NKC

 meeting place with Caravane d'Espoir

 banners done with the help of Mauritanian artists

 arrival to the Presidencial Palace

 on est lá

I want land

Yesterday 8th March, International women's day, I joined the walk from the Ancienne Maison des Jeunes to the Presidencial Palace, great video here. Young and old, rich and poor walked with banners and asking for the end of violence towards women. WE ARE HERE - NAHNE HOUNA was their cry. It was the first time women had demonstrated for their rights in women's day in Mauritania and the walk counted with the presence of  Marième Daddah, the wife of the first President of Mauritania, Moctar ould Daddah.. 

An hour later with  Minetou mint Moctar Ely at its head (a women that braves the secrecy of her society to expose is negatives ways and to try and change the passive role of women) a second demonstration started as the first one finished.

Sad that, reflecting the political stances of the country, women could not unite for the sake of WOMEN.

But I also understand that a women that gives herself to the causes she defends wouldn't like to walk with some of the women that run some NGO's and that are known here as "poupées de salon.

 The internet information sites reflect once again the countries divided views only showing in their news one of the "walks". So if you read just one of them you wouldn't have been aware of the other , is that real journalism?

box paintings

 Tichitt

 Oualata

dining room

 taglidia

 sand storm

Zouerate 

living room

With some horrible appliances in the wall needing to be hidden.  My box paintings, inspired in some of the patterns used to decorate leather work in Mauritania, was the best design solution I could find for Lucia's house.

Coming off the wall about 10 cm and having polished the wood so that the veins show, they're more an object than a painting. 

It was a very good exercise just before I start the new series of landscapes for my exhibition in mid September at the Institute Français in Nouakchott. 

Tahra mint Hembara, music and Tabous

 Tahra mint Hembara with Steve Shehan

 Tahra mint Hembara

 Playing in R'Gueiba

The traditional "tbol" of R'Gueiba

Tbol and chorus

Tahra mint Hembara, the greatest ardine player in Mauritania, gave a concert in one of the villages of the Banc d'Arguin last year. That's where I first met her. She played with Steve Shehan as part of a project to valorise the culture of the" Imaraguen", the inhabitants of the fishing villages of the National Park of the Banc d'Arguin.

Today Tahra is again in the news but for her comments to the Press on "violence against women" declaring herself a victim and speaking loud about one of the many tabous of the society she belongs to. 

She has made a special song that she will be playing during the big march that's being organised in Nouakchott by the civil society for women's day, the 8th March.

Amano Ag Issa & Tadiazt

 Tadiazt

Lalla

 I was invited to the house of Amano Ag Issa somewhere in Dar Naim where he has been for the past 10 days after leaving Bamako, Mali with all his family after their home was attacked due to the troubles in the north of the country between Tuaregs fighting for independence and the Malian army.

In 1995 when there where problems in Mali  he had seeked refuge in Mauritania and while in the camp the musical groupe Tartit was formed.
Today his group is know as Tadiazt and his formed by members of his family I had the pleasure to hear their beautiful music and share some hours with them. Hopefully they'll be able to find some work as they're not eligible for help unless they move to the refugee camps set in the border (more than 22 thousand touaregs have reached this camps in Mauritania).
You can listen to their music here and read their story told by one of the sons here.

Lodge du Maure Bleu, Diawling

 Matys learning about the tea ritual with Beidiya

Sylvie cooking the evening meal in her big tent

Wonderful two days at the "Parc National du Diawling". Birds and more birds, plenty of cows and camels (dromadaires), wild boars with their offspring and even a monkey not forgetting the big dinosaur like creatures lazing in the sun.

We slept at the Lodge du Maure Bleu in wonderful tents equipped with real beds and duvet covers, it was hard to get up early in the morning. And the food was delicious all prepared by Sylvie. 

night singing in Ouadane

 A very strong sand storm and very cold temperatures marked the Festival d'Anciennes villes in Ouadane in the month of february but that didn't stop the performers neither the public.
 Too busy at the moment hope to scan more images soon.

Tradition et modernité