Dec 15/07
Saharawi Saturday
I feel compelled to write again about Mariem Hassan. She’s really amazing.
I posted her song, La Tumchi Anni, when I featured the Rough Guide to African Blues a little while back. I’ve since bought her 2002 release, Mariem Hassan con Leyoad.
She’s one of the principal musical voices of the Sahrwai people from Western Sahara, or the Saharawi Democratic Arab Republic, as they and 76 other nations call/recognize it.
When she’s not belting out tunes, Hassan works as a nurse in the “occupied Sahara”.
This quote from World Music Central sort of sums things up: “Before the war, we did songs of love and beautiful things but the war and the lack of our land made us talk of more important thingsabout the kids, the martyrs, the war.”
You can learn more and buy this album at Calabash, National Geographic and Stern’s. There’s even a fan blog about her here.
Tags: algeria, blues, saharawi, western sahara
I really dig this album. Another very interesting album with some songs by Mariem is Medej: Cantos Antiguous Saharauis. Her music is powerful and beautiful.
visdite my blog http://africansong.blogspot.com/
Thought I would just wish you a very happy New Year!
Thanks for the music and the education
Alex
Words fail me. This is a top-notch piece of work from a stunning singer. Thanks for this.
hi matt,
your music blog has given me a lot of pleasure in the last years, been following you since the beginning 2005 when i got back from burundi, and just to say wherever you are and whatever you do have a good time and thanks,
greetings zeno.
Matt, Your website sparked and fed a project that I just finished. Thanks for all the music, including this beauty.
Best,
Mike
http://www.artofthemix.org/FindAMix/getcontents.asp?strMixID=116982
sahrawis in the western sahara region are not obsessed with independence or a national identity, france and spain are. they want control of that region once more(one of the world’s richest phosphate reserves). the whole situation is a creation of colonial rule and capitalist motivation – a shame that it tries to parade as the opposite. look into it the history of the region and its relationship with the polisario/algeria/morocco/france/spain becomes pretty clear.