Evento

Akounak Tedalat Taha Tazoughai

Synopsis: A revolutionary story of guitars, motorcycles, cell phones, and the music of a new generation in Nigeria. The film is called Akounak Tedalat Taha Tazoughaia Tuareg phrase that literally translatesto rain the color of blue with a little red in it (the Tuareg are a semi-nomadic Berber group in North Africa, and their language, also known as Tamashek, has no word for the color purple). Rooted in the Nigerien city of Agadez, the film stars the self-taught guitarist Mdou Moctar as an enigmatic, motorcycle-riding, purple-robed musician trying to a make a name for himself in the city where guitars are king.

Director: Christopher Kirkleyin collaboration with Mdou Moctar and Jerome Fino

Christopher Kirkley is a music collector and archivist focused on the Sahel of West Africa. His work examines contemporary popular music in the evolving technological landscape, the interplay of localized traditions with global influences, and new modes of cultural transmission. He releases records under the label Sahel Sounds and maintains a blog exploring arts and music of the region. His film Akounak Tedalat Taha Tazoughaihas received the Prix du Jury at F.A.M.E in Paris.