Journalist at RFI (ex-DW, BBC, CBC, F24...), writer (on art, music, street art...), I work in radio, podcasting, online, on films.
As a writer, I'm a contributor to the New Arab, Art UK, Byline Times, the i paper...
Born in Paris, I was also based in Prague, Miami, London, Nairobi (covering East Africa), Bangui, and in Bristol, UK. I also reported from Italy, Germany, Haiti, Tunisia, Liberia, Senegal, India, Mexico, Iraq, South Africa...
This blog is to share my work and cultural discoveries.
Massive Attack promo film raising awareness of Reprieve's zero dB - against music torture campaign (2010). The song, 'Saturday Come Slow', is from Heligoland. To support the cause visit www.reprieve.org.uk Directed by Adam And Olly and filmed in Cambridge University's anechoic chamber.
On the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights musicians are uniting against the use of music to torture by joining Zero dB. The Zero dB project (zero decibels = silence) was launched today by legal charity Reprieve which represents over 30 prisoners in Guantanamo Bay. Many of Reprieve’s clients - and hundreds more held in US secret prisons across the world - have been subjected to deafening music played for hours, days and often months on end in order to ‘break’ them.
(...)
There is a long and growing list of supporters who are outraged by the use of music to torture: James Lavelle of UNKLE, Matthew Herbert, Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine, Massive Attack, The Magic Numbers, Elbow and Bill Bailey have so far pledged their support of the initiative and made statements against the use of music to torture.
When Tunde Adebimpe isn’t leading TV on the Radio, he’s singing for Higgins Waterproof Black Magic Band and, in turn, inspiring remixes by Massive Attack’s Robert “3D” Del Naja. To wit, 3D has reworked two HWBMB tracks for a special edition vinyl that’s limited to 500 copies and out now on Battle Box. “I constantly stalk Tunde with instrumentals,” 3D tells SPIN. “In revenge he sent me the Higgins album and I picked two tracks that I thought would be fun to remix. Now that’s sorted, I’ll get back to harassing him with loops.”
One of the aforementioned tracks is “Mad Lifeline,” a nearly eight-minute highlight from HWBMB’s self-titled, debut EP, released last year through the band’s own ZNA Records. In 3D’s hands, the run time shrinks to five minutes and the focus shifts from prowling bass to percolating percussion, clearing the path for Adebimpe’s always-soulful vocals. Stream the “Mad Lifeline” remix below, purchase the two-track vinyl, and look out for the second cut — a redux of HWBMB’s “WPIC” — on Stereogum, where it will debut later this week.
Le Musée de l’Histoire de l’Immigration et le Maghreb des Films rendent hommage à René Vautier le Dimanche 31 mai à 15h30 au Palais de la Porte dorée
293, avenue Daumesnil 75012 Paris En métro : station Porte Dorée (ligne 8) En tramway : ligne T3 En bus : 46
Qui est René Vautier ?
René Vautier est mort il y a quelques mois à 86 ans dans sa Bretagne. Cinéaste militant, anticolonialiste, engagé auprès du FLN durant la guerre d’Algérie, résistant à 16 ans, etc., on lui doit des films qui ont marqué des générations : Afrique 50, premier film anticolonialmiste, Avoir vingt ans dans les Aurès, Marée noire, colère rouge, La Folle de Toujane, sur la question de la coopération avec les pays du Sud, À propos de… l’autre détail, sur Le Pen et la torture, Un homme est mort, sur la mort de l’ouvrier Édouard Mazé lors des manifestations et des grèves de Brest, etc.
C’était caméra au poing qu’il filmait le monde, toujours du côté de ses frères humains, combattant toutes les injustices. « J’ai toujours considéré une caméra comme une arme de témoignage. Mais ce n’est pas une arme qui tue. Au contraire, ça peut être un instrument de paix. C’est pour cela que je me suis bagarré pendant cinquante ans pour qu’il y ait des dialogues d’images, et tous les films que j’ai faits, je considère que ce sont des dialogues d’images. Le réalisateur prend parti. Il s’engage d’un côté, mais il donne aussi la parole aux gens d’en face. » René Vautier Comment choisir dans une filmographie aussi riche et diversifiée ? Ont été retenus un film qui témoigne de son engagement aux côtés du FLN, tourné dans les maquis, deux films traitant des conditions de vie des émigrés, un film portant sur l’engagement politique :
Algérie en flammes(20’) : Un reportage sur le mouvement de résistance algérien
Les Trois Cousins (10’) : Fiction tragique sur les conditions de vie de trois cousins algériens à la recherche d’un travail en France. Logés dans un étroit réduit, le poêle à charbon provoque leur asphyxie. La face cachée de l’immigration…
Les Ajoncs (10’) : Fable poétique et humoristique dans laquelle un immigré algérien (Mohamed Zinet) traverse la Bretagne à la recherche d’un travail. Il trouve une carriole et se met à vendre des ajoncs dans un village. À la sortie de l’usine, les ouvrières en signe de solidarité ramassent les fleurs dispersées et les lui paient.
Et le mot frère, et le mot camarade (50’) : Peut-on écrire l’histoire en poèmes ? C’est ce qu’a tenté René Vautier, à la demande du Musée de la Résistance Nationale, avec l’aide de grands poètes (Aragon, Eluard, Desnos).Retour ligne manuel Et aussi en s’appuyant sur des poèmes écrits dans les prisons et les camps de déportation, des poèmes de fusillés
A la suite des projections, un débat rassemblera :Peggy Derder, historienne, responsable du Département des Actions pédagogiques au Musée de l’Histoire de l’Immigration, Moïra Vautier, Bruno Muel qui a assisté René Vautier dans de nombreux films, Gilles Manceron, historien. Mouloud Mimoun coordonera les échanges.
Damon Albarn: there are problems with our idea of charity
Damon Albarn didn't perform in Band Aid 10 years ago. He's not taking part this time either and says there's a danger of framing "Africa as this place that's constantly in need of our assistance".
Aussi changeante que les ciels de son Irlande natale, la voix de Sinéad O’Connor est une arme puissante. Elle sait affoler le baromètre émotionnel de son public en déployant toute son amplitude, du murmure au rugissement. Mais elle sait aussi glacer le sang du qu’en-dira-t-on en exprimant publiquement ses opinions politiques, religieuses ou féministes. Il y a un peu des deux dans I‘m not Bossy, I’m the Boss, son dixième album inspiré des origines du blues pour sonner plus rock. En plus d’avoir troqué son mythique crane rasé contre une panoplie de femme fatale, la tempétueuse Sinéad O’Connor y jure ne plus vouloir écrire de chansons d’amour….
Aventureux et sans compromis, Portishead émerge en 1994 avec l’album phare Dummy, suivi de Portishead, Roseland NYC Live puis Third, en 2008. Leur toute première venue à Montreux s’annonce un concert immanquable.
Combien Entrée libre dans la limite des places disponibles
John Andrew Perello, alias JonOne, est l’un des graffiti artistes les plus reconnus du moment.
Né en 1963 dans le quartier de Harlem, à New York, il débute le graffiti à l’âge de 17 ans dans les souterrains de sa ville. Il est rapidement repéré et intégré au collectif international de graffers activistes 156 All Starz. Au cours des années 1980, il fait de nombreuses rencontres, notamment avec le français Bando qui l’invitera à Paris. Dans la capitale française, il fait la connaissance des pionniers du mouvement Hip Hop français et y produit de nombreuses toiles, exposées par Magda Danysz, Marcel Strouk ou encore David Pluskwa, aussi bien dans l’hexagone qu’à l’international.
Résolument engagé, les causes sociales lui tiennent à cœur. Il a notamment réalisé une immense fresque en hommage à l’Abbé Pierre, et une Marianne en graffiti exposée au Palais Bourbon depuis janvier 2015.
Basé aujourd’hui dans l’Est parisien, JonOne nous fait l’honneur d’intervenir à une conférence exceptionnelle, organisée dans le cadre de l’exposition sur le Hip Hop à l’IMA.
Avec JonOne ; et Esmaeil, graffiti artist iranien
Rencontre animée par Baimba Kamara, commissaire d’exposition indépendant.
La rencontre sera suivie d'une séance de dédicaces avec l'artiste, en Librairie - Boutique de l'IMA (niveau 0).
"Can you really cough it up loud and strong The immigrants They wanna sing all night long It could be anywhere Most likely could be any frontier Any hemisphere No man's land and there ain't no asylum here King Solomon he never lived round here Go straight to hell boys"
Lyrics "Straight to Hell"
If you can play on the fiddle How's about a British jig and reel? Speaking King's English in quotation As railhead towns feel the steel mills rust water froze In the generation Clear as winter ice This is your paradise
There ain't no need for ya Go straight to hell boys
Y'wanna join in a chorus Of the Amerasian blues? When it's Christmas out in Ho Chi Minh City Kiddie say papa papa papa papa-san take me home See me got photo photo Photograph of you Mamma Mamma Mamma-san Of you and Mamma Mamma Mamma-san Lemme tell ya 'bout your blood bamboo kid. It ain't Coca-Cola it's rice.
Straight to hell Oh Papa-san Please take me home Oh Papa-san Everybody they wanna go home So Mamma-san says
You wanna play mind-crazed banjo On the druggy-drag ragtime U.S.A.? In Parkland International Hah! Junkiedom U.S.A. Where procaine proves the purest rock man groove and rat poison The volatile Molatov says-
PSSST... HEY CHICO WE GOT A MESSAGE FOR YA... VAMOS VAMOS MUCHACHO FROM ALPHABET CITY ALL THE WAY A TO Z, DEAD, HEAD
Go straight to hell
Can you really cough it up loud and strong The immigrants They wanna sing all night long It could be anywhere Most likely could be any frontier Any hemisphere No man's land and there ain't no asylum here King Solomon he never lived round here
The Other Art Fair is firmly established as the only event art buyers of all experiences and tastes need to attend to buy directly from 70 of the most talented emerging artists.
We are delighted to present the inaugural edition of The Other Art Fair in Bristol at the prestigious Arnolfini. Buy direct from 60 of the best emerging artists, hand-picked by our esteemed selection committee including Paul Hobson (Director of Modern Art Oxford), Helen Legg (Director of Spike Island), Cherie Federico (Editor of Aesthetica Magazine) and Bristol’s very own Sickboy.
Celebrated for its unique visitor experience, The Other Art Fair Bristol's first edition will feature a fantastic talks programme, anthropomorphic taxidermy classes, immersive theatre, a 'kids create' area with the magical House of Fairy Tales, live music, a limited edition print from guest artist Sickboy and much more.
Friday 5th June 2015: 5pm - 9.30pm (Private View)*
Saturday 6th June 2015: 10am - 7pm
Sunday 7th June 2015: 10am - 6pm -- Press says: "If you feel Frieze has lost its edge, there’s always this younger, hipper artist-led alternative" Daily Telegraph
“Overflowing with creative talent” Time Out
“It’s worth the hype” The Independent --
With the artist line-up now live here is a preview of 60 of the finest emerging artists exhibiting at the Arnolfini 5 - 7th June 2015. More artists added each week! http://bit.ly/1A3Z7Mi
They're not especially good or interesting but I just love taking pictures! And I love looking at the world around me, at details, at skies, even here, home, a place I've know for decades now... Here is today's colours in Paris, from the 10th to the 11th arrondissement, through the 12th.
Since I was a little girl, I've had this interest for colours, like most children, and these never-ending thoughts to try to figure out if we all see all colours identically. Hence I developed a passion for the causes and effects of colour blindness. I had this intimate conviction that colour blind people could see somehow differently, surely, but also more deeply, or in a different way, or maybe see things that we, or at least I, would miss. Incidentally, I happen to have a very good vision, 12 out of 10 have always said the eye doctors, "you should have been a air pilot!", insisted one. But I haven't really used this ability for technical or artistic skills. But I have developed an interest for art and images and other people'a painting. I've spent my youth battling in my head to figure out which job is the most endearing and passionate: painter or musician... Yet, I'm lucky enough to spend a large part of my life interviewing some of them. -- Here is a very beautiful article from the BBC website about art and colour blindness:
How the colour-blind see art with different eyes
By Tim MastersArts and entertainment correspondent, BBC News
21 June 2014
In its latest exhibition, the National Gallery examines how generations of painters have created and used colour. But how do people who are "colour-blind" view art?
To anyone who has a colour vision deficiency, commonly known as colour blindness, the bold reds that dominate the Degas work may look very different.
The subject of colour blindness is tackled in an interactive part of the exhibition devoted to the science behind colour vision.
Claude Monet's Lavacourt under Snow (1878-81) is also part of the exhibition
The retina at the back of eye contains light sensors called cones. The three cone types - red, green and blue - are stimulated by different wavelengths of light.
Most colour-blind people have three types of cone, but they are sensitive to a different part of the spectrum.
By Tim Masters - who has first hand experience of colour blindness
The earliest sign that I was colour-blind was, according to my parents, when I drew a picture of Doctor Who's Tardis - and made it shocking pink.
When I tell people I'm colour-blind some assume I see the world in black and white.
That's far from the truth. I can see rainbows. I just don't see them in the same way as most people.
Walking around the Making Colour exhibition, I was dazzled by the ultramarine blues and daffodil yellows.
But was that a big patch of green in Degas's La Coiffure? The sign said it was red, but my eyes said something different.
Apart from a fashion faux pas involving some burgundy trousers, I've never found my colour blindness to be much of a problem. It's never detracted from my enjoyment of art.
--
According to the Colour Blind Awareness organisation, colour blindness affects approximately 1 in 12 men (8%) and 1 in 200 women in the world.
In Britain there are approximately 2.7m colour blind people, most of whom are male.
Most people inherit deficient colour vision from their mother, although some people become colour-blind as a result of disease, ageing or through medication.
Most colour-blind people still see a world of vibrant colour. The most common form results in confusion between red and green.
Does it matter that they don't see works of art in exactly the same way as others?
"Art is about individual taste," says Kathryn Albany-Ward, who founded Colour Blind Awareness.
"Everyone knows someone who's colour-blind and think they get on fine."
Her concern is that a lack of knowledge about the condition in schools can lead to colour-blind children feeling a lack of confidence in the classroom - especially when it comes to art.
"If they haven't had their crayons marked up with the right colour they might colour the sky partly blue and partly purple.
"It's that kind of issue that can make people embarrassed. Children at school can be laughed at and it puts them off art potentially."
--
As the science experts at the National Gallery point out, people shouldn't really be called colour-blind - they just "see the world differently".
Making Colour is at the National Gallery in London until 7 September
A la suite des projections, un débat rassemblera :Peggy Derder, historienne, responsable du Département des Actions pédagogiques au Musée de l’Histoire de l’Immigration, Moïra Vautier, Bruno Muel qui a assisté René Vautier dans de nombreux films, Gilles Manceron, historien.
