On the global stage, Djibouti seldom registers as more than a geostrategic frontier and begotten military outpost. Tucked away in a corner of East Africa, it lies on the Gulf of Tadjoura, connecting the Mediterranean with Africa and Asia, and south of the Bab El Mandeb strait, a vital chokepoint through which nearly a third of global trade transits.
“Djibouti has phenomenal music taste. You see it not only in the music they produce, but the music they imported.” Like Groupe RTD, 4 Mars’ music reflects the syncretism of Somali music forged from a rich blending of cultures that flowed through Djibouti’s shores over the centuries, continuously adding new layers to its sound.
Similarly, Djibouti’s leaders believed music offered a soundtrack to an independent era, one that could unify a fragile country following the official end of French occupation in June 1977. “The goal of these bands was to instill the values needed to build a nation from scratch. How do you get the message across to be unified, peaceful, and compassionate?” said Sohonie.
Besides being under the wing of the state, one of the reasons Djibouti’s music didn’t travel internationally was due to the sheer size of 4 Mars, staffed with singers, musicians, dancers, percussionists, and actors. Among the few exceptions was when Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi bankrolled the troupe to perform in Tripoli in 1991.
Meticulously stored since 1977 and off-limits to any foreign entity, the conservation of the densely packed vault has remained paramount. Air-conditioned 24/7, today a staff of young women oversee it. And those terms were strict. “They had us under lock and key. I had a cultural official telling me what was going to happen and what wasn’t.”
He connects the ability to gain access to the prized archive with a softening of attitudes at the very top; a slow but steady jettisoning of decades-long isolationism that has given way to Chinese and Turkish investment in recent years. Djibouti's President Ismail Omar Guelleh, left, poses with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing in 2018. While Djibouti remains financially indebted to China, it has received several benefits culturally, such as a new lavish national theater, training for radio staff in analog technology, and other guarantees of cultural infrastructure in the pipeline.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: TeenVogue - 🏆 481. / 51 Read more »
Source: billboard - 🏆 112. / 63 Read more »
Source: billboard - 🏆 112. / 63 Read more »
Source: billboard - 🏆 112. / 63 Read more »
Source: Variety - 🏆 108. / 63 Read more »
Source: billboard - 🏆 112. / 63 Read more »