Caravan

A field collection in all Tunisian regions (24 governorates) was carried out during the first two years of the project, led by Mohamed-Ali KAMMOUN and his band. Among the devoted musicians participating in this caravan are Nourhene Haddaoui and Eya Daghnouj (singing), Lotfi Soua (percussion), Ahmed Litaiem (nây), Chadhe Hichri (choir director), and Habib Ben Attia (violin). Twenty-one artistic residencies took place in a total of around one week each, involving more than 300 artists between holders of heritage and young academics. A journey that ends in October 2017 with a Malouf workshop representing the Greater Tunis region (4 governorates), at the Rachidia Institute of Tunisian Music.

Artistic exchanges and multiple sessions of documentation have emerged, complemented by attempts to transcribe and restore ancient sound materials that almost disappeared or unknown: rhythms, modes, and themes of songs, etc. This ethnomusicological work was supported by the “Fonds de Création Littéraire et Artistique du Ministère des Affaires Culturelles de Tunisie”.

Sketches of musical arrangements and compositions were also inspired by the trip, and will later be called “Perfumes”. The musical creations in their turn inspired the graphic designer Raouf Karray to create original drawings and different graphic illustrations.

LAUNCH (2016)

On 10 February 2016, the project started with a first workshop concert in Tozeur, then another one in Chenenni (Tataouine), then one in Douz in April 2016, and another one in Kerkennah in June 2016. In partnership with the Ensemble Orchestral de Tunisie, directed by Rachid Koubaa, the first version of orchestral creations “24 Perfumes” was launched in 2016 and honored great stages: Opening of the Journées Musicales de Carthage – JMC, Opening of Sfax Capitale Arabe de la Culture, Closing of the Bizerte International Festival (32nd session), Hammamet International Festival (52nd session)… The international media and press have devoted several laudatory tributes to the show. The preview of Perfumes was broadcast live (on Saturday 9 April 2016) from the Palais des Congrès in Tunis.

THE JOURNEY (2017)

Winner of the Literary and Artistic Creation Fund of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, the project was relaunched in March 2017 with a workshop concert from 6 to 11 March 2017, in El-Kef. From March to September 2017, a fortnight of travel from the North to the South, from the Algerian borders to the islands was carried out.

Regions visited: Dar Kahia (El-Kef), Kesra (Siliana), Dar Habib Msika (Testour – Béja), Balta, Beni Mtir, Jendouba ville and in Bousalem (Jendouba), Mausoleum Sidi Omar Abeda (Kairouan), Espace Culturel Minerva of Sbeitla, Jebal Sammema (Kasserine), Dar Jilani (Djerba), Al-Nadhour and the Prison of the Medina (Bizerte), Mausoleum Sidi Ben Aissa (El Guettar), A. S.M – Borj Ras (Mahdia), Mezzouna, Bouhedma and Founi (Sidi Bousid), Essid Museum (Sousse), Om Ezzine Mausoleum (Jammel), Dar Ayed in Tamazret (Gabes), Dar Zaghouan (Zaghouan)… and Dar Rachidia (Medina of Tunis)

An additional filming and public performance were organized at the Abbassya Museum in Kerkennah in September 2017, as in 2016, security problems forced us to work without filming or audio recordings.

CLOSING (OCTOBER 2017)

A major closing workshop-concert was held in October 2017 at the Rachidia Institute of Tunisian Music and focused on Malouf

A perfumed Nouba was created and previewed on the occasion. “The perfumed Nuba” presented carried an Andalusian soul. We gathered versions of old songs collected from the Sheikhs of Testour, the Azzouzia in Zaghouan, and the Khmais Tarnen Club in Bizerte. The first instrumental part of the project, composed of instrumental preludes, is an original composition;

The High Commission of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, responsible for the Fund, was invited to supervise the work;

A video projection recounting the journey was shown as the first part of the performance. The concert lasted one hour.

SPONSORS AND PARTNERS

The logistical and technical costs of the first 4 workshops were covered by the National Tourist Office, First Tv, and the audiovisual company Paprika. The artistic costs of the first workshops were financed thanks to the creative commissions obtained in 2016 from international and regional festivals. The 2017 course was financed by the Literary and Artistic Creation Fund of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with White Bench Studio and various partners for the documentation. Several partners contributed to the success of the project, such as Dar Ayed in Tamazret, the Minerva space in Sbeitla, the Rachidia Institute of Tunisian music in Tunis, etc. They are mentioned in the credits of the documentary film and we would like to thank them all.