Latest news with #Amadou
Identity
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Identity
DJ Snake Drops 'Patience,' a Cinematic Reimagining of Amadou & Mariam's Iconic 'Sabali'
DJ Snake has unveiled 'Patience', a stunning new music video that reimagines Amadou & Mariam's beloved 2008 track 'Sabali' into a soul-stirring meditation on migration, identity, and heritage. Shot in Senegal and directed by Valentin Guiod, the short film stars acclaimed French actor Omar Sy alongside cameos from Amadou & Mariam themselves—marking one of the duo's final appearances following Amadou's recent passing. Blending striking visuals with emotional depth, 'Patience' tells the story of a young man's journey across borders, capturing both the beauty and heartbreak of displacement. 'Each time, I try to explore new inspirations,' DJ Snake said. 'I'd never really touched on West Africa, and this time, it all came together naturally. What's funny is, 'Sabali' means patience.' The video has already made waves on the global festival circuit, winning top honors at the Berlin Music Video Awards, Aesthetica Short Film Festival, and Kinsale Sharks. More than a visual companion, 'Patience' stands as a political and cultural statement—deeply personal for Snake, the son of Algerian immigrants, and Omar Sy, whose roots trace back to Senegal and Mauritania. Watch the music video here! DJ Snake – Patience (with Amadou & Mariam) (Official Short Movie) DJ Snake – Patience (with Amadou & Mariam) (Official Short Movie) Support SOS MÉDITERRANÉE's missions here: Listen to 'Patience' here: Join DJ Snake's Discord Server: Follow DJ Snake: Instagram: TikTok: Twitter: Website: CAST Sekou: Omar Sy Moudou: Alassane Diong Aida: Anna Thiandoum Assane:
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
French police fine black and Arab men ‘for being undesirable'
French police are fining young black and Arab men and chasing them out of public spaces for being 'undesirable', a report has found. Défenseurs des Droits, an independent citizens' rights organisation, criticised Paris police for engaging in what it said was systemic racial profiling to expel 'undesirable' people from city streets. The 37-page document describes an 'institutional policy' designed to discriminate on the basis of age, gender, ethnic, racial and economic status. Groups of young racialised men are 'evicted' or dispersed 'without observing any criminal or antisocial behaviour', authors say. The study looked at 1,200 fines and interviewed 44 young people. While the word 'undesirables' doesn't exist in the Code of Criminal Procedures, it is one of the most often-used options for categorising and filing reports in police software. Human rights groups have condemned French police for alleged ethnic profiling before. But the newest report also looks at how the practice of issuing repeated tickets and fines, which became widespread in Paris in the mid 2010s, can plunge young men into crippling debt as high as €32,000 (£27,500) even before their 20s. During the pandemic lockdown, for example, respondents interviewed for the study were stopped and fined 140 times more than the rest of the population. 'Although barely adults or still minors, these young men accumulate numerous fines and find themselves owing the state debts sometimes amounting to several thousand or even, in some cases, tens of thousands of euros,' the report stated. One young man, Amadou, received his first fine at the age of 14 and had since averaged 15 fines a year. At 19 he had accumulated 102 fines and a debt load of almost €32,000. Even before they enter the workforce, these young men are set up for failure and poverty in a cycle that predominantly hurts those from immigrant and working class families, the authors wrote. 'Repeated fines have significant long-term economic impacts for populations already in precarious situations, who are often unable to pay the amounts demanded,' they said. Abdul, 26, was diagnosed with a serious illness in 2020 and did not work for two years. When he returned to the workforce in 2022, the government automatically deducted €700, or half his salary, to pay down his debt of about €8,000. He has since gone back on benefits. 'If I kill myself so they take €700 from me every month, I might as well stay on welfare,' he said. Lamine, 24, was born in France to Malian parents who are both maintenance workers. He is now a binman and his salary is deducted every month to pay off his fines. For the study, authors compiled the fines of 19 respondents who averaged 38 between them and owed debts from €2,000 to €32,500. The average age of the men was 20. Collectively, this sample group owed €220,000 (£188,700). The fines included minor offences such as spitting, littering or 'noise pollution'. 'Combined, the amounts of these debts are disproportionate to the minor nature of the offences these fines punish,' the authors wrote. Police dispersal of youths also reinforces the idea that the young men, most of whom are born in France to immigrant parents, are 'out of place' in their own neighbourhoods, legitimising calls for the exclusion of marginalised populations, the authors claim. Police officers interviewed for the study acknowledged that some dispersals were carried out without disturbances being reported. The report also denounced locals who call the police on the youths, and use pejorative words such as 'harmful', 'gangs' and 'scum'. They also used racialised language such as 'young North African men' to describe them, again reinforcing the idea of 'undesirables' hanging about the neighbourhood. 'We ask them to leave because we know we'll be called by the residents. It's preventive,' one officer said. Laurent Nuñez, the Paris police chief, denounced the report as defamatory and cast doubt on the researchers' methodology, which he called 'more than questionable'. Expressing his 'frank indignation' at the report, he said: 'More than their blind questioning and recurring discrediting, these police officers ... need to be supported.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
French police fine black and Arab men ‘for being undesirable'
French police are fining young black and Arab men and chasing them out of public spaces for being 'undesirable', a report has found. Défenseurs des Droits, an independent citizens' rights organisation, criticised Paris police for engaging in what it said was systemic racial profiling to expel 'undesirable' people from city streets. The 37-page document describes an 'institutional policy' designed to discriminate on the basis of age, gender, ethnic, racial and economic status. Groups of young racialised men are 'evicted' or dispersed 'without observing any criminal or antisocial behaviour', authors say. The study looked at 1,200 fines and interviewed 44 young people. While the word 'undesirables' doesn't exist in the Code of Criminal Procedures, it is one of the most often-used options for categorising and filing reports in police software. Human rights groups have condemned French police for alleged ethnic profiling before. But the newest report also looks at how the practice of issuing repeated tickets and fines, which became widespread in Paris in the mid 2010s, can plunge young men into crippling debt as high as €32,000 (£27,500) even before their 20s. During the pandemic lockdown, for example, respondents interviewed for the study were stopped and fined 140 times more than the rest of the population. 'Although barely adults or still minors, these young men accumulate numerous fines and find themselves owing the state debts sometimes amounting to several thousand or even, in some cases, tens of thousands of euros,' the report stated. One young man, Amadou, received his first fine at the age of 14 and had since averaged 15 fines a year. At 19 he had accumulated 102 fines and a debt load of almost €32,000. Even before they enter the workforce, these young men are set up for failure and poverty in a cycle that predominantly hurts those from immigrant and working class families, the authors wrote. 'Repeated fines have significant long-term economic impacts for populations already in precarious situations, who are often unable to pay the amounts demanded,' they said. Abdul, 26, was diagnosed with a serious illness in 2020 and did not work for two years. When he returned to the workforce in 2022, the government automatically deducted €700, or half his salary, to pay down his debt of about €8,000. He has since gone back on benefits. 'If I kill myself so they take €700 from me every month, I might as well stay on welfare,' he said. Lamine, 24, was born in France to Malian parents who are both maintenance workers. He is now a binman and his salary is deducted every month to pay off his fines. For the study authors compiled the fines of 19 respondents who averaged 38 between them and owed debts from €2,000 to €32,500. The average age of the men was 20. Collectively, this sample group owed €220,000 (£188,700). The fines included minor offences such as spitting, littering or 'noise pollution'. 'Combined, the amounts of these debts are disproportionate to the minor nature of the offences these fines punish,' the authors wrote. Police dispersal of youths also reinforces the idea that the young men, most of whom are born in France to immigrant parents, are 'out of place' in their own neighbourhoods, legitimising calls for the exclusion of marginalised populations, the authors claim. Dispersals without disturbances Police officers interviewed for the study acknowledged that some dispersals were carried out without disturbances being reported. The report also denounced locals who call the police on the youths, and use pejorative words such as 'harmful', 'gangs' and 'scum'. They also used racialised language such as 'young North African men' to describe them, again reinforcing the idea of 'undesirables' hanging about the neighbourhood. 'We ask them to leave because we know we'll be called by the residents. It's preventive,' one officer said. Laurent Nuñez, the Paris police chief, denounced the report as defamatory and cast doubt on the researchers' methodology, which he called 'more than questionable'. Expressing his 'frank indignation' at the report, he said: 'More than their blind questioning and recurring discrediting, these police officers ... need to be supported.'
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Solar boom counters power shortages in Niger
Solar panels like the ones on the roof of Elhadj Abdou's house are an increasingly common sight in Niger's capital, which is often hit by power cuts. "There are no more power cuts here and there are no bills to pay, everything works on solar energy," said Abdou, who lives in Niamey's Lazaret neighbourhood. Solar energy is booming in Niger, one of the world's sunniest countries, with sales of increasingly cheap solar panels going up and new projects coming online. An unprecedented energy shortage in 2023 proved a turning point. Neighbouring Nigeria suspended much of its electricity exports to the west African nation as part of regional sanctions against the ruling junta that toppled civilian president Mohamed Bazoum in July 2023. Haoua Amadou, Niger's energy minister, said the measure led the country's electricity production to fall by 30 to 50 percent and forced state-owned power company Nigelec to impose planned power cuts that can last several days, especially in Niamey. Nigeria has since resumed delivering electricity "but only providing 46 megawatts instead of the usual 80 megawatts", Amadou said. Despite efforts to strengthen local production capacity, Niamey is still subject to controlled power shutdowns. As a result, people and companies are increasingly turning to solar energy to fill the gaps. - New lithium batteries - "For the past two years, the solar market has been booming... demand remains high", said Djibril Tata, a solar equipment supplier whose sales are growing. Another supplier, Hilaire Houndegnon, said he too had been benefiting from the bonanza. "Business is good," said Houndegnon, reporting that sales had "more than doubled", with some 450 panels sold last year. Experts say that recent lithium batteries, which last longer than previous models, along with Niger's increasingly qualified workers have contributed to the solar boom. Panels, mostly imported from China, are regularly sold directly on the street. The abundant supply has made solar equipment more accessible. Prices for top-quality solar panels have been halved to under 50,000 CFA francs (about 75 euros). "Even on a small budget, you can power a few light bulbs, a television and a fan," said technician Mahamadou Issa. - Phone-charging for a fee - Ali Amadou, a fruit street vendor in Niamey, has acquired a tiny solar panel, turning it into a side business. "At night, I can turn the light on, during the day I charge cell phones," said Amadou, who charges about 100 CFA francs (0.15 euros) for the service. Solar power is also popular in remote rural areas for powering drinking-water pumps. International projects, funded by the World Bank or Arab humanitarian organisations, equip schools and hospitals to refrigerate vaccines and medicines. Access to electricity in the vast desert country remains below 20 percent but new projects are under way and the junta, whose goal is to reduce its foreign dependency, is expected to keep up the pace. Amadou, the energy minister, said a 19-megawatt project was under way near the central city of Agadez, while another more ambitious 200-megawatt project was among others being studied. The country has been plagued by violence from groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. Since coming to power in 2023, the military rulers have severed relations with France, Niger's former colonial master. They have quit several international and regional organisations that they see as too subservient to France or failing in the fight against jihadism. bh/pid/djt/rlp-jj
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Amadou Bagayoko: the blind Malian musician whose joyful songs changed west African music
Amadou Bagayoko (1954-2025), iconic Malian guitarist, singer and composer of the famed duo Amadou & Mariam – known as 'the blind couple of Mali' – passed away on 4 April in Bamako. He was 70. The married singers, who met when she was 18 and he 21, took traditional Mali music and blended it with western rock and many other influences to shape a whole new sound that was both rich and playful. They would sell millions of albums for hits like Sunday in Bamako and Sabali. They would tour the world, opening the 2006 men's Football World Cup, closing the 2024 Paralympics, singing at former US president Barack Obama's Nobel Prize concert, winning awards and selling millions of albums. Despite this fame, they remained tireless activists for Africans with disabilities. They were known and admired at home for their integrity, where Amadou's passing is much lamented. As a musician and professor of music with a research focus on Mali's music, I met and interviewed Amadou several times. His passing heralds the end of an era for Mali's long-held musical dominance in the international market. Amadou and Mariam Doumbia were both dedicated promoters of the work of the Institute for the Blind in Bamako – where they had first met in the 1970s as students and went on to be music teachers. They married in 1980 and remained inseparable, forming Amadou & Mariam. Their hit songs combined the musical traditions of the southern part of Mali where they both came from – Bougouni, Sikasso – together with elements from rock, reggae, Cuban rhythms, and more – all transformed through their own ingenuity, but also, later on, by the ideas of influential producers. Read more: In fact, the surnames Bagayoko and Doumbia are both from the ancient lineage (called Boula) of blacksmiths that date back to the time of the emperor Sunjata Keita, who founded the Mali empire in 1235. The blacksmiths (numu) were often powerful kings. This shared heritage in the noble past of the blacksmiths is significant in their musical synergy. Amadou's career spanned more than five decades, beginning in the early 1970s when he played electric guitar in several influential dance bands of Mali of the time, including Les Ambassadeurs, fronted by the legendary singer Salif Keita. President Moussa Traoré's 23-year military regime from 1968 to 1991 favoured the voices of the griots. These hereditary musicians sang the praises of the people in power in a flowery, strident style. The life of these dance bands was on the wane by the late 1980s, which is when 'la grand couple aveugle du Mali' (the blind couple of Mali) were launched – at first, two simple voices accompanied by Amadou's guitar, recorded on cassette. At the end of Traore's rule, Amadou & Mariam's music responded to the new spirit of democracy that the country was hungry for. There were many things that set this duo apart from other musicians of the region. They were not griots. Their lyrics are often about the power of love – not a straight forward topic in a country where polygyny (up to four wives, as permitted by Islam) is the norm. Their presence on stage as a blind couple, looking affectionate and mutually supportive – with their chic coordinated attire – also raised the profile of people with disabilities. Their melodies were catchy and upbeat. Sorting through my research recently I came across a photo I took of them on my old slides, buried in my archives. It was a revelation to see it again. I took the photo, with their permission, when I first met Amadou and Mariam in 1992 in Bamako. It was at the recording studio that is now known as Bogolan, where they were hoping, at the time, to make some recordings. It shows Amadou and Mariam in their youth with pride and dignity, values that remained constant for them in later years. On that first encounter, I was struck by their graciousness, their belief in their musical project, and their determination to bring it to a wider public. I wished at the time that I had the contacts in the record industry to help them. But they did not give up and they slowly built up their career, building on their sound and image which was and remains unique within the variety of Malian music. Against all the odds, with their conviction, talent, strong melodies and good production, Amadou & Mariam became hugely successful in the early 2000s. The album that really launched their international career was Dimanches à Bamako (Sundays in Bamako) brilliantly produced by French-Spanish singer-songwriter Manu Chao, who had had a big international hit with his creative and catchy album Clandestino in 1998. He brought some of those production values into Amadou & Mariam's songs. Dimanches à Bamako celebrates the vibrant culture of wedding parties held in the streets of Bamako on Sundays, (a day when civil marriage ceremonies are free). 'Dimanches à Bamako' was the first of several successful albums by Amadou & Mariam that were produced by European producers such as Damon Albarn, with songs like Tie ni Mousso (Husband and Wife) that played on the charming and iconic stage presence of Amadou & Mariam as a devoted husband and wife. The songs were accessible and appealing but still delivered pop punch. After that first meeting in 1992, we met up again many times, frequently for radio. Amadou was a much respected and admired musician whose music reached out to audiences around the world. He was hugely loved and appreciated both at home and abroad not just for his talent and musical creativity as an excellent guitarist and song writer – but also for the iconic image that he and Mariam created on stage. Together hey will be remembered and respected for the values they represent in their music: equality, love, perseverance against disability, and truth. My condolences to Mariam. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Lucy Durán, SOAS, University of London Read more: If a child has extra needs, support can be hard to find. This new approach can help make it easier and quicker 'Curiosity-driven research' led to a recent major medical breakthrough. But it's under threat Tunisia's rap revolution: 5 women who are redefining hip-hop Lucy Durán does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
