LIDF

In the newly-refurbished (and looking rather sparkly) Lumière at the Institut Francais, this surprising film was partially, it seemed, a Taarab music video, and partially an extended interview with legendary midwife, healer and singer Bi Kidude, there is very little interference from the filmmaker; no voiceovers, no direct interviews, no talking heads, no background information on what you’re seeing. In fact, the role of the panel that sat onstage afterwards consisting of a Research Fellow studying questions of identity in Zanzibar amongst of the places, and an Ethnomusicologist from SOAS, seemed to be to enlighten us as to what we had spent 85 minutes watching and enjoying; the instruments, traditions and languages of the amazing Taarab singers and musicians. Much of the film reflected the slow pace of life in Zanzibar: playing dominoes with other musicians; cycling along the not-too-busy market streets; fishing in the azure sea, before later images reflected the professional life of the musicians, originally court players until the revolution in the 1920s when this heavily-layered style of music was reinvented for the people with similarly lavish court-style-size orchestras of violins, basses and zithers, playing at large gatherings, weddings, and street concerts. At all times, fun seemed to be being had. The first female singer was a woman who sang a sad song about happiness, a typical Taamar subject, occasionally opening her beautiful violet eyes and gently dancing. The next was Bi Kudude herself, a tiny, wizened old lady with the voice and presence of Nina Simone, and a stereotype-cracking personality, blowing cigarette smoke unevenly through her remaining teeth set in a permanent, hollow-cheeked grin. The violinists seemed to enjoy nothing more than practising, practising, and wherever they went people danced, carrying money in their hands to hand to the players as an excuse for crossing the dancefloor in an otherwise modest and courtly situation.

The ridiculously comfortable cinema seats and the constant music were hypnotic; the audience had to be awoken to take part in the discussion; we were right back there in the view of the cloudless sky and shimmering sea, zithers humming the in background…