AfA #53 – Tunesien

Featuring Meryem Masmoudi

[ENG] Tunisia is a very impactful country. Despite its relatively small size of 163.000 km² it has influenced world history for centuries. From the Carthago Empire as Rome’s largest rival up until the Arab Spring which spread from Tunisia to many other Arab countries. 

Providing us with a first-hand perspective this week is Tunesian student Meryem Masmoudi who grew up in Tunis and recently moved to Germany for her Master studies at the TU Berlin. Additional to all our usual chapters – namely Geography, History, Politics and Economics – Meryem also gives us an insight into Tunesian Art, Music and Architecture.

Links about Tunisia

Music

Traditional music Malouf: Emblem of Tunisian national identity, is a type of traditional music with Arab, Andalusian and Ottoman influence. Two big interpreters: 
1. Lotfi Bouchnak: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdZcN7Rv-D8&list=LLwFTlvLppLTqjQwD_MBO93g&index=3&t=0s
2. Zied Gharsa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BS3eD7Veks&list=LLwFTlvLppLTqj QwD_MBO93g&index=1

Aazifet: which means „The Musicians“, is the first female orchestra of learned music in the Arab world, founded in March 1992 by the Tunisian Amina Srarfi. The group presents classic pieces taken from the Tunisian and Andalusian heritages. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYCRtqh4UbI 

Contemporary Arabic music: Ghalia Ben Ali: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwegkaPCmt8 

Alternative/Poetic: Ÿuma: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTXv0sPgjXY 

Rip hop/Electronic: Emel Mathlouthi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJ79iEfus8E Tunisian Folklore: Hedi Habouba: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzhU-Vc0mKY&t=112s 

Rap/Pop: Ghali: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgt6luBwzz0 

Dance

Zina & Aziza: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGIWlIGr2dU 

Rochdi Belgasmi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWgxsQ__khk 

Caligraphy

Light and Caligraphy: Karrim Jabarri: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfmmFksQmlM 

Caligrafitti: El Seed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CP2EprrFGMs 

Painting Ali Zenaidi: http://www.art-in.online/Ali-Zena%C3%AFdi.html 

Events:

Music festival in the desert: https://www.dunes-electroniques.com/ 

Open-sky museum: Djerbahood (incl. virtual tour): 

Site officiel

Collectives: Breakreate (Hip-Hop): https://www.thebreakreate.com/ 

TV Magazine: Y Africa: https://www.orange.com/fr/Groupe/Orange-dans-le-monde/Folder/Orange- Afrique-et-Moyen-Orient/Y-Africa/Y-Africa-le-magazine-TV-des-cultures- africaines/Pays/Y-Africa-en-Tunisie 

Platforms (Tunisian cinema): Artify: https://artify.tn/ 

+ Explore the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Tunisia: https://www.mosaicnorthafrica.com/explore-the-unesco-world-heritage- sites-in-tunisia/ +To know more about entrepreneurship in Tunisia, browse the Tunisian platform of the entrepreneurial ecosystem https://www.eot.tn/