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Interview with Rachid Taha on Sziget festival

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Rachid Taha on Sziget-2004

Rachid Taha: You don't smoke, no?

TC Lejla Bin Nur: A? I do!

Manager: Let's go.

Rachid (sings): On est partie, on est partie... It's the last one, a?

M: Yes, last interview.

Rachid: We did already six. Let's go.

TC: So...

Rachid: Let's go, go, go. Let's go, go, go, because now I have to go to concentrate.

TC: What job, a?

Rachid (pourring water into glass with wine): A?

TC: What is your job like?

Rachid: My job? Aaaa... if I would have a job!

TC: Hm?

Rachid: Bah my job, it's what my job, it's my job... I don't know. It's singing? It's entertaining? It's to make fun?

TC: And never have peace?

Rachid (deposits his glass): You see, that is a good question. No, we have never peace. Never. You know why not? Because people seek peace. And they think that you can give them minimum of peace. But you, you are not in peace. You try to be in peace with yourself, but it isn't easy.

TC: Why you hide your eyes?

Rachid: I don't hide eyes! Look! (removes sunglasses)

TC: All right. (laugh)

Rachid: No, I don't hide eyes at all. I've put eyeglasses on because I haven't slept much, it's been 48 hours, here we travel with bus, we played, I was in Montreal, I returned, I did... I wrote two short... err clips in two nights, with...

TC: Which ones?

Rachid: With... "Tékitoi" and "Rock El Casbah". I wrote my short film that I want to finish, absolutely. I was busy with my son who has 19 years, I was DJ-ing with him...

TC: How was it?

Rachid: It was great. We did that in Montreal, it was really good, it was very cool, it was for the first time. You see, it's, it's such job... but I like it, I am not dissatisfied. Besides I need also to move, I am readying my boxes... (laugh)

TC: You are moving where?

Rachid: I don't know, I am looking for a place in Paris.

TC: What is the difference between Medina and Casbah?

Rachid: Bah, it's not... There is not much difference because Medina is inside Casbah and Casbah is inside Medina. (laugh) It's like russian dolls. No, the difference, I'll tell you one thing. The difference, sincerly: I think this album is very radical, for those that aren't speaking arabic and for Arabes because they've experienced it. The lyrics are very very mean.

TC: Mean? They speak about what?

Rachid: About democracy in arabic countries and I say if there will be no democracy in the countries, there will always be fanatics, there will allways be... woman she'll be always... If we don't give place to the woman, our society goes into shit. And we are in it already. Voilà. That is what I say.

TC: Will you have lyrics translated?

Rachid: Yes. There they'll be, because I even worked with linguiste so that I could really explain things, because I've had problems with some Arabes who said they don't understand what I sing.

TC: Yes.

Rachid: All right. I say: you don't understand, while people, if they make effort, they understand. And here I worked with real linguist thus that they can understand exactly what I say. Voilà.

TC: Because those that understand... euh... say that your lyrics are very good, that they are poems...

Rachid: Yes.

TC: And, well, read that Baudelaire wrote a poem where he prays to satan isn't same thing as to read "Les litanies de Satan".

Rachid: Yes, but I am not very Baudelaire...

Rachid Taha on Sziget-2004

TC: Yes, of course... (laugh) OK.

Rachid: Baudelaire for me it's... Baudelaire or Rimbauld, it's euh...

TC: Rimbauld it's other thing.

Rachid: I don't like Rimbauld, no. I am not very Rimbauld, I am not very Baudelaire, I am not very... I am more Lovecraft, if you wish, to certain degree.

TC: Mhm.

Rachid: Thus, I prefere that kind of experience, I prefere... Or Bacon, I prefere...

TC: Do you play... Yes?

Rachid: I prefere that kind of poetry. I don't like xenophoboc poetry. Because Rimbauld was also a jerk. he wasn't very clear. Also. He was kind of those, how are they called... it's like tourists that go to Taiwan, pardon, Tailand, and Rimbauld for me is little like that.

TC: Rimbaud I don't know well, I don't like his work. Baudelaire I love.

Rachid: But I love people like... I do like poetry... I like Coran, I like, I like Zappa for example. Frank Zappa.

TC: Frank Zappa?

Rachid: Yeaaah. I like, I like Lou Reed, I like... I don't like Bob Dylan, because I think he is a jerk, because... well. I like russian movie. I like that aspect of it: because when you... it's that that is funny. When you see american movie, when you see mythe Marlon Brando who is dead, they say it's american mythe. Yet it is a guy who took lessons in russian movie, he learned to act in russian manner, his experience actors studio, it's russian, jewish, perhaps, but it's russian matter that gave all that scope and all that stature. And even if Marlon Brando isn't something very extraordinary because he didn't do something extraordinary but whose mythe is loved. That is it, what. And music and musical experience and philosophical experience are something very aleatoric. Therefore Hungary here and the festival shouldn't remain only folk celebration, kind of hippy celebration where Woodstock tries to be found without knowing what Woodstock really was. Because Woodstock was bourgeois swindle, american...

TC: (laugh)

Rachid (laugh): ...which had nothing to do with... OK. Music is something murderous.

TC: Why?

Rachid: Because... because it assassinates. Artists are assasins of art.

TC: Can you elaborate?

Rachid: Why? Because they want to be as perfect as God. They want to be elected people. An artist wants to be elected people. And if you want to become as perfect as God, you move away from God.

TC: And you?

Rachid: Aaa... I woudn't want to approach God.

TC: No?

Rachid: No. I don't see what it serves. To approach God is to change car each year. Germans understood it well. There is need for Mercedes and BMW.

TC: And what car do you have?

Rachid: None. I don't have permit.

TC: No?

Rachid: No. I hate that. All right... I don't have permit, no.

TC: Do you play computer games?

Rachid: No. I don't know how to do that.

TC: Because you spoke of Lovecraft and...

Rachid: Yes, but Lovecraft or George Orwell or euuuhh... No, no, I don't have computer. Computer is something... I fear of computer because it is kind of a way to follow our steps. Because do you know, since when exists mobile phone? Since war 1914-1918. At that time it exists already in army. And it's NASA which threw it to us because it is another way to control us. They have thumb on us, they know where we are. No?

TC: Yes.

Rachid: They know where we are. Therefore - that is it!

TC: I didn't have it until now.

Rachid: Right! Obviously. They know where you are, they know what you do et cetera. Thus it is Pentagone. That's it. Therefore obviously I beware of all this.

TC: How did you develop your stage personality?

Rachid: I didn't develop it, we enveloped it.

TC: What?

Rachid: Yeaah. But euuuf... my personality, I don't have stage personality.

TC: Yes you do.

Rachid: It's possible, but I haven't done it.

TC: You said once that you do rock rai rap, briefly the Rs, and I wonder are this the Rs we take, the Rs as melodies, the Rs come desert (laugh)...

Rachid: Yes yes. That is true, it's true. Because I spoke about dunes.

TC: ?

Rachid: Dunes. Yes, dunes in the desert. Dunes. Yes, it's true, it's desert. It's desert. Of course it's also question of orthography.

TC: Thus it wasn't the airs that one takes?

Rachid: No, because I don't know well desert...

Rachid Taha on Sziget-2004

TC: But you take airs, no?

Rachid: Yes, because I am... I am someone very... how to say... I am rascal. Yes. Obviously.

TC: Rascal means?..

Rachid: Coquin... slightly a child, slightly... eu... seducer! That's it, let's say so. I love to seduce.

TC: Indeed?

Rachid: No?

TC: I don't know.

Rachid: You aren't seduced? (laugh)

TC: Of course I am. (laugh)

Rachid: You see! (laugh) No, no, no, with seducer I mean the noble meaning of word. It means seduction for me is to be in osmosis with myself and thus give the beautiful part to the others. It is...

TC: And... yes?

Rachid: That's it. That is it. Seduction stays there for me.

TC: What do you do...

Rachid: I am not... eh?

TC: What do you do then with love given?

Rachid: Bah, I try to return it. Thus seduction for me, par example, you see, I always disliked rock scene, the rock'n'roll environement, groupies, beer, women et cetera. I never liked that. It's macho scene, it's idiotic environement, it's... Among other the prove is when we see Mick Jagger who got ennobled by queen. Or when I see... All that I think is kind of path to become kind of conformist and totaly capitalist and that is why I hope that countries of eastern Europe won't let themself be abused by these Europeans who need immigration, who need workers and who turn towards eastern Europe because they don't want to have blacks and Chinese because it's...

TC: You explained all that already in Slovenia...

Rachid: Yes, but this goes on, this goes on. No, but I am sorry, I see it each day, dear. You know Gibraltar?

TC: Aye.

Rachid: You know how much dead there is each day?

TC: Yes, I know.

Rachid: OK? Bah, this hurts me. It pains me. Thus, yes.

TC: I prefere not to watch euh... TV-news.

Rachid: Yes, you don't watch, but I live it, I have friends, you see, I have... Because this interests me, because it is bloody hell, they replaced Andalusia, they placed Roumanians instead of Morrocans, par example, and that isn't by chance.

TC: Mhm.

Rachid: You see? And I don't want that human being that is coming from east is more politicaly correct because it has blond hair and blue eyes, like Polish that we see in France and who are more politicaly correct for French. You see?

TC: Mhm.

Rachid: That disturbs me. Yes. That enrages me. That deranges me. And that is what we live today. And that is shocking. It's like porno, they'll say Hungarians they do porno films. Of course! It's how would I say - rumours. They'll say do you find it each time? Mo, I do not do sexual tourism, I am not not in Hungary to see that. I have nothing to do with it. There are beauties everywhere, beautiful girls. But they shouldn't become kind of slaves for kind of Germans in need of a lass because they can't find at home or Italians or French, because that is it. Voilà.

TC: What is your realation with gnawa music?

Rachid: Gnawa?

TC: Mhm.

Rachid: But... I do not have relation because for me gnawa music it's religious music and I hear what they sing and that blows me up. It's like if you, you'd listen to gospel and they'd sing Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, for me it is same.

TC: That is gnawa?

Rachid: Bah, it's... it's religious as song. It's religious music. It's religious song, it's not revolutionary song, it's religious music. To me it breaks balls.

TC: Thus you... because "Garab Garab" it's...

Rachid: Who?

TC: "Garab". The song.

Rachid: Yes but "Garab" is... yes, but... Yes, gnawa my way, it's gnawa, Coran alternative I say.

TC: Yes, I've heard it.

Rachid: Right. But gnawa go to my nerves, they are machos, they have many wifes, they play there when there are tourists, LED ZEPPELIN who do... But me I have nothing to fuck with gnawa.

TC: Is it bad to have many wifes? (laugh)

Rachid: I don't say it is bad, but one needs to make them happy, all. (laugh) First wife has to agree before you can take second. Islam never said: you are polygamus. No! One needs to make happy all. Wife needs to agree with it.

TC: Yes, I know.

Rachid: You see? And... voilà. But they, they don't see it like that.

TC Lejla Bin Nur (Tatjana Capuder)
Sziget festival, Hungary, August 8, 2004
"Afriśki ghost program", "Radio Student Ljubljana", 25.09.2004

   
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