Scoopet fikk sjansen til å stille selveste Omara Bombino Moctar med en liten restriksjon. Maks fem spørsmål som manageren skulle sende videre til artisten. Fair enough, and the interview is published in english.
BOMBINO avslutter årets Ranglerock-festival. Når en får en slik unik sjanse, utgår spørsmål av typen: Pølse eller sennep, Gul eller blå og tester om hva navnet ditt betyr i dyreverden. Omara Moctar har opplevd mye dramatikk og elendighet i livet. Han er opprinnelig fra Tidene i Niger, men har de siste årene vært bosatt i Agadez.
Scoopet tok sjansen på å stille mer seriøse spørsmål for å få et innblikk i hva Tuareg-oppgjøret i 2007 egentlig var, men også om de voldsomme og mektige opprørerne Boko Haram som tidligere i år terroriserte Diffa-regionen i Niger, men som har gjort lignende mange ganger før.
Can you first tell about the escape from Burkina Faso in 2007, and what the Tuareg-settlement was about?
– I left Niger in 2007 when two of my musician friends were executed. At this time, even though it was not clear what happened to these guys, it was very clear that it was dangerous for any Tuareg musician to stay in Niger. So I left very quickly and I went to Ouagadougou. There were a lot of Tuareg people staying around Ouaga, dozens and dozens of us. That helped to have a community of refugees, but life was still very hard and we were all depressed. We would drive out into the brush, make a fire and play music for hours and hours. This was our only remedy for the pain of being in the refugee situation.
The biggest problem for me is that people are not open to see that we are all the same and that we are all connected as a human family
When listening to songs from Bombino, it sounds wery colorful and kinda good mood. I guess the lyrics might be more serious though.
What is most important when you write lyrics for new songs?
– I sing in my native language, Tamashek, and it is really only Tuareg people and some other people who can understand it. So, when I am writing lyrics I am speaking directly to the Tuareg people. I use this as an opportunity to talk about the importance of peace and development while at the same time respecting our heritage as Tuareg people, our traditions and our history. So much of what I write as lyrics is written to help the pride of the Tuareg and to try to keep my brothers and sisters walking on a good path.
Bombino worked with Ron Wyman in one movie and recording of the first international album; Agadez, and you have also been support for Robert Plant.
Any reflections about this great accomplishment today, and how much did this help the artist Bombino?
– Ron is like my American father. It was he who found me in Burkina Faso and began my international career by making Agadez, the movie and also the album. I love him like a father. Touring with Robert Plant, this was not as big a deal to me. I did not know Robert Plant’s music and we did not really talk with him or his group, so for me these shows were mostly like all the other shows of that tour.
Boko Haram is a very big problem not just for Nigeria but for all of Africa and even for the world.
What is the biggest problem in our society today?
– The biggest problem for me is that people are not open to see that we are all the same and that we are all connected as a human family. So there is war, there is terrorism, there is racism, there is destruction of our planet, there are so many bad things that we do because we cannot accept that we are all the same with the same goals in life. Everything we can do for peace and development will be a positive thing for all people on the Earth.
In february 2015 we could read about Marshal Law in the Diffa-region, where the violent rebellions from Boko Haram reign in terror.
What do you know about the rebellions, and why the violence?
– I know only what I hear on the news and hear from friends about the situation. Boko Haram is a very big problem not just for Nigeria but for all of Africa and even for the world. Boko Haram has power because there is too much powerty and too much desperation in the region. When you are desperate and you have nothing, it is very easy for someone with power to take advantage of you and to make you believe in them. This is the sad situation for so many young men in Africa. If we had development, education, prosperty like there is in the West, you would not see new young men recruited by Boko Haram.
Scoopet wish Omara Bombino Moctar all the best, and are looking forward to see the artist live @ stage in Ranglerock 2015.
Sølve Friestad – scoop@scoopmanagement.no