Original subtitles

Hey everybody out there, you're listening to radio Alkher FM...

...the radio that's talking about peace...

...music and the guitarists of Agadez

So Radio Alkher is asking you to have a good day...

...here in the city of Agadez, the land of Tagadest.

It's free for all the ladies of Agadez...

What are you doing? Let's go!

- Salam Alaikum. -Alaikum Salam.

How are you? -Good, thanks.

You play good, you know the guitar really well.

like the way you play. -Thank you.

I'm also a guitarist.

There are lots of guitarists in Agadez.

That's true, but I just arrived. I'm not from here.

So you're new? Welcome to Agadez.

- I'd like to play a song. - Of course! It's our pleasure.

No, it's ok - I have my own guitar.

I'm left handed. I only need a capo and jack. 1.1

What's your name anyways?

Mdou.

I believe that love can make you crazy...

...love can make you sick, make you lose your way...

The love I have for you is real and never untrue.

Who is that?

Mdou Moctar!

The one from the cellphones?

Yes, just yesterday I sent you his song, didn't you listen?

I know this guy, he's from Libya!

No, I know him, he's from Algeria!

Both of you are wrong - he's from Mali!

I can't hear your applause! Let's hear it!

And the concert continues ladies and gentlemen...

...after the song by, what's he called?

I don't even know his name.

Mdou Moctar.

Mdou Moctar! Big round of applause!

Thank you Mdou!

We've listened to him on our cellphones, and he's right here before us tonight!

- Hey Mdou! You're leaving already?

-The song that you played - it's yours? - Yes, it's a song that I wrote.

We've heard it a lot on cellphones. It's a great song!

- You have a group around here? - No, I'm new.

Well, give me your number.

Tomorrow if you have the time, we can hang out and drink tea.

And then we can play a little guitar.

- Ok, I'll call you without a doubt. -No problem, see you soon.

I love you, I love you, I love you my precious...

I love you, I love you, you are the life of my soul...

La Super I sing to you, I love you more than a banquet...

...more than a banquet with all the beautiful girls of my village.

What's all this noise?

It's just the radio, nothing else.

Are you still playing the guitar?

I don't play the guitar. It's just the radio, nothing more.

You know guitarists are nothing but drug addicts and alcoholics?

We didn't come to Agadez for guitar. We came here to work.

It's not a guitar, just the radio. There's no guitar in this room.

Come pray.

-Salam Alaikum. -Alaikum Salam.

- How are you doing? -Good, thank you.

I understand you have a guitar for sale?

Yes, it's true, there's a guitar...

...but it's left handed.

I got lucky then, most of the time they're all right handed.

You have an idea of the price?

Around 122,500 CFA

- How are you? -Good, thanks.

Can I help you?

How much for that necklace?

The necklace is 25,000 CFA

Ok, let's go.

We've been waiting a long time in the sun and he's still not here.

I don't like to wait on the side of the road.

Lots of people are watching us.

Hello, how are you? -Good, thanks.

What are you doing here? We're waiting for someone.

If you want I can drop you off.

No, he'll be coming.

Let him take you home, it's no problem.

-And leave you here? It's no problem.

Ok, see you later then.

Hey, come here.

Give this to the girl inside, her name is Rhaicha.

The nomad people in Niger are in peace...

All the people in Niger are in peace....

The smugglers in Niger are in peace...

Do you a good job, something pro please.

Talking isn't enough, you all need to work!

If you don't work like you're supposed to, it's better to not work at all.

Pay attention! Music isn't a craziness...

...it requires work and experience, not like this.

Hey Kader!

-How's it going? -Hey, how are you!

-You're having a problem with your group? -No, everything's great....

This is rehearsal?

- Everything's good? Yes, good.

Do you know about the competition that we're going to have at the Alliance?

No problem, in Agadez, I'm the only one.

Ok Kader, please stop in, we'll see you there.

Oh, Kader!

Look, I've got this great guitarist on my telephone.

What?

saw him in a wedding, he's the best guitarist now in Agadez.

- No, it's not possible... He's great!

For me the best wedding is the one. -What's his name?

This is...Mdou Moctar.

- Hello. - How are you?

Good, thank you.

Everything's good?

How's the wind?

It's windy today, yeah.

-You're good? -Everything's good.

So this is our house.

It's a great place.

This is where me and my friend rehearse.

Make some tea.

So, you're new here?

Yes, I'm from Azawakh...

...near Abalak, Tchintabaradene.

What's the situation with music here?

Well, it's good and not so good.

There are a lot of conflicts between artists.

You need lots of patience.

The problem is we're not well paid, 2000 or 5000 CFA...

...barely enough to make tea...

..and there you go, nothing more.

We're looking for a soloist. Someone we can practice with.

...and form a group, to help us move forward.

It's a good idea. We have to try and help eachother.

You're new here, but people listen to your music on their phones. They want to see you.

The other night at the wedding, you saw how happy they were!

- You have an amplifier? - No, but you can play this one.

The problem is, I can't play with my right hand.

No problem, we'll change the strings.

We'll make it left handed, like you.

Give me the first string.

Ok, let's go.

Great

To all the beautiful girls in the land...

beauty is not enough, you must accompany it with a good heart.

To all the beautiful girls in the land...

beauty is not enough, you must accompany it with a good heart.

It's like the devil came with a scale.

to weigh my love against all of my doubts.

To all the beautiful girls in the land...

beauty is not enough, you must accompany it with a good heart.

Salam Alaikum.

-Look, it's Mdou. -Where?

Hey!

-How's it going. -Good, thanks.

You look like you might be lost.

Well, I'm new to town.

I've been looking for you since I saw you play in a wedding.

If you have time, my rhythm guitarist has traveled to Niamey...

...and maybe you can come play for me.

I'm someone with my own music, my own group, my own songs.

You can't say hello without asking me to be your guitarist?

Ok, we'll see.

Are you scared of something?

I think it's you who is scared.

God knows who's afraid. The lion doesn't scare easily.

Ok.

We'll see.

- It seems like you've lived here a long time. - I was born here.

I've always lived here with my family.

We're not the same.

What about you?

I'm from Azawakh.

I was born in Tchintabaradene.

I spent my youth in Abalak.

I'm somebody who travels. You know, us guitarists need to travel a lot.

You've been around the world?

I was in a lot of countries.

I was in Algeria.

I went all the way to Libya.

I stayed there a long time...

mostly in Tripoli.

Tripoli? I love that city.

Yeah?

I'd like to see the sea.

Well, travel is really hard.

The country is not the same as the city. There are no roads...

and you can't have anything, no rugs, no blankets.

There are insects, things I don't even know what.

Every animal that bites.

So you see, it's hard.

None of that's a big deal.

Insects, the country, it's nothing, I love the desert.

-Oh really? It's nothing for you? -No, nothing.

-You think? - It's no problem.

I guess we'll see now...

..because we're out of gas.

So we'll have to sleep here.

What's that? Sleep?

I'm lying down already.

You knew you were out of gas and you brought me here?

We're out, what can we do?

How dare you say we're out of gas!

Everything you could want for 100 CFA...

somethings are worth more than 100 CFA...

Have you heard about this concert with this new guitarist Mdou.

-At the Alliance? -Yeah.

It's a competition between musicians.

With who?

With me and Mdou Moctar.

Mdou Moctar? He plays good.

Listen, how can someone come to this city and say he's better than us.

Are we going to let someone come here and outdo us? We were here first.

You better do something then and try to fix this...

...in your manner, and find something a little bad.

You know me well. I have an idea.

They'll see.

I have something I want to show you.

I picked this up somewhere.

It's a competition?

Yeah, a competition at Alliance Francaise.

Kader's going to win this.

Kader is a star here, people love him in Agadez.

Kader here, Kader there -

What is Kader?

He's a star.

Hey listen.

... already signed us up and wrote our names in the competition.

-So, we're a group then? We're a group.

I have a song to show you guys.

...and God willing we can use it to win.

In that case, show us what you've got.

Ok guys, let's go.

Ok, you come in after and you're second.

And after that, with the djembe, we bring in the sauce. Understand?

Like that, but play louder!

Hey, how's it going. So you made it.

You've brought something good, I hope?

You! You're good!

You did a good job!

Ok, I'll give you something,

Great job, thanks.

You want more? Ok, you're a good kid.

You got to be kidding me.

Go on! Get!

The style that we're using, it's good...

...we should keep doing it this way.

So me and Ach couscous have a song -

- What's that look like? - Hère, listen.

Hey, send me that song.

Later, ok.

Hey big brother.

Whose kid is this? Are you okay?

Go, we'll send it to you later.

Get away from us.

The youth of this town are something else.

They're like that.

I'm going, I'll call you later.

Hey, how are you?

What's new?

Everything's good?

How do you feel here?

Everything is fine.

The city is large, I think it's better that we stick together.

We're both Tuareg, and need to be dignified.

Sure.

We're all musicians, we're in the same work.

Give me your number.

We're organizing a picnic.

It would be nice to have you there.

Ninety eight.

Ninety four.

Ninety four.

I'm on "Moov." Eleven.

Fourty three.

Me too, I'm on "Moov."-

Ninety eight.

"Moov" is a good network.

Ninety eight.

- Ok, we'll call you. - Thanks.

My god. What is this?

Who's been in my things?

In the name of God.

Wait a minute - you're burning my guitar?

A friend told me there was a guitarist in my house. I can't stand for that.

Being a guitarist doesn't make me a criminal, addict, or drunk.

It's not normal for you to burn my guitar!

All guitarists are criminals, it's an obligation.

There are plenty of guitarists that never became bad.

It's not normal for you to burn it...

What's this? It's a guitar.

And why is it burning like that?

You want my son to become a bandit like all the others?

I'll never let him play.

There are plenty of musicians who are good.

In life, people change...

..and life changes color.

Salam Alaikum.

Alaikum Salam.

-How is everything? -Good, thank god.

Mdou, you finally made it.

You're late, what's happening?

You know, I'm new to town still. Everything's good?

- Everything's good. - That's great

Everybody, Mdou's our guest I told you about. Please welcome him - Mdou Moctar.

Now he's going to take the guitar to play some songs for you.

Sorry, I don't play with my right hand.

Come on, play!

Just take it, don't let people hear us debate about it.

I can't do it!

I can't do it.

God's name, I can't play right handed.

Mdou...

...I'm going to play a song that you will like.

Mdou, are you leaving?

I want to. You hear this guy, he's playing my song.

My most important song.

That's what the musicians of this city do.

They take, modify, and use other's songs.

It's the song that I'm planning to use in the competition.

It took time to prepare it and make it better and now he's using it.

How did he get it - that's what I don't understand!

I don't know how he picked it up.

I don't understand.

It doesn't make sense.

What if we play the song from the other day -

What song?

The one we gave you.

Do you think I'm going to play the music of you and Achcouscous?

I have my own music.

Let me ask you Ahmoudou...

did you give this song to Kader?

Come on...

If you didn't give it to him, how would he get it?

Why would we give the song to Kader?

We're in the same group.

You know what's going on here?

I don't need anybody, just leave me in peace.

How are you?

You don't know?

I don't know.

You take me to the countryside and leave me there?

I called your phone, you don't answer. Why?

You don't know what you did to me?

What did I do?

You don't know that these are my enemies..

and you're clapping for them - for someone who stole my music?

What do I know about your enemies?

Did you give me time to explain?

When I look over, you're clapping to my own song.

I'm finished speaking with you.

Mahamadou!

Mahamadou!

What's taking so long?

I'm coming, I'll be right there.

Grab me my book.

What is this? Poetry?

Adounia.

What are you looking for?

It's some kind of poetry.

Let me see.

What is poetry doing in my father's stuff?

This is your father's, from a long time ago.

Back in the time of Libya. He was making poetry for musicians.

Why doesn't he want me to play guitar?

I'll tell you.

All those he used to play with became bad people, drinking, using drugs.

That's why he left music.

He doesn't want you to be in this kind of situation.

He saves everything, even his old songs. He never could throw them away.

Mahamadou!

- How are you. -Good.

You live here? -Yes.

Can you tell Rhaicha to come?

Rhaicha left in the morning for Libya.

What? She went to Libya.

Libya?

Mdou! Wait, I have something for you.

Rhaicha left this for you.

Hey, come back.

I noticed that you love guitar.

Yeah!

What do you think about it?

It's really great.

When I was a child I played a toy guitar made out of wood.

Back then, I thought all guitars were made this way.

But today, I'm a musician.

Someday I'll be a guitarist.

There's just one thing...

you have to find a group that wants to help you succeed.

Hey listeners out there...

...the big competition that has never before happened in the region of Agadez...

...is coming to the Alliance Francaise!

Between Mdou Moctar

"The women, in the East of Ingall...

and Kader:

"One time I was in the South of Agadez...

Yeah!

Who's going to take the cup?

Mdou? No! Kader? No!

We have to go to Alliance Francaise to find out!

The morning sun rises, the day becomes hot...

The day becomes hot...

...the night will descend.

That's it.

Life, life...

What's Mdou waiting for? He still hasn't come?

I have no idea.

Since the picnic, he won't answer his phone.

You're here.

You thought I wouldn't come?

He's playing your song. Yeah, I hear it.

So what are we going to do?

Don't worry. Just take it easy.

Mdou Moctar.

What about your song. And your girlfriend?

Don't listen to him. Now we'll go on stage and make the crowd live.

We thank the group of Kader...

...and now we invite Mdou Moctar with the group Azawair.

Hello everyone and welcome.

So I'm going to play one of my songs.

It talks about life and its changes.

The song was written by my father...

..and the music was created by my group.

I mixed it together to create the song we're going to play for you.

I call it Adounia.

Life, life, life...

...Changes color, like a chameleon between the trees.

Life, life, life...

...changes color, like a chameleon between the trees.

the morning sun rises, the midday is hot, and later night falls...

Life, life, life...

...changes color, like a chameleon between the trees.

Life, life, life...

changes color, like a chameleon between the trees.

...the morning sun rises, the midday is hot, and later night falls...

The winner is Mdou Moctar!

Kader, maybe next year.

Who's that guitarist?

That's my son.

Your son? Congratulations!