
بره بره… الفسد والحسد ما بقى أمانة
Out! Out! Sadness, hate and the reign of arbitrary
These lines from Rachid Taha’s hit number Barra Barra echoed through the speakers in the moments leading up to Ustad Saami’s 11pm performance at the 2019 WOMAD Festival earlier in the year. A clever choice for pre-show playlist. Like the Ustad, the late Rachid Taha was a towering figure in global/fusion/world music. Fitting words too – for what was also the first weekend of a Boris Johnson government.
The huge, beautiful Siam tent is full as…