en English

THAT IS GOOD THAT IS GOOD

トルコ・モロッコ・セネガル イスラムとの邂逅 後編

Turkey, Morocco, Senegal Encounter with Islam latter part

思い返せば、実質2週間弱という短い滞在の割には、ラティールというある意味 “日本・セネガル親善大使” 的な側面も持つミュージシャンの実家に一人で世話になりながら、音楽という媒介を通じて深く交流できたことで、いわゆる普通の観光者とは違う濃厚な日々を過ごせたと思う。

Looking back, although my stay in Senegal was short (less than two weeks in fact), I was able to spend very rich days, different from ordinary tourists, by spending time alone at the home of a musician named “Latir,” who is in a sense a “goodwill ambassador between Japan and Senegal,” and by interacting deeply with him through the medium of music.

下に挙げたような基本情報を、今改めて、これを執筆する上で読んでみると、また別の視点が見えてきて感慨深い。

Reading the basic information as listed below again now in writing this, I am deeply moved to see a different perspective.

改めてセネガル

改めてゴレ島

これらの基本情報をほとんど何も知らないまま、主にラティールや、出会う様々な人達に質問をしまくり、現地人である彼らの言葉から語られた話とは、多少誤差があるように感じる。

Knowing almost nothing of these basic information, I asked a lot of questions, mainly to him and various people I met in the area, and I feel that there are some errors in the story told from their words, as locals.

その理由としては、この様な歴史情報というものが所詮このシステムを作った人間達の視点から述べられ、作られてる事が多いためだろう。“勝者が歴史を作る” という言葉があるが、現在のアフリカが経済的意味で “勝者” と呼べる状況ではないことから考えると、真実の歴史はまだしばらくは一般的には語られざる状況なのではないかと思う。

The reason for this is that such historical information is often written and produced from the viewpoints of those who created the system. There is a saying, “Winners make history,” but considering that Africa is not a “winner” in the current economic sense, the true history will not be told to the general public for some time to come. I believe that the true history of Africa will remain generally untold for some time to come.

さらに、2001年のワールドトレードセンター爆破以降の、世界中のムスリムが突然、ある意味根拠不明なテロリスト容疑をかけられた様な状況においては、国民の98%がムスリムというセネガルなど、日本人や、イスラムに元々馴染みがない国の人たちにとっては、より遠く感じられる場所の話…ということなのだろう。

Furthermore, in the aftermath of the 2001 World Trade Center bombing, when Muslims all over the world were suddenly accused of terrorism on some unfounded grounds, the story of Senegal, where 98% of the population is Muslim, seems more distant to Japanese and people from other countries who are not familiar with Islam.

「イスラム教=テロリスト=怖い、危険」という西欧メディアが映し出したイメージは強烈だ。

The image projected by the Western media of “Islam = terrorists = scary and dangerous” is powerful.

自分自体は特にムスリムに偏見もなかったし、幼少から、例えば笹川良一が悪の親玉だと親父から10歳の時告げられ(毎週国民全体がいい人だと思わされる様なCMを見させられていたのでショックだった。)、プロレスが全部八百長だと教えられ、親父の妹が近年全世界中に知られた製薬会社ファイザーに勤めていたのもあり、いかに製薬会社が利益のみを求める非情な企業姿勢を持っているかを知らされてきたため、テレビが持つ害悪、つまり嘘の噴霧を撒き散らすこと、企業が偽善的な手法で利益を貪ることを知っていたので、その2001年にいきなりのアフガニスタン空爆、ムスリム=テロリスト疑惑には完全に疑惑と拒否感を持っていた。

My father told me at the age of 10 that, for example, Ryoichi Sasakawa was the head of evil (a shock to me since I was forced to watch commercials every week that made me think that the entire nation was a good person). I was also taught that professional wrestling was all about “illegal extortion,” and since my father’s sister worked for Pfizer, a pharmaceutical company that has become known throughout the world in recent years, I was exposed to how ruthless pharmaceutical companies are in their pursuit of profit only. I was aware of the harmful effects of television, in other words, the spreading of false fog and the hypocritical way in which corporations covet profits, so I was completely suspicious of and rejected the bombing of Afghanistan in 2001 and the suspicion that Muslims are terrorists.

ともかくセナガル紀行を始めよう。
Anyway, let’s start the Senagal travelogue.

ゴレ島に着いた時点で全く寝ていなかったが、天気もいいのでラティールとその後輩の通称マースと、島内を歩いて少し散歩した。

I hadn’t slept at all when I arrived at Goree Island, but the weather was nice, so I took a short walk around the island with Latir and his junior colleague, Mars.

ただし、ラティールの実家ということで訪れたここがかつて要塞的な側面を持つ島だったことは、この様な大砲がそこら中に転がってることからも分かった。その時はそれがどんな歴史的側面から来てるのかまでは知らなかったが…。

However, I knew that this island, which I visited because it was Latir’s family home, once had a fortress aspect, as evidenced by the fact that cannons like this one are lying all over the place.
At that time, I did not know what kind of historical aspect it had…

静かでのどか、
先述した様に沖縄の竹富島を思い出す。

Quiet and tranquil.
As mentioned above, it reminds me of Taketomi Island in Okinawa.

しかし、島内のそこかしこに立ち現れる妙にヨーロッパ的な要素は、おしゃれとも言えるが違和感も感じた。

However, the strangely European elements that appear here and there on the island can be described as stylish, but I also felt a sense of discomfort.

頑張れば泳げる距離に首都ダカールが見える。
しかし、浜は少なく島自体が絶壁に囲まれている様だ。

The capital city of Dakar can be seen within swimming distance if one tries hard enough.
However, there are few beaches, and the island itself seems to be surrounded by cliffs.

そして上記の壁画に目がいく。
Then the above wall painting catches my eye.

今まで見たことのない世界観というかムード。何を意味して、これらの人物が一体何者なのか、マースに質問すると聖人だという。

A worldview or mood that I have never seen before. When I asked Maas what it meant and who these people were, he said they were saints.

この時点では自分自身「イスラム」について、全くと言って良いほど知らなかった。
数年前に親父から送られてきた本の中に旧約聖書と新約聖書の文庫があり、それを読んではいたので、イスラムもその系譜ではある…、というくらいの認識だった。

At this point, I had no idea about “Islam” myself.
I had read the Old and New Testaments in a book that my father had sent me a few years earlier, and I was aware that Islam was a part of the Bible…or at least a genealogy of the Bible.

しかし、なんと自分が到着した日が満月で、しかもそのイスラム創始者ムハンマドの誕生日だった…、これはなんとも偶然とは言い難い。まさにインシャッラー(神の思し召し)!

But to my surprise, the day I arrived was a full moon and the birthday of Muhammad, the founder of Islam… This can hardly be called a coincidence. It was a divine providence!

ということで、島全体、おそらくセネガル全体も…、いや世界中のムスリムがその日を祝うと。
当然ラティールや仲間達もその祭り・儀式に参加するという。
(ちなみに今Wikiを読むとゴレ島にあるモスクがセネガル最古の礼拝堂だと書いてあった)

So, the whole island, perhaps even the whole of Senegal…or even Muslims all over the world, will celebrate the day.
Naturally, Latir and his friends will also participate in the festivities and rituals.
(By the way, I just read on Wikipedia that the mosque on Goree Island is the oldest house of worship in Senegal.)

全く知識がない上、ムスリムでもない自分はある意味蚊帳の外になりながらも、満月の下、朝までこの様な音がずっと鳴り響く島を真っ暗の中うろつく。

Being a non-Muslim and having no knowledge of the island, I wandered around the island in the dark under the full moon, where such sounds echoed all the way to the morning.

お祭りといってもムスリムのものだし、そんな聖なる日に酒を飲む輩などいるはずもなく、ひたすらピュアな祈りの音が鳴り響いている。この日は自分もほぼ寝れず、月光の下、その声と太鼓の音にひたすら心酔した。それは今まで体験したことのないエクスタシー、恍惚の時間空間の体験だった。

Even though it is a festival, it is a Muslim festival, and there is no way anyone would drink alcohol on such a holy day, and the sound of pure prayer echoes through the air. I could hardly sleep that day, and under the moonlight, I was intoxicated by the sound of their voices and drums. It was an ecstasy I had never experienced before, an experience of ecstatic time and space.

前編冒頭で先述した自分の中の『廃墟』が癒される様な…。いや、言葉では、筆舌しがたい。

It is as if the “ruins” inside me, which I mentioned earlier at the beginning of the first part, are being healed….No, words cannot describe it.

とにかくこの日は人生の転機だった。
Anyway, this day was a turning point in my life.

この時、イスラムというものが完全に自分の中で肯定され、深く知るべきものとなったのだ。
It was at this time that Islam was fully affirmed in me, and became something to be deeply known.

改めて
この人物の存在がいかに現在のセナガルにとっていかに重要なのか。


Once again.
how important this person’s presence is to the current Senagal.

通称バンバBAMBA
Commonly known as BAMBA

写真はこの1枚しか残されてないという。
It is said that this is the only photo left.

参考資料 Reference Materials
https://www.chuo-u.ac.jp/academics/faculties/letters/fees_schol/scholarship/report2015/rep03/
https://senegalencyclopedi.wixsite.com/senegalinfo/blank-40

ラティールに聞くところによれば、正直信じられない様な伝説の羅列で、兎にも角にも “聖人” だという。何よりもバンバは、ムスリムにとっての五行の一つ、ハッジという、1度はメッカを訪れねばならない、という行を否定したということは特筆すべきことだと思う。これはスンナ派という全ムスリムの90%を占める、約14億人の信者の中でも明らかに異端の考えだと思う。

Latir tells me that he is a “saint” in every sense of the word, with a litany of legends that I find hard to believe.
It is worth mentioning that Bamba denied the Hajj, one of the Five Elements of the Muslim religion, which requires one to visit Mecca at least once. This is clearly a heretical idea even among Sunnis, who make up 90% of all Muslims, about 1.4 billion believers.

彼自体はそのハッジを敢行してるが、神、アッラーと一体化するというスーフィー的な考えにおいては、メッカに行くことが重要なのではなく、個人の神に対する愛、そこと繋がろうとする意識そのものが重要だという解釈なのでは…、と思う。

He himself dared to perform the Hajj, but in the Sufi concept of oneness with God and Allah, it is not important to go to Mecca, but rather the individual’s love for God and the consciousness of connecting with Him that is important…

宗教に関して興味がなかったり、そもそも嫌悪感を持ってる人には、正直ついていけない話もしれないが、自分自体は幼少から神についてずっと考えていたので、ものすごく興味深い。

If you are not interested in religion or have an aversion to it in the first place, it may honestly be hard to follow, but I myself have been thinking about God since I was a child, so it is extremely interesting.

小さい時から仏壇や神社や十字架を見るたびに、いったいこれはなんなのだ、と考えていた。そして幼少ながらも家庭内のイザコザ、社会の不条理さに悲しみと怒りを持っていて、経済的格差によって人が差別されることへの憤りを5歳ながら感じたりもしていた。
具体的には通わされていた幼稚園の副園長が、自分の幼なじみ(カメラマンの息子)に対しては、酷い扱いをするのに、銀行の頭取の子には媚び諂うのを見て、本当にムカついていた。神がいるとしたらなぜこんな不条理を与えるのだろう…、と。なぜ人々はいがみ合い、蹴落とし合い、悪口を言い合い、憎しみあい、戦争などが起きるのだろう。

Since I was a small child, whenever I saw a Buddhist altar, a shrine, or a cross, I always wondered what on earth this was all about. Even at a young age, I was saddened and angered by the absurdity of family troubles and society, and felt resentment at the discrimination of people due to economic disparity, even though I was only five years old. Specifically, I was really pissed off when I saw the assistant director of the kindergarten I attended treat my childhood friend (the photographer’s son) badly, but flatter the child of the bank president. If there is a God, why does he give us such absurdity…. Why do people bicker, kick each other down, bad mouth each other, hate each other, start wars, etc.?

人間とは本当にこの世界に必要なのだろうか? 
Are human beings really necessary for this world? 

こんな世の中に生きる意味はあるのだろうか?
Is there any meaning to life in such a world?

その時、初めて死んでしまいたい、と思い、包丁を握った。しかし、子供の自分には命を断てる勇気もなく、泣いて終わった。
その後もずっとその悲しみ、怒りは消えず、15の時には逆に神を呪う様になった…。真剣に。
こんなクソな世の中ブチ壊してやる。

That was the first time I wanted to die, and I grabbed a knife. However, as a child, I didn’t have the courage to take my own life, and ended up crying.
After that, the sadness and anger never went away, and when I was 15, I began to curse God…. Seriously.
I’m going to destroy this shitty world.

ただ12歳から真剣に耳を傾ける様になった音楽には、癒され、希望を持つ様になった。11歳の時初めてライブハウスに連れていかれ、同級生の兄貴が演るパンクバンドで暴れ、騒ぐ輩を見て、衝動的に参加し、そこに何か怒りや悲しみの吐口を見つけることができた。

However, music, which I began to listen to seriously from the age of 12, soothed me and gave me hope. I was taken to a live music club for the first time when I was 11 years old, and seeing my classmate’s older brother playing in a punk band and making a lot of noise, I impulsively joined the band and found something to vent my anger and sadness about there.

そして新宿の中学で出会った、今でもつながる友人TASAKAからHIPHOPを教えてもらい、PUBLIC ENEMYというグループに衝撃を受ける。おそらく初めての真っ黒なブラックミュージック…、MALCOM Xというネイション・オブ・イスラムという組織から影響を受けた人物の存在も知る。
中学生では理解し難い情報だったが、それでもアメリカにおける黒人達がいかに不条理の中に生き、葛藤して、表現せざるをえないのかは理解できたし、共感した。

Then, my friend TASAKA, whom I met in junior high school in Shinjuku and with whom I still have a connection, introduced me to HIPHOP, and I was shocked by a group called PUBLIC ENEMY. This was probably my first exposure to pitch black music…and I also learned of the existence of MALCOM X, an organization influenced by the Nation of Islam.
Although this information was difficult for a junior high school student to understand, I still understood and sympathized with how black people in the U.S. live in absurdity, struggle, and are compelled to express themselves.

怒りを音楽で浄化する。

The anger is purified through music.

これは、現在50歳近くなった今も、全くといっていいほど変わらない。

This has not changed at all, even now that I am almost 50 years old.

余談ではあるが、この前提があっての、ここアフリカなのだ。

As a side note, it is this premise that we are here in Africa.

朝、またほぼ寝れないまま、早朝からラティールの釣りに付き合う。
彼は18歳でここを出て、英語も、勿論日本語もできないまま日本に移住(出稼ぎ)した。相当な苦労があったのも聞いたが、とにかくお母さんに対しての愛は深く、島に帰っている間は、毎回ちょっとでも食事の足しにしてもらいたい、という善意から釣りをしたり、親孝行しているらしい。

In the morning, almost unable to sleep again, I went fishing with Latir early in the morning.
He left here at the age of 18 and moved to Japan ( migrant worker), not being able to speak English or Japanese, of course. I heard that he went through a lot of hardships, but he loves his mother deeply, and while he is back on the island, he does fishing out of the goodness of his heart and out of filial piety, hoping to make a little extra for his meals every time.

自分もやってみたが、朝焼けの中の釣りはいいものだ…、小さい頃に何回か親父に連れられ、船釣り、磯釣りなどをやったことを思い出した。

I tried it myself, and it was nice to fish in the morning glow… I remembered my father taking me boat fishing and rock fishing several times when I was little.

東の果ても、西の果ても、人間は変わらない。
Whether in the far east or the far west, people are the same.

そしてまず最初に絶対に奴隷博物館に行くべきだとラティールに言われ、マースと共に行く。
Then Latir tells me that I should definitely go to the Slave Museum first, so I go with Mars.

冒頭から衝撃だったのは、男の部屋、女の部屋、があるのは分かる…、しかし子供の部屋というのを見た時は物凄い感情に襲われた。

I was shocked from the beginning, I know there is a man’s room, a woman’s room… but when I saw a child’s room, I was struck by a terrible emotion.

子供達の泣き叫ぶ声が幻聴だとしても耳に響いた。
The children’s cries echoed in my ears, even if they were auditory hallucinations.

どれだけの数の人達がここに奴隷として運ばれて来たのだろうか…。
I wonder how many people were brought here as slaves….

ゴレ島はその奴隷貿易の最大の拠点だった。だからこそ欧米諸国はここを奪い合った。
断崖絶壁の要塞の様な形状を持つこの島はうってつけだった。
ということで冒頭の大砲だ。

Goree Island was the largest hub of that slave trade. That is why the Western nations were competing with each other for it.
The island, with its precipitous cliffs and fortress-like shape, was the perfect place.
And so, the cannon at the beginning of this article.

奴隷貿易 slave trade

西欧諸国による約300年に及ぶアフリカからの収奪と奴隷貿易は、アフリカ自体の生活、文化、精神を崩壊させた。

Nearly 300 years of Western expropriation and slave trade from Africa have disrupted the life, culture, and spirit of Africa itself.

北米だけで500万人。南米やヨーロッパに強制的に運ばれた奴隷の総体数は、約1500万~2000万人とされるが、それはあくまで長い航海を生きて辿り着いた生存者の数であって、実際にはその3倍から4倍の人が輸送されたという。

In North America alone, there were 5 million. The total number of slaves forcibly transported to South America and Europe is estimated to be about 15 to 20 million, but that is only the number of survivors who made it through the long voyage, and in reality three to four times that many were transported.

そのうちの大多数がこのゴレ島から運ばれた。
The majority of them were transported from this island of Goree.

身近なところで言えば、福岡市が1500万人から2000万人。白人ではなく、黒人の研究者によれば総合して7000万人以上がアフリカから拉致されたという。その中には、当然子供がいた…、労働力として使うためだと考えれば、当然若い少年少女が最も多く連れて行かれたことだろう。

Closer to home, Fukuoka City has between 15 and 20 million people. In total, more than 70 million people were abducted from Africa, according to researchers who are not white but black. Among them, of course, were children…and given that they were to be used as labor, young boys and girls would naturally have been taken in the greatest numbers.

親や兄弟と引き裂かれ、連れて行かれた子供たちの気持ち。
子を突然失う親の気持ち。
それがどんな悲しみなのか。

The feelings of children torn from their parents and siblings and taken away.
The feelings of parents who suddenly lose their children.
What kind of grief it is.

どれだけの心を壊したのだろう。
I wonder how many hearts were broken.

そしてこの写真に写る、電灯などはなく真っ暗の部屋に糞尿まみれで押し込まれた人たち、子供達の心は。
And the hearts of the people and children in this photo, who were shoved into a dark room with no electric lights and covered in feces and urine.

上記の写真は、下の作品のジャケットに使わせてもらった。
The above photo was used for the jacket of the piece below.

https://crosspointproception.bandcamp.com/track/j-a-k-a-m-light-24b-441khz-for-vinyl

LIGHT

この窓から見る景色は、彼らにとってどんな光だったのだろう。
What kind of light was the view from this window for them?

断崖絶壁の奴隷収容施設としてのゴレ島をまさに痛感させられた。
The island of Goree as a precipitous slave holding facility was truly a painful experience.

多少の涙が出たが、そんな同情を寄せつけないほどの過酷さ。
Some tears were shed, but the harshness of the situation was so severe that it did not attract such sympathy.

しばし沈黙の中、このゴレ島の美しい情景と熱い日差しに包まれながらマースと歩いた。
In silence for a while, I walked with Mars, surrounded by the beautiful scenery and hot sun of this Goree Island.

次の日もラティールの釣りに付き合う。
The next day, I continued with Latir’s fishing.

そして毎日ラティールのお母さんの家に行き(自分が泊まってる離れから)ご飯をご馳走になる。
And every day I go to Latir’s mother’s house (from a distance where I am staying) and treat myself to dinner.

不思議な東洋人を見つめるラティールの親戚の子w
His relative’s child staring at the mysterious oriental.

そしてご飯がお世辞抜きで超ウマイ!
基本米だし、肉も鶏がメインで魚が多い!!
And the rice is flattering and super tasty!
It’s basically rice, and the meat is mostly chicken, with a lot of fish!

イスラムだけでなく、旧約聖書系の宗教では必須の儀式、割礼があるとのことで、早朝から近所でヤギが捌かれていた。

Goats were being processed in the neighborhood early in the morning, as circumcision, a mandatory ritual not only in Islam but also in Old Testament religions, was being practiced.

そこらに放牧されていたヤギがある日、捌かれる日常。
A goat that has been grazing around the area is one day processed.

生と死の境界線は浅い。
The line between life and death is shallow.

いわゆるコロニアル(植民地)建築、様式と言われる建物が港には立ち並ぶ。
The port is lined with buildings of so-called colonial architecture and style.

今は大して白人の観光客もいないが、約300年続いたという奴隷制全盛期はどんな状況だったのだろうと想像する。
いたたまれない。

There are not many white tourists now, but I imagine what it must have been like during the heyday of slavery, which lasted about 300 years.
It makes me feel sorry for them.

そしてラティールの先輩クラスのパーカショニストが帰郷してライブするとのことで足を運ぶ。

And then I heard that a percussionist of Latir’s senior class was coming back home to perform live.

ラティールは「お前も叩けよ」と煽られ参加!
Latir was encouraged to join in, “You should hit it too!”

ここで初めてラティールのパーカッションスタイルはかなり和風になっていて、現地のモロと比べると、明らかにソフィティフィケイトされてると感じた。
Here for the first time, Latir’s percussion style was quite Japanese, and compared to the local moros, I felt it was clearly sophiticated.

聞いて貰えばわかると思うが、先輩キシマのマシンガンの様な連打攻撃では日本では凄すぎてドン引きだろう。(苦笑)しかし、アフリカでは当然こっちの方がウケるし、アフリカ的だと感じる。やはり土地柄、お国柄は確実にあって、どこでも万国共通にウケる、というものは、音楽も食べ物もないのかもしれない。

As you can hear, the machine-gun-like continuous attack of the senior Xima would be too much for you in Japan. (Chuckles) But in Africa, of course, this is more popular, and I feel that it is very African.
There may be no music or food that is universally popular anywhere in the world.

DJのパーティーもあった。

There was also a DJ party.

小規模だけど現行の若者達のイマな音。
It was small, but it was the current sound of young people.

親近感が湧く!
I feel so close to them!

アフリカンアートと言われるものを最初に感じたのは『やし酒飲み』という本なのだが、
I first got a sense of what’s called African art from a book called “Yashi Sake Drinker.”

ピカソにおけるキュービズム然り、イビツで立体的な創造性。
それが今のHIPHOPにも確実にあるし、当然JAZZにもある。
当然その源流であるアフリカ現地のアートは、素朴だが、どこかイビツで日本の様な端正なフォームではなく、無骨で躍動感がある。
それは音楽の中にも確実に感じれる。

Cubism in Picasso, and other three-dimensional creativity.
It is certainly in HIPHOP today, and of course in Jazz as well.Naturally, African local art, which is the origin of HipHop, is simple but somewhat strong, not in a neat form like in Japan, but rugged and dynamic.
This can certainly be felt in the music.

上記の様な手法の絵をパッチワークというらしいが、自分には珍しく購入欲が抑えられず…、というかジャケットで絶対使える!と思ったので購入し、実際この作品で使わせてもらった。
I heard that this kind of painting is called “patchwork,” which is unusual for me, and I could not restrain my desire to buy it, or rather, I thought that I could definitely use it on a jacket! I bought it and actually used it in this work.

https://crosspointproception.bandcamp.com/track/j-a-k-a-m-pray-16b-441k

見ての通り、太陽光線の濃度が違うからか、湿度がないからなのか、色使いがとても豊かだ。
As you can see, the colors are very rich, perhaps because of the different concentration of sunlight or the lack of humidity.

個人的には東京の薄汚れた世界で生まれ育ったせいか、あまり色を使わない傾向があるのだが、やはり生命を感じる色使いにはとても惹かれるし、実際とんでもなく厳しい状況を乗り越えた人たちの生み出す世界観としての癒しも感じる。
Personally, I tend not to use much color, perhaps because I was born and raised in the dirty world of Tokyo, but I am still very attracted to the use of colors that feel alive, and I also feel a sense of healing as a worldview created by people who have actually overcome incredibly harsh conditions.

ダカールや少し離れたエリアまで観光にも連れて行ってもらったりもした。
I was also taken on sightseeing tours to Dakar and other areas a little further away.

ここでご馳走になったご飯も相当うまかった!
The food we were treated to here was pretty good too!

レコードを探したいと伝えたら護衛の若者を二人つけてくれ、ダカールの上野のアメ横みたいなエリアに。
I told them I wanted to look for records and they gave me two young men as escorts and we went to an area that looked like the Ameyoko in Dakar’s Ueno.

ここのエリアで自分にタックルしてきて、何か奪おうとしてきたやつがいて、あいにくそいつが倒れたもので、結果こちらの護衛にボコボコにされて…、周りを見渡すと真っ黒な千人くらいがこちらを見てる、その状況はなかなかスリリングだった。おそらく東洋人が滅多に入ることもないエリアだったんだろう。体鍛えといてよかった。そして護衛がいてよかった…。

I was in this area when some guy tackled me and tried to take something from me. Unfortunately, he fell down, and as a result, my escort beat him up…I looked around and saw about a thousand people in all black looking at me, and the situation was quite thrilling. It was a thrilling experience. It was a good thing that I had been physically fit. And I’m glad I had an escort….

その後、政治にも進出したユッスンドゥールの経営するクラブ、ライブハウスで、VIVIANという現地では超有名なシンガーのライブにも、護衛を一人つけてもらって観に行った。
After that, I went to see a very famous local singer named VIVIAN live at a club and live music club run by Yusundur, who has also entered politics, with one of his escorts.

そこで女の子に逆ナンされたり、その後六本木にあった旧ガスパニック的なバーにも連れていかれたりしたが、そういう余計なことには介入せず笑、しかしそれらの場所で場末の空気を感じられたことは良かった。ドコでも『悪い』エリアというのはあって、そこにはドロッとしたリアリティーがあり、それはそれで大衆の息吹を感じるからだ。
There I got hit on by a girl and was later taken to an old gas-panic bar in Roppongi, but I didn’t intervene in those unnecessary things and laughed, but it was good to feel the atmosphere of the place in those places. There are “bad” areas everywhere, and there is a thick reality, which is why I could feel the breath of the masses.

セネガルは勿論、西アフリカにおいて重要な太鼓 “ジャンベ” の工房にも連れて行ってもらった。
I was taken to a workshop of “djembe” drums, which are very important in West Africa, not to mention Senegal.

勿論何日間か小分けにレコーディングも敢行。
Of course, we also recorded for several days in small groups.

この手のゲリラレコーディングでは付き物の野次馬というかギャラリーもアフリカ、ゴレらしくなんだか長閑だ。
The onlookers, or rather galleries, that are a common feature of this kind of guerrilla recording are also somewhat tranquil, as is typical of Africa and Gorée.

これらの太鼓の録音は下記の楽曲にも収録されている。
These drum recordings are also included in the following music.

https://crosspointproception.bandcamp.com/track/j-a-k-a-m-internal-vision-master-24b-441k-for-vinyl

https://crosspointproception.bandcamp.com/track/earth-dance

https://crosspointproception.bandcamp.com/track/wariors

ジャンベやコラと共に西アフリカでの重要楽器 “バラフォン” の録音
Recording of the “balafon,” an important instrument in West Africa, along with the djembe and kora.

この時の彼の演奏は下の楽曲に
His playing at this time is on the music below

https://crosspointproception.bandcamp.com/track/guidance-dub

当時23歳くらいだったラッパー4Leuzの参加もまた感慨深い。
The participation of rapper 4Leuz, who was about 23 years old at the time, was also very moving.

自ら録音を名乗り出て、ラティールを介して自分のプロダクションのコンセプトを説明し、トラックを聴き、その場でリリックを書き上げ、出来た曲がこちら。

He came forward to record the track himself, explained his production concept through Latir, He listened to the track, wrote the lyrics on the spot, and here is the resulting song.

https://crosspointproception.bandcamp.com/track/j-a-k-a-m-new-day-16b-441k

ゴレ島出身の彼と、沖縄出身のRITTOの島んちゅ二人のコンビネーションはなかなか乙だと思う。
彼はその後セネガルを代表するコンシャスラッパーになった。

The combination of the two islanders, he from Gorée Island and RITTO from Okinawa, is quite a nice one.
He has since become one of Senegal’s leading conscious rappers.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCklG3owsfBoG6V3Mi1GUakQ

そして今回のセネガルでのレコーディングにおいて、個人的には最大の収穫であり、彼はその後日本に移住し、何回かその後もレコーディングを重ね、親交も深めている

And the biggest and most personal gain of this recording session in Senegal was the opportunity to work with RITTO.He has since moved to Japan, where he has recorded several times since then, and has become a close friend of mine.

コラ奏者 Karamo Cissokhoとの録音
Recording with kora player Karamo Cissokho

彼の音はこれらの楽曲に。
His sound on these songs.

https://crosspointproception.bandcamp.com/track/j-a-k-a-m-pray-24b-441khz

https://crosspointproception.bandcamp.com/track/j-a-k-a-m-ixtlan-16b-441k

https://crosspointproception.bandcamp.com/track/j-a-k-a-m-internal-vision-master-24b-441k-for-vinyl

https://crosspointproception.bandcamp.com/track/j-a-k-a-m-light-24b-441khz-for-vinyl

ちなみに彼は、いわゆるグリオと呼ばれる代々に渡って音楽のみを演奏する家系の人間で、どこかシャーマニックというか、完全にイタコ、媒介者としてのサイキックなムードがある。
上記のPRAYという曲で録音した時、あまりにもスムースにメロディーをトラックに合わせてきたので、これは即興で作ったメロディーなのか?と聞くと「700年前にマンディンガ王国の王様に捧げられた曲だ」と言う!

Incidentally, he is from a family that has played only music for generations, the so-called grios, and is in a somewhat shamanic or psychic mood as a complete itako or medium.
When I recorded him on the above song called PRAY, he so smoothly adapted the melody to the track that I asked him if this was an improvised melody. I asked him, and he said, “It’s a song dedicated to the king of Mandinga 700 years ago!”

700年前のメロディーが今ここに創出されるリアリティーは、ある意味音楽だからこそできることなのではないだろうか。

The reality that a melody from 700 years ago can be created here and now is, in a sense, possible only through music.

聴く人間はタイムマシーンに乗ってその時にトリップさせられる。

The listener is transported to that time in a time machine.

ラティールが少年時代から練習場として参加してきた、ジャンベとダンサーたちのサークルにも参加する。
He will also join a circle of djembes and dancers that Latir has participated in as a training ground since he was a boy.

上記の写真、左上の白いTシャツの人は日本ではおそらくダウン症と言われるのだが、そういう存在がドラムサークルのメンバーに自然に溶け合ってるのも個人的に親近感が湧いた。というのもうちのレーベルCROSSPOINTで先日リリースさせてもらった、福岡出身で三重在住、現在奈良の障害者介護施設で働く友人、山浦庸平が今も昔もオーガナイズしているグループWANOWAはその様な、いわゆる障害者といわゆる健常者が音楽を通して交流する意味深い活動で、ここアフリカでも、それが存在し、しかもその彼の演奏がまたすごく良い味を出していて、グループにとってもなくてはならない存在なのだろうと感じられたからだ。

In the photo above, the person in the white T-shirt on the upper left is probably Down’s Syndrome in Japan, but I personally felt a sense of affinity with him because he blends naturally with the members of the drum circle. The group WANOWA, which was recently released on our CROSSPOINT label, is organized by Yohei Yamaura, a friend of mine who was born in Fukuoka, lives in Mie, and currently works at a care facility for the handicapped in Nara. WANOWA is a group organized by Yohei Yamaura, a friend of mine who currently lives and works in a nursing home for the disabled in Nara.

障害者と呼ばれる人たちは、現代社会や日常生活ではもしかしたら欠けた存在として扱われているかもしれないが、こと音楽、芸術の世界における彼らの表現は、健常者を圧倒する様な豊かな生命力を感じさせてくれる。

People with disabilities may be treated as lacking in modern society and daily life, but in the world of music and art, their expressions are so rich in life force that they overwhelm normal people.

他の場所でも、最近日本の路上では見かけなくなったいわゆる『キチガイ』と言われる様な人たちも、先述したヤギなどと同じ様にそこらで見かける。

In other places, so-called “crazy” people, who are no longer seen on the streets of Japan, can also be found, just like the goats mentioned above.

現代の日本だとその様な存在は施設に入れて隠してしまうが、個人的には平均化することよりもそれぞれの存在の多様性を感じ合い、どんな人にも欠けてることがあり完全な人などいない、という価値観を子供の時から感じているほうが、自分に対しても悲観的に思わず、自殺なども減るのではないか、と思う。

In modern Japan, such people are placed in institutions and hidden away. Personally, however, I think that it would be better for children to feel the diversity of each person’s existence rather than to average them out, and to feel the value that every person has something lacking and that no one is perfect, so that they will not be so pessimistic about themselves and suicide will be less likely.

あるがまま、と先述した山浦庸平もよく語るが、まさにここは『あるがまま』だ。
それぞれが『あるがまま』に生きられたら嘘もなく、居心地よく過ごせるのだと思う。

As Yohei Yamaura, mentioned above, often says, “It is as it is,” and this place is exactly “as it is.
If each person could live “as it is,” there would be no lies, and we would be able to spend our time comfortably.

ここでは書ききれないことも色々あった。
There were many things that I can’t write about here.

とにかくトータルで素晴らしい体験だったが、何よりもイスラムというもののコアな部分を完全に自分の中で、そしてまさかこの極西の地で感じることが出来るとは思ってもいなかった。

Anyway, it was a total wonderful experience, but above all, I never thought that I would be able to feel the core of Islam completely within myself and in this far western land.

サウジアラビアで生まれたイスラムというMOVEMENTは、日本でいえば平安時代、700年代末には既にアフリカでは定着しつつあったというし、ここセネガル、西アフリカでは西暦1000年頃には指導者もいて、日本における仏教の定着とほぼ一緒だと思っていいだろう。

The MOVEMENT called Islam, which was born in Saudi Arabia, was already taking root in Africa by the end of the 700s, the Heian period in Japan, and here in Senegal, West Africa, there were leaders around 1000 AD, which is almost the same as the establishment of Buddhism in Japan.

僕らが南無妙法蓮華経くらいなら誰でも言える様に、西アフリカの人にとってサラームアレイクムは当たり前の言葉なんだと思う。

I think that salaam aleikum is a common word for West Africans, just as we can say Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo to anyone.

そのサウジアラビアのメッカをそのセンターだとしたら、自分の様に極東で産まれた人間が、ここ極西でそれを深く認識するというのもすごく興味深い現象だと思えてしょうがない。

If Mecca in Saudi Arabia is the center of this phenomenon, I can’t help but think it is an interesting phenomenon that someone like myself, who was born in the Far East, is deeply aware of it here in the Far West.

ちなみについ最近下記の本を読み終えた。
Incidentally, I just recently finished reading the following book.

この本の説明を長々と述べることはやめておくが、とにかく眼から鱗、圧倒的な事実の羅列にまさに唸らされた。

I won’t go into a lengthy description of the book, but I will just say that I was blown away by the eye-opening and overwhelming array of facts.

何せこのコラムを読んでくれてる方ならわかると思うが、自分が体験したカリブの国々、そしてここセネガルのゴレ島はまさにこの本の中心的題材であり、奴隷制による西欧諸国(特にイギリス、フランス、スペイン)の富の収奪劇はあまりにも酷く、その結果が今の世界経済の地位を築いたのは間違いなく、それだけでなくメディアも含めた歴史的事実の歪曲によって、なぜ西欧諸国だけが有意な政治的立場にいるのかが分かりやすく述べられてるからだ。

As readers of this column will know, the Caribbean countries I experienced and the island of Goree in Senegal are the central subjects of this book, and there is no doubt that the wealth deprivation of the Western countries (especially Britain, France, and Spain) through slavery was so terrible that the result was the current global economic status of the world. The book is also a good example of why the distortion of historical facts, including by the media, has placed only the Western European countries in a significant political position.

端的に言えば、極悪な拉致と強奪によって得た富が今のG5やらというものの正体なのだ。
極悪人たちが上等なスーツを着て偽善者ぶって世界のリーダー面をしている、この状況を多くの人が理解していないと思う。

To put it simply, the wealth that has come from nefarious abduction and extortion is the true nature of the G5 and the like.
I don’t think many people understand the situation in which these nefarious people are wearing fancy suits and pretending to be world leaders.

昨今のBlackLivesMatterなどはアメリカにおける地域的なものと見られてるかもしれないが、北米、南米、そしてアフリカ、インドなどアジアでもそれは当然行われ、この日本でも沖縄(の米軍基地)を筆頭に今も植民地体制は続いている。

The Black Lives Matter movement of recent years may be seen as a regional movement in the U.S., but it is also taking place in North America, South America, Africa, India, and other parts of Asia, and even here in Japan, the colonial system is still in place, with Okinawa (U.S. military base) at the top of the list.

何せ未だ日本政府は膨大な金額を上納金として米政府に献上してるのだ。
それを植民地と言わずしてなんと言うか。

After all, the Japanese government still contributes huge sums of money to the U.S. government in the form of royalties.
What would we call it if we did not call it a colony?

テレビを見ているだけでは絶対にわからない、その過酷な状況について是非もう一度、想像を巡らせてみてほしい。
文化としてのイスラムやその歴史も、いわゆる西欧のメディアに掲載されたものを鵜呑みにしてはいけない。
音楽というものは現在のメディアや史実には乗らない真実を知る一つのきっかけになると思う。

I urge you to reexamine your imagination about the harshness of the situation, which you can never understand just by watching TV.
Islam as a culture and its history should not be taken for granted from what is published in the so-called Western media.
I believe that music can be an opportunity to learn the truth that does not appear in the current media or historical facts.

日本に住むムスリムは多くはないが、新大久保やどこかムスリムの人たちがいるエリアで彼らと会う機会があれば、ぜひ直接、ちょっとした会話の中でも良いから、生のそのヴァイブを感じてもらえたら嬉しい。
そしてイスラムを信じるアフリカを含めた世界各地のムスリムが奏でる音楽に耳を傾けて欲しい。

There are not many Muslims living in Japan, but if you have a chance to meet them in Shin-Okubo or any other area where there are Muslims, I would be happy if you could feel their vibe in person, even if it is just a small conversation.
And I hope you will listen to the music played by Muslims from all over the world, including those from Africa who believe in Islam.

僕らは彼らの同胞であり、今も続く植民地支配をいかにして打破していくか。
別に西欧人が全員敵だと言いたいわけでは決してない。

We are their fellow countrymen and how to break the colonial rule that still continues.
I do not mean to imply that all Westerners are the enemy.

この世界の構造を改めて把握して、プロパガンダから抜け出さないと、僕らの子孫も知らずと加害者になってしまい、いずれまたその子供達も被害者になってしまう…、その繰り返しを避けたいのだ。

If we do not grasp the structure of this world anew and get out of the propaganda, our descendants will unknowingly become perpetrators, and eventually their children will become victims again… I want to avoid that repetition.

少々熱くなってしまったが、最期にラティールが語るイスラムそして奴隷制、現代社会の暗部について。
I have spoken a bit passionately about Islam, slavery, and the dark side of modern society, which Latir talks about at the end.

自らをCROSSPOINTとして定めた人間としては、この旅で学んだことは大きい。
As someone who has set himself up as a CROSSPOINT, I have learned a lot from this trip.

そしてラティール達にサラームアレイクムと挨拶を交わし、まさに西洋と東洋のCROSSPOINT、イスタンブールに戻る。
先日のBABA ZULAのライブでDJをした代わりに、ネイという尺八のような笛の演奏者を紹介してもらう話は段取りができていて、たった1日の猶予しかなかったが、レコーディングを敢行できた。

Then I greeted Latir and his friends with Salaam Aleikum and returned to Istanbul, the very CROSSPOINT of the West and the East.
The arrangement was made for me to be introduced to a shakuhachi-like flute player named Ney in exchange for DJing at the recent BABA ZULA concert, and although I only had a day to spare, I was able to record the music.

待ち合わせ場所は、ゆくゆくというかこの年の翌年、CROSSPOINTからリリースすることになるYAKAZA ENSEMBLEのスタジオで、そのネイ演奏者はメンバーのFakih(ファキー)だった。

The meeting place was the studio of YAKAZA ENSEMBLE, which would eventually be released on CROSSPOINT the following year, and the player was Fakih, a member of the band.

これらの演奏・録音はRe:OnenessやEarth Danceという楽曲に収録された。
These performances and recordings were included in the songs Re:Oneness and Earth Dance.

https://crosspointproception.bandcamp.com/track/re-oneness

https://crosspointproception.bandcamp.com/track/earth-dance

始めて会ったのに、全く初めての気がしないメンバーたち。
特にFakihは本人自体も尺八も演奏するし、日本文化にも造詣が深く、とにかく愛と尊敬に満ちていた。
これは彼らだけに限らず実はトルコ人全体に言えることの様で…、

Although it was their first time to meet, it didn’t feel like the first time at all.
Especially Fakih, who himself plays the shakuhachi and has a deep knowledge of Japanese culture, was full of love and respect.
This is not only true for them, but also for all Turks…

映画化もされたエルトゥールル号遭難事件
The Ertugrul disaster, which has been made into a movie

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/海難1890

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/エルトゥールル号遭難事件

はトルコ人全員が知ってる様な一件で、だからやけにみんな優しいのかと、あとで納得することになった。映画もよくできていて感動的なので是非見ていただきたい。

The movie “The Ertugrul Disaster” was a case that all Turks knew about, and I later came to understand why everyone was so kind to each other.
The film is well made and very moving, and I highly recommend you to watch it.

録音自体は1時間くらいで、帰りの飛行機が迫っていたので大して話すことはできなかったが…、彼らから渡されたYAKAZAのファーストアルバムのCDを、帰国してすぐに荷物を積み替え仙台に向かう新幹線の中PCで聴いたところ、なんと松島について松尾芭蕉が書いたあの有名な詩・曲が、とある日本人女性によって詠まれていたのには、たまげた。

The recording itself lasted about an hour, and I could not talk much because I had a plane to catch on my way back home…but I listened to the CD of YAKAZA’s first album, which they gave me, on my PC on the Shinkansen bullet train to Sendai after I had reloaded my luggage.

まさにインシャッラー。神の思し召しとしか言いようがない。
Inshallah indeed. I can only say that it is God’s will.

その先に待つペインターのSYUNOVENに、以前から持ちかけていた画集のための音源にこの人たちはどうか?と聞かせると「バッチリです」と。

I asked SYUNOVEN, the painter waiting ahead of me, how these guys would sound for the art book I had been approaching him about. He replied, “They are perfect.

それがこの作品だ。
That is what this piece is about.

http://www.nxs.jp/label_content/koko-0023_PCTN-0018.html

この旅はイスラムという意識を自分の中に深く植え付け、その思想も含めた宗教を信じる人たちが、この地球上にたくさん点在していることを深く認識させた(総人口の1/3以上と言われている)。

音楽体験は同時に人間の営みへのアクセス、つまり人間そのもの、その心に触れることだと思う。
その心が通う生活には、現代の日本人が思っている以上に宗教は関係している。

前編で登場したタクシードライバーの彼の様に、宗教の呪縛に悩まされている人たちが多いのも事実だ。
しかし、それでも自分の個人的解釈では、宗教はあくまで『教え』であり『教訓』だと思っている。
数々の困難を乗り越えた先輩達が経験から培った知恵を、自分たち後輩がどう噛み砕き、未来に繋げるか。

愚者は経験から学び、智者は歴史から学ぶというが、個人的には経験と歴史の両方から学びたいと思う。
たとえ飛行機に乗り遅れようと(苦笑)、そこを意味ある時間に過ごす、ということも時には重要だし、先述した本などから歴史を知り、現在の状況を知り、どの様な未来を自分が作っていくか…。

This trip deeply implanted in me the awareness of Islam and made me deeply aware that there are many people scattered all over the earth who believe in the religion, including its ideology (said to be more than 1/3 of the total population).
I believe that the musical experience is at the same time an access to human activity, in other words, to human beings themselves and their hearts.
Religion has more to do with that heart-connected life than Japanese people today realize.
It is true that many people, like the cab driver who appeared in the first part of this article, suffer from the curse of religion.
However, my personal interpretation of religion is that it is only a “teaching” and a “lesson.
How can we, the younger generation, take the wisdom that our seniors, who have overcome many difficulties, have cultivated through their experiences, and apply it to the future?
It is said that fools learn from experience and the wise learn from history, but personally, I would like to learn from both experience and history.
Even if you miss the plane lol It is sometimes important to spend meaningful time there, and learning about history from the aforementioned books and other sources, learning about the current situation, and what kind of future you are going to create…

彼らともサラームアレイクムと挨拶を交わし、再会を誓う。
そしてまだ旅は続く。


I greet them with salaam aleikum and vow to see them again.
And the journey still continues.




画像に alt 属性が指定されていません。ファイル名: JUZU-アー写0708.jpg

J.A.K.A.M. (JUZU a.k.a. MOOCHY / NXS /CROSSPOINT)
http://www.nxs.jp/
soundcloud / Bandcamp / Twitter / Facebook


Born in Tokyo, he started playing in bands and DJing at the same time when he was 15. As a DJ, his innovative and original style has taken the world by storm, and his activities have quickly expanded from huge festivals to underground parties both in Japan and abroad. In 2003, he went on a recording tour with local musicians in Cuba. In 2003, he went on a recording tour with local musicians in Cuba, and since then he has been recording all over the world, and started his own label, Crosspoint, as a new guideline for world music.
In addition to music production, he also produces video works, picture books and art books, and organized the outdoor festival “Jomon and Rebirth” in 2012. In 2017, he released HIGHTIME Inc. with DJ Tasaka, and in 2018, he released ZERO with MACKA-CHIN of NitroMicrophoneUnderground and MaL of PART2 STYLE. In 2018, he also started the unit ZEN RYDAZ with MACKA-CHIN of NitroMicrophoneUnderground and MaL of PART2STYLE.
In the same year, his music under the name of J.A.K.A.M. was released in analog form on the French label HardFist, which led to a live performance at the huge 30,000-person Nuits Sonores Festival, followed by a DJ tour of Europe and Israel. In 2019, the production of MYSTICS, a unit with Marcus Henriksson and Kuniyuki of the internationally popular Minilogue/Son Kite, began, and this year, 2021, the long-awaited album will be released. His original vision is spreading all over the world, crossing all genres.
He has been behind the decks at home and abroad with:
Acid Arab (FR) / Adam Ffreeland (UK) / Alex Patterson (The Orb, UK) Andy Baz (Background Records, Germany) / Asaf Sammuel (islael) / Dego (4Hero, UK) / Fabio (UK) / Francois K (NY) / Fred P(NY) / Foolish Felix (UK) / Grooverider (UK) / I.G.Culture (People, UK) / Jeff Mills (Chicago) / Joe Claussell (NY) Nick the Record (UK) / Moodyman (Detroit) / Panasea (Germany) PHOTEK (UK) / Storm(MetalHeadz, UK) / Suv (Fullcycle, UK) / Q-Bert & Inbisibl Skratch Piklz, Mix Master Mike with D-Styles, Yogafrog and Shortcut (US) / Theo Parrish(Detroit) / Terre Thaemlitz (US/JPN) / Tom Wieland (Vienna) /DJ KRUSH (JP) / Flying Lotus(US)/ / Boredoms (JP) / FAUST (Germany) / Dennis Bovell(UK) / Dillinger Escape Plan (NY) / Juno Reacter (UK) /Lee Perry (Jamaica) / LKJ (UK) / Lake Trout (US) / Mad Proffesor (UK) / Mala (UK) / Marcus Henriksson(SW) / Meat Beat Manifesto (UK) / Merzbow , MMW (US)/ Yakaza Ensemble(Turkey) etc. His style keeps evolving and defies categorization.



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