CULTURE
SENEGAL – Mimo Dia Leydimen dribbles between the truths and lies of “Koolaado”
There are books that, by the force of the subjects discussed, mark you with warm iron. Each of your nervous endings takes a blow. Koolaado is one of these books. A true pandoresque liner, a mixture of disappointed hopes and broken dreams. Loaded to crack, from the hold to the ‘tween deck, his human cargo is a digest of despair. Between naked truth and white lie, author Mimo Dia Leydimen has opened a vein and found the strength to unroll lines of blood with everything he had in his gut. This work reminds me of a phrase of my mother: her heart opened in her belly, to say that he put in this book all the suffering of the expatriate. And why not? As much as we call “expats” white people who emigrate to Africa, we can also call black people who have emigrated to Europe. Simple reciprocity.
Writer, activist, political activist and Pan-Africanist
Mimo Dia Leydimen is one of those young people who do not hesitate to shout their discontent in the face of the stranglehold of international powers over African economies and emancipation. He is part of that African youth who no longer wants to be a slave to people. In his positions and in his books he delivers “the grandiose spectacle of a real revolution, of a social transformation” that shake a Africa desolate and still plagued by colonization. Mimo Dia Leydimen is a young person… so many things at once, that one hesitates to jump into the list. A young man like him, who has so many strings to his bow, it’s rare to find one. He is a writer, activist and political activist, a convinced Pan-Africanist, a fervent opponent of international organizations, a critic of the WHO and committed on the monetary front to an exit of the CFA franc, he wants to defend the sovereignty of Africa. After two fine works, “L’Afrique humiliée, l’enfer de la vérité” and “Nos larmes noires”, he returns in less than a year with a work that will make people talk about her: “Koolaado – Entre vérités et mensonges”.
“Koolaado – Between truths and lies”
Her father was soon orphaned – her father, a former Senegalese rifleman, was assassinated in a war between Senegal and Mauritania -, “Koolaado” in the absence of paternal authority was torn from her mother. He joins his aunt Halimata, on the paternal side, in Tabacounda. He drops out of school, sinks into delinquency and ends up in prison. Back in the village, in Boundou, he switched to transportation. It worked for him. After escaping sharia (amputation of hands), he emigrates clandestinely in France to his uncle. There, he is put on the street. Rebelote. He sinks into drugs. When he learns of his mother’s death! The news stuns him so much that he finds his mind again. Thanks to his friend Catherine, he finds work under a false name. When the pot of roses is discovered, he is expelled from France. Catherine is four months pregnant.
The author paints a picture of the bankruptcy of Senegalese society on every level; a society that spends its time ruminating on the old secular traditions: Senegal is a country of caste, marital irresponsibility and exacerbated submission to a retrograde way of life. He also talks about immigration. This book is also the desperate attempt of a man who is trying to give colour to his life. Young people who give up everything to go to sea at their own risk. And, who, when he arrives at Europe (the slap!), the latter has nothing of this Eldorado so much dreamed of. Something quite rare in African literature, the author addresses the theme of climate.
I loved the message behind this work. A message that can be summed up in these words: “There is only the promised land that saw us born. Africa has nothing to envy to the West. It should be the opposite.” This new discourse takes on the old narratives: The grass in the neighbor is always greener. Oh no! The lives of migrants, who most often work under the table, are not at all jojo. This book gives the reasons – in the smallest detail – that force some people into exile and they are multiple. These include financial necessity and various forms of persecution. Usually, people immigrate to escape some discomfort at home. One goes to the other in the hope of finding under a more merciful sky: refuge, rest, peace. This triptych is in short the main thread of this work. Mimo Dia Leydimen confides to her book her truths, her fears, her lies, her fears, her hopes.
CINEMA
BURKINA FASO – Culture and tourism: The 4th edition of Tunnel honors the builders of the shadow
Koudougou, May 31, 2025 (AIB) – The 4th edition of Tunnel, a ceremony for distinguishing cultural and tourist actors in the Central-West region, was held in Koudougou on Saturday, noted the AIB on site.
This annual event, initiated by Adama Badiel, aims to create, according to him, a platform of visibility and support for artists and tourism professionals to allow them to establish themselves on national and international scenes.
The promoter Adama Badiel stressed the importance of this edition, placed under the sign of collaboration, recognition and collective construction. He recalled the fundamental objective of the Tunnel: “to highlight the cultural and tourist talents of the Center-West, these women and men who, often without spotlight or support, nourish our region with their passion, creativity, and determination.”
This year, the event paid a special tribute to its partners, whose support is deemed indispensable. Among the officials present were Jean Noël Bonkoungou, representing the minister of culture, patron of the ceremony, El Hadj Inoussa Bagué, president of the Patronat du Centre-Ouest, Franck Alain Kaboré, CEO of Cinéma Neerwaya, and Ali Bonkoungou, CEO of Salsabil Bâtiment, testifying to the commitment of the private and public sectors.
Despite a slight reduction to five categories in competition this year, due to a limited number of album releases and works meeting the criteria, Adama Badiel ensured that the “Golden Tunnel” category will evolve from next year to expand opportunities while maintaining the quality requirement.
The promoter also launched a call for goodwill because, “we need you to build a true ecosystem where art, heritage, tourism and youth can express themselves, thrive and inspire.” This heartfelt plea highlights the major challenge of the lack of resources to fully support the laureates and optimize their visibility.
Several emblematic figures of Burkinabe cinema, such as Eugène Bayala (Oyou), Sawadogo Alidou (head of the Village of Kikideni), and Rasmané Ouédraogo (Razo), have already been honored in previous editions.
This year, the winners on the artistic side include Mr. Baraka, Tasha, Yololo Junior, and KSB 80.
In the cultural and tourist field, personalities like El Hadj Inoussa Bagué, Franck Alain Kaboré, Rasmané Ouédraogo, Boubacar Berewoudougou (Hôtel Pousga), Catherine Zoma (ISMK), and Salfo Dermé were distinguished, in addition to tributes paid to ancient glories of Burkinabe music such as Pasteur Moussa Josué.
Adama Badiel concluded by stating that “the Tunnel is not a one-time event. It is a movement, an ambition, a bridge between what we are and what we can become. A strong message for the future of culture and tourism in the Center-West.
The boss’s representative, Jean Noël Bonkoungou, reassured the promoter of Tunnel of the support of the ministry.
Source: Information Agency of Burkina
Photo credit: Information Agency of Burkina
See on the platforms the legendary Senegalese hip-hop group Daara J Family. On May 30, 2025, the band returns with “COSAAN”, a committed single that resonates, with its morning mbalax melodies and gentle flows, as an essential reminder: never forget where you come from. The single has over 80,000 views and 900 comments on YouTube.
“Fan nga cosaanoo?” – Where are your roots?
This question in wolof, almost a supplication, serves as the thread to the new title of Daara J Family. NAACP literally means “origin” or “heritage”. With this single, the iconic duo formed by Faada Freddy and Ndongo D delivers a work that is at once poetic, political and deeply rooted in history, especially that of Senegal. It is also a call to African youth not to forget their origins. And above all to enhance its cultural heritage by walking with pride in the footsteps of the ancients.
Cosaan, between mbalax and rap
Formed in 1994, while still in high school, the members of Daara J Family never gave up their musical identity. Indeed, they have always mixed sharp words, spirituality and pan-African consciousness. In “COSAAN”, they revisit this tradition that is dear to them. In this song, there are traditional sounds (mbalax) and contemporary hip-hop textures, echoing their long-standing belief: rap was born in Africa, traveled, then came back. The refrain, translated into French, is unequivocal: “Le monde et ce qu’il contient / Si tu vas là et que tu l’obtiens / N’oublie pas, n’oublie pas / This is where your origin lies!” A direct appeal to African youth not to give in to cultural amnesia and to keep the memory of ancestors and African identity alive.
When history inhabits the word
Faada Freddy, with his recognizable soul voice among a thousand, hums: “We know where we come from/ What worries us is where we are going…” This lucid concern can only be tempered by an unwavering faith in the values of the elders. Ndongo D, adds in a quick flow: “If you forget yesterday, tomorrow you will be lost (…) You were born here, you come from here, you live here.” It is an anchor cry, a response to uprooting, a warning against forgetting.
Daara J Family: Making sense of the flow
From their first eponymous album in 1998 to Boomerang in 2003 — hailed as one of the best hip-hop albums of the century by The Observer — to Yaamatele in 2020, Daara J Family have always been able to combine the art of flow with that of meaning. Their commitment goes beyond words. They shared the stage with icons such as Public Enemy or Mos Def, and travelled through festivals from Africa to Europe, from WOMAD to Live 8.
COSAAN: a single dedicated to transmission
More than a return, COSAAN is a transmission. It is a manifesto. That of a knowledge, a duty to remember, a pride. At a time when markers are shifting, when crops are being diluted. In an era marked by migration, globalization and multiple influences, Daara J Family reminds us that identity is a foundation, not a burden. That heritage is not nostalgia, but a compass. And they offer a musical compass and identity with this single: Cosaan!
The monumental works depicting the battle of Little Big Horn, exhibited on the Pont des Arts in Paris in 1999, made the Senegalese artist famous. The installation has just joined the fortress in the Hautes-Alpes for at least ten years.
Muscled warriors meld, horse bumping. Sounds of the fury of battle are heard. Under the impressive curvilinear wooden frame of the old Rochambeau barracks, at the fort of Mont-Dauphin (Hautes-Alpes), is played the battle of Little Big Horn, opposing, in 1876, a coalition of Cheyennes, Sioux and Arapaho to the soldiers of General Custer’s regiment.
In thirty-five monumental sculptures, visible from 6 July, the Senegalese sculptor Ousmane Sow (1935-2016) celebrates the resounding victory of the fragile over the powerful. Deposited in this fortified village for a period of ten years renewable by his widow, the director Béatrice Soulé, this epic installation is well known to the Parisians who discovered it amazed, one day in March 1999, on the Pont des Arts.
The exhibition has remained in the annals with its record attendance – at least 3 million visitors in three months. «An unexpected success», recalls art critic Emmanuel Daydé, then deputy mayor for cultural affairs. For the former physiotherapist born in 1935 in Dakar, who later became an artist, it is consecration. But also, surprisingly, a swan song.
At the moment when Ousmane Sow gains international fame, the art world turns its back on him. Although he was the first African artist recognized in France, none of his successors, to whom he had paved the way, claimed it.
Mayor’s daughter supports her cause
It had all started well. In 1993, the Senegalese sculptor, who two years earlier had been on the cover of Revue noire – a quarterly magazine that revealed a number of African talents – was invited to the major five-year exhibition at Documenta in Kassel, Germany. In 1995, here he is at the Venice Biennale, which is to contemporary art what the Cannes Film Festival is to cinema. The autodidact dreams of an event in Paris.
By chance, he met Hélène Tiberi, daughter of the mayor at the time, Jean Tiberi. Who supports his cause at the City Hall. The location is easy: it will be the Pont des Arts, between the Louvre and the Academy of Fine Arts. It will take diplomatic treasures to convince these two institutions, who have not seen with a good eye the proximity of massive silhouettes imagined by an African artist.Archives «World»: Ousmane Sow questions Bordeaux and politicians
The neighbouring National School of Fine Arts, where figurative art was then taboo, is also pinching its nose. Money is missing. The Havas group had initially promised to contribute to the addition of 5 million francs (the equivalent of 1 million euros today), but its new CEO, Jean-Marie Messier, is sneaking out. Béatrice Soulé moves heaven and earth, finds sponsors and is personally indebted to the tune of 1 million francs. More here
Source: Le Monde
