Tunisia's Carthage Music Days puts its faith in the local scene

The Carthage Music Festival has regained its place in the cultural life of the Tunisian capital with its eleventh edition, following a hiatus of nearly two years.

The festival’s audience, made up mainly of young people, got to see their favourite artists perform.

On stage at the Théâtre de l’Opéra, the Tunisian rapper VIPA along with 20 musicians performed songs from his latest album, “OBOS” in front of a packed 1,800-seat auditorium.

“’One Band One Sound’ is a collective album, a group project where we were missing one member from the line-up, the audience,” said Kaïs Kekli, alias VIPA.

And the audience turned up for the show.

On a different stage, Tunisian band Saharage performed its blend of heavy metal and traditional North African sounds.

Its bassist and lead singer, Zaher Ben Abdallah, said the group has just unveiled its “Apex Africa” show, a project that blends distorted guitars with African sounds.

“Through our songs, we tell the story of a somewhat imaginary, apocalyptic future in which there has been a step backwards, whilst at the same time being technologically advanced,” said Abdallah.

“The so-called Saharage tribe is holding out, returning to Voodoo beliefs and all things traditional. The story tells of the journey of this particular tribe as it fights off all invaders.”

Another highlight of the festival was “Back To My Roots” by singer, dancer, and actress Molka Aouij.

Known to the general public for her roles in television series, she is the daughter of the Tunisian diva Amina Fakhet.

Her show blends Arabic music, electronic and pop, with dance and a visual narrative.

“My inspiration comes mainly from Tunisia, from our roots. I’ve tried to showcase and really highlight our artists, our potential, and our outstanding performers,” she said.

Fifteen countries and 26 groups selected from 378 applications, with at least 60 per cent of the artists being Tunisian.

The eleventh edition of the festival put its faith in the local music scene.