美国国家公共电台 NPR 'I Used To Be A Dreamer': To Change The World, Souad Massi Starts With Herself

 

SOUAD MASSI: (Singing in Arabic).

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

For the past 20 years, Souad Massi has written provocative¹ songs challenging authority and weaving stories. She sings in Arabic, French and Berber, the languages of her native Algeria. In her 20s, Massi joined a political rock group, which was rare for women at the time. They eventually got in trouble with the government, so she left Algeria and settled in France. Souad Massi is currently² touring the U.S. She brought her guitar to the studio in Seattle, where we spoke³ with her. For some answers she switches into Arabic. She began by playing this song called "Raoui."

MASSI: (Singing in Arabic).

The title in English is "Storyteller." In this song, I ask the storyteller to tell me any story that it was in far time.

SHAPIRO: Long ago.

MASSI: Long ago just to forget my troubles, my sadness and my real life, just to fly away. This is the first song I wrote.

SHAPIRO: The first song you ever wrote. You were 17 years old.

MASSI: Yes.

SHAPIRO: Take us into the life of that 17-year-old.

MASSI: You want to know all my secrets?

SHAPIRO: Only the best ones.

MASSI: I have only the best.

(LAUGHTER)

MASSI: I was a very - (through interpreter) I used to be a dreamer. I wanted to change the world. I was so shy and reserved. I didn't have a strong personality. I didn't know how to talk to people. I was just so introverted.

SHAPIRO: You say you used to be a dreamer. You used to want to change the world.

MASSI: Yeah.

SHAPIRO: Does that mean you no longer feel that way?

MASSI: (Through interpreter) Honestly, it's very difficult now because look at our reality with everything that's happening in our world. But I try to do my part by making music not just for Arabs but for the entire world.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "LASTOU ADRI")

MASSI: (Singing in Arabic).

SHAPIRO: Your latest album called "Masters Of The Word," "El Mutakallimun"...

MASSI: "El Mutakallimun," yes.

SHAPIRO: ...You highlight the works of important Arab thinkers and poets stretching from the present day to the past. Why is this important to you?

MASSI: Because I was very sad to see and to hear what all the media show from the Muslim and Arabic world. We have very intelligent people who let a real gift for the humanity⁴. And I liked with my little job just to say to the people, don't forget that.

SHAPIRO: Tell us about one of the poets that you thought should not be forgotten.

MASSI: For example, I discover Ahmed Matar. He's from Iraq. And he spent all his time in prison because he support the democracy. And so he had a lot of trouble in his life.

SHAPIRO: He's alive today. This is a present-day poet.

MASSI: Yes. He lives now in England. And he's very, very old. And I discover him and his courage. And I take his text, his lyrics⁶, and I try to make music, to give a voice for his lyrics.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "AYNA")

MASSI: (Singing in Arabic).

SHAPIRO: The lyrics of the song are really powerful. It describes a leader arriving and saying, tell me your grievances⁷ with sincerity⁸ and frankness, and have no fear. So my friend Hassan spoke up and said, your excellency, where's the bread and where's the milk and the guaranteed housing? And the enlightened⁹ leader says, thank you for your honesty. You will be rewarded. And one year later, the leader returns and asks the same question. And then the lyric⁵ says, no one dared, so I said, where's the bread and where's the milk and the guaranteed housing? And pardon me, oh, excellency, where is my friend Hassan? The person who spoke up was disappeared.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "AYNA")

MASSI: (Singing in Arabic).

SHAPIRO: You could have chosen to write that song in a way that was mournful and sad, but instead it almost sounds funny, almost like a satire¹⁰.

MASSI: Yeah. It's common in the African culture because we can make a song really groovy. You say groovy?

SHAPIRO: Yeah, sure. Yeah.

MASSI: (Laughter) With rhythm very strong and the lyrics very sad. Yeah, it's common in the African culture.

(SOUNDBITE OF SOUAD MASSI SONG, "AYNA")

SHAPIRO: Is most of your audience in the United States people of Arab and North African descent¹¹, or is it a lot of white people? Is it everyone?

MASSI: It's mix of a lot of people. That make me happy. When I'm on stage and when I see people from different, you know, country and age are here, that make me happy.

SHAPIRO: It gives you hope that you can still change the world and dream the dreams that you dreamed when you were 17 years old.

MASSI: You know the very famous philosophe Jalaluddin al-Rumi?

SHAPIRO: Yeah.

MASSI: You know him?

SHAPIRO: Rumi, of course, yeah.

MASSI: Yes. So he said, when I was young, I thought I'm genius because I dreamed to change the world.

SHAPIRO: Yeah.

MASSI: And he say, now I'm intelligent because I'm going to change myself. So we have to begin from ourself to correct what is not good on us. And after that, we can help other people. And we can try - I say try because it's very hard - to change the world.

SHAPIRO: Will you perform something to take us out?

MASSI: Yeah, if you want.

SHAPIRO: Beautiful. What would you like to play for us?

MASSI: "Ghri Inta" - love song because we need love in this world.

SHAPIRO: Well, before you play, let me just say, Souad Massi, thank you so much for talking with us.

MASSI: Thank you very much.

(Singing in Arabic).

SHAPIRO: Souad Massi's most recent album is called "El Mutakallimun," or "Masters Of The Word." She is currently touring North America and spoke with us from the studios of KUOW in Seattle. She was accompanied by Mahti Delil (ph) on the mandola.

MASSI: (Singing in Arabic).

1 provocative   

adj.挑衅的，煽动的，刺激的，挑逗的

参考例句：

• She wore a very provocative dress.她穿了一件非常性感的裙子。
• His provocative words only fueled the argument further.他的挑衅性讲话只能使争论进一步激化。

2 currently   

adv.通常地，普遍地，当前

参考例句：

• Currently it is not possible to reconcile this conflicting evidence.当前还未有可能去解释这一矛盾的例证。
• Our contracts are currently under review.我们的合同正在复查。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 humanity   

n.人类，[总称]人(性)，人道[pl.]人文学科

参考例句：

• Such an act is a disgrace to humanity.这种行为是人类的耻辱。
• We should treat animals with humanity.我们应该以仁慈之心对待动物。

5 lyric   

n.抒情诗，歌词；adj.抒情的

参考例句：

• This is a good example of Shelley's lyric poetry.这首诗是雪莱抒情诗的范例。
• His earlier work announced a lyric talent of the first order.他的早期作品显露了一流的抒情才华。

6 lyrics   

n.歌词

参考例句：

• music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hart 由罗杰斯和哈特作词作曲
• The book contains lyrics and guitar tablatures for over 100 songs. 这本书有100多首歌的歌词和吉他奏法谱。

7 grievances   

n.委屈( grievance的名词复数 )；苦衷；不满；牢骚

参考例句：

• The trade union leader spoke about the grievances of the workers. 工会领袖述说工人们的苦情。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He gave air to his grievances. 他申诉了他的冤情。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 sincerity   

n.真诚，诚意；真实

参考例句：

• His sincerity added much more authority to the story.他的真诚更增加了故事的说服力。
• He tried hard to satisfy me of his sincerity.他竭力让我了解他的诚意。

9 enlightened   

a.开明的，有知识的

参考例句：

• The teacher's words made me at once become enlightened. 老师的一席话使我顿开茅塞。
• What she said enlightened all of us. 她一讲，大家心里都亮堂了。

10 satire   

n.讽刺，讽刺文学，讽刺作品

参考例句：

• The movie is a clever satire on the advertising industry.那部影片是关于广告业的一部巧妙的讽刺作品。
• Satire is often a form of protest against injustice.讽刺往往是一种对不公正的抗议形式。

11 descent   

n.下降，下倾，斜坡，坡道，血统，世系

参考例句：

• We watched anxiously during her descent from the tree.我们焦急地看着她从树上爬下来。
• Many Americans are of English descent.许多美国人的祖籍是英国。