By Anver Versi

A passion for creativity

Unlike many African countries, Tunisia does not consider culture either an unimportant luxury, or simply a means of attracting the tourist dollar. Culture forms the very basis of life and progress. In 1988, President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali stated unequivocally: “The culture we hope to see among our people is one that will enable them to advance in civilisation, occupy their rightful place among the nations and contribute to enriching humanity’s potential.”

This commitment to supporting the nation’s cultural values has been matched by vigorous policies and outlays of resources. From 1992 onwards, the state has undertaken a number of vitally significant projects. These include setting up institutions such as the Centre for Arab and Mediterranean Music, the National Record Library, the National Dance Centre, the National Ballet and the National Centre for Artistic Ceramics. There are centres for poets, writers, actors, artists, playwrights and film-makers. New laws were enacted to protect intellectual property rights for writers, musicians and other artists. The National Library has been reorganised and the public library system, containing over three million volumes, has been greatly extended.

For most of its history, particularly after the advent of Islam, Tunisia was at the centre of intellectual and creative pursuits. Standing prominently on Avenue Bourguiba is the statue of one of the world’s greatest thinkers, travellers and writers, Ibn Khaldun. He stands holding his priceless Muqadimma, one of the most profound treaties on political and social theory. His concepts on the rise and fall of civilisations and the structure of government are acquiring ever greater relevance in today’s world.

The Tunisian passion for ideas, philosophical discussion, poetry and music has made this North African country the current cultural leader in the Arab world. Every year sees dozens of international artistic festivals, conferences and seminars.

The state encourages creativity in all forms. There are valuable awards and prizes for outstanding achievements in film, literature and painting. Publishers receive subsidies to encourage a greater output of quality work. The result is that the quality of Tunisian artistic output, from books to films to CDs is easily the highest in Africa.

Music is perhaps the most significant form of creative expression in the Arab world. It serves as a unifying bond for the ordinary people of the Maghreb and the Gulf states. Tunisia is rapidly acquiring the reputation as a ‘conservatory’ of Arabic music. Here you will hear the old, emotion-wrenching melodies of incomparable artists such as Egypt’s Umm Khaltoum, Mohammed Abdelwahab and Farid El Atrach; the Lebanese Fayruz, Abdul Halim Hafez and Najet Es Saghira. Pop culture is well represented with Algerian Rai masters such as Cheb Khaled and Cheb Mami and Iraqi singers such as Kadham Saher.

There is a distinguished tradition of urban classical music in Tunisia called Malouf. This is gaining in popularity around the Arab world and producing its own stars. Sonia M’Barek, who has performed at several international concerts including one for the United Nations, is considered the current diva of the style. Others include Sofia Sadok and Amina Fakhet. Their sell-out concerts are attended by thousands.

The state is deeply involved in the preservation and development of this musical tradition. The diverse forms of Malouf are being seriously studied and a nine volume CD compilation of the music has been released.

Although Egypt remains the Afro-Arab world’s largest producer of films, Tunisian cinema is head and shoulders above others in terms of quality and thematic diversity. Tunisian films, with their high artistic content not only regularly win awards at major international festivals, they are highly popular at home.

As a result of the hard work, planning and expenditure devoted to culture over the years, Tunisia’s unique cultural identity is becoming ever stronger as it moves inexorably into the European social and economic ambit. As a consequence, the Tunisian, safe in his or her cultural environment, can face whatever the future holds with ease and confidence.

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