Viviane Ndour Chidid's Retaan

Retaan is weaved into one piece of delightful music with a finely-crafted melody and a "supporting cast" of well-blended sounds. Isn't that the Kora one hears, for example? This is Senegal, stopped only by the Atlantic from being farther west for those of us who live in Central, Eastern and Southern Africa. Those of us, that is, who find here an even more westward taste of African sounds than we are already used to. Not that this is the first time, if you remember greats such as Youssou Ndour (ah, yes).

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In Viviane's dancing 'shoes' one detects influences from farther North of the continent, as well. And some Middle Eastern elements. And just faint traces of Arabian Nights. But she's a rebel of sorts, dressed, as we see in parts of the performance, in fading blue jeans (with 'modernist' slits above the knees), which curve with her very own curves and which are, shall we say, app....appealing -- even to many folks who wouldn't admit it.

Retaan is a delightful song, which gets (you) warmer and warmer as you go along. Listen keenly enough, too, and you'll detect traces of sounds that we in Central and Eastern Africa will attribute to art-spaces routinely associated with, yes, Central and Eastern. But Viviane's cadence certainly has cultural roots deeper to the North, and all the way to the Middle East even. She, both passionate and modest, blends all of this fabulously and lovingly. What a bright and charming 'day'! 
Click here for Viviane Chidid's Retaan Lyrics