I Definition
This term is used in dialectal Arabic to qualify clandestine people, literally, 'harragas' means the « burners » or "those who burn their papers" to pass the frontiers.
This trio formed in 2007 is composed of Abd El Haq (vocals, lyrics), Franco Mannara (guitars and effects), Franck Vaillant (drums) and deliver an almost one-hour long set of pieces possibly defined as « musical short films ».
II Repertoire and thematics
Indeed, each track has got its own time, place and character unit. Characters sharing the common aspect of never being at the right place. Most of the time, the lyrics insist on the theme of exclusion with using the figure of the stranger/the exiled.
« the stranger/the exiled at home » voluntarily or not, the repertoire of Harragas offers different illustrations of it namely in « Bon Voyage », « Charlie », « Entre les murs », « Kader » and « Futur ligne continue »
III The music of Harragas.
Franck Vaillant on drums and Franco Mannara on guitar not only « play along » the sequences. By alternating compositions and improvisations, they settle a game of questions-answers. A rough energy is provided by this duo where the purpose is clearly not to « play all the time at all cost ». The music of Harragas is both exigent, simple and beyond any will of demonstration.
IV Recording (13-19 June 2008 in Marrakesh).
One year after its creation, the trio decide to record their début record following 2 ideas : keep a « live » spirit to it, go beyond the French boundaries. This is why they chose to record their sequences with « mobile » material, as minimal as efficient : a set of microphones, a sound recording software.
But most of all, to remain faithful to the theme of the « frontiers burners » they decide to produce this first record in Morocco - homeland of Abd El Haq. As a logical return trip between France and Morocco, the trio takes the reverse way of the Harragas as a coming back to the roots to better understand this contrasted identity (not quite from here, not from there any more). A double belonging synonym of both richness and suffering.
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