Word: beldjoudi
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...Public attention and media treatment of Aulnay is always so dark and dismal that residents feel even more slighted and shunned than inhabitants of similar suburbs usually do," says Mohamed Beldjoudi, the town official responsible for cultural events, who was central to the making of the CD. "People feel like this Grammy nomination is finally a chance for Aulnay to be appreciated for its positive points. Even old ladies who don't care about blues are telling me 'This is just so wonderful...
...previously been won by the likes of B.B. King, Etta James, Eric Clapton and John Lee Hooker? It's in part due to the town's efforts to move beyond the violence of 2005 and find a different focus and identity for its inhabitants. One manner of doing that, Beldjoudi says, was to delve into and highlight the different cultural and artistic influences that generations of immigrants had brought to Aulnay over the years. (See a TIME video on the Musical Show Grammy nominees...
...Initially, this involved showcasing traditional African music. But very quickly, Beldjoudi and his partners latched onto another idea: holding an annual blues festival to demonstrate how the uniquely American art form shares the same African roots as the types of music popular with Aulnay immigrants and their French-born children. After its maiden edition in 2007, the Aulnay All Blues festival became a major event, attracting some of the biggest American names in blues. Last year's event proved to be so popular, Aulnay decided to team up with blues producer Larry Skoller's France-based label Raisin' Music...
...just a humble little French town looking forward to a big evening in Los Angeles next month, but without any expectations," says Beldjoudi. "We're just hoping our association with this project will finally change the way people view the city and people of Aulnay." An image boost is a near given if Chicago Blues: A Living History wins its category (the town is up against Elliot Ramblin' Jack, the Mick Fleetwood Blues Band, John Hammond and Duke Robillard). But a Grammy probably won't turn the CD into a money-maker - even though it's been nominated...
...Beldjoudi says commercial success is secondary anyway. Aulnay's blues festival and the Grammy nod have already changed the way the city sees itself. Now, there's a possibility the rest of France will follow suit, transforming Aulnay's image in the public mind from the fiery, chaotic one that was formed four years...
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