The idea allured at once the Kabylian bard who imagined the concept of an album dealing with the idea of France of all colors, while at the same time the political debate has not yet begun around the concept of the French identity promoted to the row of a ministry.

Idir set himself to work by constituting a casting of the first rate, which goes from “Large Sick Body” alias Fabien, to Pascal Obispo, passing by Nadiya, Disiz La Peste, Tryo, Sinik, Féfé and Leeroy, among the others, to whom will be added the “heavy ones” such as Yannick Noah, Zinedine Zidane – Idir’s best friend - and Thierry Henry.

Released on June 4, “Idir - France of colors” is already ranked 18th of the top-album established on the first 100 sales. Here it is thus promoted very early to the gold disc (…) To celebrate this release, Berber TV, the Community channel in Tamazight, invited the journalists to a press conference which was held in its buildings in Montreuil, close to Paris. Questioned at start on the concept of French identity, Idir – officially Hamid Cheriet - specifies that in his opinion, that identity is not a fixed or rooted concept, and that it has to evolve in time, to be even reconsidered. France of mixtures and crossbreeding is, for him, a sociological fact. He even adds about Europe stammering in its construction, that it is already a reality at the level of music. “The ideologies”, he said, “come to life and die… whereas a good song is always there”. He insisted on the African community often held in low esteem in its contributions. ‘Tarwa izgan di ṭlam’, he sings in this album (your descent remained in darkness). “France of colors will defend the colors of France” proclaims the refrain of the main song. At a question concerning his relationship with Algeria, he affirms with force: “I am of Algerian nationality! Admittedly, I was born French, but the History made me Algerian. Thus I remain very close to my country”.

Back to France of colors, he points out that the French identity in itself does not exist“Only the Nation does exist, and which gathers people who come from different backgrounds and who have the values of the Republic in common!”And when Algeria of colors? “I have always thought that Algeria is one and indivisible. But I fit rather in Algeria of requirement and claim”. He recalled by the way the paradox of the 1960’s, when Algeria was the firmest support for the liberation movements in the Third World, while on the national scene, the Berber culture was persecuted“. My mother did not recognize herself in her own country. The last straw! Therefore, though I did not make a vocation of it, I became artist and singer to tell this culture that some clans did not want to see developing”. “I am Berber in identity”, he added, “I can prove it sociologically and historically. It’s up to the others to define themselves if at all they are able to”. He said on this subject that, for him, an Arab was an inhabitant of Arabia. Concerning his non-coming to Algeria to hold a concert, he evoked attempts fallen through for technical reasons, the fact also that he was offered to take part within the framework of Algiers, capital of the Arab culture (what he refused in ideological terms) and the fact also that he nourishes apprehensions with regard to a new public that he says he very badly knows in terms of practices and expectations. While listening to the album, one may be stunned by the manner with which all the intervening artists - including Idir, though he was the federator of the project - knew to fade away in front of the force of this concept “France of all colors”. “I come from that country where people love me” says with talent one of the tracks of this rich album which will count in the permanently relevant and coherent career of an artist, that Zidane said one day he liked, as much as the man who incarnates it…

Written by: Mouloud Mimoun
Source: El-Watan – June 27, 2007
Translation: D.Messaoudi