- Title: TUNISIA: Tunisian orchestra pays tribute to Carthaginian general Hannibal Barca
- Date: 16th July 2009
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) COMPOSER OF THE HANNIBAL SYMPHONY, JALOUL AYED, SAYING: "There have been many books, maybe hundreds, thousands of books written about Hannibal, but this is the first time a symphony composes music about him. I hope that this show represents the scope of Tunisian heritage and civilisation."
- Embargoed: 31st July 2009 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Tunisia
- Country: Tunisia
- Topics: Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA6BHWCVQ88F70JUI0ZXRPRXFOQ
- Story Text: The historical Tunisian city of Carthage hosts a symphony orchestra as a tribute to the Carthaginian general, Hannibal Barca.
Carthaginian military commander Hannibal Barca is honoured by the Tunisian Symphony Orchestra on Tuesday (July 14) at the International Festival of Carthage.
Playing in Carthage, a coastal area of the capital Tunis, the orchestra, together with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Morocco, performed The Hannibal Symphony to a captivated audience seated in an outdoor amphitheatre.
Known by many as a military strategist who is said to have challenged Rome between 234 to 146 BC, Hannibal Barca's tactics have gone down in history through literature and more recently through film too.
"There have been many books, maybe hundreds, thousands of books written about Hannibal, but this is the first time a symphony composes music about him," said composer of the Hannibal Symphony Jaloul Ayed.
"I hope that this show represents the scope of Tunisian heritage and civilisation," he continued.
The symphony took four years to compose and was performed for the first time in Morocco in February this year.
In an interview with Reuters Television, a member of the orchestra explained that the symphony has two threads running through it.
"This show is comprised partly of a western style of written music, known as Polyphony, but the music's origins and style are more Arab and North African in thought and spirit," said musician Nawfal Beniissa.
Unfortunately, when it comes to such events and cultural exchanges between countries, a lack of funding and finance plays a hindering role in the development of the craft.
"The problem is fundamentally one of funding because to bring an orchestra from Morocco to Tunisia or from Tunisia to Morocco - approximately 70 or 80 or 100 musicians -requires significant financing and unfortunately the ministry of culture's budget is limited," said Yassine Matjinouche, manager of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Morocco.
The Tunisian Symphony Orchestra was established in 1969 and the Philharmonic Orchestra of Morocco in 1996. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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