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Committed to the cultural field, the journalist, music critic and entrepreneur Leila Assas campaigns, head-on, for better recognition of the actors and actresses of the material and intangible heritage of the oases, in Algeria and across the African continent. Meeting with a woman of conviction, strong in her roots in the field, who, on the occasion of the 10th edition of the National Festival of Women’s Creation, pleads for the revisiting of narratives and practices around the cultures of the Deep South.
The Young Independent: First of all, I would like you to introduce yourself to our readers.
Leila Assas : I am a journalist, cultural columnist, specialized in music, and entrepreneur, based in Algiers. By the way, I started my career as an editor in 2014 in the Saharan region of Ath Ali, an oasis located seventy kilometers from Timimoun. It was there, in the heart of Gourara, that I saw the birth of my vocation for cultural journalism, it seems to me, inspired by the richness and vitality of the local heritage. Since then, I have collaborated with several national and international media such as No’ocultures, Clam Mag, Pan African Music and more recently Music In Africa Foundation. At the end of 2019, I left Timimoun and teaching – because I also taught primary school, at the same time – to join the Algerian Center for Social Entrepreneurship (ACSE) as part of the Orange Corners program (Netherlands). All in all, it is in this context that Ziara Culture was born, which is a pan-African cultural engineering agency with social impact, dedicated to the promotion of the tangible and intangible heritage of African oases.
You are a partner of this edition of the Festival of Women’s Creation. What is your view on this event?
I am very happy to participate as a partner. I thank the organizers for their trust. The idea was to use my expertise and my network of artists to promote the mobility and discoverability of cultural actresses from the South. I emphasize this word “discoverability”. In this sense, it is about allowing these actresses to be seen, publicized, and, ultimately, recognized. I will, moreover, lead a masterclass on cultural entrepreneurship and digitalization, and participate in a panel devoted to cultural journalism in the service of Saharan cultures, during this event.
In this regard, during the press conference dedicated to this Festival, you hammered home the idea of “getting out of folklore”. What exactly did you mean by that?
It’s an expression that annoys me! The very notion of folklore is already being called into question. “Getting out of folklore” means, in my opinion, stopping reducing artists from the South to figures who are called at the last minute to create atmosphere during an official event. We too often have this bad habit: “the minister is coming, bring a folkloric troupe to the airport”. These women sometimes wait for hours under the blazing sun, without even being named. We would never treat already acclaimed artists, like Cheb Khaled or Lila Borsali, in this way! They are considered true professionals, while women from the South are too often reduced to simple folklore. We must name these artists, recognize their work, their singularity, their professionalism. They are not extras. They are cultural actors in their own right, guardians of a living heritage.
Taking this point of view into account, could you explain in more detail the type of media treatment you advocate?
I will address this in my panel on cultural journalism and Saharan cultures. It’s time to change the narrative. It is not enough to say that “the Sahara is beautiful” or that “it is magnificent”, without ever delving into the meaning. The problem, in my eyes, often comes from the choice of words, the angle and the gaze. Some media go so far as to broadcast images of people without asking permission. This is a blatant lack of ethics! Taking the time to know the person photographed, to identify them, is already a form of reparation. Journalists should, moreover, treat traditional artists, men or women, with more humanity and respect. Too often, I repeat, they are presented as folkloric curiosities frozen in the past, rather than as living creators who are evolving their art. An ethical approach would mean truly giving them a voice, understanding the cultural and spiritual context of their work, and addressing their real challenges: precariousness, the transmission of know-how, competition from industrial production. We need to stop talking about them and start talking with them. These artists are keepers of living traditions and experts in their practice. They deserve to have their contemporary value recognized, not to be locked into exotic nostalgia.
In your opinion, what are, in general, the major issues facing women’s creation in the current context?
Among the major challenges, there is the protection of intellectual property and image rights. Many artists present their works without fully understanding the risks they run: plagiarism, lack of image rights, etc. We must strengthen training and awareness of these issues. These women must also be able to make a living from their art, not just practice it out of passion. Feminine creation must be respected and protected.
Digital changes everything. These days, thanks to social networks, artists can compare themselves, gauge each other, inspire each other, showcase themselves. But we must support them, help them to communicate effectively, to manage their image and their rights. This is one of the major axes of Ziara Culture. Digitalization must be a protective factor, not a source of vulnerability.
How do you imagine the future of female creation from the South in Algeria, in particular?
I am optimistic. We are on the right track, because more and more women are standing up, speaking out and claiming their place. But for this to improve significantly, we must change the institutional and media outlook. Giving a name, a face and a voice to each artist is already an act of capital importance. And that is precisely what I am demanding.
What would you say to a young woman from the South who wants to get started?
I would tell him to overcome geographical isolation and refuse any invisibility. It must be fully affirmed through the “I”, because when the “I” flourishes, the “we” is automatically strengthened. By valuing her “I”, she will, of course, be able to better carry her colors, her cultures, her resonances and an entire heritage. This is why, in my panels, I highlight Saharan culture in the plural, favoring precision and avoiding generic or opaque words.