Le Chant des Africains
Encyclopedia
"Le Chant des Africains" (The Song of the Africans) is the unofficial anthem of the Pied-noir
community in France
and her former colonies in Africa
.
goumier
regiment disbanded after suffering severe losses in Meaux
, northeast of Paris
. The song became popular among the soldiery as well as civilians, but was not set to music until 1918 by Félix Boyer, bandmaster
of the Algerian Garrison.
. Also changed were references to location, as most singers had returned to the colonies. Ironically, this situation has again reversed itself in the meantime. This 1943 version was dedicated to Lt.Col. van Hecke's :fr:7e régiment de chasseurs d'Afrique who fought the 1944-45 Italian, French and German Allied military campaigns.
of French Algeria against its independence supported by president Charles de Gaulle
. Because of that the song was forbidden from the French military until its was authorized again, decades later.
Pied-noir
Pied-Noir , plural Pieds-Noirs, pronounced , is a term referring to French citizens of various origins who lived in French Algeria before independence....
community in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and her former colonies in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
.
World War I
Originally written in 1914 by a Sergeant-Major Bendifallah and companyman Marizot, Le Chant des Africains is a testimony to the bravery of a MoroccanMorocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
goumier
Goumier
Moroccan Goumiers were soldiers who served in auxiliary units attached to the French Army of Africa, between 1908 and 1956. The term Goumier was also occasionally used to designate native soldiers in the French army of the French Sudan and Upper Volta during the colonial era.-Description:The word...
regiment disbanded after suffering severe losses in Meaux
Meaux
Meaux is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located east-northeast from the center of Paris. Meaux is a sub-prefecture of the department and the seat of an arondissement...
, northeast of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. The song became popular among the soldiery as well as civilians, but was not set to music until 1918 by Félix Boyer, bandmaster
Bandmaster
A bandmaster is the leader and conductor of a band, usually a military band, brass band or a marching band.-British Armed Forces:In the British Armed Forces, a Bandmaster is always a Warrant Officer Class 1 . A commissioned officer who leads a band is known as the Director of Music...
of the Algerian Garrison.
World War II
The lyrics were modified in 1943 to include all Africans who identified as Frenchmen or Pieds-noirs, especially those from the Arab worldArab world
The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...
. Also changed were references to location, as most singers had returned to the colonies. Ironically, this situation has again reversed itself in the meantime. This 1943 version was dedicated to Lt.Col. van Hecke's :fr:7e régiment de chasseurs d'Afrique who fought the 1944-45 Italian, French and German Allied military campaigns.
Algerian War
The song was reportedly being used by the Europeans supporting the status quoStatus quo
Statu quo, a commonly used form of the original Latin "statu quo" – literally "the state in which" – is a Latin term meaning the current or existing state of affairs. To maintain the status quo is to keep the things the way they presently are...
of French Algeria against its independence supported by president Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
. Because of that the song was forbidden from the French military until its was authorized again, decades later.
Today
Le Chant des Africains remains today an adopted symbol of identity for the Pied-noir community.Lyrics
Below are the lyrics of the first stanza and refrain of the 1914 and 1944 versions.External links
- FCNV.com - Le Chant des Africains lyrics and music
- Anciens Combattants d'Algérie article with both versions of Le Chant des Africains (in French)
- Blog article about the song's pertinence today (in French)