Tuareg caravaner. They have been referred to historically as “the blue men” for their blue robes. Photo by Brent Stirton/National Geographic. http://www.brentstirton.com
Back in the early ’90s, Tom Russell recorded “Blood Oranges,” a dark, epic tale of a naive Westerner’s horrifying encounter with the Tuareg nomads of the North African desert. It’s a story Cormac McCarthy would appreciate — and probably does.
I told Tom over dinner back in 1996 that it is one of my favorites of his songs. He said he seldom performed it — too disturbing for most folks. I guess we know what that says about me. And Tom, for that matter. Russell was in West Africa during the Biafra War — an exceedingly ugly conflict with atrocity heaped upon atrocity. As he describes in another song, he had a machine gun pointed at his head on several occasions. As he explained it, “Blood Oranges” came out of the realization that many idealistic young Westerners have had a rude awakening after seeking out “noble savages” in the hinterlands of the world.
The Tuareg are badasses, not to be trifled with, as The Flatters Expedition of 1880-81 learned to its cost.
UPDATE: Tom posted Blood Oranges on Facebook January 29 with this note:
By request! I wrote this based loosely on Paul Bowles’ short story “A Distant Episode,” in which a linguist goes to the North African desert to study the lingo…it doesn’t end well for the chap. I would also suggest Lawrence Osbourne’s recent novel: “The Forgiven.” This one’s for Jim Cornelius and John Jackson…lovers of the macabre!
Here, forthwith, is “Blood Oranges”:
A Tuareg man poses with the sword handed to the Tuareg leader by the French after the Tuareg were finally defeated at the battle of Tit, photographed in the desert outside the Tuareg town of Djanet, on April 9, 2009. (Photo by Brent Stirton/National Geographic.) http://www.brentstirton.com
Wayne says
A powerful song reminiscent of Michael Rockefeller.
JimC says
That was not a familiar story to me. Thanks for that…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Rockefeller
A bad end…
Thom Eley says
I did my doctoral research in New Guinea where Michael Rockefeller disappeared. Some of the older folks remember him well. I talked to them about his disappearance and most think that he either drowned or a croc got him. There were plenty of BIG saltwater crocs around. No firearms, just machetes! I remember when he disappeared. I was in high school.
JimC says
Those crocs are killers.
Keith West says
Wow. Played it through twice. Do you happen to know if Tom’s song is based on an actual event?
JimC says
As I understand it, not specifically.
Lane Batot says
….I saw a documentary once about the Asmat that interviewed a feller who had participated in Rockefeller’s culinary demise–it seemed rather convincing to me…..Okay, here we go again, guys, another weird dog-connection I have with one of this blog’s posts. I acquired, many years ago, an Azawakh, the breed of dog developed kept by the Tuareg, who consider all other dogs “unclean’ since they are Muslim of course–most Muslim cultures have a dog type exception to all other dogs, to this general rule(why I personally could NEVER be Muslim! I am so unclean by decades of pack life now that I could never be scrubbed effectively!)–like the Arabs and their Salukis(of which I have also kept)–Salukis are not DOGS, but gifts from Allah to course the gazelle! Anyway, I have always believed when you acquire a dog-type developed by a distinct culture, that you experience something of the spirit of those people through their dogs–I TRULY believe that! And let me tell you, my Azawakh was Tuareg, through and through(his grandparents–his father even, were STILL WITH the Tuaregs when I acquired him, so no chance to have had Tuareg characteristics bred outta him!). TOTALLY distrustful(and aggressive!) to strangers, and you absolutely DID NOT order THIS dog about! Faithful to DEATH to a friend(which luckily, I happened to be! Or perhaps I was more the beloved servant!), but DEATH to all intruders! I had a pack of very well socialized wolf-dogs and huskies at the time, as well, which were all quite friendly with people visiting(as long as the people were friendly in return!), but NOT my Azawakh! He never trusted any other humans! Visitors would be leery of my wag-friendly wolf-dogs and huskies, and ignore the skinny greyhound-looking thing skulking in the periphery–always to their detriment! As soon as that Azawakh saw a chance, he’d stoop like a falcon and NAIL them–he bit more people than any other dog I’ve ever had! He once slashed open the pant’s leg of one friend who pooh-poohed my warning. No bothers with Jehovah’s Witnesses with my Muslim Tuareg dog about in those days!!!
deuce says
Tom Russell’s song is great for what it is (a moody, exotic tale). That said, it really doesn’t sound that much like what Tuaregs would do. I’ve been reading everything I can find on them since junior high. They can be incredibly savage to outsiders, I’ll admit, but the particulars of the song just don’t ring true to me.
Jeremy Keenan (before he went off the deep end awhile back) wrote two excellent books on the Kel Tamasheq:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Tuareg-Ahaggar-Jeremy-Keenan/dp/1900209144
http://www.amazon.com/Sahara-Man-Travelling-Jeremy-Keenan/dp/0719561612/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
There is also Bombino, the “Tuareg Santana”:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombino_(musician)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-9gQiiE4H0
A bit of a desert frontier troubadour.
JimC says
I look forward to checking these out.
Lane Batot says
Yeah, so will I–I’ve been fascinated with the Tuareg ever since I was the infedel servant to one of their dogs!
deuce says
Well, as far as “infidel”, the Tuareg weren’t particularly Muslim until fairly recently. “Tuareg” is supposed to mean “Accursed of God” in Arabic. They’ve got some great folklore. Plus, the freedom they gave their women was a scandal to devout Muslims (Berbers in general are “too free” with their women according to Islam). Only in the last 50yrs have they started becoming truly Islamized. More’s the pity.
Keenan lived with the Kel Tamasheq for years, which produced his magisterial first book. He returned 20yrs later and wrote SAHARA MAN which is quite readable and informative. For just a good overview, Porch’s excellent CONQUEST OF THE SAHARA is sufficient.
Lane Batot says
….and incidentally, (if anyone was interested) I remembered there IS a photo viewable on the internet of me(many years ago!) and my Azawakh, perched on a hay bale up on the beautiful bald Max Patch on the Appalachian trail, near where I used to live(sigh….) It’s on Steve Bodio’s “Querencia” blog, August 2012(in the archives). Not that you can’t just Google “Azawakh” and see lots of examples of these unique and amazing Tuareg sighthounds!
deuce says
Yeah, I looked up the Azawakh. Don’t know why I hadn’t before. A very elegant breed with interesting origins.
Lane Batot says
…..which reminds me of something else on the subject–a DEAR friend of mine(now deceased, alas) had the sister to my Azawakh, and she knew another Azawakh aficionado who actually went to North Africa and hob-nobbed with the Tuareg(and other indigenous cultural groups there, I believe) and acquired some of their dogs(they often WILL NOT SELL a dog, considering that bad form–you have to have earned their respect and trust after which they MIGHT “gift” you with a puppy!), and was treated with great hospitality and respect. So I guess it depends on the individual Tuaregs involved, as well as the attributes of the visitor, how one might be accepted(or not!). Perhaps the “dancing clown” in the song, was a rude, patronizing, condescending, arrogant, ethnocentric Westerner who well-deserved his transformation! Goodness knows I met enough rude-arse Americans that embarrassed ME with their haughty, demanding spoiled behavior when I was in Africa–made me try all the harder to be kind and considerate and not such a whiner to hopefully makes at least SOME amends for my inconsiderate countrymen(and women!), and give the locals ANOTHER example of an “American”, so that hopefully they wouldn’t put all of US in one narrow, sweeping category! I MAY have taught some folks in Africa the potential differences between “Yankees” and “Southerners”……(ahem! Well, dammit, you gotta explain the differences in behavior SOMEHOW!)