- Le Chant des Africains
"Le Chant des Africains" ("The Song of the Africans") is the unofficial anthem of the
Pied-noir community inFrance and her former colonies inAfrica .History
Originally written in 1914 by a Sergeant-Major Bendifallah and companyman Marizot, "Le Chant des Africains" is a testimony to the bravery of a Moroccan
goumier regiment disbanded after suffering severe losses inMeaux , northeast ofParis . 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.The lyrics were modified in 1944 to include all Africans who identified as Frenchmen or Pieds-noirs, especially those from the
Arab world . Also changed were references to location, as most singers had returned to the colonies. Ironically, this situation has again reversed itself in the meantime. "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
* [http://www.fncv.com/biblio/musiques/chants_14-18/chant_africains/index_va.html FCNV.com - Le Chant des Africains] lyrics and music
* [http://combattantsafn.free.fr/page16.html Anciens Combattants d'Algérie] article with both versions of Le Chant des Africains (in French)
* [http://jurispolis.blog.lemonde.fr/2006/07/14/2006_07_le_chant_des_af/ Blog article] about the song's pertinence today (in French)
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