Maghreb youth mourn Michael Jackson

01/07/2009

Michael Jackson fans in the Maghreb countries share their sorrow with fans around the world. One newspaper reported the suicide of a grieving fan, and Magharebia found another who began a hunger strike when he heard the news.

Jamel Arfaoui in Tunis, Mohamed Yahya Ould Abdel Wedoud in Nouakchott, Fidet Mansour in Algiers and Naoufel Cherkaoui in Rabat contributed to this report – 01/07/09

[Tim Whitby/Getty Images] Thousands of Maghreb fans mourned the loss of pop star Michael Jackson.

One fan in Mauritania went on hunger strike. Another fan in Tunisia committed suicide. Other fans wept in the streets, sang and "moonwalked" to mourn the loss of pop star Michael Jackson.

News of the death of the "King of Pop" on Thursday (June 25th) quickly spread around the world. Thousands of Maghreb fans were shocked. Newspapers and websites published Jackson's photos on their front pages. Fans took to the streets, singing his songs and dancing.

"I was immensely shaken by the news of his death," said Nahla, in her 30s.

Nahla recalled how sad she was when she was not able to attend Jackson's concert in Tunisia in October 1996 because the tickets were sold out early.

Jackson was 50 when he went into cardiac arrest on Thursday at his California home, just weeks before the start of much-anticipated comeback concerts in London on July 13th.

The specific cause of his death has yet to be announced.

"This is very sad news," said Ghazi Gherairi. He was luckier than Nahla and attended the Tunisian concert. "I wonder why he had to die now, when we were expecting his big comeback, after a series of legal problems. We were eagerly looking forward to the London concerts."

On Sunday (June 28th), scores of Jackson's fans gathered at the Menzah esplanade for an impromptu tribute to their favourite pop singer. They sang songs from his hit album "Thriller" and performed Jackson's signature "moonwalk" in a group.

RTC and privately-owned Mosaique FM dedicated whole slots to play Jackson's songs. On Sunday night, Hannibal TV channel aired a special 90-minute feature on the life of the late star.

Fans on Facebook replaced their profile images with photos of Jackson. They downloaded, exchanged and commented on his most famous tracks, especially "Billie Jean" and "Thriller".

Algerian daily L’Expression published an exclusive commentary by famous Algerian singer Takfarinas, who met Jackson in South Africa in 1999.

"I heard the sad news like everyone else when I woke up on Friday," he said. "It was the end of the world for me."

Takfarinas said he had to cancel his commitments to give himself the time to mourn. "I wept for Michael like all artists and fans… I would say that it's like losing a planet from our musical universe."

The El Watan newspaper pointed out that the announcement of Jackson's death "caught many by surprise on Thursday evening… It goes without saying that his vocal and musical style have influenced many other artists in hip-hop, pop and R&B."

On Saturday evening, Algerian radio station Channel 3 aired an homage to Michael Jackson upon fans' request. Nassim M'hamsadji, lead singer of Algerian rock group Djezma, played several of Jackson's songs.

On Facebook, Algerian fans are petitioning to get M'hamsadji to perform in live concerts scheduled for July 5th and 11th to pay tribute to Jackson. More than 600 members have joined the petition so far.

"He filled the world with eternal rhythms and attracted generations of people all over the globe," said Mauritanian Mousse Dialo, 28, about Jackson.

Dialo has led a pop band since 1998 and believes that "Michael is the everlasting legend of the age. His music will never die even after ages from now. I was grieved and overwhelmed by the news of the death of this grand diva."

Awlad Leblad, the popular Mauritanian hip-hop ensemble, also expressed their heartfelt sorrow for Jackson's death. Hemada, head of the band, said that Jackson was a creative artist and "this kind of creative artist will definitely leave his mark on whole generations." The group is also planning to release a song on Jackson's life and legacy.

Some fans go to the extreme to show their appreciation of their favourite artists, and their sorrow when they lose them. Papiss, a 22-year-old Mauritanian, went on a hunger strike for five days after hearing the news about Jackson's death. His mother told Magharebia that "Papiss was on his way out with a group of his friends. The moment he heard the news on TV, he threw himself on the floor, burst into tears over the late star and then immediately started a hunger strike."

On Monday, June 29th, the French language Le Quotidien reported that a young woman in Tunis committed suicide, mourning the death of the big star.

"The girl was agonised upon hearing the news," the newspaper reported. "She locked herself up in her room, spent a whole day listening to Michael Jackson's music, and overdosed on medication to take her own life."

In Morocco, Fady noticed that some people judged Jackson by the many scandals in his life. Although his was the life of a music legend, it was also tainted by accusations of child molestation that took him to court twice, where he was deemed innocent.

"He is an artist who is worthy of respect, given all the music he has made over the years," Fady wrote in an online discussion forum. "Despite the scandals that stigmatised his life, he managed to win the hearts of fans across the world."