Eric Fayet,
the author, worked for two years in Tanzania in lieu of military service.
He then decided to dedicate himself to writing |
The writer:
Eric
Fayet, a reporter, an art chronicler and a writer lives in Clermont-Ferrand.
He used to work in Tanzania where he now frequently goes and makes
interviews and photo coverage to create and redact books and reviews
about the country. In 2005, along with Ruckya Sanatu-Basseporte,
he published Contes et légendes maasaï. Hadithi za
kimasai |
with the support of the French Embassy and of the Alliance Française
in Arusha. Not for sale, this book of 14 bilingual tales in French
and Swahili was freely distributed in schools. In doing so, the
author symbolically gave his thanks to the children of Tanzania,
his adoptive country, his African dream. |
|
Marc Basseporte,
an amazing and unequalled guide to make you discover and love Tanzania
Ruckya Sanatu-Basseporte
records some of the stories told by the moran Kadogo
|
The
tale hunters:
| Ruckya
and Marc Basseporte live in Arusha, Northern Tanzania. With their
guidance, Eric Fayet discovered the Maasai land and they helped
him collect the stories for Maasai. Legends of Tanzania.
The owner of the Jacaranda Hotel, patron and collector, Ruckya
Sanatu-Basseporte has been an enthusiast and devoted collector
of this tales. She also helped the author with the understanding
and translating process of the legends. She wrote the Swahili
version of Contes et légendes maasaï. Hadithi za kimasai.
Marc- her husband- teacher, school headmaster and
honorary consul of
|
France
was a great help with his acute knowledge of the country and with
his logistical support.
They both made the meeting with the Maasai possible and a real
bond now exist, especially with the young wise chief Marias Olepello
from the village of Engaruka, with Moses Muteeku Olesein, the
young chief of the morans from Ketumbeine, with Fidelis Ollekashe,
the former chairman of Ngorongoro District Council, with moran
Kadogo and with the elders Marias Bulingkwa Kingi and Zakayo Oledemayi
Sironga. |
|
To be able to illustrate the stories,
Herman Msole pays great attention to Ruckya
Sanatu-Basseporte when she tells Maasai legends |
The painter:
| Herman
Msole is Tanzanian. He lives in Dar es-salaam. He and his older
brother were the first Tanzanian artists to paint with a knife.
Even though he sometimes deals with animal and vegetal kingdoms
or with war atrocities, his favourite topic remains the daily
life of tribes.
Silhouettes and faceless characters
|
categorize
his work between representation and abstraction, between reality
and imagination. He performed fifty-two paintings illustrating
Maasai. Legends of Tanzania. The book also aims at promoting this
artist’s qualities. |
|
Laurent Ruptier
draws such lively and
threatening Maasai
|
The illustrator:
| Laurent
Ruptier lives and works in Lyon. As an illustrator, he is actually
working on a comic. He realized a series of drawings about the
Maasai. |
Two of them are on the cover of Contes et légendes maasaï.
Hadithi za kimasai and also illustrate the introduction of Maasai.
Legends of Tanzania. |
|
As opposed to her sharp and clear
design conception, Claire Berbey appears
quite… blurry on the picture! |
The graphic designer:
| After
studying at the Fine Arts School of Saint-Etienne, the painter
Claire Berbey now works in Clermont-Ferrand where she also dedicates
her time to graphic design. She made the drafts |
and
the page setting of the book. Maasai atmosphere inspired her with
a series of large-framed abstract paintings. Colours and substances
are equally vivid and quite intense. |
|
Emma Fayet
lives in between France, Spain and the United States |
The translators:
| After
living in New York, Xavier Fayet now settled down in Clermont-Ferrand.
Journalist and press agent, he also translates from French |
to
English and from English to French. Helped by Emma Fayet, he wrote
the English version Maasai. Legends of Tanzania. |
|
|
|
The publishers:
| For
about ten years now, Un, Deux… Quatre Editions have been
supporting culture and contemporary expression. The firm promoted,
realized and distributed several |
art
books, sponsoring international famous artists as well as brand
new talented people. All well known museums and art centres trust
Un, Deux… Quatre Editions |
|
