Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol.
Already have an account?
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?

A retelling of 'Purple Rain' from Niger

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Log inCreate a free Account

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
The songs may have changed, and so has the wardrobe, but the battle of the bands still stands at the heart of this Tuareg remake of Purple Rain.
The songs may have changed, and so has the wardrobe, but the battle of the bands still stands at the heart of this Tuareg remake of Purple Rain.

In 1984, Prince was on top of the world, with a No. 1 album and later a No. 1 movie, both named Purple Rain.

Little did Prince know then how widely his projects' influence would spread, or the ways in which they might translate — literally. Three decades after the film first premiered, it got a remake filmed in Niger, featuring members of a nomadic group of people known as the Tuareg.

It's called Akounak Tedalat Taha Tazoughai -- which translates to "Rain the Color of Blue with a Little Red in It." That's because there's no word for "purple" in Tamajeq, the language spoken by the Tuareg.

Mdou Moctar is a local star among the Tuareg, based in the city of Agadez. Happily, Prince's iconic purple motorcycle also survived the translation.
Mdou Moctar is a local star among the Tuareg, based in the city of Agadez. Happily, Prince's iconic purple motorcycle also survived the translation.

Like the original, this version of Purple Rain, directed by Christopher Kirkley, tells the story of a guitarist and songwriter who battles his musical rivals, his conservative father — and eventually, his own ego. Those struggles are every bit as resonant in Niger's desert community as they were in Prince's Minneapolis. Over the past few decades, a vibrant new music scene has exploded among the Tuareg. Bootlegged cassette tapes of artists like Jimi Hendrix and Dire Straits have been traded and retraded across the Sahara.

"This guitar-based, heavily blues-influenced music is now essentially pop music for the Tuareg community," Kirkley says.

Local star Mdou Moctar plays the Prince role. And in the end — spoiler alert! -- he beats his rival in a battle of the bands. Moctar's show-stopper sounds a little different from Prince's, though. Also different: The risque love story of the 1984 original underwent some changes with actors from a conservative Muslim background.

"We obviously couldn't do a kiss on the screen," Kirkley says. "We even had problems with a hug. I thought, 'Well, maybe we can just end the film with the two of you hugging,' and they said no."

The remake is currently playing the film-festival circuit, but he's still waiting for one person in particular to buy a ticket.

"We haven't heard from Prince yet," Kirkley says. "I'm hoping that if and when we do, it's, uh, it's a positive experience." Copyright 2019 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.