Sakifo - Sarkifo

This past weekend saw the third Sakifo music festival come to St Leu and it all passed off without too much of a to do, but...

... but, you thought that I wasn't going to have a moan. If only music festivals could be like Glastonbury used to be (which means it never really was like that and only ever existed in the dark woodstock of our imaginations). The interesting thing about the latest Sakifo music festival is that it managed to embrace several diverse realms of thought and politic between the crochets and the quavers. Sakifo is "run" by Orange - the phone people - and as such they offer discount tickets to their faithful; a discount of some 50% if you have the misfortune to buy your tickets on the night or during the week leading up to the festival. Much ado in the local press about the price of the tickets - 30€ on the night, 22€ before, but 15€ for Orange subscribers and Sechoir card holders. The interesting thing here is that Orange have managed a discriminatory coup of which Sarkozy would have been proud - Mmmmm! Maybe he has shares in Orange?

The ticket price is a polite way of saying, "Keep the riff raff out!" We only want nice, middle class, over-paid functionaires at our concerts, or those who have embraced the faith and subscribed to Orange. Isn't this a bit like saying that one can come to France if one has a jolly degree even if you just happen to come from Africa? If not, tough, listen to the radio.

I went to see Ziskakan and Susheela Raman on Sunday (and yes I did pay 22€) the concert was good - Ziskakan excellent even if a little cling film wrapped - whatever happened to protest songs? However, the strangest and most bizarre event of the evening was the confiscation of water bottle tops at the entrance. I was most perplexed. Why confiscate water bottle tops? Naw, even I cannot be that cynical - they are not trying to force you to buy "their" water? Perhaps, it is all due to security, afterall, three year old children could choke on a bottle top; not that there were that many three year olds there. Funny that they actually sold bottled water + the tops in the venue. Funnier still that on leaving the concert I passed a pile of bottle tops disgarded by the confiscators so it cannot have anything to do with protecting the environment.

What we are witnessing is a fine example of how milti-nationals are taking over from the state in controlling our lives and determining the rights and rewards. French neo-colonialism is not dead, the borg will assimilate us all and those found wanting will be assigned to clearing up the mess after the faithful have departed.

The future is definitely not bright, but the future is Orange.