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12/12/2021 | 26m 36s | Video has closed captioning.
On this edition for Sunday, December 12, recovery begins after devastation from the tornado and storm outbreak in the central and southern US, a community in Michigan works to preserve an historic fishing village as climate change increases the threat from rising waters. And a guitar hero from Niger becomes an international star. Hari Sreenivasan anchors from New York.
Aired: 12/12/21
>> Sreenivasan: ON THIS EDITION FOR SUNDAY, DECEMBER 12: RECOVERY BEGINS AFTER DEATH AND DESTRUCTION FROM MASSIVE TORNADOES AND STORMS.
FINDING A WAY TO PRESERVE HISTORY ON MICHIGAN'S SHORELINE AS WATERS RISE.
♪ ♪ ♪ AND A GUITAR HERO FROM NIGER BECOMES AN INTERNATIONAL STAR.
NEXT ON "PBS NEWSHOUR WEEKEND."
>> PBS NEWSHOUR WEEKEND IS MADE POSSIBLE BY: SUE AND EDGAR WACHENHEIM III.
BERNARD AND DENISE SCHWARTZ.
THE CHERYL AND PHILIP MILSTEIN FAMILY.
THE ANDERSON FAMILY FUND.
THE ESTATE OF WORTHINGTON MAYO-SMITH.
LEONARD AND NORMA KLORFINE.
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WE TRY TO LIVE IN THE MOMENT, TO NOT MISS WHAT'S RIGHT IN FRONT OF US.
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>> Sreenivasan: GOOD EVENING AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
SEARCH AND RESCUE EFFORTS ARE CONTINUING ACROSS SEVERAL STATES AFTER FRIDAY NIGHT'S DEVASTATING TORNADO OUTBREAK IN THE MIDWEST AND SOUTH.
AT LEAST 90 PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN FIVE STATES AFTER DOZENS OF TORNADOES AND A STORMFRONT TORE APART A CANDLE FACTORY, CRUSHED A NURSING HOME, DERAILED A TRAIN AND SMASHED AN AMAZON WAREHOUSE.
KENTUCKY GOVERNOR ANDY BESHEAR SAID MORE THAN 80 PEOPLE ARE CONFIRMED DEAD IN HIS STATE.
>> I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE OVER 100, IT MAY BE WELL OVER 100.
IT IS SO HARD TO DESCRIBE, THERE'S NOT A CAMERA LENS BIG ENOUGH TO SHOW THE PATH OF ABSOLUTE DESTRUCTION.
>> Sreenivasan: A TORNADO THAT TOUCHED DOWN IN THE STATE FOR MORE THAN 200 MILES IS BELIEVED TO BE ONE OF THE LONGEST TRACKS BY A TORNADO IN U.S. HISTORY.
>> THE GOOD LORD HEARD OUR PRAYERS, AND HE KEPT US ALIVE.
AND I CAN SALVAGE A LITTLE BIT, BUT I LOST EVERYTHING.
>> Sreenivasan: IN MAYFIELD, KENTUCKY, THE CITY'S MAIN FIRE STATION AND EMERGENCY SERVICES HUB WERE HIT BY THE TORNADO, COMPLICATING FIRST RESPONDERS EFFORTS.
AUTHORITIES REPORT RESCUING 40 PEOPLE WHO WERE IN THE CANDLE FACTORY WHERE 110 NIGHT-SHIFT EMPLOYEES WERE AT WORK WHEN IT WAS FLATTENED.
IN EDWARDSVILLE, ILLINOIS, SIX PEOPLE WERE CONFIRMED DEAD AT AN AMAZON WAREHOUSE WHERE A ROOF CAVED IN, CAUSING 40-FOOT WALLS MADE OUT OF 11-INCH THICK CONCRETE TO COLLAPSE.
>> I HAD A COWORKER THAT WAS SENDING ME PICTURES WHEN THEY WERE TAKING SHELTER IN THE BATHROOM, BASICALLY ANYWHERE THEY COULD HIDE.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAD TO THINK ON THEIR FEET QUICK WHEN THAT HAPPENS.
NOBODY EXPECTS IT TO HAPPEN SO, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT TO THINK FAST.
>> Sreenivasan: ILLINOIS GOVERNOR J.B. PRITZKER SAID HE ASKED AMAZON TO ENSURE FAMILIES AND SURVIVORS WILL HAVE THE COMPANY'S FULL SUPPORT.
>> I IMPLORED THEM TO STAND UP FOR THIS COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FAMILIES GET WHATEVER THEY NEED IN THIS COMMUNITY, AND THEY'VE OFFERED TO DO SO.
>> Sreenivasan: THE TORNADO OUTBREAK ALSO KILLED FOUR PEOPLE IN TENNESSEE, TWO IN ARKANSAS, AND TWO IN MISSOURI.
FOR MORE ON THE KENTUCKY TORNADOES I SPOKE WITH LIAM NIEMEYER, ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR AT WKMS PUBLIC RADIO.
LIAM, IF YOU CAN, TELL ME WHAT THE LAST 24 HOURS HAVE BEEN LIKE FOR YOU AND YOUR COMMUNITY?
>> IT'S BEEN, I'D SAY, THINGS-- THE CITY OF MAYFIELD, FOR EXAMPLE, IS UNRECOGNIZABLE.
ITS PEOPLE ARE STILL IN SHOCK.
THE CLEAN UP IN THE CITY OF MAYFIELD JUST STARTED TODAY.
AND, YOU KNOW, ENTIRE STREETS OF HOMES, THE ENTIRE DOWNTOWN COURT SQUARE IN MAYFIELD IS COMPLETELY DEMOLISHED.
AND THERE'S ALSO TORNADO DAMAGE IN OTHER SMALL WESTERN KENTUCKY COMMUNITIES, TOO, INCLUDING BENTON, PRINCETON, MADISONVILLE.
YOU KNOW, THERE IS A REPORT OF A DEATH THAT'S COMING OUT OF ALSO MUHLENBERG COUNTY, TOO.
IT'S JUST BEEN REALLY, REALLY TRAUMATIC.
LOTS OF FAMILIES LOST HOMES, AND I SPOKE WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO LOST FRIENDS, TOO.
THE CITY OF MAYFIELD IS ONLY 10,000 PEOPLE, AND IT'S A LOT MORE THAN JUST, YOU KNOW, PHYSICAL HOMES OR PHYSICAL CHURCHES.
>> Sreenivasan: IT'S HARD FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED A TORNADO OR ARE LIVING IN THAT PART OF THE COUNTRY TO GET A SENSE OF THE SCALE OF THE DEVASTATION HERE.
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT A TORNADO GOING 200 MILES ACROSS THE STATE, I MEAN, THAT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, GIVE US SOME IDEA OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AS YOU WERE DRIVING THERE OR AS YOU WERE DRIVING AWAY.
>> A WAY THAT I COULD PUT IT IS THEN OUR RADIO STATION HAS A SIGNAL THAT REACHES ACROSS, YOU KNOW, HUNDREDS OF SQUARE MILES ACROSS MOSTLY RURAL WESTERN KENTUCKY.
WHEN THE TORNADO OUTBREAK WAS HAPPENING FRIDAY NIGHT, SEEING THE TORNADO WARNINGS STRETCHING ACROSS HUNDREDS OF MILES.
AND WHAT STARTED ON THE FAR END, WEST END OF THE STATE, WAS JUST SHOCKING.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT, I MEAN, SIMPLY IS JUST NOT EXPECTED, FOR SOMETHING THAT'S SO VAST AND THE IMPACT IS SO WIDE.
>> Sreenivasan: SO, GIVE ME A SENSE OF WHAT KIND OF RELIEF SERVICES, WHAT KIND OF INFRASTRUCTURE OF SUPPORT IS IN PLACE NOW.
IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, IS THE STATE GOVERNMENT SET UP CENTERS WHERE PEOPLE HAVE SHELTER RIGHT NOW?
>> A LOT OF IT IS STILL IN THE WORKS.
LOCAL CHURCHES IN GRAVES COUNTY, KENTUCKY, WHERE MAYFIELD IS LOCATED, HAVE OFFERED SHELTER.
THE MAIN TRIAGE CENTER IS CURRENTLY AT MAYFIELD HIGH SCHOOL, BUT THERE'S STILL SOME CONCERN ABOUT WHERE TO HOUSE PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING IT'S GETTING COLDER WITH THE STORMS MOVING PAST AND THIS COLD FRONT MOVING IN.
TEMPERATURES ARE NOW IN THE 30s, 40s AND YEAH, THERE'S A GREAT CONCERN FOR SHELTER.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE STATE HAS DONE IS THAT THEY'VE OPENED UP STATE RESORT PARKS NEAR SOME LOCAL LAKES AND WESTERN KENTUCKY, WHERE A ROOM LIKE, YOU KNOW, ROOMS IN VARIOUS LODGES ARE BEING OFFERED.
THIS AFTERNOON I'M GOING TO BE GOING TO SOME OF THE LOCAL CHURCHES THAT ARE OFFERING SHELTER, TOO BUT AS FOR NOW, IN TERMS OF A PERMANENT SOLUTION, YOU KNOW, THESE CHURCHES IN GRAVES COUNTY ARE JUST SEEN AS A TEMPORARY SOLUTION, IN TERMS OF THE LONGER TERM THAT'S STILL BEING WORKED OUT AT THE MOMENT.
>> Sreenivasan: THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF ATTENTION PAID TO THIS CANDLE FACTORY.
TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THIS MEANS TO THIS COMMUNITY.
>> IT WAS A LOCAL CANDLE FACTORY AND, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE, MORE FROM THE BLUE COLLAR BACKGROUND WORKED THERE.
STARTING WAGES, THAT'S BEEN REPORTED AROUND $8.
THE OWNER OF THE CANDLE FACTORY PUT OUT A STATEMENT SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, THE WORKERS THERE, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE COME OUT, YOU KNOW, PROVIDED RESOURCES TO THE WORKERS THERE AND THAT HE CONSIDERS THE WORKERS CHERISHED.
BUT IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, EXACTLY THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF WHY 110 PEOPLE WERE WORKING THERE AT THAT POINT IN TIME REMAINS TO BE SEEN, I'D SAY.
>> Sreenivasan: LIAM NIEMEYER JOINING US FROM PADUCAH, KENTUCKY, TONIGHT.
THANKS SO MUCH.
>> Sreenivasan: THANK YOU, HARI.
>> Sreenivasan: FOR MORE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL NEWS, VISIT pbs.org/newshour.
>> Sreenivasan: IN OTHER NEWS TODAY, SECRETARY OF STATE ANTONY BLINKEN AND FOREIGN MINISTERS FROM G-7 NATIONS ISSUED A STATEMENT TODAY WARNING RUSSIA NOT TO INVADE UKRAINE.
THE JOINT STATEMENT DECLARED THAT, "RUSSIA SHOULD BE IN NO DOUBT THAT FURTHER MILITARY AGGRESSION AGAINST UKRAINE WOULD HAVE MASSIVE CONSEQUENCES AND SEVERE COST IN RESPONSE."
WRAPPING UP THEIR MEETING IN LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, THE REPRESENTATIVES DID NOT SPECIFY WHAT PENALTIES WOULD BE ISSUED AGAINST RUSSIA IF IT INVADES UKRAINE.
RUSSIA HAS MASSED AS MANY AS 100,000 TROOPS ALONG UKRAINE'S NORTHERN, EASTERN, AND SOUTHERN BORDERS, BUT DENIES IT HAS PLANS TO INVADE.
TODAY, SECRETARY OF STATE BLINKEN SAID A RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE WOULD CHALLENGE INTERNATIONAL LAW.
>> THERE IS SOMETHING EVEN BIGGER AT STAKE HERE, AND IT'S THE BASIC RULES OF THE ROAD OF THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM, RULES THAT SAY THAT ONE COUNTRY CAN'T CHANGE THE BORDERS OF ANOTHER BY FORCE, ONE COUNTRY CAN'T DICTATE TO ANOTHER ITS CHOICES, ITS DECISIONS, AND ITS FOREIGN POLICY, WITH WHOM IT WILL ASSOCIATE, ONE COUNTRY CAN'T EXERT A SPHERE OF INFLUENCE OVER OTHERS.
>> Sreenivasan: ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER NAFTALI BENNETT BEGAN A ONE DAY VISIT TO THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES TODAY.
THIS IS THE FIRST VISIT TO THE U.A.E.
BY AN ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER WHILE IN OFFICE.
THE TWO NATIONS NORMALIZED THEIR RELATIONS FOR THE FIRST TIME LAST YEAR IN A DEAL BROKERED BY THE FORMER TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.
DURING HIS VISIT, BENNETT WILL MEET WITH THE CROWN PRINCE OF ABU DHABI, THE DE FACTO RULER OF THE EMIRATES.
THE VISIT COMES AS TALKS HAVE STALLED BETWEEN INTERNATIONAL NEGOTIATORS AND IRAN OVER ITS NUCLEAR PROGRAM.
BOTH ISRAEL AND THE U.A.E.
SEE IRAN AS A REGIONAL THREAT.
ISRAEL HAS BEEN PUSHING ITS ALLIES IN THE NEGOTIATIONS TO PURSUE A HARDER LINE WITH THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC.
THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION ANNOUNCED NEW FINDINGS TODAY ON HOW THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS AFFECTED GLOBAL INEQUALITY.
IN A STATEMENT, THE ORGANIZATION SAID TWO COMPLEMENTARY STUDIES IT PUBLISHED SHOW MORE THAN HALF A BILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE ARE BEING PUSHED INTO EXTREME POVERTY DUE TO HEALTHCARE EXPENSES.
THEY ALSO FOUND THE PANDEMIC IS LIKELY TO HALT TWO DECADES WORTH OF GLOBAL PROGRESS TOWARD UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE.
ANNE RICE, THE AUTHOR OF THE BESTSELLING NOVEL "INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE," DIED LATE YESTERDAY.
HER 1976 GOTHIC NOVEL FEATURING A VAMPIRE NAMED LESTAT WAS LATER ADAPTED INTO A MOVIE STARRING TOM CRUISE AND BRAD PITT IN 1994.
AMC IS PRODUCING A TELEVISION SERIES BASED ON RICE NOVELS KNOWN AS "THE VAMPIRE CHRONICLES" WHICH IS SET FOR RELEASE NEXT YEAR.
RICE DIED FROM COMPLICATIONS OF A STROKE.
SHE WAS 80 YEARS OLD.
>> Sreenivasan: IN A TINY LAKESIDE COMMUNITY IN NORTHERN MICHIGAN, PRESERVATIONISTS ARE USING NEW APPROACHES TO ADDRESS THE THREAT OF FLOODING CAUSED BY CLIMATE CHANGE.
WHILE THE FISHING INDUSTRY HAS STRUGGLED IN THE REGION, SAVING THE HISTORIC BUILDINGS THAT DOTTED THE SHORELINES IS IMPORTANT TO THE ECONOMY AND TOURISM.
THIS STORY WAS PRODUCED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PULITZER CENTER, AND IS PART OF OUR ONGOING SERIES "PERIL & PROMISE: THE CHALLENGE OF CLIMATE CHANGE."
THIS IS HISTORIC PRESERVATION IN ACTION.
THE BUILDING HOUSES CARLSON'S FISHERY, OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE SAME FAMILY FOR FIVE GENERATIONS.
CARLSON'S IS LOCATED IN A GROUP OF PRESERVED FISHING SHANTIES IN LELAND, MICHIGAN, KNOWN AS "FISHTOWN."
THE FISHTOWN PRESERVATION SOCIETY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS ADMINISTRATION AND MAINTENANCE.
>> OKAY!
HERE'S A REASON WE MAY WANT TO KEEP SOME OF THOSE RAFTERS: WE CAN REPLACE SOME OF THESE.
>> Sreenivasan: AMANDA HOLMES IS ITS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
>> THE REASON IT IS HERE IS BECAUSE THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN SOMEONE HERE TO CARE FOR IT.
FIRST IT WAS THE FISHERMAN, BUT STARTING IN 2007 WITH FISHTOWN PRESERVATION, THEN IT BECAME OUR JOB TO MAINTAIN THESE BUILDINGS.
>> Sreenivasan: CARLSON'S SHOULD BE FULL OF EMPLOYEES PREPARING SMOKED WHITEFISH, SALMON AND TROUT TO BE SHIPPED ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
INSTEAD, CARLSON'S IS IN DANGER.
FISHTOWN STRADDLES THE LELAND RIVER, THE CONNECTOR BETWEEN INLAND LAKE LEELANAU AND THE OPEN WATERS OF LAKE MICHIGAN.
ONCE THE LOCATION OF A THRIVING COMMERCIAL FISHING INDUSTRY, FISHTOWN WAS ALMOST LOST WHEN INVASIVE SPECIES DEVASTATED THE INDUSTRY IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY.
THE COMMUNITY BANDED TOGETHER TO SAVE THE SHANTIES THAT MAKE UP FISHTOWN AND PRESERVE THE AREA FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS AS A REMINDER OF ITS HISTORIC IMPORTANCE.
>> EVERY COMMUNITY USED TO HAVE A FISHTOWN.
THEY DOTTED THE GREAT LAKES EVERYWHERE.
LELAND TO THE NORTHERN MICHIGAN WITHOUT FISHTOWN WOULD REALLY HAVE A DEEP, DEEP HOLE.
>> Sreenivasan: THE AREA HAS BECOME A TOURIST DESTINATION, WITH 12 SMALL, FAMILY-OWNED BUSINESSES THAT DRAW 300,000 TOURISTS-- AND THEIR DOLLARS-- EVERY YEAR FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.
NOW CARLSON'S AND FISHTOWN ARE FACING A NEW THREAT: THE LELAND RIVER IS OVERFLOWING ITS BOUNDARIES.
CHANGES IN ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE OVER A HIGHER-THAN-NORMAL LAKE MICHIGAN ARE ALSO PUSHING MORE WATER INTO THAT RIVER AND ENDANGERING FISHTOWN.
THE REGION HAS EXPERIENCED EXTREME HIGH AND LOW WATER EVENTS IN THE PAST, BUT THIS TIME IT'S DIFFERENT.
LAUREN FRY IS A PHYSICAL SCIENTIST WITH THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION'S GREAT LAKES ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LABORATORY IN ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN.
>> PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS HAVE INCREASED OVER THE GREAT LAKES BASIN AS A WHOLE OVER THE LAST FEW DECADES.
IT'S BEEN CORRESPONDING WITH INCREASES IN TEMPERATURE.
CLIMATE CHANGE IS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN THE INCREASED PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS THAT WE SEE BECAUSE THE WARMING ATMOSPHERE CAN HOLD MORE MOISTURE.
AND SO, THAT RESULTS IN MORE FREQUENT AND MORE INTENSE PRECIPITATION EVENTS.
OVER THE LAND SURFACE THAT'S GOING TO RESULT IN MORE RUNOFF INTO THE LAKE.
AND THEN, ON THE LAKE SURFACE, THAT'S JUST MORE DIRECT INPUT INTO THE LAKE ITSELF.
>> Sreenivasan: FISHTOWN HAS SEEN MORE FREQUENT AND INTENSE FLOODING SINCE 2018.
IT HAS CAUSED SWAMPED DOCKS, INUNDATED SHANTIES, AND LOST REVENUE.
>> THAT'S WHEN I FIRST STARTED REALIZING WE WERE GOING TO HAVE A LOT MORE WATER ISSUES THAN WE HAD ANTICIPATED.
WE REALLY HAD TO START CHANGING GEARS IN WHAT WE WERE THINKING ABOUT FOR THE SHANTIES.
>> Sreenivasan: SO THE FISHTOWN PRESERVATION SOCIETY DECIDED TO TAKE THE DRAMATIC STEP OF LIFTING THE SHANTIES.
SOME HAVE BEEN PLACED ON HIGHER FOUNDATIONS.
OTHERS ON NEW PILINGS THAT RISE ABOVE THE PROJECTED HIGH WATER MARK FOR THE LELAND RIVER.
CARLSON'S IS THE FOURTH SHANTY TO BE LIFTED IN THE PAST TWO YEARS.
IT REQUIRES DESTROYING PART OF THE BUILDING THAT WAS TOO DAMAGED BY FLOODING, AND COULD NOT BE SAVED, IN ORDER TO PRESERVE THE REST.
CARLSON'S WILL ALSO HAVE TO BE CLOSED FOR AS LONG AS SIX MONTHS WHILE THE WORK IS COMPLETED.
>> THE FOUNDATION WORK THAT WE'RE DOING WE INTEND THAT TO BE FOR 50-100 YEARS.
AND WE ALSO HAVE RAISED THEM UP TO A LEVEL THAT WE FEEL WILL ENDURE THE FUTURE HIGH WATER LEVELS, BUT ALSO MAKING CERTAIN THAT AS WE'RE BUILDING THOSE BUILDINGS THAT IF THE WATER DOES COME IN, THAT IT'S NOT A SERIOUS PROBLEM IN THE WAY THAT IT HAS BEEN FOR US IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
>> Sreenivasan: ORIGINALLY BUDGETED AT $1.7 MILLION, THE TOTAL COST OF THE WORK HAS MORE THAN DOUBLED TO $3.5 MILLION DUE TO THE COMPLEXITY OF THE PROJECT AND AN INCREASE IN THE COST OF BUILDING MATERIALS.
>> MOST OF OUR MONEY COMES FROM THE PUBLIC, FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
AND WHEN I SAY COMMUNITY, IT'S LELAND, IT'S BEYOND, AND IT'S, LIKE, ALL OVER THE WORLD, PEOPLE WHO HAVE VISITED AND LOVE FISHTOWN.
>> Sreenivasan: DESPITE ALL THE EFFORT, MONEY AND CARE, THE IMPROVEMENTS TO FISHTOWN MAY ONLY LAST SO LONG.
A LOT DEPENDS ON HOW MUCH THE CLIMATE CHANGES IN THE LELAND AREA.
>> WE TEND TO USE DATA FROM THE PAST TO PREDICT THE FUTURE, AND THE PAST ISN'T ALWAYS INDICATIVE OF WHAT THE FUTURE IS GOING TO DO, AS WE'VE SEEN.
SO, IT BECOMES HARDER TO SEE THOSE CHANGES, AND I THINK THAT'S KIND OF A GENERAL THING WE DEAL WITH IN THIS CLIMATE CHANGE ROLE.
WE WILL SEE IN GENERAL FOR THE GREAT LAKES BASIN MORE PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS, ALTHOUGH THE TIMING OF WHEN THAT FALLS WILL BE PERHAPS DIFFERENT.
WE'RE LOOKING AT POTENTIALLY DRIER SUMMERS AND THE INCREASES IN PRECIPITATION AND OTHER TIMES OF THE YEAR.
>> THERE ARE A LOT OF OPINIONS OUT THERE ABOUT WHAT CLIMATE CHANGE IS AND WHAT CAUSES IT, BUT WHEN I DESCRIBE THE ISSUES THAT WE FACE, FROM A LOT MORE RAINFALL, THE WATER LEVELS OF LAKE MICHIGAN KIND OF COMING AND GOING MORE FREQUENTLY, THE RAINFALL AND HOW IT'S COMING OVER THE DAM, AND JUST FROM WHAT I KNOW HAS BEEN A PART OF FISHTOWN'S WEATHER AND CLIMATE STORY IN THE PAST, I THINK THAT WE'RE BEING IMPACTED BY IT VERY DIRECTLY.
>> Sreenivasan: IN THE WORLD OF MUSIC, "GUITAR HERO" IS A TITLE ACHIEVED BY VERY FEW.
NOW A NEW HERO HAS EMERGED FROM A REMOTE VILLAGE IN RURAL NIGER TO BECOME AN INTERNATIONAL SUPERSTAR WITH A SIX-STRING STYLE ALL HIS OWN.
NEWSHOUR WEEKEND'S CHRISTOPHER BOOKER HAS THE STORY AND SOUND.
♪ ♪ ♪ >> Reporter: IN THE ENGLISH- SPEAKING PRESS, MDOU MOCTAR HAS BEEN COMPARED TO EDDIE VAN HALEN, AND CALLED THE JIMI HENDRIX OF THE SAHARA.
♪ ♪ ♪ THE DESCRIPTIONS CERTAINLY HELP ESTABLISH MOCTAR'S VIRTUOSITY, BUT IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT, JUST A FEW YEARS AGO, HE DIDN'T KNOW WHO EDDIE VAN HALEN WAS.
>> FOR ME, IT DOESN'T MATTER.
THEY CALL ME WHATEVER THEY NEED.
BUT I AM STILL MDOU MOCTAR AND THEN I TRY ALL TIME TO BE ME.
I SUPPORT ABSOLUTELY, I SUPPORT JIMI HENDRIX.
I LOVE WHAT HE DO.
AND THEN I LOVE EDDIE VAN HALEN, TOO.
ALL THE FAMOUS ARTISTS VERY TALENTED.
I LOVE THEM, BUT I LOVE MYSELF MORE.
( LAUGHS ) AND THEN I TRY ALL THE TIME TO, LIKE, HAVE MY OWN STYLE.
♪ ♪ ♪ >> Reporter: SUNG IN HIS NATIVE TAMASHEK, AND FRENCH, MOCTAR'S MUSIC IS A CONTEMPORARY ITERATION OF WHAT'S BEEN NICKNAMED "DESERT BLUES," GUITAR-DRIVEN MUSIC PERFORMED BY THE TUAREG PEOPLE, A TRADITIONALLY NOMADIC GROUP FROM THE SAHARA.
I SAT DOWN WITH MOCTAR AT THE TAIL END OF SHORT FALL TOUR OF THE U.S., JUST HOURS BEFORE HE WAS TO START HIS NEARLY 36-HOUR JOURNEY TO HIS HOME IN NIGER.
DO YOU WORRY THAT THERE'S A RUSH TO LABEL YOU, TO SAY, "OH, HE IS LIKE THIS," OR TO ALMOST WESTERNIZE YOUR SOUND?
>> NO.
THE MUSIC, I FEEL THE MUSIC IS LIKE OCEAN.
>> Reporter: MOCTAR'S MUSICAL STORY IS AS COMPLICATED AS IT IS REMARKABLE.
IN SOME WAYS, THE START CAN BE TRACED TO A PERFORMANCE BY ABDALLAH OUMBADOUGOU, A FAMOUS TUAREG PLAYER THAT MOCTAR STUMBLE UPON AS A YOUNG BOY.
♪ ♪ ♪ >> YEAH, I SEE ABDALLAH OUMBADOUGOU.
HE-- THAT WAS MY FIRST CONCERT IN MY LIFE.
AND THEN I SAY, "WOW, I HAVE TO BE LIKE THIS PERSON."
( LAUGHS ) YEAH, AND THEN I DON'T KNOW WHEN I GOING TO HAVE THE GUITAR.
I HAD NO, I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY, ANYONE IN MY FAMILY GOING TO SUPPORT THIS IDEA.
>> Reporter: WATCHING MOCTAR PLAY TODAY, IT CAN BE HARD TO BELIEVE THAT NOT ONLY IS HE SELF-TAUGHT, BUT THE GUITAR HE STARTED WITH WAS ONE HE MADE HIMSELF WITH WIRES FROM A BICYCLE.
IN 2008, MOCTAR RECORDED A COLLECTION OF HIS SONGS AT HOME, WHICH WERE SHARED VIA BLUETOOTH FROM PHONE TO PHONE THROUGHOUT THE REGION, AND SOMEHOW FOUND THEIR WAY TO THE AMERICAN LABEL SAHEL SOUNDS, WHICH WOULD WORK TO NOT ONLY RELEASE SOME OF MOCTAR'S MUSIC, BUT PRODUCE AND DIRECT A FILM LOOSELY BASED ON HIS LIFE.
INSPIRED BY PRINCE'S "PURPLE RAIN," MOCTAR PLAYS A YOUNG TUAREG GUITAR HERO LOOKING TO MAKE IT AS A MUSICIAN.
AS THERE IS NO WORD FOR PURPLE IN TAMASHEK, THE FILM'S ENGLISH TILE READS, "RAIN THE COLOR OF BLUE WITH A LITTLE RED IN IT."
BUT MOCTAR'S BIG BREAKTHROUGH CAME IN 2019, WHEN HE WOULD RELEASE THE ALBUM CALLED "ILANA: THE CREATOR."
HE AND HIS BAND WOULD PLAY 112 SHOWS THAT YEAR ACROSS THE U.S., CANADA AND EUROPE, THE WESTERN WORLD COMING TO KNOW OF MOCTAR'S PROWESS.
♪ ♪ ♪ AND THEN LAST SPRING CAME "AFRIQUE VICTIME," OR AFRICA VICTIM, A COLLECTION OF NINE SONGS WITH MOCTAR COUPLING OTHER-WORLDLY GUITAR PLAYING WITH CHARGING LYRICS ABOUT LOVE, RELIGION, WOMEN'S RIGHTS AND THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF WESTERN AFRICA.
>> Reporter: DO YOU FEEL A HEAVY WEIGHT AS AN ARTIST WRESTLING WITH ALL OF THESE IDEAS AND THOUGHTS?
>> BEING AN ARTIST IS LIKE BEING AN EMBASSY.
I FEEL LIKE AN EMBASSY FOR MY, WHERE I AM FROM.
AND THEN I DON'T HAVE NO POWER.
AFRICA DOESN'T HAVE NO POWER TO STOP THIS, THIS CORRUPTION, THIS MANIPULATION, THIS INJUSTICE.
WE DON'T HAVE THAT POWER.
I NEVER LIKE TO WRITE THE SONG JUST LIKE THAT.
NO, IT'S THE NATURE INSPIRED ME.
IF I AM IN LOVE, I'M GOING TO WRITE SOME STUFF FOR LOVE.
AND THEN WHEN I SEE SOMETHING LIKE SOME CRIME HAPPENING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT I CAN WRITE THIS SONG TALKING ABOUT IT.
IT'S WHAT I AM.
>> Reporter: THE SITUATION IN NIGER HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY DANGEROUS IN RECENT YEARS AS BOKO HARAM, THE ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISTS, HAVE BROADENED THEIR TERROR CAMPAIGN THROUGH THE SAHARA.
THE IMPOVERISHED NATION NOT ONLY THREATENED BY TERRORISM, BUT NOW SEEING INCREASED MILITARY PRESENCE AS COUNTER-INSURGENCY EFFORTS EXPAND THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
DO YOU WORRY THAT IF YOU GET TOO POLITICAL, THAT THERE WOULD BE A NEGATIVE RESPONSE TOWARDS YOUR MUSIC AND ART?
>> AFRICA IS STARTING TO BE VERY, VERY CRAZY, AND THAT IS SO SCARY FOR ALL THE ARTISTS, NOT JUST ME.
I'M SCARY, TOO, FOR MY FAMILY.
SCARY FOR EVERYONE, NOT JUST ME.
>> Reporter: DOES BEING IN THE WORLD AS YOU ARE IN THE WORLD PLAYING, DO YOU FEEL MORE INTERNAL PEACE OR LESS INTERNAL PEACE?
>> TO BE HONEST, I STARTED TO BE CRAZY, MAN.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT I AM.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE I'M GOING TO GO.
I DON'T KNOW WHO I AM.
WHEN I AM WITH MY CROWD, I PLAY FOR THEM.
MAKE THEM SMILE.
I'M HAPPY.
I FEEL FREE.
BUT WHEN I'M THINKING FOR MY CONTINENT, AFRICA, WHAT HAPPENING IN AFRICA, WHAT IS GOING ON?
AND THEN THE WORLD DOESN'T MATTER.
I FEEL LIKE, THIS-- I DON'T KNOW WHICH DAY THIS IS GOING TO STOP, BECAUSE THE WORLD DOESN'T TAKE MATTER.
I FEEL LIKE THE JUSTICE DOESN'T EXIST IN THE WORLD.
IT'S WHAT I'M FEELING.
MUSIC, IT'S LIKE, GOOD WAY TO SEND IN THE MESSAGE, BUT IT'S NOT OBLIGATION TO SOMEONE TO, LIKE, UNDERSTAND THAT MESSAGE.
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> Sreenivasan: NEWSHOUR WILL HAVE CONTINUING COVERAGE OF THE TORNADOES AND THE RECOVERY EFFORTS ACROSS THE MID-SOUTH REGION TOMORROW AND THROUGHOUT THE WEEK.
THAT'S ALL FOR THIS EDITION OF PBS NEWSHOUR WEEKEND.
FOR THE LATEST NEWS UPDATES, VISIT www.pbs.org/newshour.
I'M HARI SREENIVASAN.
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