Contemporary African Music as Griotism

In some African societies, griots are keepers of the story/history of the people. They memorize and recite royal lineages and tell the important stories of their people. They are also praise singers who weave tunes in praise of the famous and powerful. The griot, in Cameroon English, has come to be synonymous with the sycophant, one who uncritically buys into the agenda of those in power in order to reap some benefits.

The strong and powerful have often been subjects of songs in many traditional African societies - and so have the disgraceful. In fact, song is often used to praise or blame. However, much of contemporary African pop music seems to fall in the camp of the sycophantic as many songs today seem to recite the names of benefactors or some of the rich and powerful, in hopes that they may become future benefactor. In some cases, calling out one's name in a song indicates that one has socially arrived, that one is now part of the ranks of the rich and powerful. Thus, the names of music producers, musicians themselves, Generals in the army, footballers such as Didier Drogba or Samuel Eto'o, etc., are now the subjects of many songs. One wonders whether contemporary African music is becoming increasingly a place to celebrate the rich and famous. Or is it just a way to sing about African greats? Below is a sample of the kind of song discussed here. It is from arguably the king of this genre in African popular music, Kofi Olomide. Listen for the names.

 

Young Muslims Protect Christmas Celebrants

In Kaduna, Nigeria, some Muslim young people protected Christian worshippers on Christmas day. In a place that is known for the Islamic extremist terrorism of Boko Haram, this is a welcome gesture that flies in the face of the ideology of this terrorist group.
 
Christians worshipping on Christmas Day

Free Mohamed Mkhaitir and Biram Dah Abeid

Mohamed Mkaitir has been sentenced to death in Mauritania for apparently insulting the Prophet Mohammad in an anti-slavery piece he wrote. His compatriot, the anti-slavery campaigner, Biram Dah Abeid, is also being held by the government of  Mauritania, which continues to deny the festering issue of slavery and racial segregation in that country. The government of Mauritania is attempting to shift the discourse away from the repugnant treatment of human beings in that country in the name of religious piety. It is a barbaric and repugnant practice to kill someone for being critical of a religious figure or even God. It is also irresponsible to detain people for fighting for human dignity in a country that turns a blind eye to such abuses. Free Mohamed Mkhaitir and Biram Dah Abeid.


Mohamed Khaitir

                  Biram Dah Abeid

Demanding a Presidents's Birth Certificate or Is Gabon's Present Actually a Nigerian?

People are contesting the authenticity of the birth certificate of a sitting president; this time, however, it is not in the United States but in the small, oil-rich African country of Gabon. In fact, the nationality of the president, Ali Bongo, was questioned by a recent book by the controversial French journalist, Pierre Pean, that claimed that the president is actually a Nigerian who was adopted by the former president of Gabon, Omar Bongo. The book claimed the president presented a false birth certificate in order to qualify for the presidential elections and that some of the president's diplomas are also fake. This has infuriated many Gabonese who now believe that they are being ruled by a foreigner. It should be noted that the politics of nationality is not new in Africa. It is a common theme in contemporary African politics.

However, instead of providing the offending documents to address the situation, as President Barack Obama did in the United States even though it did not satisfy his critics, President Ali Bongo has assaulted protesters, leading to one death. Now protesters are saying they want him out. Given that he is heir to his father, Omar Bongo, some protesters have conflated his rule with that of his father, charging that they have been in power for about half a century and that should be enough. They want him out. This is a situation to watch carefully. We might be dealing with another Burkina Faso here, where the president was driven from power just this year.

How the Internet and Sony Brought Dictatorship to America

Dictatorship has come to America through the Internet and Sony. Sony made a film about the assassination of the head of state of North Korea, a country that has been led by a series of dictators who claim supernatural sanction to their dictatorship. Now, making a film about the assassination of a living head of state should strike nerves under any circumstances, even if that head of state is a dictator. Anyone who dares makes a film about the assassination of an American head of state, for example, would be visited by the CIA, America's belief in freedom of speech notwithstanding. Thus, it is no surprise that North Korea did not take the matter lying down, especially given the fact that the film stripped its dictator of his supernatural aura.

However, given that America's belief in freedom of speech allows that a film about the assassination of a foreign head of state be made here, the film had to be shown in theaters in this country. But that does not appear to be the case. Using one of the classic tools of dictators everywhere - fear - Sony was bullied into rescinding showing the film in theaters in the United States. The story (as revised by Sony) goes that after Sony computers were hacked, movie theaters reneged on their promise to screen the film because they were afraid that something similar might happen to them. Because no  movie theater was willing to screen the film, Sony had to pull it off the market. Fear, plus the threat of bankrupting a company, can actually make a people cower in the face of dictatorship.

If it is true that North Korea is behind the hacking of Sony's computers, as the FBI claims, then we can say that North Korea's dictatorship has come to America. The fear that characterizes life in a dictatorship, the paralyzing fear that stifles creativity, has come to America. Over the years, many have run away from such paralyzing fear from Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, to seek in America a place where they could think freely. Judging from the Sony case and the purported reactions of movie theater owners, and perhaps movie goers, America is now living under a dictator far removed from America's shores.

Even though American governments have supported dictatorships in other places around the world, Americans themselves have often claimed to be freedom loving people. The fear that an anonymous threat, purportedly from a regime that is known for its stupendous hyperbole, has brought to America in a short period of time, seems to belie the claim that Americans love freedom. We now seem to be living under a dictatorship, albeit one that is far removed from our shores. The fear that emanates from anonymous sources, especially anonymous sources that are far away, is a classic tool that dictators have used to hold people in thrall. I hope that fear is not hear to stay.

1100 Days of Protesting Paul Biya's 31-Year Dictatorship in Cameroon

1100 days ago, flourishingAfrica began protesting the dictatorship of Paul Biya in Cameroon. As one of the longest serving dictators in Africa, Paul Biya has imposed himself on Cameroonians through military rule and sham elections. A man who is over 80 years old now, he has clung to power for almost as long as Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. Biya's tenure has been marked by the stifling of the economic potential of the country and the orchestration of widespread corruption. He has become the law of the land as he changes the constitution at will to perpetrate his years of misrule. He has demoralized Cameroonians so much that many are now resigned to their fate. However, we must not stop protesting this misrule. Cameroon deserves better.

Should African Nations Cup Be Cancelled Over Ebola?

The African Nations Cup, the biggest football event on the continent of Africa, is scheduled to take place beginning January 17, 2015. This has often been a pleasant event for many African countries, especially those directly participating in the tournament. This time around, however, the tournament seems to be clouded by fear of Ebola - and the fear is real. Nations Cup tournaments bring together people from all over the continent and these people often congregate in stadiums across the host country, in this case the host country is the tiny African country called Equatorial Guinea. Its estimated population is just over 700,000 people as of 2014. The event was supposed to take place in Morocco but the North African country declined to host the event due to Ebola fears. Other countries such as Ghana and Angola also declined to host the event.

Now, however, a prominent football player in Equatorial Guinea, the former African female footballer of the year Genoveva Anonma, has raised her voice against the tournament. Under normal circumstances, few Africans would decry this jamboree. With Ebola still flaring just west of Equatorial Guinea, serious consideration needs to be given about canceling the event. This event may create the opportunity for Ebola to spread. It may be better not to provide this opportunity. Fighting Ebola may entail canceling the event.

Jon Stewart Hires a South African Daily Show Correspondent

John Stewart hires a South African Daily Show Correspondent and gives a hilarious introductory lesson in African Studies.

Remembering Mandela, One Year Later

In many African cultures, the dead are often remembered one year after in order to close the period of mourning. It is during this memorial ceremony, sometimes anomalously called "death celebration", that the honorable dead are made ancestors. This appears to be part of what is happening to Madiba today as his family gathers in his home village of Qunu, South Africa.