All Music Guide

December 10, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Leaders Declare New Era of Euro-African Relations

December 9, 2007 | Leave a Comment

 

By Scott Bobb
Lisbon
09 December 2007
Bobb report - Download MP3 (644k) 
Listen to Bobb report  

Leaders of Africa and the European Union have ended their summit in Portugal by declaring a new era in relations aimed at confronting new global challenges. But they could not avoid sparring over some older issues involving human rights and conflict on the continent. VOA’s Scott Bobb reports from Lisbon.

Portugal’s PM Jose Socrates (back-R) and Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi (back-L) watch Portugal FM Luis Amado (R) and his Libyan counterpart Abderrahmane Chalgham (L) exchanging documents after they signed an economic agreement, 09 Dec 2007
The president of the European Union, Portugal’s Prime Minister Jose Socrates, Sunday closed the summit, saying African and European leaders have turned a new page in history.

He says the leaders have adopted an agenda to confront serious challenges of security, governance, migration and climate change.

Nevertheless, long-standing disagreements re-emerged during the two-day meeting.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in her speech on governance and human rights, accused Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe of harming Africa’s image by quashing political freedom and human rights in his country.

Mr. Mugabe was invited to the summit despite being banned from Europe five years ago because of rigged elections in his country. His attendance prompted a boycott by the prime minister of Britain, the former colonial power in Zimbabwe.

The head of the African Union, Ghana’s President John Kufuor, responded to Ms. Merkel’s remarks by noting that South African President Thabo Mbeki is mediating talks between Zimbabwe’s ruling party and the opposition in an effort to bring free and fair elections next year.

"It is not for anybody to just move in there and impose a solution," he said. "We want to encourage a home-grown solution so there will be a restoration of normalcy and good governance for the people of Zimbabwe."

Several European leaders met with Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir and strongly urged him to allow the deployment of U.N. and A.U. troops to end bloodshed and suffering in its Darfur region. Sudan has accepted this hybrid force, but has rejected troops from non-African countries.

Mr. Kufuor said Africa has taken the initiative on the issue, though he acknowledged it has taken some time to assemble the hybrid force.

"I believe with good will all around the hybrid force will be put together so at least humanitarian actions can be brought to the people of Darfur," added Mr. Kufuor.

African leaders also objected to the E.U. efforts to forge temporary trade agreements with developing nations, which they say will unleash excessive competition on their emerging economies. The European Union says these are needed because existing accords are due to expire at the end of this month.

E.U. Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso noted that these are temporary agreements that are meant to maintain tariff exemptions for African exports to the European Union.

"Once we have settled this transitional phase, we [will] have the time and the spirit to address development issues and important concerns that were raised also from the African Union side," said Barroso.

He said he believes that all but a few African governments will sign the interim accords by the end of the year.

The leaders agreed to hold their next summit in a couple of years on African soil.

VOA

December 9, 2007 | Leave a Comment

‘

Democracy in Dakar’ Film Shows Power of Hip-Hop Among Senegalese Youth
By Jackson Muneza Mvunganyi
Washington
15 August 2007

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A film on the role of hip-hop in shaping the political discourse in Senegal is getting rave reviews. The documentary Democracy in Dakar is the brainchild of filmmaker and producer Ben Herson, who visited Senegal’s capital, Dakar, in 2003.

Herson first got interested in Senegalese music a couple of years ago, when he was working on his university thesis about Senegalese music. He was amazed at the vibrant music scene in Dakar, given the small resources and financial rewards available to young musicians there. He says he was intrigued by their passion and devotion to music and decided to expand his project into a full-length movie. Herson’s next visit came during Senegal’s presidential election campaign held earlier this year. He witnessed the power of young, politically conscious rappers – and the enthusiasm of their fans.

Democracy in Dakar shows the influence that hip-hop music has among young Senegalese. Herson says it’s a tool that has been used by the youth to voice their frustration with the political establishment. The documentary features rising stars in the Senegalese entertainment industry and plenty of unknown MCs, whose storytelling abilities are much like those of the traditional Senegalese griots.

“The young rappers perform traditional Senegalese rap songs “that tell stories about society, much like ancient griots narrated the lives of ancient societies,” he said.

Young Senegalese musicians, like those in other parts of Africa, have fused traditional music and messages with western styles popular among their fans. Young film director McGee Mcilvan says he saw more than a than a dozen Senegalese rap groups in Dakar which have created unique and distinct sounds.

Many tracks on the video feature what the Senegalese call "ego tripping," a mode of hip-hop that includes bragging. The movie also sheds light on the personalities of the rappers and their inspirations.

Mshale

December 9, 2007 | Leave a Comment

 

Hip-Hop: The Catalyst of Change in African Politics
Samuel Imende

Africans must pick and choose what aspects of the hip-hop culture to embrace.
The late Ahmed Sékou Touré, the founding president of Guinea, once said, “To take part in the African revolution, it is not enough to write a revolutionary song; you must fashion the revolution with the people. And if you fashion it with the people, the songs will come by themselves and of themselves.” 

His message seems to have resonated across Africa into the minds of African hip-hop artists. In the documentary, “African Underground: Democracy in Dakar,” featured in a forum at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, last month, Senegalese rappers seem to have led a hip-hop revolution in 2000 to oust Abdou Diouf.  Diouf had been in power since1981.

With the country dissatisfied by President Abdoulaye Wade, Diouf’s successor who many feel has failed to bring about the changes he promised, Senegalese hip-hop artists find themselves once again at the crossroads of politics

The forum at the Wilson Center, moderated by the Africa Program Director Howard Wolpe, touched on the environment in which hip-hop is thriving in Africa. In comparison with other regions of the world, Africa has the highest percentage of youth and the fastest rate of urbanization. With the growing influence of Western culture on African youth, and a vast access to music via the Internet, hip-hop will continue to empower African rappers as instruments of change. There are claims that hip-hop has already become the contemporary manifestation of African culture.

The reality is that hip-hop also brings to Africa the bad and the ugly. American hip-hop artist Tupac, the rapper said to have influenced African artist the most, left a legacy riddled with not only hope, but also with pain from the ghetto. His lyrics and eventual violent death exposed the dangers of hip-hop’s digression to gangster rap, which is notorious for violence, use of profanity and the degradation of women. African social critics have begun putting pressure on rappers, urging them to realize their influence on socio-political culture. The critics encourage artists to express the more positive elements of hip-hop.

In April, while observing the recent elections in Nigeria, I kept hearing Nigerian artist, 2Face Idibaba’s song “E be like say” on the radio, which condemns “shady politicians” for constantly deceiving the electorate for the sake of power. I realized this was a powerful tool of voter education to millions of Nigerians who are neglected by politicians, especially in rural areas. If African rappers continue to educate and give a voice to the scores of youth, who are the primary victims of poor governance and rampant corruption, hip-hop may become a political force to reckon with.
 

Washington Post

December 9, 2007 | Leave a Comment

 

African Underground: Herson & McIlvaine Map It  Federal Triangle   Bethesda

THE INTERSECTION OF hip-hop and activism gets a lot of lip service in the U.S., but the reality is that popular rap music is still mostly about the bling, not the political ring. That’s not the case in Senegal, where political hip-hop thrives.
Ben Herson (Nomadic Wax) and Magee McIlvaine (Sol Productions) have been documenting the Senegalese hip-hop scene with a series of CDs and documentary films, including the multi-part "African Underground: Democracy in Dakar," which can be viewed in its entirety on Brightcove.com. The duo will present the movie and discuss their activities on Wednesday at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, followed by an after party at Club Peju in Bethesda, featuring performances by African hip-hoppers Moussa Sall (Senegal), Dumi Right (Zimbabwe) and Salim Diallo (Mali).
» EXPRESS: How did you get interested in Senegal — its music and its politics?
» HERSON: I started this project in 1999 with my college thesis titled "Fat Beats, Dope Rhymes and Thug Lives: Youth, Hip-Hop and Politics in Dakar." It was an undergraduate dissertation about the role of hip-hop on the political landscape in Dakar during the 2000 presidential election. After I finished writing the thesis in 2000, I stayed in touch with the MCs who I had been interviewing over the past few years and they asked me if I would be interested in producing or distributing some of their music abroad.
Though I had been playing music professionally and recording, I had never produced a record from the ground up before. I called my cousin — and now co-producer — Dan Cantor of Notable Productions and the two of us went over with a hard disc recorder and a few microphones in the summer of 2001. That recording session focused primarily on groups who had been involved in the underground hip-hop scene in Dakar — who at the time, I felt, were not getting the attention they deserved. Those songs ended up on the "African Underground: Hip-Hop Senegal" compilation — the first of an ongoing series of underground hip-hop compilations, and now films, from Africa. The most recent one, "African Underground: Depths of Dakar," is now out on Nomadic Wax.
» MCILVAINE: I spent my childhood in between Southeast D.C. and Southern and Eastern Africa. With over half of my childhood spent in Zambia, Kenya and Tanzania, the various cultures, languages, and musical styles had a significant impact on my life. As music became more and more a part of my life, I found myself resorting to the musical sounds of my childhood. When I first heard African hip-hop, specifically Positive Black Soul of Senegal, something clicked. It was a kind of music that matched my own experiences at that moment. Hip-hop had been taken from the U.S. and, throughout Africa, made into something new and unique.
Throughout college, I had an international hip-hop radio show and organized small concerts as well. In 2005, I studied abroad in Senegal and this cemented my interest in African hip-hop, particularly Senegalese. Seeing it with my own eyes, the music, the culture, and meeting the artists who I had been listening to from thousands of miles away was an incredible experience. Upon my return to the U.S., I contacted Ben of Nomadic Wax — the only label in the U.S. promoting Senegalese hip-hop — and we began to organize shows together. With a few others, we organized the first-ever-in-the-U.S. international hip-hop festival. That year — my final year in college — I did my senior thesis, which was a documentary film examining the ties between West African griot culture and hip-hop in the U.S. today.
Those projects really cemented my ties with Ben and Nomadic Wax and pushed my involvement in international hip-hop to a professional level. After graduating from college, I began a nonprofit film production company with two other friends. After filming the presidential elections in Venezuela and gaining a great deal of experience filming politics in a potentially unstable country, Ben approached us with the idea of filming the elections in Senegal.
» EXPRESS: How many "Democracry in Dakar" segments are you planning on making?
» HERSON: The "African Underground: Democracy in Dakar" series was filmed and edited on location in Dakar, Senegal. There are six episodes that were recorded during our 2007 trip to Dakar and one segment recorded in New York City and D.C. with Senegalese living abroad. We are currently in the process of editing a 65-minute piece with all the segments to be screened as a feature length documentary.
In April and May the Sol Productions team continued the "African Underground" film series in France with "Democracy in Paris" — a similar series of shorts also focused on the role of hip-hop and politics, but this time in France. We’re working on continuing the series on other countries as well. The goal is to take this format of guerrilla style film making, journalism, video blogging and music production to other countries in Africa. The top choices where we have some excellent contacts are Sierra Leone, Morocco, Kenya and Tanzania.
» EXPRESS: What do you hope these videos inspire in the viewers?
» HERSON: To create a dialog about the role of youth and hip-hop culture on the political, social and cultural landscape in around the world, especially Africa.
Western audiences are becoming acquainted with and interested in urban or nontraditional African culture thought films like "Blood Diamond," "Tsotsi," "The Constant Gardener," etc. We’re looking to take this dialog a bit further and let those living in Africa talk about their experience for themselves. Documentary film is an excellent medium to both reach a captive audience as well as create a platform for people to express themselves.
Part of the concept for this was to use the Internet as a way to facilitate the dissemination of this in both the Western world as well as Africa. Each time we completed a part of the series it was immediately released on every viral media channel that we could access — YouTube, MySpace, Current TV, etc. — in an effort to allow others to watch it, repost it and blog about it. In that sense, it was a massive success. The first episode went to number one on Current TV in only a month and Senegalese people were watching the episodes in the thousands. It’s been amazing to see how both a Western audience as well as an African one has gravitated to the story.
» MCILVAINE: We are among the first to really use music, film, and the Internet for a political purpose. Our films had a political impact in that they told a story that no one else was telling and were picked up by all the major Senegalese media sources. As it was free and on the Internet, anyone could repost them, and we watched as the videos began to spring up everywhere. And with each new reposting of them, we saw the online conversations and dialogue grow.
For Senegalese, these films have had a major impact on the Senegalese diaspora communities. For non-Senegalese, we have watched as thousands of people from all over the world have compared the situation there to their own, from Australia to the U.S. What became quickly obvious was that, even if you are not Senegalese, there is much to learn from this story.
» EXPRESS: Did you face any difficulties from politicians or police while making the videos? And have you heard from any Senegalese authorities since the videos have gone online?
» HERSON: At the time of making the videos we had virtually no problems at all. Everything is rather informal in Senegal and, for the most part, no one really seemed to care we were filming. Having said that, no one in the government knew that we were making this film. The videos have gotten close to 70,000 views since March, so I wouldn’t be surprised if someone in the Senegalese government has seen them, though I have not heard anything about it.
» MCILVAINE: The videos have been picked up and posted by all the major opposition newspapers, so I am sure the government has seen them.
» EXPRESS: I know hip-hop is popular in many parts of Africa, but outside of South Africa — where, in reality, kwaito rules — is Senegal the African home of hip-hop right now and why?
» HERSON: The Senegalese have over 1,000 years of musical and oral traditions that are very similar to hip-hop. Tassu is a griot style of chanting/singing over beats where rhyme and wordplay is a key element. Tallif is a freestyle form of poetry without music — similar to a hip-hop a capella.
And as a side note: Leopold Senghor, Senegal’s first president, was a poet. So for Senegalese, they really feel that hip-hop was born in Senegal and was taken to America, via the slave trade, and re-exported back to them. Ask any Senegalese rapper where hip-hop was born and many will say "Africa" — or even more specifically "Senegal" before they say the "South Bronx."
» Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Ronald Reagan Building, One Woodrow Wilson Plaza, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW; Wed., 5 p.m., free with RSVP to leadership@wilsoncenter.org; 202-691-4000. (Federal Triangle)
» Cafe Peju, 4867 Cordell Ave., Bethesda; Wed., 8 p.m., free with RSVP to rsvp@nomadicwax.com (put "DC/After Party" in the subject line); 301-523-0480. (Bethesda)

BBC

December 9, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Hip-Hop in Dakar
Luke Branston looks at Dakar’s current hip-hop scene and its influence on politics.

Senegal has adopted hip-hop music since its first occurrence in the early 80s and has made contributions to the international hip-hop scene since the 90s with groups such as Positive Black Soul and Daara J having made an indelible mark on both hip-hop and world music scenes. Unfortunately since then, the newer underground generation of young MCs and lyricists have made less of an impact internationally.

New York label Nomadic Wax diligently aims to discover, record, produce and promote the wealth of underlying talent within the hip-hop scenes of Africa. In 2001, label founder Ben Herson travelled to Dakar armed with a portable hard disc recorder and a set of microphones and managed to lay down some vocal tracks from the cream of the crop of MCs in the region. This campaign became the ‘African Underground: Hip Hop Senegal’ compilation, which received wide acclaim from many music publications and shone some light on an impassioned musical movement in Senegal.

‘Depths of Dakar’ is the second release in the series, on this occasion the studio became an open mic scenario, anyone who could take the mic was recorded, this lead to a mixture of both well-known and amateur artists being selected for the final result. Released as an accompaniment to the ‘Democracy In Dakar’ documentary, the project intends to investigate the effect of hip-hop on Senegalese politics.

Rap is a powerful vocal medium for many of the youth in Senegal and the use of rap is seen as something of a political weapon. In 2000, for example, a series of politically aware songs were released. These fiery protest raps played a major part in influencing the votes of the poor and the young which lead to the then ruling party (whom many saw as corrupt) being removed from power in one of the most democratic elections known to West Africa. The ‘Democracy in Dakar’ documentary follows the 2007 election and gives a down to earth perspective on the public opinion on the current leadership alongside interviews and performances from Senegalese rappers, giving their honest, undiluted stand point on the state of the country. The documentary alone is an intriguing insight into the socio-political structure of Senegal.

The album has tunes rapped in a mixture of Wolof, French and local dialects, the songs are loaded with percussive organic beats, skillful sequencing and plenty of live instrumentation, featuring parts played by members of Antibalas and drums from the legendary reggae drummer Leroy Wallace . As well as politics, the tunes also deal with social problems and morality. OMZO , a well-seasoned rapper, returns with several cuts, most notable “Goor Yombul”, a piece which highlights the familiar moral issue of polygamy. Female lyricist Fatim delivers ”Real Woman”, a striking afro-funk/hip-hop mix, her compassionate lyrics are projected in a no-nonsense fashion whilst the soaring raw horns and accented congas give it a hypnotic groove. Other highlights include Adama ’s celestial reggae-infused tune “Aduna Bi” which rings a sweet melody of hope and Zoo Squad ’s “Fresh Time”, another song saturated in funk, sharp trumpet hooks and cool Rhodes piano with nothing but perfectly executed lyrics.

If you are looking to get a deeper outlook on what’s happening in Senegal both musically and politically or if you just want to listen to some fresh African hip-hop, then you must take a look at this highly motivated, politically conscious project.

Link to article

 

Muslim-American Rappers Promote Tolerance in Middle East

December 8, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Washington – When Native Deen took hip-hop music to Jerusalem in fall 2006, the group of Muslim-American rappers was moved deeply by the holiness of the place and the energy of the hundreds of teens who attended their concerts. Yet nothing came close to the connection the performers felt to their faith during their Middle East trip.

“I could feel it in the stone and the rocks,” said Naeem Muhammad of Native Deen, a Muslim-American hip-hop group based near Washington that has a strong following in the United Kingdom and the United States.

“Our music inspires Muslims to be better Muslims, but it also gives other people a better view of our faith,” Joshua Salaam told USINFO in an interview.

The rhythm is there, and the beat is contemporary. But the heart of inspirational hip-hop music is in the powerful rap lyrics coaxing listeners to live better lives and be better people.

Native Deen traveled to Turkey, Dubai, the Palestinian Territories and Israel on behalf of the U.S. Department of State, incorporating the teachings of Islam into songs about respect and humanity. At all the concerts, the performers were greeted like “American superstars,” they said. In Dubai, Native Deen won the 2006 Mahabba Award at an event showcasing musicians, artists and filmmakers inspired to spread Islam through art.

The group, founded in 2000, is known for its positive energy, use of traditional percussion and lyrics focused on tolerance and the teachings of Islam.

“We use the Quran as a source of guidance for us when we write our songs,” said Abdul Malik. “We use the morals and guidelines that we find in the Quran to teach people and to guide people.” This means that the beat, or rhythm, comes second, according to Salaam. The lyrics are the most important aspect of the song, so in Native Deen’s sound, the rap is always in front of the percussion.

“Deen” is the Arabic word for “religion,” or way of life.

Native Deen makes stops at religious and historic sites in Turkey, Dubai and Israel while on tour. (Photo courtesy of Native Deen)
The group’s members met when they were in their early teens in Muslim Youth of North America (MYNA) camps, most often in Ohio, where only percussion instruments were allowed because some Muslims believe that wind and string instruments should be avoided in Islam. Influenced by African-American culture, Salaam, Muhammad and Malik used “beatboxing,” or vocal percussion, and tapping on lunchroom tables to develop with their friends the first Muslim hip-hop sounds that came to be known as MYNA rap. All three Native Deen members can be heard on the MYNA Raps recordings of the early 1990s, but by 2000, Native Deen had set out on its own to record and perform inspirational and spiritual hip-hop.

In the Palestinian Territories and Jerusalem, Native Deen received positive feedback from young people attending the concerts who were impressed that the group uses live drums and percussion instead of electronic tracks. American hip-hop artists often collaborate with international musicians, incorporating traditional instruments and ethnic music. (See related article.)

“We take homegrown instruments and make them work,” Salaam said. The largest challenge for the group is that it performs raps in English. Although in Turkey the group translated some of the raps, Salaam said it was able to see in its audiences that music bridges the language gap.

“[Audiences] might have anti-American sentiment,” Muhammad said. “But they believe in democracy, and they saw us as Muslims who are able to live in America and practice our faith. We got very positive feedback.”

Salaam, who served in the U.S. military in the Air Force, hopes the group will continue to travel internationally because he sees hip-hop as a way to open doors and to encourage religious tolerance and respect.

The rappers performed three concerts in the West Bank, including Al-Quds University in Abu Deis, a village near Jerusalem, in Hebron and Jericho. Prior to arriving in the Middle East, Native Deen gave sold-out concerts at the Royal Armouries in Leeds and at the U.S. Chancery in London during the U.K.-wide Festival of Muslim Cultures, which began in January and continues through autumn 2007.

Hip-hop began in the United States 30 years ago in the South Bronx, a borough of New York City. Using turntables to spin old, worn records, teens began to talk over music, mostly on the streets and in basements in what were called block parties, creating an entirely new music genre and dance form. This "talking over," or MCing (rapping) or DJing (audio mixing or scratching), became the essence of rap. (See related article.)

Native Deen audio clips, song lyrics and other information are available on the group’s Web site.

More information about the Festival of Muslim Cultures is available on the program’s Web site.

For additional information about life in America, see The Arts and Population and Diversity.

(USINFO is produced by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

China’s hip-hop grannies

December 8, 2007 | Leave a Comment

 

In the November/December issue of FP, Jeff Chang’s article, "It’s a Hip-Hop World," described the social, political, and even economic implications of hip-hop’s appeal to young people around the globe. It appears, however, that age is no longer a factor in hip-hop’s growing popularity. In China, the "hip-hop grannies," a 30-member group of retirees, perform hip-hop dance routines for both entertainment and high-energy exercise. Most of the members are over 60, but that hasn’t slowed them down. The group is now performing on tour and taking China by storm.

I know the saying "you’re only as old as you feel," but I don’t think I can imagine Grandma Lewis taking part in this particular international trend.

Senegal woman sets herself on fire in Rome protest

December 8, 2007 | Leave a Comment

ROME, Dec 7 (Reuters) - A Senegalese woman set herself on fire at Rome’s city hall on Friday in an apparent protest over a visit to Italy by Senegal’s President Abdoulaye Wade.

The woman, identified by city officials as Kebe Peinda Gotha, was in critical condition after dousing herself in flammable liquid and setting herself ablaze.

Police who were on patrol in the square outside the city hall quickly put out the flames.

Dramatic images of the suicide attempt were captured on a closed-circuit security video and broadcast on Italian state television RAI’s evening news.

"She wanted to kill herself at all costs," a police officer told RAI, adding the woman also wanted at one point to throw herself off a ledge.

Senegalese officials, asking not to be identified, said she had wanted to meet the president. Italian media reports described the woman, who lives in northern Italy, as an activist for the rights of Senegalese immigrants. (Writing by Phil Stewart; Editing by Giles Elgood)

© Reuters 2007. All Rights Reserved. 

Newsletter - Dec 6th 2007

December 7, 2007 | Leave a Comment

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All Music Guide

December 10, 2007

Leaders Declare New Era of Euro-African Relations

December 9, 2007

 

By Scott Bobb
Lisbon
09 December 2007
Bobb report - Download MP3 (644k) 
Listen to Bobb report  

Leaders of Africa and the European Union have ended their summit in Portugal by declaring a new era in relations aimed at confronting new global challenges. But they could not avoid sparring over some older issues involving human rights and conflict on the continent. VOA’s Scott Bobb reports from Lisbon.

Portugal’s PM Jose Socrates (back-R) and Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi (back-L) watch Portugal FM Luis Amado (R) and his Libyan counterpart Abderrahmane Chalgham (L) exchanging documents after they signed an economic agreement, 09 Dec 2007
The president of the European Union, Portugal’s Prime Minister Jose Socrates, Sunday closed the summit, saying African and European leaders have turned a new page in history.

He says the leaders have adopted an agenda to confront serious challenges of security, governance, migration and climate change.

Nevertheless, long-standing disagreements re-emerged during the two-day meeting.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in her speech on governance and human rights, accused Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe of harming Africa’s image by quashing political freedom and human rights in his country.

Mr. Mugabe was invited to the summit despite being banned from Europe five years ago because of rigged elections in his country. His attendance prompted a boycott by the prime minister of Britain, the former colonial power in Zimbabwe.

The head of the African Union, Ghana’s President John Kufuor, responded to Ms. Merkel’s remarks by noting that South African President Thabo Mbeki is mediating talks between Zimbabwe’s ruling party and the opposition in an effort to bring free and fair elections next year.

"It is not for anybody to just move in there and impose a solution," he said. "We want to encourage a home-grown solution so there will be a restoration of normalcy and good governance for the people of Zimbabwe."

Several European leaders met with Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir and strongly urged him to allow the deployment of U.N. and A.U. troops to end bloodshed and suffering in its Darfur region. Sudan has accepted this hybrid force, but has rejected troops from non-African countries.

Mr. Kufuor said Africa has taken the initiative on the issue, though he acknowledged it has taken some time to assemble the hybrid force.

"I believe with good will all around the hybrid force will be put together so at least humanitarian actions can be brought to the people of Darfur," added Mr. Kufuor.

African leaders also objected to the E.U. efforts to forge temporary trade agreements with developing nations, which they say will unleash excessive competition on their emerging economies. The European Union says these are needed because existing accords are due to expire at the end of this month.

E.U. Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso noted that these are temporary agreements that are meant to maintain tariff exemptions for African exports to the European Union.

"Once we have settled this transitional phase, we [will] have the time and the spirit to address development issues and important concerns that were raised also from the African Union side," said Barroso.

He said he believes that all but a few African governments will sign the interim accords by the end of the year.

The leaders agreed to hold their next summit in a couple of years on African soil.

VOA

December 9, 2007

‘

Democracy in Dakar’ Film Shows Power of Hip-Hop Among Senegalese Youth
By Jackson Muneza Mvunganyi
Washington
15 August 2007

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

A film on the role of hip-hop in shaping the political discourse in Senegal is getting rave reviews. The documentary Democracy in Dakar is the brainchild of filmmaker and producer Ben Herson, who visited Senegal’s capital, Dakar, in 2003.

Herson first got interested in Senegalese music a couple of years ago, when he was working on his university thesis about Senegalese music. He was amazed at the vibrant music scene in Dakar, given the small resources and financial rewards available to young musicians there. He says he was intrigued by their passion and devotion to music and decided to expand his project into a full-length movie. Herson’s next visit came during Senegal’s presidential election campaign held earlier this year. He witnessed the power of young, politically conscious rappers – and the enthusiasm of their fans.

Democracy in Dakar shows the influence that hip-hop music has among young Senegalese. Herson says it’s a tool that has been used by the youth to voice their frustration with the political establishment. The documentary features rising stars in the Senegalese entertainment industry and plenty of unknown MCs, whose storytelling abilities are much like those of the traditional Senegalese griots.

“The young rappers perform traditional Senegalese rap songs “that tell stories about society, much like ancient griots narrated the lives of ancient societies,” he said.

Young Senegalese musicians, like those in other parts of Africa, have fused traditional music and messages with western styles popular among their fans. Young film director McGee Mcilvan says he saw more than a than a dozen Senegalese rap groups in Dakar which have created unique and distinct sounds.

Many tracks on the video feature what the Senegalese call "ego tripping," a mode of hip-hop that includes bragging. The movie also sheds light on the personalities of the rappers and their inspirations.

Mshale

December 9, 2007

 

Hip-Hop: The Catalyst of Change in African Politics
Samuel Imende

Africans must pick and choose what aspects of the hip-hop culture to embrace.
The late Ahmed Sékou Touré, the founding president of Guinea, once said, “To take part in the African revolution, it is not enough to write a revolutionary song; you must fashion the revolution with the people. And if you fashion it with the people, the songs will come by themselves and of themselves.” 

His message seems to have resonated across Africa into the minds of African hip-hop artists. In the documentary, “African Underground: Democracy in Dakar,” featured in a forum at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, last month, Senegalese rappers seem to have led a hip-hop revolution in 2000 to oust Abdou Diouf.  Diouf had been in power since1981.

With the country dissatisfied by President Abdoulaye Wade, Diouf’s successor who many feel has failed to bring about the changes he promised, Senegalese hip-hop artists find themselves once again at the crossroads of politics

The forum at the Wilson Center, moderated by the Africa Program Director Howard Wolpe, touched on the environment in which hip-hop is thriving in Africa. In comparison with other regions of the world, Africa has the highest percentage of youth and the fastest rate of urbanization. With the growing influence of Western culture on African youth, and a vast access to music via the Internet, hip-hop will continue to empower African rappers as instruments of change. There are claims that hip-hop has already become the contemporary manifestation of African culture.

The reality is that hip-hop also brings to Africa the bad and the ugly. American hip-hop artist Tupac, the rapper said to have influenced African artist the most, left a legacy riddled with not only hope, but also with pain from the ghetto. His lyrics and eventual violent death exposed the dangers of hip-hop’s digression to gangster rap, which is notorious for violence, use of profanity and the degradation of women. African social critics have begun putting pressure on rappers, urging them to realize their influence on socio-political culture. The critics encourage artists to express the more positive elements of hip-hop.

In April, while observing the recent elections in Nigeria, I kept hearing Nigerian artist, 2Face Idibaba’s song “E be like say” on the radio, which condemns “shady politicians” for constantly deceiving the electorate for the sake of power. I realized this was a powerful tool of voter education to millions of Nigerians who are neglected by politicians, especially in rural areas. If African rappers continue to educate and give a voice to the scores of youth, who are the primary victims of poor governance and rampant corruption, hip-hop may become a political force to reckon with.
 

Washington Post

December 9, 2007

 

African Underground: Herson & McIlvaine Map It  Federal Triangle   Bethesda

THE INTERSECTION OF hip-hop and activism gets a lot of lip service in the U.S., but the reality is that popular rap music is still mostly about the bling, not the political ring. That’s not the case in Senegal, where political hip-hop thrives.
Ben Herson (Nomadic Wax) and Magee McIlvaine (Sol Productions) have been documenting the Senegalese hip-hop scene with a series of CDs and documentary films, including the multi-part "African Underground: Democracy in Dakar," which can be viewed in its entirety on Brightcove.com. The duo will present the movie and discuss their activities on Wednesday at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, followed by an after party at Club Peju in Bethesda, featuring performances by African hip-hoppers Moussa Sall (Senegal), Dumi Right (Zimbabwe) and Salim Diallo (Mali).
» EXPRESS: How did you get interested in Senegal — its music and its politics?
» HERSON: I started this project in 1999 with my college thesis titled "Fat Beats, Dope Rhymes and Thug Lives: Youth, Hip-Hop and Politics in Dakar." It was an undergraduate dissertation about the role of hip-hop on the political landscape in Dakar during the 2000 presidential election. After I finished writing the thesis in 2000, I stayed in touch with the MCs who I had been interviewing over the past few years and they asked me if I would be interested in producing or distributing some of their music abroad.
Though I had been playing music professionally and recording, I had never produced a record from the ground up before. I called my cousin — and now co-producer — Dan Cantor of Notable Productions and the two of us went over with a hard disc recorder and a few microphones in the summer of 2001. That recording session focused primarily on groups who had been involved in the underground hip-hop scene in Dakar — who at the time, I felt, were not getting the attention they deserved. Those songs ended up on the "African Underground: Hip-Hop Senegal" compilation — the first of an ongoing series of underground hip-hop compilations, and now films, from Africa. The most recent one, "African Underground: Depths of Dakar," is now out on Nomadic Wax.
» MCILVAINE: I spent my childhood in between Southeast D.C. and Southern and Eastern Africa. With over half of my childhood spent in Zambia, Kenya and Tanzania, the various cultures, languages, and musical styles had a significant impact on my life. As music became more and more a part of my life, I found myself resorting to the musical sounds of my childhood. When I first heard African hip-hop, specifically Positive Black Soul of Senegal, something clicked. It was a kind of music that matched my own experiences at that moment. Hip-hop had been taken from the U.S. and, throughout Africa, made into something new and unique.
Throughout college, I had an international hip-hop radio show and organized small concerts as well. In 2005, I studied abroad in Senegal and this cemented my interest in African hip-hop, particularly Senegalese. Seeing it with my own eyes, the music, the culture, and meeting the artists who I had been listening to from thousands of miles away was an incredible experience. Upon my return to the U.S., I contacted Ben of Nomadic Wax — the only label in the U.S. promoting Senegalese hip-hop — and we began to organize shows together. With a few others, we organized the first-ever-in-the-U.S. international hip-hop festival. That year — my final year in college — I did my senior thesis, which was a documentary film examining the ties between West African griot culture and hip-hop in the U.S. today.
Those projects really cemented my ties with Ben and Nomadic Wax and pushed my involvement in international hip-hop to a professional level. After graduating from college, I began a nonprofit film production company with two other friends. After filming the presidential elections in Venezuela and gaining a great deal of experience filming politics in a potentially unstable country, Ben approached us with the idea of filming the elections in Senegal.
» EXPRESS: How many "Democracry in Dakar" segments are you planning on making?
» HERSON: The "African Underground: Democracy in Dakar" series was filmed and edited on location in Dakar, Senegal. There are six episodes that were recorded during our 2007 trip to Dakar and one segment recorded in New York City and D.C. with Senegalese living abroad. We are currently in the process of editing a 65-minute piece with all the segments to be screened as a feature length documentary.
In April and May the Sol Productions team continued the "African Underground" film series in France with "Democracy in Paris" — a similar series of shorts also focused on the role of hip-hop and politics, but this time in France. We’re working on continuing the series on other countries as well. The goal is to take this format of guerrilla style film making, journalism, video blogging and music production to other countries in Africa. The top choices where we have some excellent contacts are Sierra Leone, Morocco, Kenya and Tanzania.
» EXPRESS: What do you hope these videos inspire in the viewers?
» HERSON: To create a dialog about the role of youth and hip-hop culture on the political, social and cultural landscape in around the world, especially Africa.
Western audiences are becoming acquainted with and interested in urban or nontraditional African culture thought films like "Blood Diamond," "Tsotsi," "The Constant Gardener," etc. We’re looking to take this dialog a bit further and let those living in Africa talk about their experience for themselves. Documentary film is an excellent medium to both reach a captive audience as well as create a platform for people to express themselves.
Part of the concept for this was to use the Internet as a way to facilitate the dissemination of this in both the Western world as well as Africa. Each time we completed a part of the series it was immediately released on every viral media channel that we could access — YouTube, MySpace, Current TV, etc. — in an effort to allow others to watch it, repost it and blog about it. In that sense, it was a massive success. The first episode went to number one on Current TV in only a month and Senegalese people were watching the episodes in the thousands. It’s been amazing to see how both a Western audience as well as an African one has gravitated to the story.
» MCILVAINE: We are among the first to really use music, film, and the Internet for a political purpose. Our films had a political impact in that they told a story that no one else was telling and were picked up by all the major Senegalese media sources. As it was free and on the Internet, anyone could repost them, and we watched as the videos began to spring up everywhere. And with each new reposting of them, we saw the online conversations and dialogue grow.
For Senegalese, these films have had a major impact on the Senegalese diaspora communities. For non-Senegalese, we have watched as thousands of people from all over the world have compared the situation there to their own, from Australia to the U.S. What became quickly obvious was that, even if you are not Senegalese, there is much to learn from this story.
» EXPRESS: Did you face any difficulties from politicians or police while making the videos? And have you heard from any Senegalese authorities since the videos have gone online?
» HERSON: At the time of making the videos we had virtually no problems at all. Everything is rather informal in Senegal and, for the most part, no one really seemed to care we were filming. Having said that, no one in the government knew that we were making this film. The videos have gotten close to 70,000 views since March, so I wouldn’t be surprised if someone in the Senegalese government has seen them, though I have not heard anything about it.
» MCILVAINE: The videos have been picked up and posted by all the major opposition newspapers, so I am sure the government has seen them.
» EXPRESS: I know hip-hop is popular in many parts of Africa, but outside of South Africa — where, in reality, kwaito rules — is Senegal the African home of hip-hop right now and why?
» HERSON: The Senegalese have over 1,000 years of musical and oral traditions that are very similar to hip-hop. Tassu is a griot style of chanting/singing over beats where rhyme and wordplay is a key element. Tallif is a freestyle form of poetry without music — similar to a hip-hop a capella.
And as a side note: Leopold Senghor, Senegal’s first president, was a poet. So for Senegalese, they really feel that hip-hop was born in Senegal and was taken to America, via the slave trade, and re-exported back to them. Ask any Senegalese rapper where hip-hop was born and many will say "Africa" — or even more specifically "Senegal" before they say the "South Bronx."
» Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Ronald Reagan Building, One Woodrow Wilson Plaza, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW; Wed., 5 p.m., free with RSVP to leadership@wilsoncenter.org; 202-691-4000. (Federal Triangle)
» Cafe Peju, 4867 Cordell Ave., Bethesda; Wed., 8 p.m., free with RSVP to rsvp@nomadicwax.com (put "DC/After Party" in the subject line); 301-523-0480. (Bethesda)

BBC

December 9, 2007

Hip-Hop in Dakar
Luke Branston looks at Dakar’s current hip-hop scene and its influence on politics.

Senegal has adopted hip-hop music since its first occurrence in the early 80s and has made contributions to the international hip-hop scene since the 90s with groups such as Positive Black Soul and Daara J having made an indelible mark on both hip-hop and world music scenes. Unfortunately since then, the newer underground generation of young MCs and lyricists have made less of an impact internationally.

New York label Nomadic Wax diligently aims to discover, record, produce and promote the wealth of underlying talent within the hip-hop scenes of Africa. In 2001, label founder Ben Herson travelled to Dakar armed with a portable hard disc recorder and a set of microphones and managed to lay down some vocal tracks from the cream of the crop of MCs in the region. This campaign became the ‘African Underground: Hip Hop Senegal’ compilation, which received wide acclaim from many music publications and shone some light on an impassioned musical movement in Senegal.

‘Depths of Dakar’ is the second release in the series, on this occasion the studio became an open mic scenario, anyone who could take the mic was recorded, this lead to a mixture of both well-known and amateur artists being selected for the final result. Released as an accompaniment to the ‘Democracy In Dakar’ documentary, the project intends to investigate the effect of hip-hop on Senegalese politics.

Rap is a powerful vocal medium for many of the youth in Senegal and the use of rap is seen as something of a political weapon. In 2000, for example, a series of politically aware songs were released. These fiery protest raps played a major part in influencing the votes of the poor and the young which lead to the then ruling party (whom many saw as corrupt) being removed from power in one of the most democratic elections known to West Africa. The ‘Democracy in Dakar’ documentary follows the 2007 election and gives a down to earth perspective on the public opinion on the current leadership alongside interviews and performances from Senegalese rappers, giving their honest, undiluted stand point on the state of the country. The documentary alone is an intriguing insight into the socio-political structure of Senegal.

The album has tunes rapped in a mixture of Wolof, French and local dialects, the songs are loaded with percussive organic beats, skillful sequencing and plenty of live instrumentation, featuring parts played by members of Antibalas and drums from the legendary reggae drummer Leroy Wallace . As well as politics, the tunes also deal with social problems and morality. OMZO , a well-seasoned rapper, returns with several cuts, most notable “Goor Yombul”, a piece which highlights the familiar moral issue of polygamy. Female lyricist Fatim delivers ”Real Woman”, a striking afro-funk/hip-hop mix, her compassionate lyrics are projected in a no-nonsense fashion whilst the soaring raw horns and accented congas give it a hypnotic groove. Other highlights include Adama ’s celestial reggae-infused tune “Aduna Bi” which rings a sweet melody of hope and Zoo Squad ’s “Fresh Time”, another song saturated in funk, sharp trumpet hooks and cool Rhodes piano with nothing but perfectly executed lyrics.

If you are looking to get a deeper outlook on what’s happening in Senegal both musically and politically or if you just want to listen to some fresh African hip-hop, then you must take a look at this highly motivated, politically conscious project.

Link to article

 

Muslim-American Rappers Promote Tolerance in Middle East

December 8, 2007

Washington – When Native Deen took hip-hop music to Jerusalem in fall 2006, the group of Muslim-American rappers was moved deeply by the holiness of the place and the energy of the hundreds of teens who attended their concerts. Yet nothing came close to the connection the performers felt to their faith during their Middle East trip.

“I could feel it in the stone and the rocks,” said Naeem Muhammad of Native Deen, a Muslim-American hip-hop group based near Washington that has a strong following in the United Kingdom and the United States.

“Our music inspires Muslims to be better Muslims, but it also gives other people a better view of our faith,” Joshua Salaam told USINFO in an interview.

The rhythm is there, and the beat is contemporary. But the heart of inspirational hip-hop music is in the powerful rap lyrics coaxing listeners to live better lives and be better people.

Native Deen traveled to Turkey, Dubai, the Palestinian Territories and Israel on behalf of the U.S. Department of State, incorporating the teachings of Islam into songs about respect and humanity. At all the concerts, the performers were greeted like “American superstars,” they said. In Dubai, Native Deen won the 2006 Mahabba Award at an event showcasing musicians, artists and filmmakers inspired to spread Islam through art.

The group, founded in 2000, is known for its positive energy, use of traditional percussion and lyrics focused on tolerance and the teachings of Islam.

“We use the Quran as a source of guidance for us when we write our songs,” said Abdul Malik. “We use the morals and guidelines that we find in the Quran to teach people and to guide people.” This means that the beat, or rhythm, comes second, according to Salaam. The lyrics are the most important aspect of the song, so in Native Deen’s sound, the rap is always in front of the percussion.

“Deen” is the Arabic word for “religion,” or way of life.

Native Deen makes stops at religious and historic sites in Turkey, Dubai and Israel while on tour. (Photo courtesy of Native Deen)
The group’s members met when they were in their early teens in Muslim Youth of North America (MYNA) camps, most often in Ohio, where only percussion instruments were allowed because some Muslims believe that wind and string instruments should be avoided in Islam. Influenced by African-American culture, Salaam, Muhammad and Malik used “beatboxing,” or vocal percussion, and tapping on lunchroom tables to develop with their friends the first Muslim hip-hop sounds that came to be known as MYNA rap. All three Native Deen members can be heard on the MYNA Raps recordings of the early 1990s, but by 2000, Native Deen had set out on its own to record and perform inspirational and spiritual hip-hop.

In the Palestinian Territories and Jerusalem, Native Deen received positive feedback from young people attending the concerts who were impressed that the group uses live drums and percussion instead of electronic tracks. American hip-hop artists often collaborate with international musicians, incorporating traditional instruments and ethnic music. (See related article.)

“We take homegrown instruments and make them work,” Salaam said. The largest challenge for the group is that it performs raps in English. Although in Turkey the group translated some of the raps, Salaam said it was able to see in its audiences that music bridges the language gap.

“[Audiences] might have anti-American sentiment,” Muhammad said. “But they believe in democracy, and they saw us as Muslims who are able to live in America and practice our faith. We got very positive feedback.”

Salaam, who served in the U.S. military in the Air Force, hopes the group will continue to travel internationally because he sees hip-hop as a way to open doors and to encourage religious tolerance and respect.

The rappers performed three concerts in the West Bank, including Al-Quds University in Abu Deis, a village near Jerusalem, in Hebron and Jericho. Prior to arriving in the Middle East, Native Deen gave sold-out concerts at the Royal Armouries in Leeds and at the U.S. Chancery in London during the U.K.-wide Festival of Muslim Cultures, which began in January and continues through autumn 2007.

Hip-hop began in the United States 30 years ago in the South Bronx, a borough of New York City. Using turntables to spin old, worn records, teens began to talk over music, mostly on the streets and in basements in what were called block parties, creating an entirely new music genre and dance form. This "talking over," or MCing (rapping) or DJing (audio mixing or scratching), became the essence of rap. (See related article.)

Native Deen audio clips, song lyrics and other information are available on the group’s Web site.

More information about the Festival of Muslim Cultures is available on the program’s Web site.

For additional information about life in America, see The Arts and Population and Diversity.

(USINFO is produced by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

China’s hip-hop grannies

December 8, 2007

 

In the November/December issue of FP, Jeff Chang’s article, "It’s a Hip-Hop World," described the social, political, and even economic implications of hip-hop’s appeal to young people around the globe. It appears, however, that age is no longer a factor in hip-hop’s growing popularity. In China, the "hip-hop grannies," a 30-member group of retirees, perform hip-hop dance routines for both entertainment and high-energy exercise. Most of the members are over 60, but that hasn’t slowed them down. The group is now performing on tour and taking China by storm.

I know the saying "you’re only as old as you feel," but I don’t think I can imagine Grandma Lewis taking part in this particular international trend.

Senegal woman sets herself on fire in Rome protest

December 8, 2007

ROME, Dec 7 (Reuters) - A Senegalese woman set herself on fire at Rome’s city hall on Friday in an apparent protest over a visit to Italy by Senegal’s President Abdoulaye Wade.

The woman, identified by city officials as Kebe Peinda Gotha, was in critical condition after dousing herself in flammable liquid and setting herself ablaze.

Police who were on patrol in the square outside the city hall quickly put out the flames.

Dramatic images of the suicide attempt were captured on a closed-circuit security video and broadcast on Italian state television RAI’s evening news.

"She wanted to kill herself at all costs," a police officer told RAI, adding the woman also wanted at one point to throw herself off a ledge.

Senegalese officials, asking not to be identified, said she had wanted to meet the president. Italian media reports described the woman, who lives in northern Italy, as an activist for the rights of Senegalese immigrants. (Writing by Phil Stewart; Editing by Giles Elgood)

© Reuters 2007. All Rights Reserved. 

Newsletter - Dec 6th 2007

December 7, 2007