Movaizhaleine
February 28, 2009 1 Comment
Lately I have been going on about how I mourn the demise of hip hop here in the US. As a result, I suggested, I am going into nostalgic mode (and will over the next few weeks and months list the best of what I consider hip hop’s best years). At the time I should have mentioned that at the same time I am astounded by the energy associated with the genre elsewhere. Especially Africa. But at least two commenters beat me to it: samboerou and Rusdie. Samboerou mentioned, for example, Afrolution and the German label Out Here.
But the group that has my fancy now is the Gabonese band, Movaizhaleine.
They, surprisingly, won the 2008 Video of the Year at the inaugural MTV MAMA Music Awards–a new continental music awards–for their single “Nous.” This was quite surprising given their politics. For example, they’re not much about bling like their competition for the award (especially the Nigerian hip hop and R&B artists), incorporate traditional elements into their music and were behind a viral video lampooning Gabon’s country’s lifelong President, Omar Bongo and leading French politicians.
Here and here are short video documentaries on how the music video for “Nous,” directed by the French filmmaker JG Biggs, was made (the videos are also quite informative about cultural production in Africa now; MTV Base is situated in Johannesburg for example and you can see the role of the South African producers very clearly).
This is a great track,musically,most probably lyrically too,but it has the language barrier which is a pity as in this genre it’s the kernel of the fruit.I do think it will go from strength to strength in Africa,as it needs pretty low outside input,read equipment and is in fact rooted in African traditions of Griots and Imbongis,where the youth can express critisism in a metaphorical sense.And have success with it,as a political tool, as they have had in Senegal.Mr.Bongo certainly needs Mo’ Fire to push him off his throne.This was where Bob Marley went on his first visit to Africa,dissapointed that his first concert was a private birthday bash for Mister Bongo and not a public affair.But maybe his judgement was a bit misted at the time by him having an affair with Pascaline Bongo,the dictator’s daughter.She later became Minister of Foreign Affairs! Sorry to say this,but Bob also had his misses,mostly big eyed does,clouding his judgement.