The Sorrows of Music in Presidential Elections
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Music Freedom Report no. 5: Politics and music in Africa • 3 March 2012 Youssou N’Dour. Joe la Conscience. Tiken Jah Fakoly. Fabrice Munfiritsa photographed Anneke Verbraeken. Africa: The sorrows of music in presidential elections Several countries in Africa held presidential elections in 2011 or will hold them in 2012. Everywhere is the same sad story of scandals against music and musicians, reports Télesphore Mba Bizo who observes the developments in the French- speaking part of Africa. By Télesphore Mba Bizo Democratic Republic of Congo: Musician kidnapped Singer Fabrice Munfiritsa nearly died in the presidential election in the Democratic Republic of Congo. On 7 November 2011 he was found lying in a suburb of Goma, a river town in the western part of Congo, near Uganda, abandoned in the bush, handcuffed, blindfolded and helpless. The singer clearly suffered physical abuse, but it is hard to identify those behind this attack. The first statements were accusing the ruling party. Some sources hold that Fabrice Munfiritsa was about to release an album which would sing the praises of opposition candidates in the presidential and legislative elections, especially Kamerhe Vidal. Therefore, a finger was pointed out at the government in Kinshasa. People suspected the powers that be of hating Fabrice Munfiritsa, owing to his acquaintance with opposition parties’ members. Against all odds, the artist denied everything in an interview broadcast on Radio 1 Kivu. He said he was surprised of his closeness with opposition parties and claims to have always been part of the ruling party as is the case with all his family members. The ruling party denounced the abuse against Fabrice Munfiritsa. The party acknowledged the artist’s membership. Moreover, President Joseph Kabila sent two members of his cabinet to Goma on 10 November 2011, Deputy Prime Minister of Home Affairs and Security, Adolphe Lumanu, and the Minister of Social Affairs and Humanitarian Action, Fernand Kambere. News leaked that they came to facilitate the medical evacuation of Fabrice Munfiritsa to India. City authorities by then had already taken care of emergency expenses. Côte d’Ivoire: Playing on music’s unifying factor In Côte d’Ivoire, the latest post-electoral violence accounts for 3,000 deaths. Here, football appears to have whitewashed music in the sense that no musician was appointed in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that has to assess the 10-year long bloody war in the country, but a football star was. Chelsea-striker and world football star Didier Drogba who hails from Bete land like toppled president Laurent Gbagbo is expected to contribute to peace and reconciliation thanks to his repute. Even if his busy schedule did less to prevent officials from appointing him – Commission Chair Charles Konan-Banny admitted that Drogba shall hardly attend the commission’s working sessions. Politicians whom the crisis is blamed on are the same people overcrowding the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. However, it can still catch up. Commission members are expected to devise unity and integration strategies among Ivorians. Yet, music may still play a crucial role in the peace-building process. ‘One Single Voice for Côte d’Ivoire’ is a project that brought together Ivoirian artists with charisma such as Fanny J, Teeyah, Soum Bill, Tiken Jah Fakoly, Yodé-Siro, Passy, and Monique Seka. Other musicians across the continent and West Indies joined the peace-singing crew: Papa Wemba, Lokua Kanza, Jacob Desvarieux, Lynnsha, Nash, Singuila, and Kamnouze. Reggae leading light Alpha Blondy was assigned by present Head of State Alassane Dramane Ouattara to organise a campaign with some 20 fellow artists in favour of peace and reconciliation in the country. The event is unprecedented as Alpha Blondy accepted to sing together with his former “enemy” Tiken Jah Fakoly, another prominent reggae virtuoso performer. Music’s unifying factor is unique in the country as regions in conflict could still enjoy music from left and right, regardless of the region of authors. Cameroon: Singers in and out of jail The presidential election in Côte d’Ivoire had an afterplay in Cameroon where singer Joe la Conscience took upon him to become the far-away lawyer of Côte d’Ivoire-president Laurent Gbagbo. The singer is celebrated for activism as Cameroon’s most censored artist, and hardly for arts quality. He released a song requesting the liberation of former Ivorian President. However, Cameroon has been consistent with its non-interference policy about sovereign countries’ internal affairs. Therefore, Cameroon had no position for or against Laurent Gbabgo or Alassane Dramane Ouattara being sworn in. This led Joe la Conscience into police cells several times. However, Joe la Conscience did not appear in 2 court. He was intimidated for the sake of keeping quiet as he had to stop embarrassing diplomatic ties between the two countries. Later on, Joe la Conscience turned into a prosecutor. He sued fellow artists Petit-Pays and Lady Ponce in court. The artists’ rights activist initiated these legal proceedings on ground that the two accused musicians sing excess pornography. Nakedness in lyrics is moral corruption and can mislead the youths who represent the future of Cameroon, said Joe la Conscience. The Cameroon Radio Television, CRTV, state-run and owned sole audiovisual media was criticised for broadcasting those songs. His opponents kept a low profile. There has been no follow-up into the matter so far. Singer Lapiro de Mbanga who served a three year jail term for his song ‘Constitution Constipée’, is now expecting some compensation from the state. He rose against the constitution’s amendment that lifted term limitation at presidential position. He is claiming that detainees are to undergo some reinsertion process so as to prepare them to face new life after prison. This never happened. In February 2012, a United Nations expert group insisted that Cameroon should compensate Lapiro because his rights were violated. Senegal: Abuse against famous singer In Senegal, the country’s most famous singer, Youssou N’Dour, was out for creating change. As the presidential elections were coming up, he saw no profile that was capable of defeating the incumbent president Wade. The country has been enjoying democracy for decades. President Léopold Sédar Senghor and President Abdou Diouf both departed peacefully. Credit goes to both for establishing a legacy of a strong and unprecedented democratic record for Senegal on the African continent. So far, the history of bloodshed and repeated “coups” that Africa has been sadly championing over the last five decades following the independence days of the 1960s did not include Senegal. But Youssou N’Dour shall not raise the electoral bar as high as Michel Martelli – the singer who was elected President in Haiti on 21 April 2011. On the contrary, Youssou N’Dour was denied the opportunity to stand for presidential election in Senegal in a bid to replicate what happened in the maiden black nation to go independent in the world. The international community received this as a blow against democracy and freedom after France, former colonial master, and the United States of America reacted. The general wish was that the number of candidates be as high as possible for effective representation of Senegalese diversity of political opinions. The world music star was under fire for months. Some cabinet members went mad as he made public his intention to challenge incumbent Wade. Senegalese ministers claimed that N’Dour’s academic abilities are meaningless: He lacks school and university knowledge to run state affairs, they said. As a consequence, they could not see him fit for any position at the helm of the country. Senegalese ruling party ministers strongly held that Youssou N’Dour should stick to singing and dancing which he excels at. The abuse against Youssou N’Dour caught many off guard. Human rights organisations are strong-willed to stop Wade from going for an additional term of office. But no member of a civil society organisation has ever made a breakthrough in any Senegalese 3 presidential election, according to Forum Civile, the local country section of Transparency International. Now, forces of law and order are cracking down on the young members of the Y’en a marre’s movement, which also includes a number of rappers. It is a group of young and dynamic people who are fed up of Wade’s infinity in power and who take to the streets and demand his unconditional exit. The country feels the pinch of the on-going situation: post- electoral Senegal guarantees less serenity and security. Exploitation of traditional musicians The three countries Cameroon, DR Congo and Gabon held presidential elections of recent, and apart from being endowed with tropical forest, they also share certain patterns when it comes to election campaigns. The powers that be share the same neglecting and exploiting attitude towards artists, and they have a preference for using rural, traditional music in their political campaigns. Teenagers and young adults prefer R&B music and hip-hop. But they are also known for hardly casting their votes in an election, so the political leaders instead aim at reaching citizens of a certain age – those who prefer listening to traditional music. Politicians depend on songs and dances from villages to warm up supporters. Most political leaders dance to the tune of traditional music to convince sceptical citizens. It displays their sense of belonging and respect for tradition. They wish to show that even though they settled in cities,they never neglected their villages, and as such, they deserve people’s confidence. Political rallies end up with actives forces going round dancers. They go around distributing brown envelopes. There are bank notes inside – of a value between 10 and 20 euro.