Red Black Nonsense - *Male Chipu*

*Male Chipu*

When I finally came home from studies four years ago, I was surprised to notice what I can only call a dead music industry (or scene as many people would like to call it). Now don’t get me wrong, I am sure something was happening, the only trouble is, no matter how long I tuned in to any local radio station, there was nothing to show me a sign of progress in Gambian music. Sure, GRTS would feature its regular videos of Gambian artists and it was sad that the ones they chose to show the nation were what seemed like 1984 productions of rubbish.  I remember they still played Sambou Suso’s song that was featured some time in 1997 or so where she stood in front of some fugly (excuse the term) looking shrubs flanked left and right by a cultural troupe. I can still see her dance in my head and to acknowledge that she had grown from that to “mbindane du jam” was something GRTS would fail to show us. However hope was not to be lost.

Surprise! Surprise! I was to be further disappointed when I learnt that a lot was happening underground in Gambian music but people like myself, whose main source of information was public media, could not in any way figure this out seeing as even our media outlets were either ill informed of this or decided to ignore 60% of our population whose type of music was what was the single most non-existent thing on their platforms. Going generic on this might make me a few enemies, but ah well! “moiye lolu”.

Almost exactly four years down the line, I witnessed what most easily took me places many a concert have tried yet failed to take me. The Fiila TV show celebrated its 3rd year anniversary two Fridays ago and it was an electrifying experience. I have been to bigger, classier, glossier events but not even at the Open Mic Festival whose crowd could easily be ten times the crowd at “Jakarlo” did I see such fanfare and musical madness. At that point, the verdict had been given; Gambian music had struggled through almost a decade of a serious coma but had finally woken up. From the organization at the entrance, to the stage set; the band to the artists; The hosting to the crowd; the thought of it alone was enough to keep me awake and standing for over 4 hours. I guess I failed to add that I’ve had serious back issues before and standing for 4 hours is not my favorite thing to do but it was well worth every kilo of muscle strained.

For a nation that continues to thrive on its youthfulness, recognizing the growth that our music has made is something that the “higher society” needs. Standing in my own little corner as fans went crazy for our own artists filled me with enough pride to last until the end of the year when we shall fill the stadium again to thrill a world that doesn’t even know “Gambian music “ exists. However, is it too early to celebrate a success? Well I sure think it is. We are still miles behind where we should be and to pretend we have “hit the spot” would be a silly mistake.

After such an awesome experience, imagine my surprise when day after day my facebook newsfeed (ok for those that are yet to have a facebook account, or have never heard of it…well…ah…no point in telling you now) was filled with rants and “red black nonsense” about Gambian music. I am all for beefs, battles, debates or whatever you choose to call it, but some arguments never make any iota of sense. The argument which was focused on the “Rap culture” in a country which does not even have a “music industry” was simply laughable. I think as a people we need to stop taking ourselves too seriously.

Like any other art form, music is about “expression and appreciation”. It is an art that sells itself! Ok I feel I am typing faster than you’re reading at the moment. Don’t blame my fingers, I am typing with my heart! I believe people on both sides of the “Rap” ou “Rap mbalax” debate need to take a dozen chill pills (No chill pill is not really a pill and I am NOT encouraging drug abuse) and get to work. Music speaks for itself.

For the first time in a long time, the love that certain artists have received from fans is almost as cult-like as Ba Kawsu’s supposed following. I saw fans grab on to artists outfits and almost rip them apart. I saw Gambian girls (yes Gambian girls…you know…proud and all that) go on stage and “Bag Baggal” like they were on fire. I saw a young Gambian artist go on stage and had the audience sing every word of his song with him almost staying silent the whole time. I think of it and it feels like a dream. If you have any idea just how dead this thing called “Gambian Music” was over the years, you would understand my excitement.

We would complain time and time again about why companies would bring Senegalese artists to Gambian and pay them huge sums of money at the expense of Gambian artists but like Lamin Cham (Yes Champion DJ *SMILE*)once said on GRTS for which I called him out on my facebook account, “ chin bi su njorutay sah nju yeka kor”. We were simply NOT READY YET! That’s the honest truth. I listened to Gambian music and we tried so hard to compete with international genres without really hitting their standard. “Nju ne dega kaani la…kunj kor saani mu……TISSOLI!” We weren’t as bad as we sounded I guess. Production quality in Jollof is not even nearly as good as it is in our neighboring Senegal. That alone is a cause for concern.  Why would a company pay an artist the same as a Senegalese artist when the Senegalese artist has the greater crowd appeal? It’s simply called BUSINESS. The reason why hip hop artists from the United States can open a concert for some like D’banj is because in Nigeria, HE HAS THE GREATER CROWD APPEAL!

Why my anger? Well, simply because the debate never made sense to begin with. We can’t FORCE people to listen to our “stuff” just as we you can’t force anyone to buy a product they do not like. We do want to be educated with our music but I think we should be able to “package” our products well. I feel that a “royal family of rap” seems to exist in the smiling coast and they have been appointed “judge and executioner” regardless of how THE PEOPLE respond to music. Embarrassingly, we have people on the other side of the coin/fence or whatever term it is given in HipHop lingo trying so hard to make a point it keeps this debate going. “Wai yen dengen sorf torop wai!”

There is a musical movement going on regardless of genre. Are we not happy to see the way the people have finally started responding to our music? Is it not a success every artist can be proud of and even choose to piggy-back on? Since Balafong started it’s word of mouth last year, I have worked with many artists at the event and have been proud of how much talent we have in the smiling coast, albeit talent that needs a lot of work….its called continuous improvement. It is time we call a spade a spade and recognize that “sunj music”, be it Rap, Rap Mbalax, RnB, Jazz, Afromanding etc still has a long way to go and we have to be in it together in order to get anywhere.

We are disappointingly a nation where the “maslaha syndrome” kills quality! I still do not know what the whole beef is really about because as we all know in jollof, it starts with one thing but doesn’t necessarily end with that same thing. Any artist that believes he does not need the support of the people and businesses to sell his art is making a terrible mistake. Reputation is key in this business and how we deal with each other is just as important as how we deal with the outside world.

I grew up listening to music of all sorts and I fell in love with Rap and Hip Hop at an early age. Like any other art form, I strongly believe we have a very talented set of rappers in jollof and having listened to their songs over and over again, I believe with the right amount of support, they could compete with their counterparts in other parts of the world (well….innocent until proven guilty…Non?). However, how the creation of a new sub-genre that people evidently enjoy in the smiling coast is a problem is what rubs me the wrong way. Our clubs, radio stations, taxis, etc are swamped with 9ja music simply because it is DIFFERENT from your normal. It doesn’t mean there are no legit mainsteam artists in Nigeria. They have over 200 million people!! I am sure they can manage at least 1000 mainstream artists.

My point on all of this……? Live and Let live……”Dokhal sa dokh nga baiye sa morom mu dokh dokham”. Let’s throw support behind each other and stop the unnecessary banter…leave the ranting to me. At least it has already been concluded that I am a bit “unstable”.

Now I’ll get back to listening to Omid Wisdom’s “Kasette bu jaxaso” and I’ll save the “Rap Mbalax” for later… “xam nga rek…variety”

*Congratulations to the Fiila crew for another successful year…Nyaato…*