Sean Jacobs's Blog, page 614

Didier Drogba, Truth Commissioner

It's clear that truth and reconciliation commissions are half-successful attempts at inventing half-baked feelings of national identities (turning a blind eye to economic restoration in South Africa; with some self-interested pressure from above in Rwanda). So it is interesting to note that Côte d'Ivoire's new president Alassane Ouattara reasoned that one of the first things his country needs is a TRC. The newly-appointed commission counts 11 members, with footballer Didier Drogba one of them, representing the country's diaspora.

"Without being a football player," he tells BBC Sport, "I'm not sure you would be sitting here talking about my country."

The "expensively but understatedly dressed" (qué?) player said 'yes' when Former Prime Minister Charles Konan Barry called and explained him he needed Drogba to help him bring peace in the country. Drogba says: "The war that happened a few months ago was crazy. It was unbelievable for all the Ivorians. We couldn't believe it was happening and we need to sit together and speak about it to make sure it is the first and last time."

Let's hope Drogba is right. (Anyway, this may be the beginning of a new career back home for the aging footballer. We do know that part of his football legend is that he brought a momentary peace during the civil war of the early 2000s.)

But taking into account other recent commissions' track records, we can only wonder why Drogba took the bait. The Ivorian TRC will succeed when it manages to expose and dismantle the grip the concept of being 'Ivorian'/'autochtonous' holds on the political debate, and thus on its people. It would be no small feat.

"Didier Drogba the peacemaker"

It's clear that truth and reconciliation commissions are half-successful attempts at inventing half-baked feelings of national identities (turning a blind eye to economic restoration in South Africa; with some self-interested pressure from above in Rwanda). So it is interesting to note that Côte d'Ivoire's new president Alassane Ouattara reasoned that one of the first things his country needs is a TRC. The newly-appointed commission counts 11 members, with footballer Didier Drogba one of them, representing the country's diaspora.

"Without being a football player," he tells BBC Sport, "I'm not sure you would be sitting here talking about my country."

The "expensively but understatedly dressed" (qué?) player said 'yes' when Former Prime Minister Charles Konan Barry called and explained him he needed Drogba to help him bring peace in the country. Drogba says: "The war that happened a few months ago was crazy. It was unbelievable for all the Ivorians. We couldn't believe it was happening and we need to sit together and speak about it to make sure it is the first and last time."

Let's hope Drogba is right. (Anyway, this may be the beginning of a new career back home for the aging footballer. We do know that part of his football legend is that he brought a momentary peace during the civil war of the early 2000s.)

But taking into account other recent commissions' track records, we can only wonder why Drogba took the bait. The Ivorian TRC will succeed when it manages to expose and dismantle the grip the concept of being 'Ivorian'/'autochtonous' holds on the political debate, and thus on its people. It would be no small feat.

From Nairobi to Berlin

Over the last two years, the NRBLN – BLNRB project has brought together German and Kenyan musicians, resulting in the eclectic album BLNRB – Welcome to the Madhouse. They've now also uploaded this video for the track 'Msoto Millions' by Jahcoozi (featuring dancehall collective Ukoo Flani). Follow the project on their blog — they're promising to put up more videos for the other songs on the album soon.

National Pride

I'll take any excuse to post about football.

Fifa, football's world controlling body, announced the latest rankings for world football this week.

Not surprising are the top five nations: Spain, Netherlands, Germany, Uruguay and Portugal.

We of course care about the African rankings.

The African teams in the top 50 are: Cote d'Ivoire (no. 16, down one place) followed by Egypt (36th, down 2 places), Ghana (37th, down 1), Burkina Faso (41th, down 1), Senegal (42nd, up 7), Nigeria (43rd, down 5), Algeria (46th) and Cameroon (48th).

My team, South Africa, is just outside the top 50: they're 51st, down 4 places. (Didn't they draw and beat Egypt in recent African Nations Cup qualifiers eliminating the 6-time continental champions from next year's finals?)

Sierra Leone (now 68th, up 24), Togo (95th, up 26) and Namibia (119th, up 24) are three of the six teams outside the top 50 who improved their position on the rankings by more than 20 places.

Sources: Here and here.

'Lesbians Seeing Lesbians'

The South African photographer Zanele Muholi is exhibiting some of her work–at the Leslie/Lohman Gay Art Foundation (26 Wooster Street) as part of an exhibition of contemporary photographers, "Lesbians Seeing Lesbians: Building Community in Early Feminist Photography" Here's a link to the catalog essay. The exhibition, which opened earlier this month, is on till October 22.

'Slavery, The Game'

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While watching out for Fifa 12, I got distracted by this Youtube "commercial" for  another video game, "Slavery: The Game."  Within days it had half a million views. Watch the trailer above. It just seemed to absurd to be true. There was a a website, with a video, ways for you to share it on social media and a phone number. A few websites checked the phone number and the company listed as developer and found it did not exist. They also reasoned retailers here wouldn't carry it because of its offensive nature. But some commenters on Youtube were actually excited by the prospect of capturing, torturing and making profits off slaves. I suspected if it was the work of Adbusters or The Yes Men.

 It turned out it was a viral campaign for a Dutch TV series about slavery. Clever.

"Making French money isn't easy"

Mamani Keita arrived in Paris in the late eighties as a backing vocalist for Salif Keita. And ended up staying. "Making French money isn't easy," she sings. It's the title track of her new album with music by Parisian instrumentalist Nicolas Repac.

Blitz The Ambassador Speaks

Blitz The Ambassador talks about the initial reception of his music ("slow"), the musical Fela! ("it made the people more open and made the people understand the larger context"), his early records, his collaboration with Corneille for the track 'Best I Can' ("trying to express how I felt about where I'm at"), the future ("I don't know what it holds") and the internet.

Music Break / Shabazz Palaces

I'm looking forward to hearing Shabazz Palaces play during their European tour later this month. It seems like the live renditions of the new songs don't quite sound like the Black Up album versions.

Via Gorilla vs. Bear.

Fela Kuti meets De La Soul

What happens? An 8-track remix compiled from "… dozens of  hand-picked samples from the Nigerian instrumentalist and political figure Fela Kuti, and 8 carefully-chosen acapellas from the Native Tongue rap trio De La Soul" called Fela Soul.

Thanks to America Gazaway for  Gummy Soul.

Above is the promo video. Here's a link to a free download.