'Hip-hop re-brands Africa as one people'


  1. Samuel Okocha, AfricaNews reporter in Lagos, Nigeria
    Malian Professor Manthia Diawara said hip-hop as a music genre and art form is helping the branding of Africa as one united continent, irrespective of the boundaries created by nationalism and countries that make up Africa. The Professor of Comparative Literature and Film at the New York University was speaking at the maiden edition the annual International Film Documentary Festival [iREP] held in Lagos, Nigeria.
    iREP
    “If you look at the hip-hop generation in Nigeria, of course they talk about local issues, but there is this branding of Africa in their music, if you go to Senegal it’s the same thing, you go to the United States it’s the same thing, they all have defined this new Africa that they even spell with a ‘K’,'' the scholar and cultural theorist said.

    “I think what is beautiful about it is that they are actually going back to the beginning of the struggle when people wanted to decolonize Africa and then the nation-state came and undermined that struggle… the young people are saying to really free Africa, we need to free Africa not only from Europeans but from nationalism as well,’’ Professor Manthia Diawara added.

    Some participants at the film Festival, that included training workshops on documentary film making, spoke to AfricaNews about the event that brought resource persons from across the world of film and practising and aspiring film makers together

    Kunle Afolayan, award winning Nigerian film maker:
    Documentary film making is always from the real point of view…there is a market for it and there is always a way of sourcing for funding for it… there are TV stations all over the world that want to document things that are happening all around the world from different points of view. So, if you have a good documentary, you can enter it into festivals…you can get buyers for these films.”

    Obinna , video editor and young film maker: Its very educative especially for a young person like me who just passed through a four month course,… with events like this we will see it [documentary film making] from different angles, especially with someone like Professor Mathia who just gave me his contact, its now easier for me to seek for advise on things they have done before now and then try to shape the way I think and the way I am going to present African stories this time around.

    Steve Ogundele, theatre arts practitioner:
    You can’t over emphasize the fact that the stories written by us, produced by us, re-enacted by us would probably tell our story better, and so that says that you cannot rule out the importance of such a medium [film documentary].

    Documentary as vehicle for positive change


    The executive director of iREP, Femi Odugbemi said iREP would continue to create awareness of the power of documentary as an intervention force.

    “If the young people of our country intend to contribute to development, to create the kind of country that they wish to live, then they have to become engaged, and one of the ways they can be engaged is to utilize the bully pulpit the documentaries provide.

    “Documentaries provide a way for us to make our leaders accountable in government. Documentaries provide a way for us to reflect to our leadership, the level of development as it is, and where we will like it to go.’’


Reactions

  1. Image of MrWashington


    511 berichten
    Lid sinds January 2010


    That this was about hip- hop bands of africa they fesita are very good way govermonet europeans very good love dance your feel good surrgle wih a lots of thing very poor country .I think need help with food and diffent good ways.

    la chava

  2. Image of MrWashington


    511 berichten
    Lid sinds January 2010


    quote:
    MrWashington wrote on 24 January 2011 @ 16:34:
    That this was about hip- hop bands of africa they fesita are very good way govermonet europeans very good love dance your feel good surrgle wih a lots of thing very poor country .I think need help with food and diffent good ways.

    la chava

  3. Image of MrWashington


    511 berichten
    Lid sinds January 2010


    They have a good goverment. theyre very good and love to dance. Their a poor country, They struggle with alot. And we should help them in good ways. I thought the articale was good and it gave away alot of important information.

    la chava

  4. Image of MrWashington


    511 berichten
    Lid sinds January 2010


    ricky
    main idea-The is about the hip hop in nigeria and created by nationalism

    la chava

  5. Image of MrWashington


    511 berichten
    Lid sinds January 2010


    bianca Torres
    the passage is mostly about Malian Professor Manthia Diawara said that hip-hop was a music genre and art form is helping the branding of Africa as one united continent. i feel about the article that its a good way that africans can listen to music and have fun.

    la chava

  6. Image of MrWashington


    511 berichten
    Lid sinds January 2010


    I Think It Was About Hip-Hop Bands And That When Some People Dance In Africa They Feel Good And It Feels Good Because There Poor And There Proud For What They Have .They Need Health Care And Help With Injuries That They Get And They Need More Food And More Technolagy.

    la chava

  7. Image of MrWashington


    511 berichten
    Lid sinds January 2010


    Lilian martinez
    the passage was mostly about If you look at the hip-hop generation in Nigeria, of course they talk about local issues.I feel about the passage that the people need help in food with good ways

    la chava

  8. Image of MrWashington


    511 berichten
    Lid sinds January 2010


    the passage is mosly about

    la chava

  9. Image of MrWashington


    511 berichten
    Lid sinds January 2010


    the passage is mosly about

    la chava

  10. Image of MrWashington


    511 berichten
    Lid sinds January 2010


    This was about hip hop bands of africa they fesita are very good

    la chava

  11. Image of MrWashington


    511 berichten
    Lid sinds January 2010


    Mrs.washington classconstantino palma,

    the article was about hip-hop it said that in africa and any were you go hip-hpo sounds the same no matter what.so the music in africa is the same thing as here.

    la chava

  12. Image of MrWashington


    511 berichten
    Lid sinds January 2010


    Brendon

    The mainidea of the passage is hip-hop in africa.Hip-hop is a music genre and art form for africa.

    la chava

  13. Image of MrWashington


    511 berichten
    Lid sinds January 2010


    I really like how people do this because maybe these people have an awful time getting people like this i feel really bad because of the way the europeans were treating them.

    la chava

  14. Image of MrWashington


    511 berichten
    Lid sinds January 2010


    I like this pasech because is talking about iREPRESENT INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL thats why I like it.iREP means the africans music


    BY:BENITO MALDONADO

    la chava

  15. Image of MrWashington


    511 berichten
    Lid sinds January 2010


    It talks about hip-hop bands that there in africa.and its allso good for them because african people apreciate what they have.they allso dance because eather they like to dance and that they dont really get to dance because they are bussy because they are slaved.and they enjoy dancing with anybody♥

    la chava

  16. Image of MrWashington


    511 berichten
    Lid sinds January 2010


    They have a good goverment. They're very good and love to dance. Their a poor country, They struggle with alot. And we should help them in good ways. I thought the articale was good and it gave away alot of important information.

    Jose rodiguez

    la chava

  17. Image of MrWashington


    511 berichten
    Lid sinds January 2010


    I like this speech was about hip-hop it said that in africa and any were you go hip-hpo sounds the same no matter what.so the music in africa is the same thing as here.

    la chava


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