Music is universal they say, such that American rapper and producer Akon can be suspected to be in the tapping and stealing of relics from African songs, to enrich his cues in Hip-hop at the world stage in New York.
But what can be said about African music being continuously re-done in America?
In his latest release Over, Akon seems deliberately picking Zambian artist Jimmy’s 2006-7 release Over- Over, unless Akon himself comes out and makes a statement.
People are ready to listen what he will say.
Otherwise, drizzles of expletive statements have slowly started pointing to this direction if discussion in various media forums, are anything to go by.
May be he can argue it was a co-incidence. And what kind of co-incidence when the Zambian was the first to produce the song in Lusaka?
Without any incitement, listening to the two songs, gets you discover that the message in Akon and Jimmy are one and same, prompting analysts to imagine how Jimmy and Akon could composed the theme together.
May be Akon can claim he never at any time listened to the African song. I remember his colleague R and B star Joe Thomas of My name is Joe did a similar thing. Last year he claimed in his life he never knew a country in Africa called Zimbabwe till last year (2007) when he miraculously landed in Harare.
Yet legendary Bob Marley sung about Zimbabwe back in 1979. Meaning Joe born 1979 too, never knew Marley’s songs to date. What a slice of hypocrisy? And ask me what would be the benefit of lying to people who make your biggest loyal audience? Controversy. And what is the need of trying to be controversial when people know, you are not?
Back to Akon. So what can be his explanation on a part of yet another song where people say he stole Zimbabwean Ragga artist Innocent’s tune?
In My dream song Zimbabwean countryman artist Innocent Lusungoko done in 2000, packed strings and voice line tunes which have lived any taste of resistance and time to the umpteenth.
Most music producers in Malawi have confessed that from the two singles Innocent produced In My Dreams and Mama many a group of copycat artists have come up with myriad rhythms, placed them on the market, where they have sold in the guise music is universal.
I bet Akon is also lucky not be questioned the presence of Bob Marley’s bend tune seemingly tapped from Is this Love.
While we celebrate nothing good can come from Africa we also mourn that most Africans are becoming victims of day light theft of their ideas.
A young duo from Nigeria in the name P-Square could have been global phenomenon if it emerged from Jamaican streets or the studios of New York of this world. P-Square’s Do me song where they try to suggest that ‘what a man can do, a woman can also do’ in their previous album, is still blowing the world. However despite such amazing rattle, they have no vice to declare them better than Mr. Handsome Sean Paul of Let’s Get Busy song.
Should it be said that African music is slowly becoming an easy prey. Can it be said some American musicians are slowly running drought of ideas when demand for their voice is still too enormous?
What should be said about African music being continuously re-done in the streets of New York America?