The political struggle that music gave us

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The voice of music should be the voice of God. The voice of the people should be the power of music. A combination of these two should be the nightmare of our incompetent, greedy and fumbling politicians.

So why is no politician shaking to the power of our music? Why is Aso Rock not in a panicked scramble to entertain the frustration of the people? The reason is that for a very long time our music fell off the map when it comes to political activism. For a very long time musicians engaged in the type of music Fela played before his political and creative maturity. For a very long time musicians lost both their poetic and political street credibility to the climatic ecstasy of naked girls and abundant cash (or lack of, thereof). For a very long time Nigerian music sold its soul to the pantheon of illuminati fuelled self-aggrandizement. For a very long time we pretended to party along with both musicians and politicians, not really minding that what is being produced is poison to our socio-economic welfare.

We, the masses, fed both musicians and politicians fat with our stupid and blinded loyalty – and silence. We listened to everything the politicians said and listened to everything the musicians sang about, without demanding they speak and sing for our benefit. Both politicians and musicians used the pedestal our loyalty gave them to enrich themselves while we remained flat on our butts and bank accounts.

Suddenly, the dollar is exchanging for five hundred naira. And music videos and celebrity social media accounts still show musicians throwing both naira and dollars around. But for who? For us, of course. For their fans and the masses who can no longer afford to pay their children’s school fees or afford three round meals a day. They are all better off than we are, of course. Yet no musician anywhere today will earn a dime without their fans following them, like mumu; or like Fela said, like zombie. So why is it that now when the economic situation is so messed up that people cannot get food to eat anymore we have not turned to these stupid musicians and said: ‘wetin dey happen?’

Nothing dey happen, says Nigerian musician and superstar 2Face all the time. It’s his signature statement. Well, it is good to know that even 2Face has now realized that ‘something dey happen’, which is why he probably called for that still born and ill-fated protest march a while ago. One of the good things the 2face intervention did was tear the wall of illusion holding us down to politically aimless entertainment. 2Face just showed us the tremendous and adamantine political power that lies behind music, waiting to be tapped. This power is not virgin around here. It was tapped three times a day then by Fela. That legacy remains with us today and will probably live forever. The power connects directly with the people.

People are openly calling for revolution on the streets in social media vox pop videos nowadays and saying they will slit the throats of ‘big men’ politicians if they caught them in the revolution. People are openly saying they will rise and bear arms if the economic situation in the country does not improve. The anger is beginning to throb to explosion levels, more even with the president missing in action. Like Charly Boy aka Area Father very correctly phrased it, people are beginning to realize that our mumu don do.

So what’s next?

We want to hear more from musicians in matters that affect our general welfare. We want to see our superstar musicians tweet about the suffering of the people, not just their affluence, hard earned or otherwise. We want to see them get more space in mass liberation conversations. We want them to send a clear message to those who gift them cars and cash from government houses: we will take the gifts (why refuse them) but you are not buying our souls. We stand with the people. We stand for social justice. We stand for economic fairness. We stand for values that your gifts cannot change.

But we the people have to do something for ourselves too. Music has given us itself as a weapon in this struggle. Let us use it wisely. And we can do this in two ways:

First, we can start using our loyalty as a weapon of struggle. Secondly, we need to get more vocal, especially on social media, about what everyday people are going through to survive in the mess that the politicians have created for us all.

The first one first. Using our loyalty to musicians as a weapon in the fight for social-economic fairness is simple. If you identify any asshole musician that has never said anything about the people’s suffering, that has never lent their voices to mass awareness movements stop listening to them. If they upload their stupid ‘love’ and silly cash songs on social media don’t hit the like button. Drop comments and tell them your mind. If you see them on YouTube hit the dislike button. If they call you to attend their concerts buy ‘pure water’ as you go in. Wait for them as they leave the venue. You know what to do. Enough is now enough. Our mumu don do. (Thanks for this phrase, Area Father. I love it!). We cannot come and go and be using our loyalty to support and aggrandize people that don’t give a rat’s ass about our suffering. Show them how you feel.

Secondly, what is the point of having the share button if it is just for pictures and personal notes? Use it to spread the message about what is going on. Share and share and share. If you see a meme about Buhari missing in action, share it! If you see one about money stolen by politicians, share it. If you see anything any sensible musician shares in solidarity with the suffering masses, share it. Spread it. It is subtle power, but it builds up. Most of us stupid masses want to see change, true positive change, but on social media we only share what Kim Kardashian and Beyoncé wore to the last Beverly Hills party. The thunder that will fire people like that is still begging God for the angel of death to follow.

Become aware of what is going on in national conversations that will benefit you. Listen to music that will actually help your situation. Just met a couple of teenagers that wanted to look for Mr Eazi’s songs online using my hard earned wifi. With all due respect, I asked them to look for Seun Kuti’s new songs too (and old ones for that matter). You see, all these kids do is help Mr Eazi. Mr Eazi helps himself and never does anything to help these kids, when he clearly can.

Music gave us a medium to face this struggle, 2Face just made this clear. We cannot sit back and expect the musicians to do it all for us. Let us go out and do something for ourselves, no matter how small.

Let’s make sure Lai Mohammed and co face the music of absolute frustration like we do everyday.

odega shawa

IG: @shawa_kalakutabooks

@shawa2008