Bongo Flavour group talks to youths on polls: Who pays the piper?
Reports
are building a scenario of seeming effectiveness of ten Bongo Flavor
artists featuring on the same stage in various places.
This weekend it is Mwanza, continuing with a campaign, ‘Tuonane January,’ which pundits said is aimed at raising awareness to youths on the importance of voting in the coming general election. Is this music or politics, and is it likely to be neutral so that it is still art, and civic awareness, not politics?
Those organizing the campaign say that it has come at the right time as most youths keep on complaining on poverty while they do not participate in voting for leaders they want. In other words there is a need to come up into elections so that youths can remove poverty.
Whether this is music or politics it is one thing, but music usually does not tackle such broad questions like why a person is poor. It mostly touches character, irrespective of wealth, as what matters most is how one uses money, not its quantity.
As an example of what is going on in that campaign, note is taken of an address before what was said to be more than 10,000 youths who turned up in a past concert in Morogoro municipality.
Zuwena Mohamed `Shilole' said that after more than 50 years of independence the time has come whereby Tanzania will have a competent leader without depending on which political party he comes from.
Well, that makes sense, but is it art? Can artists really explain what is a competent political leader, or is it just the one who will be accepted by people?
Do they seek competence in the first place, or who exercises imagination, a bold person who does not fear to say what just comes to his mind? Is it all good?
"We want to bring changes in our country for the sake of the coming generations. We are tired of being cheated by political leaders.
We have enough power and votes to do so,” the artiste is said to have declared, which is not far from what one hears on stage, where what is supposed to be music is often a tirade, by someone whose only quality in the matter is being a citizen. Being good in music doesn’t make one competent to discuss politics.
Some remarks were also lifted from other flava artists in the campaign, like Nickson Simon, said to be well known as ‘Nikki wa Pili’ from Weusi group who said that politics had divided the youth and made them fail to make strong decisions in the interest of the country.
Is it not proper to focus on their own outlook or conduct as individuals and start an ethical exercise on what makes them decide to do this or that?
What makes so many youths take to packets of liquors that are devastating for their health and growth prospects? Is it firstly poverty (can’t buy beer) or bad upbringing, simply? If youths talk about politics, who should talk about liquor?
"Now we have to leave political parties and find a strong leader who has interest for our land and resources,” the artist had pursued, which can help youths to imagine what a ‘strong leader’ might be, but that is difficult.
If the discussion is democratic, is the one with strong party backing not likely to be strongest? If the aim is to avoid parties, how does music point out strong leaders from music point of view?
Is this not just confusion, mixing politics with flava? ‘Tuonane January,’ starting two weeks ago, will go all around Tanzania and soon the youthful artistes were expecting to name top leaders they want to support in the coming elections.
Perhaps at that time it will be possible to know who is paying the piper, despite that one could always guess.
However this is not a bad turn, as traditionally artistes have been on the margins of the ruling party, not as political auxiliaries but as real patriotism. Now times have changed, and a different party can redefine patriotism.
This weekend it is Mwanza, continuing with a campaign, ‘Tuonane January,’ which pundits said is aimed at raising awareness to youths on the importance of voting in the coming general election. Is this music or politics, and is it likely to be neutral so that it is still art, and civic awareness, not politics?
Those organizing the campaign say that it has come at the right time as most youths keep on complaining on poverty while they do not participate in voting for leaders they want. In other words there is a need to come up into elections so that youths can remove poverty.
Whether this is music or politics it is one thing, but music usually does not tackle such broad questions like why a person is poor. It mostly touches character, irrespective of wealth, as what matters most is how one uses money, not its quantity.
As an example of what is going on in that campaign, note is taken of an address before what was said to be more than 10,000 youths who turned up in a past concert in Morogoro municipality.
Zuwena Mohamed `Shilole' said that after more than 50 years of independence the time has come whereby Tanzania will have a competent leader without depending on which political party he comes from.
Well, that makes sense, but is it art? Can artists really explain what is a competent political leader, or is it just the one who will be accepted by people?
Do they seek competence in the first place, or who exercises imagination, a bold person who does not fear to say what just comes to his mind? Is it all good?
"We want to bring changes in our country for the sake of the coming generations. We are tired of being cheated by political leaders.
We have enough power and votes to do so,” the artiste is said to have declared, which is not far from what one hears on stage, where what is supposed to be music is often a tirade, by someone whose only quality in the matter is being a citizen. Being good in music doesn’t make one competent to discuss politics.
Some remarks were also lifted from other flava artists in the campaign, like Nickson Simon, said to be well known as ‘Nikki wa Pili’ from Weusi group who said that politics had divided the youth and made them fail to make strong decisions in the interest of the country.
Is it not proper to focus on their own outlook or conduct as individuals and start an ethical exercise on what makes them decide to do this or that?
What makes so many youths take to packets of liquors that are devastating for their health and growth prospects? Is it firstly poverty (can’t buy beer) or bad upbringing, simply? If youths talk about politics, who should talk about liquor?
"Now we have to leave political parties and find a strong leader who has interest for our land and resources,” the artist had pursued, which can help youths to imagine what a ‘strong leader’ might be, but that is difficult.
If the discussion is democratic, is the one with strong party backing not likely to be strongest? If the aim is to avoid parties, how does music point out strong leaders from music point of view?
Is this not just confusion, mixing politics with flava? ‘Tuonane January,’ starting two weeks ago, will go all around Tanzania and soon the youthful artistes were expecting to name top leaders they want to support in the coming elections.
Perhaps at that time it will be possible to know who is paying the piper, despite that one could always guess.
However this is not a bad turn, as traditionally artistes have been on the margins of the ruling party, not as political auxiliaries but as real patriotism. Now times have changed, and a different party can redefine patriotism.
SOURCE:
GUARDIAN ON SUNDAY
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