SUNDAY COVER & POETRY (II)

(…)
If the old recording industry in South Africa was totally white-controlled, it was still not half as horrendous as those which existed in places such as Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Congo, Cameroon, Kenya, Senegal, Angola, Mozambique, etc., where the music companies were personal kingdoms, which never got to grow to even a fraction of those in this country. At this writing, they still basically remain in that form or are extinct.
(…)
Some individuals might consider such a suggestion to be devoid of any moral merit; however, the one quality the history of Africa’s music recording industry can never claim to ever having possessed is any once of morality. It can only pride itself with exploitation, of the most despicable kind, one that proudly matches its colonial, economic and industrial counterpart’s atrocities.
(…)
If Africa’s present leadership can show as much interest in the development of the continent’s artistic excellence as it does in the promotion of some of its often misguided and destructive policies, if it can succeed in stopping the wars which consume frightful amounts of money that could be alternatively channelled into developing safety and security health and education, arts, culture, the traditional environment and the well being of the continent’s natural resources, then music, film, design and architecture would take a greater priority in our everyday lives.
If this were indeed at all possible, then Africa would surpass all other countries in its monopoly of the music and arts industries in the world. Would that such notions were dear to the hearts and minds of Africa’s political and business communities, then this Africa would become a great continent indeed.

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{Poem: Back To What?, by Benjamin Zephaniah. Benjamin is a poet, novelist and playwright. His poetry collections include The Dread Affair: Collected Poems (1985) and Too Black, Too Strong (2001). He has produced numerous music recordings, including Us and Dem (1990) and Belly of de Beast (1996). in Life Lines 2/Poets for Oxfam/Edited by Todd Swift, 2007}

(…)
If the old recording industry in South Africa was totally white-controlled, it was still not half as horrendous as those which existed in places such as Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Congo, Cameroon, Kenya, Senegal, Angola, Mozambique, etc., where the music companies were personal kingdoms, which never got to grow to even a fraction of those in this country. At this writing, they still basically remain in that form or are extinct.
(…)
Some individuals might consider such a suggestion to be devoid of any moral merit; however, the one quality the history of Africa’s music recording industry can never claim to ever having possessed is any once of morality. It can only pride itself with exploitation, of the most despicable kind, one that proudly matches its colonial, economic and industrial counterpart’s atrocities.
(…)
If Africa’s present leadership can show as much interest in the development of the continent’s artistic excellence as it does in the promotion of some of its often misguided and destructive policies, if it can succeed in stopping the wars which consume frightful amounts of money that could be alternatively channelled into developing safety and security health and education, arts, culture, the traditional environment and the well being of the continent’s natural resources, then music, film, design and architecture would take a greater priority in our everyday lives.
If this were indeed at all possible, then Africa would surpass all other countries in its monopoly of the music and arts industries in the world. Would that such notions were dear to the hearts and minds of Africa’s political and business communities, then this Africa would become a great continent indeed.

[Read More Content Here]

{Poem: Back To What?, by Benjamin Zephaniah. Benjamin is a poet, novelist and playwright. His poetry collections include The Dread Affair: Collected Poems (1985) and Too Black, Too Strong (2001). He has produced numerous music recordings, including Us and Dem (1990) and Belly of de Beast (1996). in Life Lines 2/Poets for Oxfam/Edited by Todd Swift, 2007}