Unbwogable' Duo Named Messengers of Truth by UN-Habitat

By JOHN MBARIA
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Sporting dark shades, a blue tracksuit that passes for casual wear, the young man –
probably encouraged by the big applause – walked confidently as he approached the dais.

Stretching out her hand and wearing her trademark smile, the petite lady waited for him – in the company of other dignitaries. It was a meeting between a representative of Africa's post-independence generation, and a flag bearer of a socially-discontented present whose
disgust at anything and everything is expressed through noisy hip hop music.

And though the two represented Africa's best, their generation gap notwithstanding, their meeting was surely not one of equals. The lady, Dr Anna Kajumulo Tibaijuka, is in a class of her own. Steering a global body, UN-Habitat striving to make the poorest of the poor recognised
by an unwilling world, Dr Tibaijuka might have outshone Owino J (aka Maji Maji) in many aspects but the young man did not seen overawed – or so he seemed from the way he walked.

This was last Tuesday evening when Kenya's own Unbwogable duo of Gidi Gidi Maji Maji were presented, together with some nine other hip hop groups from all over the world, with certificates that appointed them as UN Habitat's "Messengers of Truth."

The decision by the UN agency to recognise hip hop groups follows a study done last year that recognised hip hop as not merely a musical genre but a social movement against globalisation that has become a powerful voice for the more than 500 million under 25s who are themselves victims of a vicious circle of poverty and social exclusion.

The setting was the Spanish city of Barcelona on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean sea. Barcelona had, over the past one week, hosted, dined and wined over 3,000 delegates attending the Second World Urban Forum. Among them were ministers, mayors – including Nairobi's Dick Wathika – NGO representatives and a few representative of slum people from around the world.

Also honoured by the UN award were groups from Brazil, Norway, South Africa, Colombia, Canada and Cuba. Awarded too, were Spanish film maker Fernando Trueba, Cuban singer and song writer, Bebo Valdés and the Nuuke Posse group of Greenland.

Like the other laurates, Gidi Gidi Maji Maji, whose song Unbwogable electrified Kenya shortly before the historic December 2002 elections, were awarded for "giving birth" to a powerful voice for the disenfranchised urban youth.

In a media advisory to journalists attending the Forum, they were described as "a vibrant duo that has risen to stardom within a remarkably short time." Their hit song Unbwogable was so popular during the Kenyan election of 2002, that it became the theme song for the opposition. Then opposition presidential candidate Mwai Kibaki – who won – sang along with his supporters at the height of the election campaigns.

The song draws from the word "buogo," meaning fear in the Luo language and anglicised to "unbwogable" to mean fearless. The communique from UN-Habitat says the song "represented for most Kenyans the struggle, the intimidation and the fear they had endured for years under the former regime." According to some sociologists, the song was one of the main contributing factors to the first free and fair elections in Kenya.

After receiving the award from Tibaijuka, Maji Maji said in his acceptance speech, "It is quite rewarding to be noticed. We hope this happens more often and in Africa too," in a surprisingly soft voice, remarkably at variance with the menacing rasp characteristic of hip hop.

From one corner of their mouths, most of the delegates had been talking, probably for the upteenth time, about the poor, slums, globalisation of poverty, sanitation, Africa's crippling debt, discrimination against women and marginalisation of the youth.

From day one, most of the "position" papers were delivered in flat, boring monotones. And we, members of the fourth estate, were forced to either retreat to the dungeon-like press centre at the conference site (called the Universal Forum of Cultures) or to seek out those rare events, if not rare delegates, from which we get something worthwhile to quote in our stories.

Present at the function were Kenya's Local Government Minister Musikari Kombo, his Lands counterpart, Amos Kimunya and former Nairobi Mayor Joe Akech, among other foreign dignitaries.

The government ministers present, who can be said to have won the election through the song's rallying call, seemed embarrassed that they had not officially recognised the duo's input at home. 

"I will personally make sure that something is done," said Mr Kombo as he handed out his business card to Maji Maji asking him to contact him "when we get back." "It is irony of the highest order," Majimaji told The EastAfrican when I asked his views on the government's failure
to recognise them. 

Accompanied by Peter Chwani (DJ Pinye), Maji Maji said he however does not blame the government as the song was not initially meant to be political. "But if they would recognise us, we would appreciate it more than the award from UN-Habitat," he said.

Source: The EastAfrican, 20-26 September 2004 (Kenya)

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UN-HABITAT, hip-hop join to empower world youth

By MADALA THEPA

Grandstanding personalities at the first Global Hip- Hop Summit in Barcelona threatened to nullify the efforts of UN-Habitat to join forces with hip hop.

The union with UN-Habitat is meant to raise awareness of the millennium development goals through hip-hop.

The goals include halving poverty and HIV-Aids prevalence by 2015, improving access to health for the poor and education and improving the living conditions of at least 100 million slum dwellers by 2020

The reluctance to affiliate with UN-Habitat came from hip- hop artists and political and civil rights organisations.

UN-Habitat is the leading United Nations agency for housing and urban development. The milestone project was launched with the Global Partnership Initiative for Urban Youth Development in Africa at the Centro de Convenciones Internacional de Barcelona in Spain on September 16.

Among the insolent groups were Cape Town female hip-hop group Godessa, who stormed out of the meeting only to return later. They said they did not know why they were at the summit.
The summit was attended by a coalition of hip-hop artists, political and civil rights organisations and recording industry executives.

Some hip-hop artists and civil rights organisations raised concerns about the association between UN habitat and hip-hop. They viewed the merger as a regression.

“Right now we are here in Barcelona, in this building which probably costs billions of dollars, and we say we want to represent the urban people,” said poet and singer Kelly Love Jones from the United States.

“This forum should have been next to the people we claim to represent. Hip-hop is not just a surface, it is a way of life and if anything has to work, we need to link it with the people on the street.

“Let the people get involved and have ownership of this initiative,”

Other dissident voices came from a civil rights organisation and from individuals.

Sol Guy, manager of hip-hop sensation K’naan, said: “The UN has failed to stop the wars of the world. What makes them think they can help us? We don’t want to be used by the UN to further its own interest. They want us to be their voice.

“Hip-hop stands on its own. It has been like that and will remain as it is. The UN doesn’t have to come closer. They can help, but they must be far away. They should let us be.”

But after some deliberation on the matter, UN-Habitat and hip-hop leaders agreed to work together to empower the urban youth of the world.

“For the sake of people who are not here I think it would be proper to partner with UN-Habitat,” said Sipho Sithole, deputy chief executive of Gallo.

“I view this as an opportunity for us to work together in empowering the youth.

“It would be wrong for us to decide for people who are not even here. Let’s work together and go back home having achieved something.”

The conclusions reached by industry; hip-hop leaders, artists and political and civil rights organisations resulted in the adoption of a declaration of principles and call for action.
The agreements are based on initiatives and commitments that will affect the artistic, social and political landscape of society and the global community

On the opening day of the summit hip-hop artists were presented with messengers of truth certificates in recognition of their commitment in their communities.

The artists include Godessa, Kelly Love Jones and MV Bill from the “City of God” favela (squatter camp) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Other groups included La Etnia from Colombia, Nukke Posse from Greenland and Gidi Gidi Maji Maji from Kenya.

UN-Habitat has also initiated a messengers of truth project aimed at raising US$ 5 million (R32m) in seed funding to help committed hip-hop groups empower the urban youth
“A recent study undertaken by UN-Habitat reveals that hip-hop is more than a genre of music and dance,” said Nicholas You, chief of UN-Habitat’s best practices and local leadership programme. “It is also a social movement.”

“It is both a product of and a reaction to globalisation. It represents a strong political statement.

“The most popular artists and groups are those who rap about critical social, economic and environmental issues and who play an active role in their respective communities.”

The next global hip-hop summit will be held in South Africa in October 2005.

Source: Sunday World, 3 October 2004 (South Africa)