Popular Music Censorship in Africa

by Cloonan,Martin; Drewett,Michael

• ISBN13: 9780754652915
• ISBN10: 0754652912
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-10-28
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

In Africa, tension between freedom of expression and censorship in many contexts remains as contentious, if not more so, than during the period of colonial rule which permeated the twentieth century. Over the last one hundred years popular musicians have not been free to sing about whatever they wish to, and in many countries they are still not free to do so. This volume brings together the latest research on censorship in colonial and post-colonial Africa, focusing on the attempts to censor musicians and the strategies of resistance devised by musicians in their struggles to be heard.For Africa, the twentieth century was characterized first and foremost by struggles for independence, as colonizer and colonized struggled for territorial control. Throughout this period culture was an important contested terrain in hegemonic and counter-hegemonic struggles and many musicians who aligned themselves with independence movements viewed music as an important cultural weapon. Musical messages were often political, opposing the injustices of colonial rule. Colonial governments reacted to counter-hegemonic songs through repression, banning songs from distribution and/or broadcast, while often targeting the musicians with acts of intimidation in an attempt to silence them.In the post-independence era a disturbing trend has occurred, in which African governments have regularly continued to practise censorship of musicians. However, not all attempts to silence musicians have emanated from government, nor has all contested music been strictly political. Religious and moral rationale has also featured prominently in censorship struggles. Both Christian and Muslim fundamentalism has led to extreme attempts to silence musicians. In response, musicians have often sought ways of getting their music and message heard, despite censorship and harassment. The book includes a special section on case studies that highlight issues of nationality.

Table of Contents

List of Abbreviations	vii
Notes on Contributors	ix
Series Editor's Preface	xiii
Part 1 Censorship Issues
Popular Music Censorship in Africa: An Overview	3	(20)
Martin Cloonan
The Cultural Boycott against Apartheid South Africa: A Case of Defensible Censorship?	23	(16)
Michael Drewett
Vocal Killers, Silent Killers: Popular Media, Genocide, and the call for Benevolent Censorship in Rwanda	39	(14)
Dylan Craig
Nomalanga Mkhize
Racist Hate Speech in South Africa's Fragile Democracy: The Case of Ngema's `AmaNdiya'	53	(18)
Gary Baines
Zvakwana! -- Enough! Media Control and Unofficial Censorship of Music in Zimbabwe	71	(20)
Diane Thram
And the Beat Goes On? Message Music, Political Repression and the Power of Hip-Hop in Nigeria	91	(18)
Wilson Akpan
Part 2 Case Studies
Traditional and Popular Music, Hegemonic Power and Censorship in Malawi: 1964-1994	109	(18)
Reuben M. Chirambo
Why Don't You Sing about the Leaves and the Dreams? Reflecting on Music Censorship in Apartheid South Africa	127	(10)
Johnny Clegg
Michael Drewett
Popular Music Censorship in Tanzania	137	(20)
Kelly M. Askew
John Francis Kitime
Silencing Musical Expression in Colonical and Post-Colonial Kenya	157	(14)
Peter Muhoro Mwangi
One Hundred Years of Censorship in Ghanaian Popular Music Performance	171	(16)
John Collins
Where the Shoe Pinches: The Imprisonment of Franco Luambo Makiadi as a Curious Example of Music Censorship in Zaire	187	(12)
Graeme Ewens
For a Song - Censure in Algerian Rai Music	199	(16)
Malika Mehdid
Concluding Comments on the Censorship of Popular Music in Africa	215	(6)
Martin Cloonan
Michael Drewett
Index	221