shel

The Transsexual Chofetz Chaim

Mutant, librarian, poet, union rabble rouser, dog, Ashkenazi Jewish. Neuroweird, bodyweird, mostly sleepy.


I write about transformative justice, community, love, Judaism, Neurodivergence, mental health, Disability, geography, rivers, labor, and libraries; through poetry, opinionated essays, and short fiction.


I review Schoolhouse Rock! songs at @PropagandaRock


Website (RSS + Newsletter)
shelraphen.com/

alyaza
@alyaza
This page's posts are visible only to users who are logged in.

shel
@shel

It feels like a good case study in how "world music" is perceived as not really belonging to anybody, and is often copied onto "world music compilations" and the like without any sort of proper attribution. Oftentimes not even the specific country a song came from is listed, instead it'll just be labeled "African Folk Song" or "South American Panflute Song." There is seemingly no impetus to really look into what is past the thin veil of "I don't know what language this is" and so slapping "world music/folk" on the label, even though a little digging would reveal "This is a 1986 pop song from Cameroon in French and Douala, performed and popularized by the Golden Sounds."

There's a particular irony in this case with 1. a white woman front-lining a song about "this time for Africa"? 2. Apparently, according to a poorly cited Wikipedia article so take it with a grain of salt, the 1986 version is based on a WWII-era folk song criticizing Cameroonian collaborators with European imperialist forces and opposing European colonial rule. The whole song is heavily associated with military and war? It's such an unusual choice of song for Shakira to pick as "a tribute to African Music™️" that it's clear she didn't ask anyone like, what the lyrics meant or what the context and history of the song was. Well apparently why she picked it is very clear actually.


You must log in to comment.