East African Swagga

East Africa is not just about Safaris, Mt. Kilimanjaro, the indigenous Masai tribe, or the Primates of Uganda and Rwanda. Neither is it only about the war in Darfur, hunger in Somalia or disease as depicted by the media. Cardiff got a chance to see the other side of East Africa thanks to DJ Peter and his crew.

On the 5^th of November, as Indians were celebrating Diwali , East Africans gathered at Pure night club off St. Mary street to show what their youth’s culture was all about – through music.

From Genge, an expressive, poetic type of music that is equivalent to hip-hop, and which originated from one of the poorest areas of Kenya – the term Genge is slung for a ‘group of people’ and was birthed by a gang of young men whose creativity quickly spread throughout East Africa opening doors for a lot of the oppressed youth in that part of the country.

To Bongo flava, a genre developed in the 90’s from the capital of Tanzania known as Dar-es-salaam. This is also Tanzania’s version of hip-hop, with intonations from the more traditional styles such as taarab and dansi. Like Genge, Bongo flava became a popular sound in neighbouring Kenya and Uganda.

Also representing were the beats of Uganda, also known as Lugaflow, which originated from students of Makerere University, one of East Africa’s leading institutions. The Ugandan hip-hop scene also began in the early to mid 90’s and infested the rest of East Africa, like its counterparts Genge and Bongo flava.

There was also some Kwaito from South Africa, Nigerian music, a fair share of hip-hop and RnB, dancehall and funky house which created a perfect mix and provided an environment where everyone could relax,enjoy and feel at home whilst experiencing the beats of East Africa.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

From this event, it was clear that hardships faced by the urban youth is similar in all parts of the world. Genge, Bongo flava and Lugaflow were a cultural movement started by the East African youth in the 90’s , and influenced by the American hip-hop scene. Just like hip-hop in America, and Grime in the UK, the youth of East Africa used music to express themselves and create ways out of difficult situations . For many, it has afforded them with financial opportunities that their parents could never dream of.

It was without a doubt a memorable night, and a breath of fresh air from the usual hip-hop and RnB scene in Cardiff. If you missed it, be sure to catch the next session in December when Kenya and Tanzania will be celebrating their independence. Further details will be revealed on the events page so look out for that.

Watered down tongues

Africa is blessed with cultural diversity. Most Africans are fluent in at least two or three languages. Unfortunately, a lot of us take this for granted. You rarely find Africans including their mother tongues or national languages in their CV’s and highlighting their bilingual abilities. We are proud of our culture but shy away when it is most important.

Western culture has inevitably infiltrated into Africa, and although it has its advantages, it also has its down side. Today, we are quick to promote western music and art, and sideline our traditions for fear of appearing primitive. Being African is no longer exotic. We want to walk, talk and act like the Americans and the British at the expense of our values and traditions. One being Nigeria’s 500-year-old dye tradition which is currently under threat.

After interacting with various Africans in Cardiff, I begun to realise the extend to which our ancestor’s traditions and tongues are becoming obsolete. The younger generation is not in touch with their cultural roots – and majority do not seem to care.

Bringing up African children in Wales must be a daunting task. Parents strive to find a balance between the Welsh and African culture so that their kids can relate with their peers, as well as get to know their roots and not forget where they have come from.

Having read Bill Bryson’s Mother tongue and the story of the English language, it became clear how language can evolve from its original form and completely change with time. How safe is African culture, its languages and tradition in this day and age? If the younger Afro-British generation does not care much about their roots, who will drive these cultural values into future generations?

To emphasise my point, I spoke to 15 different Africans around Cardiff from various age groups. They were originally from Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Congo and had lived in Cardiff for over 10 years. To get an idea of how much they were still in touch with their roots, I asked a very simple question: ‘Can you sing all the verses of your national anthem at the top of your head?’ Astonishingly, only 3/15 were confident and knew their national anthems by heart! In as much as these results do not speak for majority of Africans in Cardiff, they are an indicator of what is turning into a potentially dangerous trend.

If we forsake our language, how will our children relate with their grand parents and relatives who are not well versed in English? ‘What’s occurring‘ is definitely not an option. And considering the history behind our national anthems and the struggles our founding fathers went through just so we could recite those words, why are they beginning to lose  value in our lives? We are slowly loosing touch with our mother land and should act now before it’s too late.

Bassey Ikpi, a renowned American poet talks about her divided cultures and the struggles she undergoes as an African woman living in America. My hope is that her words challenge you as they did me.