While browsing
through my blogroll today, I came across a captivating photoset on
okayafrica.com
which highlights some of the socio-political unrest surrounding the upcoming 2014
FIFA World Cup in Brazil. According to the post, Brazilian citizens are
feeling the steep economic impact of the World Cup’s $11 billion price tag and
the government’s preoccupation with bolstering the
public image of 12 host cities at the expense of education, transportation and
healthcare infrastructure.
Having visited
Brazil recently, I
was witness to the very real challenges that pose long-term concerns for the
country post World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. Having also lived in
South Africa for 8 years, host of the 2010 World Cup, I see similarities in
the challenges both countries face on an economic and social level. I am
against
poverty tourism,
which is one of the reasons I chose not to venture into the favelas of Rio de
Janeiro as a tourist. Living in Johannesburg, South Africa was a different
matter, as the largely Black-inhabited townships or slums continue to form the
backbone of one of Africa’s strongest economies in a post-Apartheid republic.
Afro-Brazilian residents of favelas experience much the same marginalization as many Black South Africans have for years. The frustration behind this visual expression is a
form of social activism that will be on display for thousands of tourists to see.
In other news,
Afro-Belgian, electro-hip hop artist (and my new obsession), Stromae has
produced an anthem for the Belgian national team,
Diables Rouges. His song titled
Ta
Fête features much of the same drum ‘n bass/house vibes present in all
of his work and is delivered in this how-to video format made so popular by his
other YouTube tutorials, or “
les leçons.” In this demo,
Paul Van Haver (aka Stromae) breaks down his beats and mingles with the Belgian
team in a way that only he can. A short version of the song itself
begins at the
5-minute mark, while the
full version includes footage of Stromae’s live performance in a stadium.
I am never
disappointment by Stromae’s uninhibited use of colour, character and charisma in
his videos. His tribute to the late Cape Verdean songstress Ces
ária
Évora titled
Ave Cesaria reminds me of the rhythmic chanting and percussion associated with the Brazilian martial arts dance known as
capoeira. Aside from being an amazing vocalist and dancer, Stromae is also a
genius with word play, often interchanging French and English translations to
evoke separate meanings. An example of
this word play would be his deeply emotional song titled
Quand C’est?, which
is in fact a ballad about cancer (French pronunciation). Another song is
Papaoutai, for which he
created a clothing line titled
MOSAERT
inspired by the prints in this video. The song is actually asking the question “Papa,
où t’es?” or “Dad, where are you?” Other tunes I currently have in heavy rotation include
Tous Les Mêmes,
Alors On Danse, Bienvenue Chez Moi,
Formidable and
Te Quiero,
to name a few. It’s just a bonus that I
get to brush up on my French while listening to Stromae’s thought-provoking
lyrics.
