Saturday, December 7, 2013

A FAR CRY FROM AFRICA

Africa was the tongue he loved. He couldn't resist the gorilla wrestling with the superman. How would have he turned from Africa and live? In a white dust of ibises whose cries have wheeled since civilizations, Africa is still a wonder, a rainbow nation that stretches 1000 miles from the Namib dessert to the impressive Cango caves and the Serengeti known as “endless plains” - a paradise for many wild beasts. Would have he ever dreamt of seeing corpses scattered in such a paradise?

His death remembered me of Bob Marley, whom I loved for his Rastafarian features, whom I loved for his protest songs. These words poured down my brains-

“No woman no cry, no woman no cry
Little darling, don't she'd no tears, no woman no cry
Say, say, said I remember when we used to sit
In the government yard in Trench town
And then Georgie would make the fire light
As it was, love would burn on through the night
Then we would cook cornmeal porridge
Of which I'll share with you
My fear is my only courage
So I've got to push on through Oh, while I'm gone"


As for what I have read and heard this was Bob Marley’s song about Africa. The woman here is Africa. Bob is dearly requesting her not to cry even in the midst of all injustices against her. Bob reminds her of the vibrant cultures, the shared thoughts, the times they traveled in foot, the times they danced to the rhythmic drums, the sheer joy of her inhabitants and how they lived. He says Africa is the sister of other continents. He gives hope to Africa, comforting her that everything will be alright in times to come.

Bob Marley’s hope, the courage and comfort words were later achieved by Nelson Mandela. The long apartheid fought against the white domination and fought against the black domination. Mandela treasured the democracy, created a society in which all persons could live together with harmony and equal opportunities.  This long walk to freedom was a hideous mission.  More he walked, the more he fell. Many a times he was imprisoned. What matters us is his living courage and determination. Mandela’s diary reveals how music played a big role in saving the country’s democracy and harmony.

The block in which Mandela was locked has housed around 30 inmates of a prison population of nearly 800. His diary states that music was allowed only at limited times. It was a little time for the prisoners to enjoy.  His notes mention how his member prisoners came up with their soulful songs from their own ethnic regions. He writes about Eddie Daniels a “colored” from district Six in Cape Town, a member of the Liberal Party of South Africa who uses to sing “Galway bay” an Irish freedom song. The diary also reveals of how Laloo Chiba sang the Hindi song “Pinjre ke Panchhi” which talks of a caged bird, a popular song which was sung by a few activists in the Transvaal Indian Congress  who were imprisoned in the late 1950’s and 1960’s. He goes on writing about how the political prisoners when in isolation sang African work songs. The records reveal about choirs that were set up by prisoners including Mandela where they sang freedom songs to boost peoples’ morale and make them believe that liberty is possible.

Political and freedom songs have had their place. The songs haven’t politically influence people yet the songs have inspired the Africans to have trust on their own kind and their traditions which created a profound sense of “community”. Eventually   they had begun to think of a nation of their own whilst searching for their roots of origin.

Even today singing is a part of the South African life, especially of the black South Africans which voices a very rich culture. "Every facet of our life is celebrated through music. So when you go to jail the tradition continues…When you are down, music uplifts the spirit, gives you hope… You cannot stop a political prisoner from talking; you cannot stop an African from singing." As Mark Shinners so poignantly remarked: "You could sing your way out of pain and survive."

We see countries fighting with arms today. But to see, the Africans had taken an unusual approach to fight for freedom. There was determination, a lot of hope, and love for the country. However music took them a long way in creating a certain emotion within the people to feel that they belong to a specific nation, built by unique lifestyles, habits and practices. Mandela was one such person who devised such feelings. A moral compass, a freedom fighter that never ever let the fear strike him until the game was played. He was the “hope” of Africa. His battle against the color bar wasn’t only restricted to Africa but a victory that led to secure rights of all people across oceans.

Life is like water droplets that hang on the thin edge of a grass. We die unplanned. So this man too left earth shedding tears of many eyes. He will be the symbol of rising every time we fall.

2 comments:

  1. A beautiful mix bag essay on Africa .. the wording was very rythmic and had it's own flow !! From African geography to music to Mandela and apartheid, the paragraphs flew through everything !! If I didn't know I would have mistaken it for a direct report from a journalist in Africa.. You're ability to relate to situations,countries and almost everything will surely take you a long way ! I see the making of a great documentarian who can have the readers spellbound till the end .. Good luck !! - Meyasi

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