Edith Wirdze
10 March 2008
Some fifteen musicians and two visual artists from sub-Saharan Africa and the UK have called on Africa to unite and fight modern forms of slavery.
The artists made this call during a twin concert and exhibition organised by the British Council at the Yaounde Congress Hall last week.The artists came from Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Senegal, Uganda, Cameroon and the UK.
The event christened "Bring the Noise," is one of British Council's "Africa 2007" programmes aimed at promoting culture and identity. Other programmes included "Belongings" and "Different Lives."
Bring the Noise was launched in 2007 to mark 200 years of the abolition of the Slave Trade.
The year 2007 also culminated in the 47th anniversary of the independence of Cameroon as well as forty years of British Council's work in Cameroon.
Thus, throughout 2007, events and projects took place across the UK, challenging the British public to trace journeys in the past, explore relationships and understand them from new perspectives that would contribute to a better future.
It is in this background that Bring the Noise came to light with the objective of seeing how this collective history has informed our present and will continue to shape our future.
Welcoming participants, the British Council Director, Paul Norton, said that Bring the Noise aims to explore notions of culture and identity to generate fresh ideas and create new understanding between individuals and communities in Africa and the UK.
The Secretary General in the Ministry of Culture, Halim Hayatou, lauded the initiative of the British Council in organising such an event that enhances cooperation between Cameroon, Africa and the UK.
The musicians thrilled the spectators with exhilarating songs composed from a criss-cross of influences between Africa and the UK.One of the artists from Kenya, Muthoni Ndonga, said the message in the music portrayed complex and contentious issues facing Africans today such as modern forms of slavery, racism, HIV/Aids, poverty, the struggle for the Africa Diaspora, misunderstanding between Africans, war, and the need for Africans to unite and be proud of our heritage.
She said modern forms of slavery included countries caught up in capitalism, child sex and trafficking, footballers being sold in the West and cases where people find themselves enslaved.
The artists made an appeal for African governments to follow the example of the British Council and continue with such programmes so as to use dialogue between Africa and the West in order to brainstorm ideas to build Africa.
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