Earlier this month I went to check out a film called The Griot. Wasn't the first time I learned about the original Rappers, but first time seeing Senegal pay homage to Ayiti. The beautiful West African images were a nice break from mainstream. Sitting there in the dark with all the other indes, I felt a strong sense of pan-African pride. And I was dazzled by the gigantic/majestic trees reaching high above ground/across landscape, like scenes from Avatar. Where Haiti waters back to Benin is when you see carabans turn into tap-taps. To understand griots, you have to understand spiritual matters; to understand Rap music, especially gangsta rap music, you have to understand past and current social ills. And it's not this man who's playing the kora, but many men playing; just like it's not me writing my books, but many speaking for you.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
The Griot
Earlier this month I went to check out a film called The Griot. Wasn't the first time I learned about the original Rappers, but first time seeing Senegal pay homage to Ayiti. The beautiful West African images were a nice break from mainstream. Sitting there in the dark with all the other indes, I felt a strong sense of pan-African pride. And I was dazzled by the gigantic/majestic trees reaching high above ground/across landscape, like scenes from Avatar. Where Haiti waters back to Benin is when you see carabans turn into tap-taps. To understand griots, you have to understand spiritual matters; to understand Rap music, especially gangsta rap music, you have to understand past and current social ills. And it's not this man who's playing the kora, but many men playing; just like it's not me writing my books, but many speaking for you.
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