So many good things happened in 2007. So many things happen all the time. I have heard folks who say they don't watch the news. Why? It is always bad news, they moan. Always sad. Deaths. Bombs. Disasters. Yes that is true; but, life is alot of stuff. The good and the bad. The worst and the best.
Contrasts.
Thats why it is called "life." Can you find a better word?
In this blog I prefer dealing with the positive...the best ...about those who try...
Especially from the unknown world of our main stream, biased media. A media that only reports sensational stuff, ah, if you have been following this blog you can guess what i am trying to say...
So here are my memorable moMENTS of 2007.
1-Africans in London TV on the net:
Beginnings of an interesting future to give Africans a voice through well done internet television.
Directed by London based musician and producer Joseph Adamson. Check out a few clips here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQB2AoXGX0g
And
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMOTPLUF17Y
2-Scandinavia:
New music video release called Dar es Salaam by reggae Oslo based musician, Ras Nas. Ras Nas also runs a website promoting arts, music and literature from the same unknown world. It is important we check and support such websites daily. Power to the People!
3-Kenyan writer Ngugi speaks at London's British Museum:
Ngugi wa Thiong'o spoke to a huge attentive audience at London's British Museum in June 2007.
Ngugi looked at the power of the Word. Word as a nucleus of speech.
He enlightened us with origins. Backgrounds. The dominance of the English language. Why everyone is striving to speak and use this idiom to the detriment of killing other indigenious languages. He painted some of the main forces involved: history, colonialism, economics, classes, etc.
We, for example, go to other languages instead of our own, to enrich "other" words, rather than our own. Or some of us speaking English as a way "to get modern."
The destruction of identities is the biggest result of this domination.
To me Ngugi's talk that evening re inforced the importance of knowing who you are and where you come from.
I can still remember how quiet the whole hall was. Rewind. Reminder. Respect.
4-The Africa Cup warm-ups
I went to a few matches in London and watched Ghana play (and win) against Nigeria; then Ghana play Senegal ( and drew).
This mixed audience at the match tells it all: Ghanian flag, children, international paparazzi, males and females, etc.
Ghana was popular in all these warm-up friendlies. I was later to hear someone saying " Ghana should win the Africa cup, it would be good for the tournament." Why? Ghana is one of a few peaceful countries on the continent. Ghana is the new haven of West Africa. Ghana. (At the time this was written little did we know Ghana would be trounced in semi-finals by Cameroon, in February 2008).
5- i consider this one of the best expressions of 2007...
"...WE DONT NEED LEADERS. WE NEED EVERYONE TO BE A LEADER."
Uttered by the French/ Spanish singer, Manu Chao, while interviewed by London bi-lingual Brasilian magazineJungle Drums
in October.
My favourite song from this remarkable musician is "Clandestino" where he takes on his best theme (underdogs)by singing about illegal immigrants from different races and places.
6-My saddest moment was the death of my father.
Apart from being my dad, Dr. Macha was the first adult to encourage when my love affair with guitars began as a teenager. He would say things like "learn to play tunes that anyone in the world will like" or "you have very fast fingers, you can become a great player..."
Later, when i began writing and gigging seriously he would give feedback, always, incisive, deep, honest. With the musicalbums he would dissect the harmony, melodies, lyrics, even subtle stuff that music critics usually miss out.
He perhaps saw in me what he would have liked to become. Since his own father, (a fervent, articulate preacher) prohibited his music dreams back in the 1950's after having recorded a few albums.
Yes my father was not just a doctor, but a farmer, wine maker and fantastic guitarist/ songwriter.
My parents as a young couple in 1953, long long before i was born. My late mother also played guitar and sang (in especially) my father's best recordings, of 1958. These two never once discouraged me from being a musician, artist or who I am. Such are good parents. Strange that 2007, was exactly ten years since my charismatic, lovely mother passed away too. May they rest in peace. Amen.
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