Daara J Family is a Senegalese rap group made up of Faada Freddy and N’Dongo D. They were interviewed in Dakar by Rose Skelton. The way forward has to be for music to stay away from politics, to mobilise the people, encourage them to vote and understand elections.
As Senegalese citizens, we are unhappy about the arbitrary decisions made by the Constitutional Court, which validated some presidential candidates and not others.
We consider that taking sides. We’ve all seen how magistrates have been used and corrupted, and now Senegal is one of the most corrupt countries in the world, but this court decision was the last straw.
It was an assassination of our constitution and sadly it will forever be inscribed in the annals of Senegalese history.
Politics has divided the hip-hop movement in three. There are rappers who received money from the state and who today take part in government meetings, shouting at the top of their voices, “You must vote for Wade,” even though everyone knows his third mandate is invalid.
Then there is the rap movement Y’en a Marre, which has an alliance with the opposition movement M23. And then there is the third segment, which has avoided getting involved in politics.
Rap music should stand back from politics and stand with the people. It bothers us to see all the opposition candidates aligned with the people’s rap movement.
People have put political activities before the music: the calling of people to go out into the streets, the political discussions on the radio. Today it’s rare to actually hear music asking the government to get out of power.
There hasn’t been any music to touch the whole population as there was in 2000, when President Abdoulaye Wade was voted into power on a wave of conscious hip-hop. Back then, people were inspired to listen to this music which called for a collective social consciousness, which did not call for violence or political sidetaking, but which simply asked for people to go out and vote for their candidates.
The way forward has to be for music to stay away from politics
Now it’s more about the personalities. The way forward has to be for music to stay away from politics, to mobilise the people, encourage them to vote and help them understand how the elections work
President Wade was always a revolutionary, but now the revolution has turned against him. If he fails to see that, he will miss a big opportunity to leave by the front door. The population is very tolerant and will let him go – it’s not too late.
Senegal’s destiny is in the hands of God, and in the hands of the people to find a new kind of leader. Even if Wade wins the elections in February, we have to keep fighting. We have to fight for the National Assembly, so the people can take back its own place.
The justice system has a lot of work to do; it has lost the confidence of the people. And when justice loses the confidence of the people, they make their own law.
Wade has to look at the people and understand that it’s over.
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