In 1993, Lucky Dube, late South African reggae maestro, released an album titled ‘Victims’. The 10-track album was a hit because of the track ‘Different colours, one people’. In the song, Dube called on people from different races across the world to love rather than hate, to keep and not kill, as well as, asked politicians not to divide the people as God created them in His image and not as Blacks and Whites.
“They were created in the image of God
And who are you to seperate them
Bible says, he made man in his image
But it didn’ t say black or white Look at me you see BLACK
I look at you I see WHITE
Now is the time to kick that away
And join me in my song”, Dube said in his lyrics.
If Dube, who was killed on October 18, 2007 by robbers at Kwa Thema, a Johannesburg township, were to be alive today, he would cry more for the despicable way people of Africa, people of same colour, same blood and situations are killings themselves and making mockery of African unity and the ‘Ubuntu’ spirit upheld by Nelson Mandela, which is essentially about togetherness, and how all of our actions have an impact on others and on society.
It is disgusting that after several years of fighting the apartheid regime, South Africans turn to their fellow black African brothers; forgetting the sacrifices of most African countries that aided their freedom from the infamous segregation by the white minorities.
Xenophobia, attacks on fellow black people from other Africa countries, have continued in recent time, but the worst is the ongoing one, which has made some African countries to react in manners they have not protested in the previous attacks.
Imagine Nigeria recalling her Ambassador to South Africa; imagine some countries calling off the World Economic Forum holding in Cape Town, South Africa in protest of xenophobia, which the South African government has not been able to curtail after promises of no recurrence whenever such attacks happened.
Well, it is now affecting African entertainment industry as well. This month, South Africa has over 10 music concerts that feature top musicians and thousands of music fans across the continent.
One of such music concerts is this year’s edition of the annual Dstv Delicious International Food and Music Festival, which is billed to hold from September 21-22, 2019 at Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit in South Africa.
But the impact of this September deadly xenophobia attacks is still felt and many are calling off visits to South Africa for the music concerts; all in protest of the continued attacks on fellow blacks. As well, the citizens may not be in the mood for party shortly after the attacks as the negative impacts are still unfolding.
Currently, Tiwa Savage, a Nigerian singer and songwriter, who was billed to perform at the Dstv Delicious International Food and Music Festival this September, has called off the concert in solidarity with the victims of the recent xenophobia attacks in South Africa.
The songstress, who was born as Tiwatope Savage joined the protest on twitter and gave reason for calling off the concert in South Africa on her twitter handle; @Tiwasavage, saying, “I refuse to watch the barbaric butchering of my people in SA. This is SICK. For this reason I will NOT be performing at the upcoming DSTV delicious Festival in Johannesburg on the 21st of September. My prayers are with all the victims and families affected by this”.
Aside the Dstv Delicious festival, the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz ( JOJ) is also taking place this month-september 26-28 at Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.
As well, Etuk Ubong (Nigeria) and Kyekyeku (Ghana) are two West African jazz artistes who are among the line-up of artistes for the jazz concert.
Already, fans of Etuk Ubong are calling on him to call off the event in South Africa as Tiwa Savage did, while Ghanaian fans of Kyekyeku are expected to do same in solidarity with the victims of the September xenophobia attack, especially fellow West Africans who lost properties and lives while the attacks lasted.
However, musicians from countries in the Southern African Region (SADEC), especially Zambia and Zimbabwe are also calling off jobs in South Africa for now.
This is a bad trend for the South African and African music industry as artistes begin to reject offers that ordinarily would have impacted their career, the industry and the African economy at large.
Others music events that are likely going to flop on account of poor turnout this September because of the impact of the attacks are; Cape Town Fringe, Festival Music Exchange 2019 #MEX19, among others.
While most Africa music artistes are likely going to shun events in South Africa, also artistes from the country would be scared stepping out to other African countries for fear of being mobbed.
Sadly, overshadowed by the fury of the xenophobia attacks, many music fans even those from the East of Nigeria, did not notice the new release of Phyno on September 4, 2019. The new release by Phyno, who is unarguably the ‘Best from the East’, is titled Deal With It, featuring 21 tracks and notable Nigerian artistes such as Davido, Runtown, Falz, Phenom, among others.
Dibem Orji, a fan of the rapper, expressed his anger saying, “I am really mad at the fact that Phyno dropped a whole 21-track album yesterday and there is not a single buzz about it because all attention was given to Xenophobia. It is sad”.
Despite the present challenge, now is the time to use music to bring Africans together as the likes of Lucky Dube, Fela, Miriam Makeba, among others did in the past and are still doing with their ever-green music; though late.
