With the unbelievable release of Black Panther, and it’s astonishing Soundtrack, one can only hope that Africa will be able to further infiltrate what have been predominantly Western spaces. And who else would spearhead this but our fave, Babes Wodumo (I, in no way disregard the contribution of other African artists such as Wizkid, Sjava and Reason but we are WOS).
She featured in an original soundtrack and also had Wololo playing in Shuri’s lab while she’s working on advancing tech all around Wakanda (She is our Queen, if you’ve read the comics you get the pun). African music always takes a back seat to all other influences. This time, it was what was needed, it was put on the forefront.
People want to compare our traditional music to the music of the early European antiquity and say it is our classical music. The way that Western music has actively progressed from; Romantic classical to Techno, Rock and Country music. Do you say then Maskandi, Deep House and Qgom are the same and rightful progressions that our music should have taken?
By trying to attach a Western equivalent to music around us, are we erasing the fact that the progression happened but under much suppression and so trying to do so is redundant. By trying to attach it to a Western parallel we diminish in some ways, the authenticity of our own work done by taking western music that had been forced on people. That some music came about in ways of trying to still show your heritage in the mist of oppression, hearing the western influence, but that the song is significantly African. Ladysmith Black Mambazo is an example of this. Pennywhistle jazz that played in Sophia Town were black music playing and using black pain as material in their music with western instruments.
South African and other African artists have always disregarded the need or feel for a nod from award givers standing on themselves. Validating them because they are the ones that bring in fans, not the awards. Babes Wodumo has first-hand experience in this. Working in an industry that manages to strip women of much of their agency. She has stood firmly in herself, her work, and that one that keeps on featuring himself via adlib in her songs.
We aren’t Wakanda, obviously, we are rising, even though it seems people are constantly saying that, but it is relevant. We have been stamped and trampled upon for so long, Africa has been with held from reaching it’s full potential, but as now, there is more space to move, to achieve. And so it would only make sense that we would continually rise to new cultural innovations, especially because of the new we are constantly bombarded with, the innovative we develop within ourselves, and the old we remember from not so long ago. Waduma Ubabes, and Africa’s star is still rising.