By Yolaine Mfinyom
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As a Cameroonian, I really wanted to discover a modern Cameroonian artist that we didn't discuss in class. While Manu Dibango's 1972 single, "Soul Makossa", transformed and introduced Cameroonian music to the international world, Rap-Reggae group Sumanja are using their music to communicate the hardship Cameroonians face every day and their dissatisfaction with the corrupt government.
Sumanja was formed in 2000 and it consists of three members: Soulmalek, Nijoya, and Tangui. Soulmalek is the founder of the group and he specializes in reggae-rap music. Nijoya specializes in rap. Tangui specializes in forest cries and traditional Central African sounds. Together these three men form Sumanja which translate to "solidarity, the universal, the mother, Africa, and birth in joy and in love" as stated by Soulmalek. |
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The genre of music that Sumanja produce is "Rap Mboa" which means African rap. Instead of configuring to a preexisting style of music, the group decided to create their own style of music. "Rap Mboa" is unique because it is a rap genre that incorporates traditional African sounds and musical instruments like the sounds of the forest, tam-tams, the ndjimbé, the guitar, and more.
The song that I selected from Sumanja was "Mon Souhait" which translate to "my wish". The song depicts Sumanja's desire for a better future for Cameroon. While the reality they paint is bleak, they juxtapose it with a bright future. A significant lyric in the song is "On en a marre, de voir le mal régner" which translate to "we are fed up, to see the evil reign". The "evil reign" that they are alluding to is president Paul Biya who has been in office since 1982. This lyric serves to criticize the president and highlight how corrupt and ineffective he has been. Instead of severing the people of Cameroon, Paul Biya has profited from the wealth his position afforded him and in turn left Cameroon in ruins with high rates of unemployment, high rates of poverty, and low rates of education. As a result, young girls are forced into prostitution and young boys are forced into criminal activities in order to provide for their family. Currently, president Paul Biya is running for re-electing and Sumanja has been vehemently opposing his re-eletion through their music. This is why I find Sumanja to be an inspiring group because they don't shy away from politic. Sumanja creates a coextensive moment between music and politic by exposing the corruption in government as well as the poor quality of life in Cameroon. They use their music to protest against the president as well as unity the youth to stand together and make their voices heard.
The song that I selected from Sumanja was "Mon Souhait" which translate to "my wish". The song depicts Sumanja's desire for a better future for Cameroon. While the reality they paint is bleak, they juxtapose it with a bright future. A significant lyric in the song is "On en a marre, de voir le mal régner" which translate to "we are fed up, to see the evil reign". The "evil reign" that they are alluding to is president Paul Biya who has been in office since 1982. This lyric serves to criticize the president and highlight how corrupt and ineffective he has been. Instead of severing the people of Cameroon, Paul Biya has profited from the wealth his position afforded him and in turn left Cameroon in ruins with high rates of unemployment, high rates of poverty, and low rates of education. As a result, young girls are forced into prostitution and young boys are forced into criminal activities in order to provide for their family. Currently, president Paul Biya is running for re-electing and Sumanja has been vehemently opposing his re-eletion through their music. This is why I find Sumanja to be an inspiring group because they don't shy away from politic. Sumanja creates a coextensive moment between music and politic by exposing the corruption in government as well as the poor quality of life in Cameroon. They use their music to protest against the president as well as unity the youth to stand together and make their voices heard.
