TAKRIZ INTERVIEWS NNEKA

388e jour après Ben Ali

I had the pleasure to interview Nneka the great Nigerian singer a week ago. This was hours before her show in Paris and the first time I've heard "VIP - Vagabonds In Power" live. The show was sold out weeks before and a treat to anyone that loves live music. Great performance, two thumbs up! We would love to see more engaged singers in Africa, real artists with talent that do care and stand up against today's african Super-Dictators. We're giving you the TAKRIZ Ambassador in Nigeria award. So with no further due, the interview.

* How would you define your music to our readers?

My music is very versatile, very diverse it has different influences it has african elements in it, it has hip hop, it has soul it has reggae, raga and at the end of the day its not just musically diverse it's also very authentic and conscious and it carries a lot of political messages as well as spiritual messages.

* what brought you there? how did you get there? how did it evolve?

It definitely evolved. I was never into music before. I stepped out around year 2000 when I found myself in a place that I had never ever had any relationship to whatsoever - Germany. You know, and being alone a lot too got me into searching for something that i could hold on to, that was music eventually, so it was more or less like a therapy in the first place and then it became a friend. I started then to express myself within music despite the fact that I had already started writing the lyrics also back in Nigeria but i never put them into melodies. So i learned how to put my thoughts into sounds by meeting people like DJ Farhot who I still work with and you know getting to know how to make music creatively with instruments all that put together got me in to doing to what i'm doing today and i still would not consider myself as somebody that professional I just do my thing in a simple and authentic manner.

* so you're passionate about it

I am passionate about it definitely.

* you said that it evolved a lot from your move to europe, so how easy was your move to europe?

In the beginning it was more difficult cause I couldn't understand the language; then I started to study German it took me 2 years to get my degree as the nigerian degrees weren't really acknowledged due to the way Germans see Nigerians. Anyway, I got the necessary certificates and i applied for university, I studied there anthropology for about 5 years and then moved back to Nigeria.

* How does it feel to be back there. Did it change?

I've always been in between. I'm living in Lagos, very cosmopolitan, very modern compared to Niger Delta my original place.

* Let's continue with the music which concert from the big ones you opened gave you the most fun? Lenny kravtiz, Gnarls Barkeley, The Roots…?

The Roots, the one I did with The Roots because I was excited, they are a band that I always loved the spirit and their entire concept of The Roots that's like the live, the authentic distinctive computerized stuff, it's a combination of natural played music instruments and computers, and I kind identify a lot with that.

* Your music is like that no?

Exactly, my music is kind of like that so I was very very excited on seeing how they do it; and then being with them on tour was a great experience, very very humble people.

* We were talking about Anthropology why did you choose that field of study?

Well, in the beginning I didn't know what to study, first of all I studied classical archeology which is based on middle europe, greece, roman empire and I was like I'm already done with that so I chose to change my subject to pre-historic archeology that has more to do with the world as I see it and then I made Anthropology to my side subject.

* Anthropology is the study of humanity and evolution ? How would you define human beings...

(laughs) I think in the prospective of mother earth we are more like parasites, parasites are the common group, that's like a small disease to the earth, we come and go. Not sure good or bad.

* Let's talk about Nigeria you are very attached to your country. What got you involved in the Niger Delta politics, the corruption and oil problems, the Ken Saro Wiwa movement?

I grew up in the Niger Delta that was one of the major reasons that got me speaking about the plight of the Delta. Before I went out of Nigeria, it's not that I wasn't conscious about it but I've never had the opportunity to really express this critical point of view.

* Why?

Because I was nobody. You know what I mean. You want them to start to listen to your music and to start taking you serious. I decided to take that opportunity being on stage to speak out. I had more audience and more access to the media and it's very important that you as an artist -people looking up to you- that you have a positive message which you are attached to and connected to.

The Niger Delta problem has always been an issue in the past 60+ years there's a lot of oppression, tribalism and it's not only there conflicts exists in all Nigeria, ethnic religious conflicts. It's crazy. We need to talk about these problems and we need to educate fellow Nigerians about it.

* What do young Nigerians think about this situation

All they say is let god be in charge.

* Is it dangerous for you to talk about such political sensitive matters?

It is, you need back up, you need your crew and you need your people, people you trust for the same motives. Just like a movement. It's good to speak, but you have to do it in a very intelligent and effective manner. Very undercover and then you shoot the gun with the bullet of love.

* Actually, we've been doing that in Tunisia and we had tons of repression from the government. One of our members died after jail, others are in exile, and today Taoufik Ben Brik (TBB) is still in jail because he criticized the president Ben Ali.

What kind of government is it?

* A terrifying dictatorship, 23 years of dictatorship. Everybody is afraid to talk because of Ben Ali the dictator. There's no civil society anymore. We don't have the freedom to talk, whoever dares to open his month and speak out about the state of liberties they put him in jail. Even the internet is censored, takriz, dailymotion, youtube are censored. People now are auto-censoring themselves because of the dictator's repression. So what do you think of the role of the artists especially in the southern countries where there's a lot of repression and censorship?

Since the governments censor free speech and civil society websites, or the other broadcast and video sharing websites, we come in human form -in camouflage- we bring the message that they don't allow on youtube and we broadcast it live through music. If I would be performing in Tunisia I don't think your government would suspect anything coming from me.

* You could wear TAKRIZ shirt on stage *laugh* (TAKRIZ in tunisian means "fed up"). Today dictators are rallying together, when will african people rally against them?

I don't understand why we have this unique problem in africa. Almost every african country has the same dictatorship problem, democracy is disguised.

* Although african countries are independent on paper, we are still slaves of some dictators. Why?

Resources, money and then manipulation from the outside because I think most of this people believe if people like you, people like me or us start rallying against the way they have been ruling and practicing politics for the past decades they won't get their personal benefits from the occident/african relationship anymore. I think it has a lot to do with self profit and greed.

* Control? Power?

Dominance, money. These guys must be very rich, in 23 years Ben Ali must be a millionaire. This guy is probably obsessed with power.

* Completely true albeit crazy. It's very specific to Africa. Who's fault is this ?

Our fault as well because we shut our mouths. It's the fault of the dictators, the fault of us, of everybody. The whole humanity! and then ignorance has a lot to do with it. Ignorance helps to create dictatorships. People don't even care about having an opinion anymore. They fear. Common sense is lost.

* A message for the african youth

Be attentive, be alert to what's happening around you. If your parents sent you to school make of it a reason to educate yourself in whatsoever way and know that you are the future, the future of africa you the children of today. Have hope and start by helping yourself.

* Bonus tricky question, Europe versus US ?

I guess, you are asking this because I released the record in the states.

* Hehe so who do you think is better with Africa? The states or Europe?

Ta question est très difficile *laugh* (in french for your question is quiet hard to answer :). Americans are like…

* They see the oil :) They're nicer now

They camouflage, they are very nice, very nice, but when they are close to you, they're like the silent killer. European are a shot from afar. It's a similar ballgame with a different striking strategy. Different approaches. It has a lot to do with our political leaders, who of course opened the gate for these people to come in. I don't know if we can ever ever stop it. I really do not know. It's important that we are connected it's important that we grow together and that we are conscious of it. Consciousness is the key, the key to eliminate ignorance. And of course it's important that Africa is united.

Nneka : www.nnekaworld.com

Nneka @ Taratata

Nneka @ Highline Ballroom, NYC