Show #66: Nigeria's Musical Rebels

This week’s show is about songs that take Nigeria’s government and politics to task. Nigeria is rich in natural resources but has been plagued since time immemorial by government corruption. ‘Kleptocracy’ is a word sometimes employed. Nigeria exported 37.2 billion barrels of oil in 2011 at the average price of $110 per barrel, which would follow that 2011 revenues should have added up to…er…my calculator can’t even add that up. Can somebody figure it out?

So why is Nigeria so poor? Why do people get burned alive trying to steal gasoline? Why did Ken Sarowiwa get killed for standing up for Nigeria’s ecology versus the behemoth Royal Dutch Shell back in the late 1990s?

And the ultimate question: Why does a country with so much oil wealth have to borrow money from the International Monetary Fund? See first paragraph for the answer.

This week, we feature four songs by popular Nigerian artists that address this issue. The blandest one is a 1984 classic by Sonny Okosuns (1947–1984), “Which Way Nigeria.” It asks about Nigeria’s future; it is sung patriotically, not critically, in hopes that Nigeria will overcome its perennial problems.

Fela Kuti‘s famous song, “ITT (International Thief Thief),” from around the same year takes multinationals doing business in Nigeria to task, in this case International Telephone and Telegraph, which did big business there at the time. He drops the MF bomb in the lyrics. Fela is also brazen enough to name names: two big Nigerian presidents are in the lyrics, “Start to steal money, like Obasanjo and Abiola.” No wonder the generals put him in jail (on trumped up charges of course).

Fela’s youngest son Seun Kuti‘s latest song, “IMF,” follows in his famous father’s footsteps. As they say, the fruit never falls far from the tree. IMF is an acronym for “International Monetary Fund” to most people, but here it means “International Mother Fucker.” Why mince words? You won’t be hearing this version on the airwaves because the MF bomb is not allowed there.

The final song is by another young guy, Keziah Jones, a popular contemporary Nigerian singer-songwriter. More of a pop singer than an afrobeat artist, he address the theft, the corruption, and the usual government vices that keep the country poor. Jones was born in 1968, a year before Fela’s fateful visit to LA and his discovery (via Santa Izadore) of black power and the Black Panthers.

All four artists are brave. The Nigerian government puts people in prison (or much worse) for writing and performing songs critical of it. I’m glad these artists’ messages are getting out here to us in the west. Listed below are the lyrics to each song that you can read.

Rhythm Planet Playlist: 8/1/14

1. Sonny Okosuns / Which Way Nigeria / Which Way Nigeria / Jiva Africa/Aris

2. Fela Kuti & Egypt 80 / ITT (International Thief Thief) / Original Suffer Head/I.T.T. / MCA

3. Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 / IMF / A Long Way To The Beginning / Knitting Factory

4. Keziah Jones / 1973 (Jokers Reparations) / Nigerian Wood / Because

Sonny Okosuns – “Which Way Nigeria”

Which way nigeria (x2)

Which way to go?

I love my fatherland

I want to know

Which way nigeria

Is heading to?

Verse:

Many years after independence

We still find it hard to start

How long shall we be patient

Before we reach the Promised Land?

Let’s save nigeria, so nigeria won’t die!

Verse:

Every little thing that goes wrong

We start to blame the government

We know everything that goes wrong

Because we’re part of the government

Let’s save nigeria, so nigeria won’t die!

Verse:

Inefficiency and indiscipline

Is ruining the country now

Corruption here, there, and everywhere

Inflation is soaring high

Let’s save nigeria, so nigeria won’t die!

Verse:

We made mistakes during the oil boom

Not knowing that was our doom (bang on!)

Some people now have everything

While many, many have nothing

Let’s save nigeria, so nigeria won’t fall!

Verse:

Our ambitions to be millionaires

Is running the country down

We all want to be millionaires

And to live in the (air?)

Oh, let’s save nigeria, so nigeria won’t die!

Fela Kuti & Egypt 80 – “ITT (International Thief Thief)”

International thief thief, I.T.T. (x2)

International rogue

Well, well, ha

Well, well, ha

Motherfuckers

Bastard motherfuckers

We yab dem, yeah

Hurry up there, say, “Yeah”

Well, well

Well, well, na true I want talk again o

Na true I want talk again o

If I dey lie o

Make Osiris punish me

Make Ifa dey punish me o

Make Edumare punish me o

Make the land dey punish me o

Make Edumare punish me o

I read dem for book ee-o

I see so myself ee-o

Well-ee well-ee o

Well, well, well, well

Well, well, well, well

Long time ago

Long, long time ago

Long time ago

Long, long, long, long time ago

African man we no dey carry shit

We dey shit inside big big hole

For Yoruba-land na “Shalanga”

For Igbo-land na “Onunu-insi”

For Hausa-land na “Salga”

For Gaa-land na “Tiafi”

For Ashanti-land na “Yarni”

For Ethiopia-land na “Sagara-be”

For Kagyu-land na “Cho-Cho”

For Bemba-land na “Chimbuzi”

For Tunga-land na “Echibuzi”

Long, long, long, long time ago

African man we no dey carry shit

We dey shit inside big big hole

Long time ago

Long, long, long, long time ago

Long, long, long, long time ago

Before them come force us away as slaves

During the time them come force us away as slaves

Na European man, na him dey carry shit

Na for them culture to carry shit

During the time them come colonize us

Them come teach us to carry shit

Long, long, long, long time ago

African man we no dey carry shit

Na European man teach us to carry shit

Say am, say am

Many foreign companies dey Africa carry all our money go

Many foreign companies dey Africa carry all our money go

Them go write big English for newspaper, dabaru we Africans

Them go write big English for newspaper, dabaru we Africans

I read about one of them inside book like that

Them call him name na I.T.T.

I read about one of them inside book like that

Them call him name na I.T.T.

Them go dey cause confusion

(Confusion)

Cause corruption

(Corruption)

Cause oppression

(Oppression)

Cause inflation

(Inflation)

Oppression, oppression, inflation

Corruption, oppression, inflation

Them get one style wey them dey use

Them go pick one African man

A man with low mentality

Them go give am million naira breads

To become of high position here

Him go bribe some thousand naira bread

To become one useless chief

Like rat they do them go do from

Corner corner, pass-ee pass-ee

Under under, pass-ee pass-ee

Inside inside, pass-ee pass-ee

In in, pass-ee pass-ee

Out out, pass-ee pass-ee

Peep peep, pass-ee pass-ee

Up up, pass-ee pass-ee

Then he gradually, gradually, gradually, gradually

Then he gradually, gradually, gradually, gradually

Them go be, friend friend to journalist

Friend friend to Commissioner

Friend friend to Permanent Secretary

Friend friend to Minister

Friend friend to Head of State

Then start start to steal money

Start start them corruption

Start start them inflation

Start start them oppression

Start start them confusion

Start start them oppression

Start start to steal money

Start start to steal money

Like Obasanjo and Abiola

International thief thief

I.T.T.

International rogue

International thief

We go fight them, well, well

Well, well

Well, well

We don tire to carry anymore of them shit

We don tire to carry anymore of them shit

We don tire to carry anymore of them shit

Well, well

International thief thief

Sean Kuti & Egypt 80 – “IMF”

U BRING PAIN

U BRING TEARS

U BRING SUFFERING

TO MY PEOPLE

INTERNATIONAL MOTHER FUCKER

I SAY NA SO SO

CHEATING FROM THE

I.M.F.

SO MUCH LYING FROM THE

I.M.F.

I SAY NA SO SO

STEALING FROM THE

I.M.F.

SO MUCH SUFFERING FROM THE

I.M.F.

MANIPULATION FROM THE

I.M.F.

INTIMIDATION FROM THE

I.M.F.

I SAY SO SO KILLING FROM THE

I.M.F.

VERY DANGEROUS PEOPLE

INTERNATIONAL MOTHER FUCKER

DEM AND THEIR WORLD BANK

BROTHER

AND SOME AFRICAN FOOLS

DEM GO GIVE THEM TITLE, MAKE

DEM COME RULE

DEM GO SAY DO AS WE TELL U

LIE TO YOUR PEOPLE

DEM GO SAY DO AS WE TELL U

CHEAT YOUR PEOPLE

ODE GO SAY I.M.F. KNOW

WHAT’S BEST FOR ME

I TELL THE FOOL I.M.F. NO KNOW

WHAT’S BEST FOR ME

JONAH GO SAY, I.M.F. KNOW

WHAT’S BEST FOR ME

I TELL AM, I.M.F. NO KNOW

WHAT’S BEST FOR ME

SO DEM GO GIVE ONE DOLLAR TO

THEIR BOYS SAY NA FOR WE

PEOPLE

AND WE GET BACK 20 IN THE

NAME OF DEBT FROM THE PEOPLE

WE NEVER SEE NO DOLLAR

MY PEOPLE

WE NEVER SEE AID

MY PEOPLE

WHERE THE DOLLARS AT?

WHERE THE MONEY GO?

SEE THEY TALK FAST

BUT THEY MOVE SLOW.

POP CHAMPAGNE,

AND MAKE IT RAIN,

GO DOWN THE DRAIN,

WHO FEELS THE PAIN?

THE PRESIDENT TAKE THE MONEY

AND HIDE IT!

AND CELEBRATE WHILE THE

PEOPLE DIVIDED.

OVER HERE WE CALL IT POVERTY

PIMPIN’

THEY BOOTLICKING, THE PEOPLE

THE VICTIM.

KISSING THE ASS OF WHITE

POWER,

MY PEOPLE ARE COMING FOR

WHAT’S OURS,

GOING ALL OUT ‘CAUSE ITS NOW

OR NEVER,

BREAKING THE CHAIN, WE GON’

SEVER…

THE HEAD OF THE PARASITE,

WE TAKIN’ IT THERE TONIGHT,

BAD MOTHER- SHUT-YO-MOUTH,

YEAH YOU RIGHT.

EXCUSE MY FRENCH, THE

COLONIZER,

TRICKNOLOGISTS, CHEATERS AND

LIARS!

BUT WE DEY SEE ALL THE PAIN WAY

DEY COME WITH THEIR KNOWING

UNTIL THEN

INTERNATIONAL MOTHER SHUT

YOUR MOUTH HAD WE DEY SEE

ALL WE DEBT AND HOW WE

MONEY DEY FALL DOWN]

DEM GO POLLUTE OUR LANDS

CALL OUR

FOREIGN INVESTMENT

SPREAD THEIR LIES DEM DEM

BOYS FOR GOVERNMENT

MAKE WE DEY RAN’JU

MAKE WE DAY BEGI O

MAKE WE DEY FE’JU

Keziah Jones – “1973 (Jokers Reparations)”

In 1973 the naira was introduced

to help the economy

but the value is kinda weak

one naira is 0.06 dollar

in official calculations

before “inflation”

we used cowries

we all knew what things were worth

but for mirrors and beads

the’ve sold us a whole nation

you say “now wheres all the money gone?”

to banks in switzerland

where you r wealth is our poverty

a jokers reparation is kinda deep

its got the punchline “democracy”

on the stage of globalisation

and now we go-a-begging

internationally

to the countries

no apologies

for jokers reparations