“Africans”
Composer: Nneka
Performed by Nneka, c. 2010
Nigerian recording artist Nneka (nee Nneka Egbuna) may be a newcomer to the music scene in the United States, but it’s been a long road to obtaining the coveted record label—10,000 miles, to be exact (Nneka).
Nneka’s third album, “Concrete Jungle,” compiles the best songs of her first two albums (Nneka).
When I heard that Nneka’s musical style has been compared to icons like Bob Marley, Lauren Hill and her fellow countryman Fela Kuti, I was very skeptical. All three of the aforementioned artists devoted their songs to self-expression as well as activism. Reggae legend Bob Marley sang for freedom in simple songs like “Redemption Song,” as well as romantic tunes like, “Is This Love?” Lauren Hill was the “It girl” of the late 1990s, rapping with her quick wit and singing with a soulful rasp that expressed joy, pain, and passion. Hill’s music empowered women with songs like, “Doo Wop (That Thing)” and revealed her tender side with songs like “Zion,” a heartfelt tribute to the experience of having her first child bearing that name.
No Nigerian artist has made an indelible mark on music like Fela Kuti. Kuti pioneered Afrobeat, which combined Yoruban music with jazz and funk. His lyrics had the audacity to poke fun and criticize the military dictatorship running Nigeria in the 1970s (National Geographic Music).
Believe the Hype
Nneka is well worth the hype. Her music infuses influences of both Bob Marley and Fela Kuti, but her courage, vision, and sound are all her own. She manages to voice the generation of youth with the wisdom of her predecessors. Her sound may be innovative, but it is a far cry from “overproduced” pop ubiquitously heard on the radio today.
Even her visual image is an authentic expression. She wraps her natural afro in scarves and kerchiefs, where other songstresses would have wigs and weaves. In the “Africans” music video, Nneka’s face is clean and pure--devoid of makeup. In a visually-obsessed United States, will she have the makings of a star?
Other American stars think so. Nneka’s authenticity and raw talent gained the attention of Lenny Kravitz and Lauren Hill. According to Nneka’s website, both heard her and said, “I want this girl opening my show!”
Delivering the Message of “Africans”
This song starts like a folk song with one guitar like a local singer-songwriter at a lonely coffee shop. Then suddenly, the reggae rhythm emerges. Nneka’s voice enters softly, with a recognizable Nigerian accent that offers an authenticity; often foreign artists mask their accents to sound American.
Nneka’s voice grows in intensity towards the chorus, where she pleads to her listeners to “wake up and stop sleeping.” Her voice is gentle, yet the words are powerful. The softness of her voice draws you in for the message.
She urges Africans to stop blaming “colonial fathers.” It is clear that the intention of the message is to extend to Africans all over the world, no matter if they are on the continent of Africa or North America. “Those who have ears let them hear,” Nneka quotes Revelations 3:6 in the final verse, literally preaching to the world (Bible Study Tools).
Nneka is a breath of fresh air. When she preaches, it is delightful to listen to hear message. As the quote would suggest, she may not reach the pop diva status of Beyonce, but those who have the ears will hear the talent that she wields under her flourishing afro.
“Africans”
Music and Lyrics by Nneka
You keep pushing the blame on our colonial fathers,
You say they came and they took all we had possessed,
They have to take the abuse that they have caused our present state with their intruding history,
Use our goodness and nourishment in the name of missionary,
Lied to us, blinded slaved us, misplaced us, strengthen us, hardened us then
they replaced us now we got to learn from pain
Now it is up to us to gain some recognition
If we stop blaming we could get a better condition
Chorus:
Wake up world,
Wake up and stop sleeping,
Wake up Africa,
Wake up and stop blaming,
Open your eyes,
Stand up and rise,
Road block oh life penalty
Why do we want to remain where we started,
And how long do we want to stop ourselves from thinking,
We should learn from experience that what we are here for this existence,
But now we decide to use the same hatred to oppress our own brothers,
It is so comfortable to say racism is the cause,
but this time it is the same colour chasing and biting us,
Knowledge and selfishness that they gave to us,
This is what we use to abuse us
[Repeat chorus]
Those who have ears let them hear,
Brothers who are not brainwashed take ruins and rest,
Pick them up and stick them back together,
This is the only way we can change this African weather,
Lied to us, blinded slaved us, misplaced us,
Strengthen us, hardened us then,
They replaced us now we got to learn from pain,
[Repeat chorus]
You got to wake up please,
You got to,
(Wake up Africa wake up and stop blaming)
Blaming ha ha ha,
Open your eyes--your eyes,
Stand up and rise,
Road block oh life penalty
[Repeat chorus]
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