These days Africa is in news; mainly for its dictators like Mugabe, conflicts, deaths, child rights and human rights violations, extreme poverty and diseases. Everything that is grossly inhuman is happening there. These are all disturbing stories. These are the stories of battles being lost. I see the continent on globe and wonder whether there is any hope and whether peace will come back in daily life and whether there will be a life without fear…

It is not surprising that the African music has taught the world to express freedom, to protest, to not to give up, to love and not hate. No one but only the oppressed can long so genuinely for love and freedom. How much ever militia pressure is put together the world will never see oppressors like Mugabe to be soul of Africa, but the oppressed and their music are its true soul…the liberation they have longed for many years finds expression in their music.

Bob Marley’s ‘Get Up, Stand Up, Stand Up for your Rights, Get Up Stand up Don’t Give Up the Fight’ has been my personal anthem for many years. These words have inspired many people, oppressed and battered souls, human rights activists and even nations. ‘Wailers’ as Bob Marley’s group is known will haunt many generations. The list long: Baba Maal from Senegal, Ali Farka Toure’, Rabu Khalil, popular ones like Tracy Chapman and then there many afro-origin musicians have dominated even the Jazz world for many decades.

African continent is very rich in resources. The best resource I see in this continent apart from earthly ones is its music which begins its journey from the soul and reaches another soul. A friend had once said, “Music is in their bones”, how true.
I hope Africa is put on a healing track soon…it has suffered for too long…