Do Africans Hate Their Music?

Sad Affair this Tusker Project Fame. In spite of the show being an African, more specifically a Kenyan initiative, contestants within the Academy are still being encouraged to sing foreign songs.

What is this? What are the teachers and organizers trying to say? That African musicians are not worth emulating? That the songs of our motherland are not challenging enough to be used in competitions? Really, What is this?

I know that since the prize is a recording deal with Gallo Records, an internationally acclaimed Recording Company, it might influence the kind of music that flies around in TPF 2.

However, making contestants do songs they neither understand nor can sing, and then evicting them for it is criminal! Shocking!

Are they trying to tell us that there isn't a single African that can match the talent of Aretha Franklin or Tina Turner or Lionel Richie. Surely, talent is talent anywhere in the world and focusing on western music is insulting to our very own African Talent.

Magic System, Mariam Makeba, Femi Kuti, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Two Face Idibia, all are talented and very much accomplished musicians.

Why oh! Why can't the teachers select African music for African contestants. I know that as Kenyans we are trying to get internationally recognized but , where else in the world in Asia, Europe or America do contestants perform African music in their competitions. Nowhere. Have we as Africans decided that unless we ape the west, we shan't get recognized?

In the West, they emulate their musical greats. That is expected. Why on earth can't we as Africans do the same damn thing. It is truly sickening to have to listen to our heavily accented African musicians try to sound like Michael Bolton, making it sound like a space martian language that no one, not even the copy cat himself can understand.

I don't know where as Africans, we are headed in matters music, and though I encourage convergence, versatility and variety in any musician, I am pained that no one in the Academy is fighting to do African music. And those that do perform African music do it so poorly as to make one wonder whether there is talent in Africa! What is it? Are you dear musicians not proud of your music when you sing it? Is that why you can't sing it well enough to evoke envy and admiration from cultures other than ours. What is it?

Africa, I am pained.