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Post by Fahari on Jun 25, 2012 6:14:17 GMT 3
I HOPE NOBODY IS CALLING FOR CENSORSHIP. BETTER CALL FOR A BOYCOTT LIKE THE AMERICA HOM0-LOBBY DID WITH SHABA --MR LOVERMAN- RANKS FROM JAMAICA (HOMOPHOBIC TEXTS WAS THE ISSUE) --------------- For me the issue here is that of artistic freedom. Sometimes folks embrace the freedom of speech and artistic expression, trusting in the wrong notion that their own enlightened opinions is the general form of consciousness. But as a thousand flowers bloom, they then reel back in horror at the contents of the minds of others --others who owe no supplications to their artistic tastes, politically correct meanings and complicated or simplistic views prevalent in their primitive or otherwise country. This is an example how art can be disturbing. Because it can articulate a consciousness deemed seditious. But art must never shy away from any emotion in the heart of man. That is what is about, the human experience. So this is artistic freedom. Just like I write what I want in the mould of Ngugi in wa Thiong'o's famous chant, let them sing what they want. Just like religious stations condemn homosexuality everyday as a bestiality, sinful and hell bound. If some gikuyus are a gullible lot, weak-minded sheep who believe a ki-hii can not be president of Kenya, let them say it in the open market. Some will disagree. We were here before with Simeon Nyachae sometime back. There is a song called BIM EN BIM done by the late Benga Maestro Owino Misiani. How I wish a man named Okello, a literature teacher, would post on Jukwaa the paper he wrote on it. topnotch was here before: those one is the one which has gone viral. jukwaa.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=7092Thanks Jakaswanga I have been trying to remember this particular song..... Does anyone have the courage to translate? My friends from the lake used to play it with malicious glee and enjoyed translating it .....funny in a way, offensive if you choose to be offended .... For those in the dark the title I was told is "a baboon will always be a baboon" no prizes for guessing who/ which people are refereed to as a baboons
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Post by morimax on Jun 25, 2012 8:36:55 GMT 3
I HOPE NOBODY IS CALLING FOR CENSORSHIP. BETTER CALL FOR A BOYCOTT LIKE THE AMERICA HOM0-LOBBY DID WITH SHABA --MR LOVERMAN- RANKS FROM JAMAICA (HOMOPHOBIC TEXTS WAS THE ISSUE) --------------- For me the issue here is that of artistic freedom. Sometimes folks embrace the freedom of speech and artistic expression, trusting in the wrong notion that their own enlightened opinions is the general form of consciousness. But as a thousand flowers bloom, they then reel back in horror at the contents of the minds of others --others who owe no supplications to their artistic tastes, politically correct meanings and complicated or simplistic views prevalent in their primitive or otherwise country. This is an example how art can be disturbing. Because it can articulate a consciousness deemed seditious. But art must never shy away from any emotion in the heart of man. That is what is about, the human experience. So this is artistic freedom. Just like I write what I want in the mould of Ngugi in wa Thiong'o's famous chant, let them sing what they want. Just like religious stations condemn homosexuality everyday as a bestiality, sinful and hell bound. If some gikuyus are a gullible lot, weak-minded sheep who believe a ki-hii can not be president of Kenya, let them say it in the open market. Some will disagree. We were here before with Simeon Nyachae sometime back. There is a song called BIM EN BIM done by the late Benga Maestro Owino Misiani. How I wish a man named Okello, a literature teacher, would post on Jukwaa the paper he wrote on it. topnotch was here before: those one is the one which has gone viral. jukwaa.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=7092And by the way did you know that BIM EN BIM was banned from sales and being played in public places and over the media under the pretext of being seditious? While D.O MISIANI in his song never mentioned any bodies names and never condemned anybody, he only wondered how, the baboon is ungratefully, and untrustworthy. He left it upon the listener to analyse and apply the lyrics in his/her own perspective or rather life situation. This is totally different from what we are hearing from our Kikuyu friends above.
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Post by kamalet on Jun 25, 2012 8:50:34 GMT 3
Kamale,Let's quit the childish side shows and address the real issue of ethnic chauvinism which is what that blogger moderatekenyan wanted to bring to our attention. Read the comments in that blog and you will see mature Kenyans debating the real issue away from nonsensical side shows and predictable denials. If you have nothing to offer in that debate then just wallow in your ethnic chauvinistic mindset. Ethnic chauvinism is not a benign harmless activity in Kenya. It has led to mass killings other forms of political violence in Kenya. That is why your Uhuru is going to The Hague. This is not idle stuff or bar talk. It is real. I completely agree with you Adongo the issue here is one of this continued believe in some but not all Kikuyus that the community is superior to all others and that the presidency of our country is their birthright. This is also perpetuation of the nonsense that there is something amiss with Luos or more specifically perpetuation of the backward thinking and notion that a Luo cannot lead the country because of not being circumcised, which only the most backward the backward believe. To argue that this is merely symbolic is simply laughable besides being tragic that we still have people thinking this way. Omwenga I am not sure which hole you just came out of...but the songs do not claim life leadership of Kenya by the gikuyu! The songs are about Uhuru and his candidacy. The songs denigrate his OPPONENTS rather than communities. His OPPONENTS also happen to be gikuyu and other tribes but the singers go for Uhuru's percieved political threats and that happens to be Raila and the other two gikuyu candidates who are being urged not to spoil it for Uhuru! The issue of circumcision has been with us and was still repeated in 2007 but that did not stop some 4 million Kenyans voting for the uncircumcised one which means people are making this thing bigger than it even is! If the songs had called on the community to circumcise those who are not, I would have been in the forefront of condemning the songs as would have been any incitement to violence. All these Muranga singers are guilty of is inciting a community against an Individual...and that individual is Raila! Perhaps those getting their knickers all twisted about by these songs can tell us where incitement to violence has been made in the songs!
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Post by Fahari on Jun 25, 2012 8:57:46 GMT 3
I HOPE NOBODY IS CALLING FOR CENSORSHIP. BETTER CALL FOR A BOYCOTT LIKE THE AMERICA HOM0-LOBBY DID WITH SHABA --MR LOVERMAN- RANKS FROM JAMAICA (HOMOPHOBIC TEXTS WAS THE ISSUE) --------------- For me the issue here is that of artistic freedom. Sometimes folks embrace the freedom of speech and artistic expression, trusting in the wrong notion that their own enlightened opinions is the general form of consciousness. But as a thousand flowers bloom, they then reel back in horror at the contents of the minds of others --others who owe no supplications to their artistic tastes, politically correct meanings and complicated or simplistic views prevalent in their primitive or otherwise country. This is an example how art can be disturbing. Because it can articulate a consciousness deemed seditious. But art must never shy away from any emotion in the heart of man. That is what is about, the human experience. So this is artistic freedom. Just like I write what I want in the mould of Ngugi in wa Thiong'o's famous chant, let them sing what they want. Just like religious stations condemn homosexuality everyday as a bestiality, sinful and hell bound. If some gikuyus are a gullible lot, weak-minded sheep who believe a ki-hii can not be president of Kenya, let them say it in the open market. Some will disagree. We were here before with Simeon Nyachae sometime back. There is a song called BIM EN BIM done by the late Benga Maestro Owino Misiani. How I wish a man named Okello, a literature teacher, would post on Jukwaa the paper he wrote on it. topnotch was here before: those one is the one which has gone viral. jukwaa.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=7092And by the way did you know that BIM EN BIM was banned from sales and being played in public places and over the media under the pretext of being seditious? While D.O MISIANI in his song never mentioned any bodies names and never condemned anybody, he only wondered how, the baboon is ungratefully, and untrustworthy. He left it upon the listener to analyse and apply the lyrics in his/her own perspective or rather life situation. This is totally different from what we are hearing from our Kikuyu friends above. Don't justify or explain just have the courage to translate the lyrics line by line then we can decide for ourselves whether its offensive or not.
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Post by morimax on Jun 25, 2012 9:07:07 GMT 3
And by the way did you know that BIM EN BIM was banned from sales and being played in public places and over the media under the pretext of being seditious? While D.O MISIANI in his song never mentioned any bodies names and never condemned anybody, he only wondered how, the baboon is ungratefully, and untrustworthy. He left it upon the listener to analyse and apply the lyrics in his/her own perspective or rather life situation. This is totally different from what we are hearing from our Kikuyu friends above. Don't justify or explain just have the courage to translate the lyrics line by line then we can decide for ourselves whether its offensive or not. Sorry, but you can find someone else to do that for you, sorry.
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Post by destiny on Jun 25, 2012 11:09:19 GMT 3
The bigger picture here is simply IMPUNITY! It's not just music that's propagating hate but also FM radio stations especially down at the Coast.
Mzalendo Kibunjia was on TV the other day boasting how they had sent warning letters to several FM stations. Why not just shut them down and take culprits to court? Why hasn't Joshua Arap Sang and KASS FM editors been taken to task locally over 2007 hate speech that was instrumental in propagating the 2008 mass killings?
I don't know whether the translations given in above Kikuyu music are accurate or not and I haven't got the slightest clue why no one has complained in parliament or to police. But even if the translations were accurate and inciting hate, I would not be surprised. These pinhead musicians only know too well there have been other hate mongers before them who are still walking free, the likes of Machage and Kapondi.
The musicians are only too aware about the infamous speeches made just a few years ago similar to the ones that led to Rwanda genocide that were made by powerful Kenyans who have not recorded a single statement with police.
It looks like we suffer from collective amnesia as a nation only waking up too late in the day. We have chosen to move on and forgive those who were championing "Lesotho, Sangari, Kabila Adui, 42 against 1" .. etc. Even going further back we have the likes of Leitich who exclaimed "chop off their fingers!" and Cabinet minister Ntimama's infamous "lie low like envelopes!"
The chicken have simply come home to roost and we have ourselves to blame for feeding the ogre that is hate which will one day come to consume us. This is very much like corruption which we tend to fight selectively when it suits our parties or tribes. Shame on us all!
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Post by phil on Jun 25, 2012 12:18:11 GMT 3
Courtesy NSIS translators the late Daniel Owino Misiani spent several weeks in jail in 2003 for releasing the Bim en Bim hit song (a baboon will remain a baboon), a song that was perceived to be anti-government for criticising the political leadership for turning against the people who took them to power.
My understanding was that Misiani was telling Kibaki off for trashing the MOU his NAK signed with the LDP to form the NARC that propelled Kibaki to power with a landslide. It is common knowledge LDP's Rainbow Alliance gave life to a lethargic NAK alliance which was nothing more than a te drinking club at Serena. Kibaki was by then a two time unsuccessful presidential contender.
While Misiani spent time in jail, it is unclear why he was never charged in court.
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Post by stibin on Jun 25, 2012 12:30:17 GMT 3
my take is that these musicians are simply an ignorant lot who can’t see beyond their tribe. It helps to take them for what they are and educate them. I am no stranger in the kikuyuland and I know a few of this type still exist. Some have even refused to accept Moi ruled for 24 years and that’s perhaps the reason you are likely to see portraits of only two presidents in some business/social establishments; that of Mwai kibaki and late Jomo Kenyatta (captioned “Mutongoria Chamba”)
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Post by kamalet on Jun 25, 2012 12:42:15 GMT 3
my take is that these musicians are simply an ignorant lot who can’t see beyond their tribe. It helps to take them for what they are and educate them. I am no stranger in the kikuyuland and I know a few of this type still exist. Some have even refused to accept Moi ruled for 24 years and that’s perhaps the reason you are likely to see portraits of only two presidents in some business/social establishments; that of Mwai kibaki and late Jomo Kenyatta (captioned “ Mutongoria Chamba”) more ignorance.....when they sing in gikuyu, they have an audience in mind...the gikuyu!
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Post by mzee on Jun 25, 2012 13:00:19 GMT 3
The hateful music is very hard to defend however tribalist. But again, when it come to muthamaki some people would rather follow him like sheep. But this sheepish behavior is what is making Kenya move backwards instead of forward.
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Post by phil on Jun 25, 2012 15:22:40 GMT 3
Uhuru Campaign disowns inflammatory and inciteful music composed in support of Uhuru Kenyatta Team Uhuru Hey Team, A certain blogger brought this to our attention and we would like to strongly point out that if this is what certain vernacular musicians are doing, regardless of the language and community, we truly stand against it! Music in our respective languages is beautiful, but when corrupted for an agenda that disunites Kenyans, it's shameful. We are doing something about it, and we hope you will also take it upon yourself for the good of Kenya as a whole to watch out for certain acts and base your votes on ISSUES and NOT tribal affiliations/individuals. Kenya is all we have, guard your fellow citizen, guard your nation.
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Post by mzee on Jun 25, 2012 15:29:05 GMT 3
Uhuru Campaign disowns inflammatory and inciteful music composed in support of Uhuru Kenyatta Team Uhuru Hey Team, A certain blogger brought this to our attention and we would like to strongly point out that if this is what certain vernacular musicians are doing, regardless of the language and community, we truly stand against it! Music in our respective languages is beautiful, but when corrupted for an agenda that disunites Kenyans, it's shameful. We are doing something about it, and we hope you will also take it upon yourself for the good of Kenya as a whole to watch out for certain acts and base your votes on ISSUES and NOT tribal affiliations/individuals. Kenya is all we have, guard your fellow citizen, guard your nation. Where did you pick this from? Who signed it?
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Post by OtishOtish on Jun 25, 2012 15:30:16 GMT 3
Uhuru Campaign disowns inflammatory and inciteful music composed in support of Uhuru Kenyatta Team Uhuru Hey Team, A certain blogger brought this to our attention and we would like to strongly point out that if this is what certain vernacular musicians are doing, regardless of the language and community, we truly stand against it! Music in our respective languages is beautiful, but when corrupted for an agenda that disunites Kenyans, it's shameful. We are doing something about it, and we hope you will also take it upon yourself for the good of Kenya as a whole to watch out for certain acts and base your votes on ISSUES and NOT tribal affiliations/individuals. Kenya is all we have, guard your fellow citizen, guard your nation. kamalet, explain things to these guys.
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Post by Omwenga on Jun 25, 2012 15:53:17 GMT 3
Artistic freedom my foot. Freedoms have limits. If in a democratic setting like ours such nonsense is not confronted then we need other solutions. If the choice is between Rwanda in 1994 and dictatorship then I choose dictatorship. When people use freedom like children use matchsticks to play then they must be denied their freedom. I sometimes think that an authoritarian regime is inevitable. One that will like Rwanda today once and for all confront nonsense. The likes of Kamale can be 'reeducated' in such regimes. Mugabe,I agree with you 100%. If you search through my blog www.omwenga.com, you'll find this is a position I have been advocating for a long time and that is, some form of dictatorship is necessary to whip some people into conforming to what what makes sense to all civilized people besides law and order. It doesn't matter to me who becomes our next president but one of the immediate tasks that individual must have as a priority is not restoring unlimited power to the office as before which he or she cannot anyway, given the devolved government but he or certainly must restore respect and awe for the office such that people don't disrespect the office holder at will and without fear or consequence as they do now with the office, split between the president and PM as it is. This I am certain will come to pass for the good of the country and ditto for effectively dealing with those bent on dividing the country or instigating others to violence. Freedom of speech has its limitation be it in art or any other form of expression. American jurisprudence calls it "time, manner and place" limitation, thus, it's a crime to shout "fire" in a crowded theater when there is no fire. Here is an illustrative example of what I am talking about some form of dictatorship being necessary to whip people into order: A defendant in a courtroom asks the presiding judge whether it's against the law to call the judge an ass#%^! to which the judge says there is no law against that but he can hold him in contempt of court for doing so as it is disrespectful of the judge and the court to use that kind of language against a judge or anyone in the courtroom. The man then asks the judge what if he was merely thinking that the judge is an ass@#%^! to which the judge says that would be fine without verbalizing it but now that he had, he was in contempt of court and the judge was sending him to the pokey for 30 days, which he did. The man only faced a small fine for the misdemeanor charge of drinking in public for the initial offense he was before the judge. The point is, we must bestow the highest respect for our institutions and more so the presidency and there must be some form of punishment, in fact, sever punishment for those who disrespect the office, let alone the office holder. Ditto for those who abuse freedom of expression to incite others and continue the perpetuation of hate and tribalism in the country. I know we have some body called National Cohesion and Integration Commission that is supposed to monitor and instill civility in debate and public discussion but many of us are of the view the body is of no further use and should be disbanded having completely failed in its mandate.
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Post by phil on Jun 25, 2012 16:01:57 GMT 3
Uhuru Campaign disowns inflammatory and inciteful music composed in support of Uhuru Kenyatta Team Uhuru Hey Team, A certain blogger brought this to our attention and we would like to strongly point out that if this is what certain vernacular musicians are doing, regardless of the language and community, we truly stand against it! Music in our respective languages is beautiful, but when corrupted for an agenda that disunites Kenyans, it's shameful. We are doing something about it, and we hope you will also take it upon yourself for the good of Kenya as a whole to watch out for certain acts and base your votes on ISSUES and NOT tribal affiliations/individuals. Kenya is all we have, guard your fellow citizen, guard your nation. Where did you pick this from? Who signed it? Check out Uhuru's update from social media ibelieve.co.ke/teamuhuru.co.ke/@mzee, mbona siku hizi una nyeyekea hivi. Be informed, be inspired and be part of change, coming to a venue near you.
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Post by mzee on Jun 25, 2012 16:13:32 GMT 3
Where did you pick this from? Who signed it? Check out Uhuru's update from social media ibelieve.co.ke/teamuhuru.co.ke/@mzee, mbona siku hizi una nyeyekea hivi. Be informed, be inspired and be part of change, coming to a venue near you. Cool man cool ;D ;D ;D
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Post by phil on Jun 25, 2012 16:33:43 GMT 3
Uhuru Campaign disowns inflammatory and inciteful music composed in support of Uhuru Kenyatta Team Uhuru Hey Team, A certain blogger brought this to our attention and we would like to strongly point out that if this is what certain vernacular musicians are doing, regardless of the language and community, we truly stand against it! Music in our respective languages is beautiful, but when corrupted for an agenda that disunites Kenyans, it's shameful. We are doing something about it, and we hope you will also take it upon yourself for the good of Kenya as a whole to watch out for certain acts and base your votes on ISSUES and NOT tribal affiliations/individuals. Kenya is all we have, guard your fellow citizen, guard your nation. kamalet, explain things to these guys. ;D LOL!
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Post by destiny on Jun 25, 2012 18:37:58 GMT 3
HATE SONGS: KIBUNJIA FINALLY WAKES UP FROM DEEP SLUMBER!NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 25 – The National Cohesion and Integration Commission has launched investigations into three vernacular songs that are said to contain hate speech and are inciteful. Chairman Mzalendo Kibunjia said on Monday that the Commission received the complaint on Friday and had taken the three songs by popular musicians Muigai wa Njoroge, Kamande wa Kioi and John Demathew to a certified Kikuyu translator before they take any action. “We expect to receive the translation by close of business today (Monday) or tomorrow (Tuesday) and then we can make judgement,” Kibunjia said. He told Capital FM News that they were following up with the media council to find out whether the controversial songs had played on any radio stations so that action could be taken against them as well. Kibunjia appealed to Kenyans who may have heard the songs playing on air to inform the commission through info@cohesion.or.ke or visit their offices along Mara Road in Nairobi. “The era of such music is long gone,” he said. According to the National Cohesion and Integration Act, if the musicians are found guilty of hate speech, they will be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or a fine of Sh1 million or both. “A person who distributes, shows or plays a recording of visual image or provides, produces or directs a programme which involves use of threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour commits an offence if such person intends thereby to stir up ethnic hatred or having regard to all the circumstances, ethnic hatred is likely to be stirred up,” the act states in part. A radio station that plays the music would be liable to a fine not exceeding Sh1 million according to the Act. Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta expressed his concern over the divisive songs and termed it shameful. “A certain blogger brought this to our attention and we would like to strongly point out that if this is what certain vernacular musicians are doing, regardless of the language and community, we truly stand against it!” the DPM said in his facebook and twitter accounts. “Music in our respective languages is beautiful, but when corrupted for an agenda that disunites Kenyans, it’s shameful,” he added. Kenyatta said they had taken action and asked Kenyans to watch out for such acts and base their votes on issues rather than tribal affiliations. “We are doing something about it …. Kenya is all we have, guard your fellow citizen, guard your nation,” he stated. www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/2012/06/kibunjia-launches-probe-into-hate-songs/Whatta dey, whatta weeek... siiiit baaack folks!
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Post by kamalet on Jun 25, 2012 18:42:05 GMT 3
Uhuru Campaign disowns inflammatory and inciteful music composed in support of Uhuru Kenyatta Team Uhuru Hey Team, A certain blogger brought this to our attention and we would like to strongly point out that if this is what certain vernacular musicians are doing, regardless of the language and community, we truly stand against it! Music in our respective languages is beautiful, but when corrupted for an agenda that disunites Kenyans, it's shameful. We are doing something about it, and we hope you will also take it upon yourself for the good of Kenya as a whole to watch out for certain acts and base your votes on ISSUES and NOT tribal affiliations/individuals. Kenya is all we have, guard your fellow citizen, guard your nation. kamalet, explain things to these guys. I am not sure you will get a "and this supported by the Uhuru campaign" at the end of the songs.......even when they identify with the singers at their rallies!
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Post by mank on Jun 25, 2012 18:53:36 GMT 3
HATE SONGS: KIBUNJIA FINALLY WAKES UP FROM DEEP SLUMBER!
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 25 – The National Cohesion and Integration Commission has launched investigations into three vernacular songs that are said to contain hate speech and are inciteful. Chairman Mzalendo Kibunjia said on Monday that the Commission received the complaint on Friday and had taken the three songs by popular musicians Muigai wa Njoroge, Kamande wa Kioi and John Demathew to a certified Kikuyu translator before they take any action. “We expect to receive the translation by close of business today (Monday) or tomorrow (Tuesday) and then we can make judgement,” Kibunjia said. He told Capital FM News that they were following up with the media council to find out whether the controversial songs had played on any radio stations so that action could be taken against them as well. Kibunjia appealed to Kenyans who may have heard the songs playing on air to inform the commission through info@cohesion.or.ke or visit their offices along Mara Road in Nairobi. “The era of such music is long gone,” he said. According to the National Cohesion and Integration Act, if the musicians are found guilty of hate speech, they will be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or a fine of Sh1 million or both. “A person who distributes, shows or plays a recording of visual image or provides, produces or directs a programme which involves use of threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour commits an offence if such person intends thereby to stir up ethnic hatred or having regard to all the circumstances, ethnic hatred is likely to be stirred up,” the act states in part. A radio station that plays the music would be liable to a fine not exceeding Sh1 million according to the Act. Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta expressed his concern over the divisive songs and termed it shameful. “A certain blogger brought this to our attention and we would like to strongly point out that if this is what certain vernacular musicians are doing, regardless of the language and community, we truly stand against it!” the DPM said in his facebook and twitter accounts. “Music in our respective languages is beautiful, but when corrupted for an agenda that disunites Kenyans, it’s shameful,” he added. Kenyatta said they had taken action and asked Kenyans to watch out for such acts and base their votes on issues rather than tribal affiliations. “We are doing something about it …. Kenya is all we have, guard your fellow citizen, guard your nation,” he stated.
www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/2012/06/kibunjia-launches-probe-into-hate-songs/
Whatta dey, whatta weeek... siiiit baaack folks! Anybody know what songs those are?
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Post by kamalet on Jun 25, 2012 19:11:43 GMT 3
Mank
Kwani where have you been? These songs that promise to kill and maim certain communities have been aired right here in Jukwaa causing divisive behavior much worse than calls for "uprooting of sangari or even the madoadoa" days!
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Post by jakaswanga on Jun 25, 2012 19:13:07 GMT 3
I HOPE NOBODY IS CALLING FOR CENSORSHIP. BETTER CALL FOR A BOYCOTT LIKE THE AMERICA HOM0-LOBBY DID WITH SHABA --MR LOVERMAN- RANKS FROM JAMAICA (HOMOPHOBIC TEXTS WAS THE ISSUE) --------------- For me the issue here is that of artistic freedom. Sometimes folks embrace the freedom of speech and artistic expression, trusting in the wrong notion that their own enlightened opinions is the general form of consciousness. But as a thousand flowers bloom, they then reel back in horror at the contents of the minds of others --others who owe no supplications to their artistic tastes, politically correct meanings and complicated or simplistic views prevalent in their primitive or otherwise country. This is an example how art can be disturbing. Because it can articulate a consciousness deemed seditious. But art must never shy away from any emotion in the heart of man. That is what is about, the human experience. So this is artistic freedom. Just like I write what I want in the mould of Ngugi in wa Thiong'o's famous chant, let them sing what they want. Just like religious stations condemn homosexuality everyday as a bestiality, sinful and hell bound. If some gikuyus are a gullible lot, weak-minded sheep who believe a ki-hii can not be president of Kenya, let them say it in the open market. Some will disagree. We were here before with Simeon Nyachae sometime back. ] Jakaswanga, I see your point. One should not too easily restrict freedom of expression and, indeed, art can at times be quite disturbing, as we saw in the recent discussion about the painting depicting Jacob Zuma. Art is sometimes intended to shock people into thinking beyond the obvious. But there is always the question of how far one can go before freedom of expression starts to infringe on the rights of others. When does artistic licence become a threat? You can not maintain that music, literature or any other form of artistic expression should not know limits. But it is difficult to know where to draw the line. I would rather not draw it at all and hope that common sense prevails. But I am no fool and I know that a subjective notion like "common sense" is not enough to avoid excesses. That is why we have the courts and that is why we established a body like the NCIC which, of course, has proved itself incompetent and useless. But it was established with the idea that an independent group of experts should assist us to know where we should draw the line. It failed miserably. The country is now so divided that I would rather err on the side of caution. Let us steer clear from 'artistic expressions' by members one group that might constitute a threat to members of another. In 2007 and 2008 we learned our lessons the hard way. We erred on the side of caution. Let's not go there again. Furaha,I like the delicate care you bring to this discussion. {I have read others write artistic freedom my foot! so I do not see the need to engage such a mindset]. You, on the contrary, are well thought. I can recognize that from my acquaintance with this debate in Rwanda, Rwanda, arguably the silver medalist to Nazi Germany, where Josef Goebbels directed anti-Jewish hate expressions in the mass media with unparalleled concentration and genius. The German model following this trauma, has been to curtail officially, forms of expression which do not expressly condemn Hitlerish ideology. However, this has created a fertile underground and subculture for Nazi fetishism --complete with bands, graphics, holocaust-denier historians and what have you. Indeed this has led some leading German thinkers to declare Germany culturally schizophrenic; she can not face herself without the sedation of censorship. Certified unhealthy. The USA model is of course total freedom. Supremely confident. There is the politically correct world dominated by the Harvard-Yale and other ivy league liberal axes, but there is also the world of radical public radio where only epithets are used, whether jews, blacks, latinos, red indians [called native americans elsewhere] are meant: and all that within the constitution. --You do not tell me what to think! you do not tell me what to say! you do not tell me how to say it! Do your thing I do my thing and see you in hell! is how I heard a talk-show host put it one time. But there is enough common sense and trust within the society to reduce these extremes to marginal phenomenons. So marginal they are, that they can be contained, and become merely curio. I therefore would like you to consider the possibility that, in reasoning to curtail the freedom of expression, the implication is that your opinion of your fellow citizens is that they are a gullible lot, weak-minded, easily swayed by nonsense, incapable of generating alternative counter viewpoints to debunk the nonsensical hate. Actually mentally very simplistic and mediocre. So you need to protect their undeveloped minds, like say, you do when you ban your kids from watching porno. I am from a school which trusts the average fellow, say every Onyango Kamau and Mutiso, to be able to separate nonsense from sense. Even in music. No censorship pleas from my side! It is because art is a realm of imagination that it has her own laws. ---------- Song lines like these are enough to floor the sung Uhuru's annointment: (dawa ya moto ni moto } The house of Mumbi weeps!Weeps with the name of the cursed Uhuru Weeps with the name of Muthaura! Weeps with the name of Michuki! Where did you bury our children --you murderers! You called them mungiki and killed them all! Go cleanse yourself Uhuru! you have shed gikuyu blood! You are no king! you are a culprit in the dock for murder! Extra judicially killed! the house of Mumbi weeps for her kids! Weeps! weeps with the names of ...{not the ki-hii} but her cursed own!
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Post by jakaswanga on Jun 25, 2012 19:49:08 GMT 3
There is a song called BIM EN BIM done by the late Benga Maestro Owino Misiani. How I wish a man named Okello, a literature teacher, would post on Jukwaa the paper he wrote on it.topnotch was here before: though this [thread] is the one is the one which has gone viral. jukwaa.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=7092 Jakaswanga, Please translate the song, including the nuances, background and context, so that we can have a meaningful discussion. Otherwise artistic freedom wont cut. On a tangent from the above, about context, find somebody to translate the following lines from the run-way Raila-ODM {Kar Chakne} by Papa Jey Jasuba: [3:00-3:10} (To) Luowa kaka ung'eyo ni Jokabimbe gi(n) le mawuor () To Jogo yako t'akia kiling'kiling'! () To an ka atalo to arach --Nyakwar Ramogi ()Tinga .. Tinga!Regardless of this, the artistry of Onyi in this song is certified divine. And that season we declared him the god of ahangla. Anybody who thinks he can censor this level of art, in the name of public peace in some thieving republic called Kenya, can go fak himself in hell.
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Post by OtishOtish on Jun 25, 2012 20:03:35 GMT 3
Jakaswanga! I am surprised that an otherwise well-informed man should have missed the boat on ohangla, in the choice of both artist and artistry.
Here is a new-and-improved reference:
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Post by jakaswanga on Jun 25, 2012 20:18:32 GMT 3
Freedom of speech has its limitation be it in art or any other form of expression. Omwenga, I think even in the united states you have not followed the debate on bands like black sabbath, megadeth, judas priest, and others who were accused of being in the 'satanic cult', whispering secret messages to [mainly white youth] to embrace death, as in suicide etc! It pitted the public morality law and order men [this is poison to the minds of our kids], vs freedom for the artists club let them create curtailed only by the limits of their imaginations! Daily reality is enough of a prison for mankind. Artists let their minds fly and confront with a different reality. Toying occasionally with ideas that strike horror upon the status quo, and sometimes incite state power, like you would advice, to muzzle them if not kill them off in permanent censorship. It is actually more sensible to diffuse the political meanings in the songs like this one claiming Uhuru is the messiah! It is obviously laughable. You could be surprised the very man singing it knows it is ridiculous! but then, the remuneration may not be ridiculous! NB: Defining the limits of 'freedom'? you are welcome to make an attempt. But in art, you will be told your mind is already dead the moment you think of curtailing imagination. Beware!
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