Get all 19 indigenous resistance releases available on Bandcamp and save 35%.
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of IR 63 When Thomas Sankara Met Fela Kuti, IR64 Sonic Resistance & Indigenous Resistance, IR 62 Inner Dub ,Outer Dub., IR60 Indigenous & Black WisDub :A Soundbook And Soundtrack For Critical And Creative Resistance, IR 59 Eritrea Dub Journey:E-Book & Soundtrack, IR 58 Rising Up For The Dub World Within, Anarchist Africa::When Visions Fall From Sky, IR38 Waiting For The Right Moment: Adwa Victory Groove, and 11 more.
1. |
Anarchist Africa
04:03
|
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sometimes its necessary to question.
the paradigms that have been implanted in our minds
so we ask you to be pensive
as opposed to defensive
those who seek to reclaim our African glory
so often put
centralised african kingdoms
like kemet mali kush
at the center of their story
name checking kings and queens
to add to the sheen
but Africa was more than those
anarchist examples more common than we suppose
in fact
these centralised kingdoms were a minority
instead we can look at the igbo
a federation of autonomous communities
without kings queens chiefs
dont shake your head in disbelief
at one point 4 million people
organised into 2000 separate villages
should the presence and existence of a
Kingdom, empire, nation or state
radiating immense material wealth
be the yardstick we use to contemplate
our self worth
for this time we spend on earth
are we not detracting from those who did not choose to chase that
particular vision of glory?
Are we not detracting from African indigenous peoples
who chose instead to humbly respect and flow with the earth
acting as caregivers of this land
on which we stand!
Many will acknowledge on our African continent
we live within imposed colonial boundaries
artificial state constructs
Geographic lines drawn by others
which interfere with people's lives
while simultaneously
being a constant cause of strife
most African peoples were stateless prior to colonialism.
this stateless presence
often referred to as a sign of our so-called underdevelopment
a barometer of lower intelligence
but what if it was a conscious rejection of
Kingdoms, empires, nations, states,
And other political forms of centralized hierarchy
refusing to live a life of subjugation
insisting on African mutual aid
created by those unafraid
of social living,
communal living.
Peoples like
The Shona of Zimbabwe,
the Mano of Ivory Coast,
the Kusaasi of Ghana,
those of the highlands of Madgascar
and other African peoples
with anti-authoritarian philosophies of living together
yes indeed time to reshape the historical algorithm
do your on research
reach your own conclusion
and always be ready to shatter any illusions
as we challenge the framework
we ask you to be pensive
as opposed to being defensive
sometimes its necessary to question
the paradigms that have been implanted in our minds
|
||||
2. |
||||
Slowly I lifted my head
Looked around carefully
Sisters on the left
Brothers on the right
Everyone laughing
Enjoying the moments before night
I searched into their eyes for acknowledgement
of what I had heard
To see heads nodding is what I would have preferred
But no one had registered what my ears had heard
A sonic intervention almost like a blur
Where do you think you are going
The women's voice from above
Said just to me
I swim in the ocean of timelessness
A sense of higher dimensions is already
present in me
I remember when the ancient keepers of knowledge said to me
In voices so stern
Hit me with three sets of knowledge
They felt I should learn
18th century literacy rates in west africa
in places like Senegal
were two to three times higher
than any place in Europe at the same time
Boom
Plantation records in America were often kept by enslaved African Muslims
using African languages written in Arabic script because the slave owners could not read or write
Boom
In 1770 before the French and American revolutions
there was a revolution in Futa Toro ,West Africa that not only abolished slavery but kings
Boom
They can not take the book from you if you are the book "
The sistren said to me
We send down the visions like rain
We send down the pure water
To those who walk with hearts open and clean
Ready to receive waiting state visions
Dub meditation took my hand
Guided me across the land
Placed me in the company of children
So I could further overstand
Sitting on tallest mountain peak
Surveying as far as I could see
Simultaneously looking deep within me
Where do you think you are going
The woman's voice said again
A hint of reverb on her refrain
Now that the airports are closed
The borders are closed
The ground transportation shut down
With a gentle smile
I waited a while
Before giving my reply
Okuteka dub Ku mutindo omulala
To take the dub to another level
More tools for those that rebel
Babylon ignores at their own peril
Transformation the essence of our endeavour
With no apology what so ever
We resist with truth
Because we know there is life that comes from truth
There is life that comes from truth
|
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3. |
Dreams Are Dub Reality
03:09
|
|||
It was 4 am
with a cool Ugandan night wind
in our open air recording space
i was watching kabaka recording a verse.
he stood directly between the microphone stand and a big Free West Papua poster designed by Dubdem.
he kept repeating this line:
" a sonic intervention almost like a blur".
Each time he did a take
he put extra emphasis on that last word:
“Blur”
At first, i was very puzzled.
Some months later, i was having a conversation with a Masaai sistren nkina,
and she said to me,
“You told me of your Haitian filmmaker friend Michelangelo Quay who attended a gathering of ancient spiritual practitioners in the forest of Gabon.
He learnt that when someone in the gathering had a dream or vision, they wouldnt use the words “Dream” or “vision.”
they would simply say , " I see this..."
Because such experiences were just a part of the natural flow of life.
The sistren said, “I know you and I have been joking about how you learnt about Masaai traditional values. Did I tell you this before through a dream ? because I dont remember telling you in a day to day conversation.
are we in a dream now?”
At that very instant, my mind returned to the recording session and the word that Kabaka repeated like a chant.
“Blur”
and suddenly i realized, why that word was so important to a recording session that produced so many lyrics that touched on the future in a prophetic way. Because in that moment, the line between past, present and future had dissolved, and time became one.
When Visions Fall From Sky
|
||||
4. |
||||
sometimes its necessary to question.
the paradigms that have been implanted in our minds
so we ask you to be pensive
as opposed to defensive
those who seek to reclaim our African glory
so often put
centralised african kingdoms
like kemet mali kush
at the center of their story
name checking kings and queens
to add to the sheen
but Africa was more than those
anarchist examples more common than we suppose
in fact
these centralised kingdoms were a minority
instead we can look at the igbo
a federation of autonomous communities
without kings queens chiefs
dont shake your head in disbelief
at one point 4 million people
organised into 2000 separate villages
should the presence and existence of a
Kingdom, empire, nation or state
radiating immense material wealth
be the yardstick we use to contemplate
our self worth
for this time we spend on earth
are we not detracting from those who did not choose to chase that
particular vision of glory?
Are we not detracting from African indigenous peoples
who chose instead to humbly respect and flow with the earth
acting as caregivers of this land
on which we stand!
Many will acknowledge on our African continent
we live within imposed colonial boundaries
artificial state constructs
Geographic lines drawn by others
which interfere with people's lives
while simultaneously
being a constant cause of strife
most African peoples were stateless prior to colonialism.
this stateless presence
often referred to as a sign of our so-called underdevelopment
a barometer of lower intelligence
but what if it was a conscious rejection of
Kingdoms, empires, nations, states,
And other political forms of centralized hierarchy
refusing to live a life of subjugation
insisting on African mutual aid
created by those unafraid
of social living,
communal living.
Peoples like
The Shona of Zimbabwe,
the Mano of Ivory Coast,
the Kusaasi of Ghana,
those of the highlands of Madgascar
and other African peoples
with anti-authoritarian philosophies of living together
yes indeed time to reshape the historical algorithm
do your on research
reach your own conclusion
and always be ready to shatter any illusions
as we challenge the framework
we ask you to be pensive
as opposed to being defensive
sometimes its necessary to question
the paradigms that have been implanted in our minds
|
||||
5. |
||||
in the calm of january 2020 before corona virus hit uganda we recorded some lyrics that we had prepared in the silience. Lyrics that at the time not everyone realised the full meaning. They scratched their heads and asked what do you mean when you said you heard a voice saying " Where do you think you are going?"
now certain events have happened and one can use them to fill in the blanks
and complete the lyrics which we see as prophesy lyrics
For instance now we can be saying " Where do you think you are going now that the borders are closed, the airports are closed , the ground transportation shut down....
The lyrics again ask the question " where do you are going ?" and we see this community awake poster that says "as the entire system has been shut down you dont have to keep running anymore ..look within yourself and connect with yourself.we can connect with others. humanity is at its best when we are united."
|
||||
6. |
||||
7. |
||||
sometimes its necessary to question.
the paradigms that have been implanted in our minds
so we ask you to be pensive
as opposed to defensive
those who seek to reclaim our African glory
so often put
centralised african kingdoms
like kemet mali kush
at the center of their story
name checking kings and queens
to add to the sheen
but Africa was more than those
anarchist examples more common than we suppose
in fact
these centralised kingdoms were a minority
instead we can look at the igbo
a federation of autonomous communities
without kings queens chiefs
dont shake your head in disbelief
at one point 4 million people
organised into 2000 separate villages
should the presence and existence of a
Kingdom, empire, nation or state
radiating immense material wealth
be the yardstick we use to contemplate
our self worth
for this time we spend on earth
are we not detracting from those who did not choose to chase that
particular vision of glory?
Are we not detracting from African indigenous peoples
who chose instead to humbly respect and flow with the earth
acting as caregivers of this land
on which we stand!
Many will acknowledge on our African continent
we live within imposed colonial boundaries
artificial state constructs
Geographic lines drawn by others
which interfere with people's lives
while simultaneously
being a constant cause of strife
most African peoples were stateless prior to colonialism.
this stateless presence
often referred to as a sign of our so-called underdevelopment
a barometer of lower intelligence
but what if it was a conscious rejection of
Kingdoms, empires, nations, states,
And other political forms of centralized hierarchy
refusing to live a life of subjugation
insisting on African mutual aid
created by those unafraid
of social living,
communal living.
Peoples like
The Shona of Zimbabwe,
the Mano of Ivory Coast,
the Kusaasi of Ghana,
those of the highlands of Madgascar
and other African peoples
with anti-authoritarian philosophies of living together
yes indeed time to reshape the historical algorithm
do your on research
reach your own conclusion
and always be ready to shatter any illusions
as we challenge the framework
we ask you to be pensive
as opposed to being defensive
sometimes its necessary to question
the paradigms that have been implanted in our minds
|
||||
8. |
||||
sometimes its necessary to question.
the paradigms that have been implanted in our minds
so we ask you to be pensive
as opposed to defensive
those who seek to reclaim our African glory
so often put
centralised african kingdoms
like kemet mali kush
at the center of their story
name checking kings and queens
to add to the sheen
but Africa was more than those
anarchist examples more common than we suppose
in fact
these centralised kingdoms were a minority
instead we can look at the igbo
a federation of autonomous communities
without kings queens chiefs
dont shake your head in disbelief
at one point 4 million people
organised into 2000 separate villages
should the presence and existence of a
Kingdom, empire, nation or state
radiating immense material wealth
be the yardstick we use to contemplate
our self worth
for this time we spend on earth
are we not detracting from those who did not choose to chase that
particular vision of glory?
Are we not detracting from African indigenous peoples
who chose instead to humbly respect and flow with the earth
acting as caregivers of this land
on which we stand!
Many will acknowledge on our African continent
we live within imposed colonial boundaries
artificial state constructs
Geographic lines drawn by others
which interfere with people's lives
while simultaneously
being a constant cause of strife
most African peoples were stateless prior to colonialism.
this stateless presence
often referred to as a sign of our so-called underdevelopment
a barometer of lower intelligence
but what if it was a conscious rejection of
Kingdoms, empires, nations, states,
And other political forms of centralized hierarchy
refusing to live a life of subjugation
insisting on African mutual aid
created by those unafraid
of social living,
communal living.
Peoples like
The Shona of Zimbabwe,
the Mano of Ivory Coast,
the Kusaasi of Ghana,
those of the highlands of Madgascar
and other African peoples
with anti-authoritarian philosophies of living together
yes indeed time to reshape the historical algorithm
do your on research
reach your own conclusion
and always be ready to shatter any illusions
as we challenge the framework
we ask you to be pensive
as opposed to being defensive
sometimes its necessary to question
the paradigms that have been implanted in our minds
|
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