Tribute to Ray Phiri
By Dumisani Hlophe
“What good is a song
if it cannot inspire?” These are the lyrics of a song by the American legendary
music producer, Quincy Jones. The song makes the following bold statement: “if
it (a song) cannot set you higher, then it’s not good enough to sing”.
Ray Phiri’s music provides a comprehensive
response to the meaning of a song as asked by Jones, above. Phiri’s music is
inspiring, motivating, uplifting, and raised social, economic and political
consciousness amongst those suffering injustice.
Beyond Jones question about a song, Phiri’s
music addressed the issue of what should be the role of artists in society.
This issue has preoccupied many prominent artists within the African continent.
This preoccupation with the roles of artists has been motivated by the
injustices that many African societies have suffered. Legendary African writers
such as Chinua Achebe, and Ngugi wa Thion’go have written extensively about
this matter.
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| Photo Cred: Wikipedia |
This is one issue that artists in South Africa
still need to deliberate in the context of the post-apartheid South Africa.
That is, what should be the role of artists in a democratic South Africa. The
term artists in this regard, is used broadly, and includes musicians; writers;
cartoonists; poets; praise singers; painters; oral and written story and any
other category within this genre.
Part of the debates argued that artists live
in their own world. A world of creativity in their chosen space – music, writing,
poetry and the like. In other words, artists are immune from the societal
issues.
A counter argument indicated that artists are
an integral part of society, and their work must reflect the daily experiences
of their particular societies. It was argued strongly, that given the broader
influence of artists in society, art products of any form, must be geared
towards social justice. Artists in this regard, were to be ambassadors of
social justice.
Given the injustices of colonialism and
apartheid, artists could not live in their “own creative world”, but had to be
part of society and advance justice in all its forms of manifestation.
Ray Phiri’s music is rooted in the second
argument – an ambassador of social change. Phiri’s music reveals himself as an
artist who had a strong personal identity, a strong consciousness of the
society he belong to, and more importantly, his particular role in that
society. In the main, he was an artist, philosophical, and an activist for
justice. He was an avid reader, and therefore,
had a higher grade of producing lyrics that depicted the apartheid system for
what it was.It is for this reason that the apartheid regime banned some of his
songs.
In the song “Whispers in the deep”, he
philosophically, and practically, captured South Africans under apartheid as
follows: “We are all contributories of that great river of pain”. Then
somewhere down the song, he agitated South Africans to fight back: “speak out
your mind, stand up, wake up”.
Interestingly, Phiri had what was on the face
value, a “love” song banned. It is called “where did we go wrong”. It was
presumably banned because he sang it with a white woman, Kathy Pennington”,
during apartheid. Perhaps this is part of Phiri’s view of the then envisaged
rainbow nation, at a time when interracial marriages were outlawed.
Phiri therefore, was not a musician simply
fascinated with beats, rhythms, and lyrics devoid of social, political and
economic justice. He saw himself as an agent of change. He identified his
space, and role in society, and pursued his professional career as agitator for
democracy and social justice.
It is the same role that Bob Marley
identified as his role first in Jamaica, then throughout the world as his
stature grew globally. Marley was creatively musical, philosophical, and a
change agent. Hence, was his highly revered amongst revolutionary movements
across the world.
Ray Phiri therefore, should be an inspiration
on all artists to identify their roles in a democratic South Africa. As Letta
Mbulu, aptly warned back in the nascent of democracy with a song: “not yet
Uhuru”. The inequalities that she describes in the song, persists today.
The one time where the role of artists in
South Africa is broadly discussed or debated, is when cartoonists draw
President Jacob Zuma naked, with a shower on his head, or in a rape scene. Such
discussions tend to be reactive than progressive.
It remains an elusive discussion what other
forms of art should concern themselves with. Should musicians sing about the
current ills of landlessness, unemployment, corruption, state capture, and
leadership – motions of no confidence, hunger and starvation? Or should they
stick to “y u 4 me” – as Kwaito legend Mdu Masilela sang.
An opportunity was missed when Hlaudi Motsoaneng
introduced the 90% local music content rule for SABC radio stations. The
decision was hailed in many quarters as progressive for local and African music
in general.
Perhaps its main problem is that it was not a
policy, but a directive. If it were a policy, it would have had to define some
concepts, and means to systematically implement such a policy. In terms of
definition therefore, it would have had to define what “local music is”.
In the broader African arts debate, those
engaged in the debate, had to first define what “African art” is. By extension,
they had to define – what an African “artist” is? In this regard, various variables were
considered: could this be art produced by an African; can African art only be
produced by an African; what about languages – can colonial languages be used
to reflect African art, and so on?
An in-depth reflection on Phiri’s legacy, could
help to ascertain what ought to be the role of musicians in South Africa. It
would assist to determine what amounts to South African music. In this
reflection, it would be possible to determine that not all South African
musicians do South African music. So, an American song, “Remember when it
rained’, by Josh Groban, and brilliantly remade locally by DJ Sbu, may not have
won a “South African” best song of the year back in 2007.
Perhaps, the problem for the SABC, not lie in
the 90% local content, but the value and substance of the music. So, South
African musicians, have to answer Jones question: “what good is a song”. In
answering this question, the music of Ray Phiri provides the light!
· Hlophe is Governance
Specialist at the Unisa school of Governance. He writes in his personal
capacity. Twitter: @KunjaloD
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