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