A LA UNE
SENEGAL: “Politisez-vous”, an invitation to the political thing.
Senegal has just passed through a period of campaigning, ended by a legislative ballot on July 30th. This is a crucial moment to look at the political issues of the country. The youth, sometimes isolated from the political ring, issued a warning call for the political leaders to remind them of their priorities. By this invitation it is not only a matter of saying that it exists, but above all it is a matter of calling young people to be actors and not passive spectators. Thus 10 young Senegalese united by the conviction that the current political class is not an unsurpassable horizon, that it is far from being inscribed in a desire for social transformation of their countries, have made an urgent appeal to politicize themselves. Convinced that the problems are multiple and diverse, for them it is only through politics that they will come to bring lasting solutions and anchored in time for the next generations. Different paths, different political sensitivities or even opposites, some live in Senegal and others live in the diaspora. Among them, there are several socio-professional categories: journalists, entrepreneurs, students or authors. Ze-Africanew.com went to meet one of them: Hamidou Anne, former student of the ENA, who is also political columnist and society.
Ze-Africanews.com: You have just published a book titled “Politisez-vous!”, What is it about?
It is a collective work born after long and recurrent debates on the contemporary issues of our country and of Africa in general. We often identify many evils that are plaguing our countries despite real progress. It was therefore important to impose on us an exercise of identifying solutions in the direction of how to bring about progress in Africa, a better life for all those who face many challenges on the continent on a daily basis. We believe that the current political class, in general, is not capable of bringing about deep breaks and imagining fertile and effective choices to change the lives of Africans. But we believe that politics is still useful, in this sense it is the main vector of social transformation and liberation of a people. This book is therefore a call to the politicization of society. It is a matter of inviting African youth to take responsibility for changing the cycle of degradation inflicted on us by those who govern us. It is a call for a citizens’ insurrection capable of carrying new utopias through various contemporary issues such as justice, ecology, women’s rights, equality, the strengthening of the Republic, and so on.
Who is this message addressed to the imperative?
It is aimed first of all at the African youth, majority on the continent but little represented in the decision-making bodies and the definition of public policies. Youth is our heart as a target because we are young, and we no doubt better understand its challenges, aspirations, disappointments and its desire to serve without often finding its place. But this book is also addressed to our political class which must thus understand what is reproached to it without insults or anathemas. Finally it is addressed to anyone who defines himself as African and who dreams of seeing this continent emerge from the impasse to inaugurate a new future.
“There is a depoliticization of Senegalese youth in fact. But it is hardly definitive. It is only the result of a political class that has failed to make it dream by its ability to serve.”
Do you think that Senegalese youth has dissociated themselves from politics?
There is a depoliticization of Senegalese youth in fact. But it is hardly definitive. It is only the result of a political class that has failed to make it dream by its ability to serve. Today, young people are often looking for other means of public involvement, notably through entrepreneurship and digital activism. These routes are interesting but not sufficient by the gigantic nature of the task. It is by political fact that a society is changed.
Do you think that Senegalese youth has dissociated themselves from politics?
There is a depoliticization of Senegalese youth in fact. But it is hardly definitive. It is only the result of a political class that has failed to make it dream by its ability to serve. Today, young people are often looking for other means of public involvement, notably through entrepreneurship and digital activism. These routes are interesting but not sufficient by the gigantic nature of the task. It is by political fact that a society is changed.
Do you think that this youth still has confidence in its political leaders?
No, as we have just pointed out. Trust is broken since the cycle of alternations without transformation of the daily life of millions of people who live in the most absolute destitution. Confidence is broken that public speech no longer has any value among politicians who change their party according to the wind and their personal interests.
Why do you think it is necessary to call this action to invest the political field?
Everyone calls for change but ultimately they are reluctant to invest their time and energy. Youth has the capital of dynamism, energy and dreams. It must therefore put its energy at the service of the construction of a new Africa, better than that which it has received as a legacy. This work is profoundly political. Hence our call.
You want actors, not spectators? Why ?
Watching things get done is interesting, but if we all adopt this passive posture that will educate our children? Who will care for the Africans? Who will fight corruption and bad governance? Who is going to fight against the multinationals that defraud the fisc? Who will finally offer a desire for the future generations. Being an actor of our time is a duty if we want to lead a useful life for our community.
How was the choice of the authors?
We are above all a group of friends, sharing ideas, and, for some of us, an associative or militant commitment. As we mentioned earlier, our particular sensitivities mean that we do not always address issues related to Africa in the same way. However, we are all convinced of one thing: the necessary politicization of the continent’s youth. That is our common intellectual foundation. We also try, through different forms, such as literature and militancy, to share this conviction with other young people in Senegal and Africa. This book is an additional means of spreading this fundamental idea.
A major figure in the fight for the recognition of former African soldiers enlisted in the French army, Aïssata Seck held the position of deputy mayor in charge of memorial policies and the fight against racism and discrimination from 2016 to 2020 in Bondy. Engaged in politics, she tirelessly pursues her work of justice and truth for the recognition of the rights of Senegalese tirailleurs through its association for the memory and history of Senegalese tirailleurs. She is currently the Director of the Foundation for the Memory of Slavery and Regional Councillor Ile-de-France.
Between personal history and intimate combat
His grandfather was one of the Africans who gave their breasts for the liberation of France before the rise of Nazi Germany. After a generation – that of her father – she takes up, in a way, the family torch: to make sure that the leading role played by the Senegalese Tirailleurs in the Great War is recognized. Born on 20 February 1980 in Meulan, Aïssata Seck is French and of Senegalese origin. His grandfather, Samba Yero N’Dom, a Senegalese tirailleur, never obtained French nationality. Years later, as if it were predestined, she decided to speak out loud for those veterans forgotten by the French Republic.
A petition that changes history
For more than ten years, Aïssata has been leading this fight: recognition of the rights of the old African Tirailleurs. In 2016, she launched a petition to ask for the naturalization of the Senegalese Tirailleurs, who lost their French nationality after the independence of Africa. This, she sees as ingratitude on the part of France. The petition immediately received over 60,000 signatures. Pushed by this wave of exceptional mobilization, France decides in April 2017 on a historic gesture by President François Hollande to grant French nationality to twenty-eight former Tirailleurs. A drop in the bucket. But a victory nonetheless.
So that France does not forget them
The year 2024 marks the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of France. And, so that this is not forgotten, Aïssata Seck “wishes to contribute to the success of the commemorations by involving a part of the French youth and a part of the Senegalese youth”. Far from stopping at this victory, Aïssata Seck also militates in many associations for a better visibility of colonial soldiers in the public space. President of the Association for the Memory and History of Senegalese Tirailleurs, in December 2023, she was appointed director of the Foundation for the Memory of Slavery. She works to ensure that the streets, schools and monuments pay tribute to these men who came from Africa, often at the cost of their lives, to defend a country that recognizes them too rarely. Indeed, Aïssata Seck refuses that the memory of these fighters is forgotten. And for this, it deserves all our consideration.
The evening of October 20, 2024, marking the political return of Pastef in Paris, was also the occasion for a vibrant tribute. Massamba Thiam, known as Neega Mass, was awarded a diploma in recognition of his artistic dedication to the Senegalese people. With this symbolic gesture, the patriots of Pastef wanted to salute the luminous influence of this artist, both in Africa and in the diaspora, as a beacon of awakened consciousness.
A well-deserved tribute
In front of a prestigious assembly, gathering the great figures of Senegalese politics, Neega Mass appeared deeply moved. This Franco-Senegalese, from the generous lands of Casamance, received this distinction with a touching humility. She recognizes her commitment to Pan-Africanism and patriotism, two ideals that run through her work as a red thread. More than a simple reward, it reaffirms the relevance of its fight, an encouragement to continue on its path towards a united Africa. Poet and activist rapper, Neega Mass expresses in his deeply committed texts a pan-African dream anchored in modernity. Spiritual heir to thinkers such as Cheikh Anta Diop, he has been a champion of awakening African and Afro-descendant consciousness since his first albums Aduna (2015) and L’Œil Invisible (2016). His words, far from being mere notes on a score, are vibrant calls to memory and responsibility, incitements to an inner revolution for African governments and peoples.
Neega Mass
The art of sublimating the verb
The magic of Neega Mass is its ability to combine entertainment and thought. His texts, rich in meaning and emotions, are interspersed with subtle puns, deep allegories and references to great African authors such as Senghor, Aimé Césaire, and Cheikh Anta Diop. The artist does not hesitate to rub shoulders with the founding myths of Africa, diving into the meanders of Egyptian, Nubian and Sudanese history. But beyond these historical anchors, it addresses contemporary geopolitical issues with a rare audacity, calling for unity of the black peoples of Africa and the Caribbean. In this interlacing of tradition and modernity, he urges his listeners to rediscover the building soul of the African genius.
An heir of the griots
Coming from the Griot caste, Neega Mass inherited an ancestral gift: that of making words speak without apparent effort. It is a spontaneous, almost mystical word that comes to him with disconcerting accuracy. In his compositions, he was able to mix traditional instruments such as the xalam, secular lute of West Africa, and the tama, this drum of royal courts, to infuse his creations a cultural depth rarely reached. This alliance of ancestral sounds and powerful political discourse gives his music a unique dimension, far beyond the borders of rap. Each piece becomes an ode to African identity, a cry of love addressed to the continent.
Neega Mass
A model of inspiration
The recognition of Pastef France is much more than a symbolic reward; it reflects the impact of Neega Mass, both artistic and political. Through his creations, he was able to build bridges between generations, cultures and sensibilities, while remaining faithful to his pan-Africanist vision. As a committed artist, he embodies the rebirth of conscious music at the frontier of entertainment and social engagement. Neega Mass, in his unwavering quest, continues to raise the colours of Africa and its diaspora, dreaming, like the giants before him, of a union of the states of Africa.
Armed with her guitar – which proved to be less heavy than a piano during her training – Coumbis Cissokho Sorra unleashes a flow of emotions on the world’s stages. Currently in Paris, she is navigating between African and Western rhythms, recording a new single financed by the “African Culture Fund” and refining her next album, which will be in the same vein as the previous one: a conscious and committed style of “galsen” rap.
From cherry to rapper
From a family of griots, the young Coumbis Sorra Cissokho has drifted towards rap, like an unforgiving river that rises from its traditional bed. While her musical family heritage predestinated her to animate deaths and births, Combis opts for a rap that skillfully mixes mandingo influences, blues and mbalax, to which she adds touches of commitment. Coumbis enters the world of music through hip-hop after spending four years at the prestigious AMV music school located at the Maison de la culture in Dakar. Noticed from the moment she entered this school by coaches like Rodolphe Coly, Edou and Boumy. Leaving this school, with a rather heavy artist background, Coumbis Sorra abandons hip-hop to dedicate himself to Word Music. Talented guitarist, she works a lot on her own compositions both on the vocals and on the instrumental part
‘Bandirabe’’, a tribute to his
In 2018, her album “Bandirabé” confirmed her talent and versatility. Behind his committed texts, we find this captivating melody drawn from his Mandingo roots. His texts thus have a singular sonority that today constitutes his musical identity. Evolving in rap, a genre dominated mostly by men, this young Casamançaise has forged a name, far beyond Senegal, thanks to the power of its flow. It is always a pleasure to listen to this artist who composes songs in the purest African musical tradition, with cascades of melancholy kora arpeggios and punchy phrases in wolof. Coumbis Cissokho Sorra has succeeded in elevating Galsen rap, incorporating a particular style: conscious rap.
A conscious rap
Since its debut in 2006, Coumbis Sorra has been known for its grooves and strong positions. His single “Mister President” is a real uppercut addressed to African leaders, denouncing bad governance. Since then, it has continued to pursue this social and political commitment. In 2012, she returns with “Kadinding Faye”, a moving tribute to street children, confirming her role as an engaged artist. Most of its titles denounce the social realities of Senegal and Africa as well as political concerns. With her single Farafina Mousso, she puts herself at the service of the women of the world.
International recognition
Coumbis made a name for itself internationally at the 3rd edition of the Festival Mondial des Arts Nègres (FESMAN) in 2012, with its striking style combining tradition and modernity. Its participation in prestigious festivals such as the Saint-Louis International Jazz Festival, the Ndakaru Festival or FIMA (International Fashion Festival in Africa) has been praised by the press. Today, we can say, she is without a shadow of a doubt one of the ambassadors of Senegalese culture, especially from Casamance, her native land. This new album, which she shapes far from her roots, is eagerly awaited.
