DAKAR: With his biting lyrics that name and shame African leaders and denounce western politics, West African reggae star Tiken Jah Fakoly knows his music has made him as many enemies as friends. The 37-year-old singer, who lives in Mali in self-imposed exile from his troubled home of Ivory Coast, is one of the most powerful voices for young African people.

But he is also a thorn in the side of African politicians.

His songs have rattled several political figures including President Laurent Gbagbo in Ivory Coast.

“(My music) is not banned officially, but when the album (‘Outburst’) came out in September 2004, some young people close to President Gbagbo went to my distributor and threatened to burn down his business,” Fakoly told Reuters before a concert in Gateshead, England, late last year.

In the oral cultures of West Africa, politicians are well aware that music is much more than background noise.

“With everything I’ve said, I know that I haven’t made only friends. I know that I’ve made some enemies too. But that shouldn’t hold me back from what I’m doing. I must continue to work,” Fakoly said.

West African music has a long history of social and political influence; pop songs are listened to as much for their lyrical content as for their melody and rhythm.

Since the 14th century, griots — musicians turned political and social commentators — have been feared by Africa’s elite for their sharp tongues and pointed criticism.

Their legacy lives on in West Africa’s hip-hop singers who channel the concerns of young people, living tough, desperate lives in countries where authorities are often perceived as being corrupt or indifferent to the plight of their people.

Ahead of presidential elections in 2000, Senegalese rappers took to the streets alongside the candidates.—Reuters