Democracy in Dakar, a new film from the hip-hop label Nomadic Wax, looks at hip-hop in Senegal and in Senegalese politics. From Ethan Zuckerman's review:"Democracy in Dakar is mindblowingly good. ... Ben Herson, the founder of Nomadic Wax and the director of the film, tells the complex story of the emergence of Senegalese hip-hop and its political weight almost entirely through interviews, carefully edited into a tight narrative. He-through the voices of dozens of legendary Senegalese MCs-make [sic] the case that Senegal adopted some of the most political strains of American hip-hop, translating Public Enemy lyrics into French and Wolof and building rhymes around political topics from early on."The movie covers the role Segegalese MCs played in getting dissident Aboulaye Wade elected in Senegal's 2000 presidential election, their disillusionment with Wade's government, and the subsequent attempts by Wade to coerce and coopt the hip-hop scene. Meanwhile, Diddy perfects his new perfume.There's a nice big trailer at the Democracy in Dakar site.Via Worldchanging.
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