Africa Is a Country

June 26th, Madagascar

June 26th, Madagascar

By
Tom Devriendt

Today is the 51st anniversary of Malagasi independence. Things could have been better for its citizens. What with being governed by a former radio DJ and its army and with threats that Western governments and aid agencies will withdraw financial support. Anyway, we’re celebrating. For the sake of the Malagasy people. This is also the start of a new regular gig where we’ll celebrate a country’s independence day by featuring some of the music of its young people. We had a harder time coming up with the short list below (we had an easy time with South Africa’s Youth Day (June 16th) and yesterday’s Mozambique Independence Day), but we found plenty of great stuff available. So here we go. (If we missed anything, let us know.)

Oladad:

K.F.R. feat. KIM:

Aora:

Suprem:

Volkany Sound:

Raboussa:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzynGN9aHsI

Further Reading

Goodbye, Piassa

The demolition of an historic district in Addis Ababa shows a central contradiction of modernization: the desire to improve the country while devaluing its people and culture.

And do not hinder them

We hardly think of children as agents of change. At the height of 1980s apartheid repression in South Africa, a group of activists did and gave them the tool of print.