Since the introduction of multiparty politics, Ivorian singers, and not the least, have often overstepped their role as consciousness raisers to become griots for politicians in their ambitions to run the country. We have artists like Blissy Tebil, Pierre Amedée, Serges Kassy, Aicha Koné, Moussa Doumbia dit Tiken Jah, Alpha Blondy, Gadji Celi, Antoinette Konan, Nguess Bon sens, Noel Dourey, Johny Lafleur, Antoinette Allany, Meyway, Yodé et Siro, Espoir 2000, Lago Paulin and others who do not hesitate to make their mark on politics. They publicly display themselves during meetings when they are not themselves driving caravans to invite their fans to vote their political friends. This often contrasts with their past when they liked to present themselves as committed artists who criticised and denounced everything at will. Today, more than ever, they have decided to praise those who are able to cash in big where royalties are scarce.

FACES WELL KNOWN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC

Thus, we can see artists like Serges Kassy, Les Galliets, Paul Mady’s or Gadji Céli whose musical works have become real anthems in homage to certain political leaders. “We know of several artists who no longer deserve to be called such. They have ended up losing the esteem of the population because of their sometimes ambiguous stance towards certain political situations. For me, an artist is above all political and ideological considerations, etc., because the risk that exists when an artist decides to make a pact with a politician, when the latter is no longer in business, he too loses ground,” says Assouan Yves, a company director. So, having decided to trade their art for easy access to “offices”, it is during political meetings that these artists give their “giga concert”. “During the recent presidential campaign, we saw artists who would never have been suspected of supporting a political party leading awareness caravans for certain candidates. Fans were surprised to see T-shirts bearing the effigy of politicians under the clothes of their idols, even though they were performing at so-called “national reconciliation concert” ceremonies. This is not what we need. If they say they are the voice of the voiceless or the voice of the people, then how can they defend the interests of the people if they are themselves slaves to the political decision-makers,” asks Fofana Aboubacar, a computer scientist.

HAVE THE ARTISTS GONE ASTRAY?

It is an understatement to say that they have gone astray. Not only do our artists drown their art, which is supposed to defy time and even space, in political militancy, but they also drain some ignorant people (unconditional fanatics) in their loss. And these words from the interplanetary reggae artist Alpha Blondy, in his album Mystic Power, illustrate the perilous turn our artists have decided to take. “I woke up at the foot of the wall of my vanity. I heard my conscience crying and I began to pray. To all those I have offended, I ask forgiveness. And to all those who have offended me, I ask forgiveness. To all those who did not understand me and to all those I did not understand, I ask forgiveness,” the artist said. He went on to explain that “it’s a kind of step back that I’m taking as an artist and as a UN ambassador for peace, because if we had succeeded in our mission, there wouldn’t be so much bloodshed, so many tears. Whether it’s me, the UN or all the others, we all failed somewhere,” Alpha Blondy acknowledged. And as if to say that it is only their personal interests that count and nothing else.

This is to the great delight of the candidates in the various national and local elections, to the detriment of the artists’ careers. For, having forged alliances with the leaders of political parties, some artists have found themselves in forced exile, while those who were there have returned to their country. Others, on the other hand, have simply been erased from the national scene even though they have not left the country. Because the reality is that one must also be able to assume and face the reprisals for one’s political choices. A situation that should be able to challenge the younger generation.