Ba Cissoko

Every year the French Embassy and Alliance Française hold Francophonie, a week of music, literature, films, food, and sports. Thanks to neighbourly connections, I scored some tickets to a concert. The band playing was Ba Cissoko from Conakry, Guinea, West Africa . With their clever instruments, great drumbeats, and cool electric guitar rifts, the mood of the concert was relaxed, but catchy enough to inspire dancing.

In my limited experience with African music, I find that I enjoy Western African music more than what I've heard from Southern Africa, namely Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique. Although, I can only boast exposure to Western African music from Mali, Senegal , Burkina Faso, and now Guinea. The music seems to have a more distinct character, creativity, and message, political or otherwise. Zambian music is very poppy and repetitive, or at least the stuff played on radio. It can have a fun vibe, but the same droning songs and the latest Beyonce are played over and over again. I can tolerate the music played on minibuses and taxis as it is part of the experience, but I not fond my neighbours or anyone else in the vicinity blaring music on a weekday night when I am trying to sleep.

Even though I and other expatriates are benefiting from these events, I'm just not sure why the French embassy is as active as they are. There is another event in October held mostly for French nationals, where the embassy specifically flies over wine, cheese, bread, and other French goodies. Zambia borders the Democratic Republic of the Congo and because of current conflicts, there are a number of Congolese refugees. Surely, Francophonie week was not really reaching out to refugees and as far as I know there are not that many French speakers in Zambia. Apparently, in efforts to increase the number of French speakers, the embassy is sponsoring Zambians to learn French. Many secondary schools also offer French classes, but I have yet to meet a French speaking Zambian. Nonetheless, it was a fun concert and I'm hoping to catch one of the films. I wonder in the Canadian High Commission ever throws a party. If they do, I'm hoping they do not fly over the items considered quintessentially Canadian. It just seems excessive.