Abstract
This chapter aims to discuss Malawian rap music as a platform for activism, in relation to two current issues: the killing of people with albinism and the Covid-19 pandemic. Drawing from several examples in the rap music genre, the chapter illustrates how rap artists have joined efforts in providing civic education to the Malawian masses. With regard to violence against people with albinism, the youth have also spoken out against the atrocities through their music. The rap youth have also taken to the microphone to dispel misinformation about Covid-19 and have assisted in reinforcing messages of prevention against the disease.
Some sections of this chapter appear in Cultural Representations of Albinism in Africa: Narratives of Change edited by Charlotte Baker and Elvis Imafidon (Peter Lang, 2022)
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Notes
- 1.
The Bossaro Music Group comprises two rappers, Patali Mkorongo and Dalitso Mtambo. Although “Mukutipheranji” is their first song commenting on albinism, they also engage in various music performances geared towards raising awareness on various issues among the youth in Malawi.
- 2.
So far, the most positive move taken by the government has been to develop the National Action Plan on Persons with Albinism in Malawi, 2018–2022. This has mainly been in reaction to calls and demonstrations organized by the Association of Persons with Albinism in Malawi (APAM). Some of the songs being examined in this chapter also call upon the Malawian people to demand firmer action from the government.
- 3.
- 4.
In a preliminary scan of music for the current study, I found not less than 20 songs about the Covid-19 pandemic.
- 5.
In 2021, two cabinet ministers in Malawi’s government succumbed to Covid-19.
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Lipenga, K. (2023). Social Consciousness: The Rapper as an Activist. In: Rap Music and the Youth in Malawi. Pop Music, Culture and Identity. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-15251-1_7
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