CONTENTS

Acknowledgments 4
List of abbreviation S9
Abstract 10

Chapter 1
Growth and Development of Liberian Popular Music in the 20thCentury to 1989 11
Themes and Arguments 12
Literature Review and Methodology 12
Grassroots Cultural Revival 18
Challenges Facing Liberian Musicians 23
American Cultural Domination 24
Early Historical Background 26
19th Century Historical Background 29
Early to Mid-20th Century 33
The 1960s 34
1970, the End of the Tubman Era 35
1971 and the Tolbert Inauguration 38
1979 and the Formation of Leftist Political Opposition 41
The Rice Riots or “Black Saturday” 43
The 1979 Organization of African Unity Conference 45
Introducing Master Sergeant Samuel Doe 46
1980 and the formation of the
People’s Redemption Council Junta 49
1981; PRC leader Thomas Weh Syen Eliminated 51
1983; the Split with Thomas Quiwonkpa 51
1985; the Rigged Elections 53
The Failed Quiwonkpa Coup Attempt 54
Conclusions 58

Chapter 2
Musicians at the Crossroads during The Turbulent 1970s 60
Introduction 60
President Tolbert at the Crossroads 61
The Liberian Contingent at FESTAC ’77 64
Yatta Zoe “Queen of Folksongs” 66
Young Girls Stop Drinking Lysol 67
Camp Bella Yalla Military Prison 69
The Syncretic Character of Liberian Popular Music 70
Afro-centricity and Liberian Popular Music 72
Liberian Electric Highlife 74
Emergence of a Distinct Genre 76
Morris Dorley, Leading Musical Innovator 77
The Tejajlu Phenomenon 81
Tejajlu as a Musical Collective 82
The National Cultural Center at Kendeja 85

Chapter 3
Challenges and Professional Discrimination in the 1970s 87
Introduction 87
The State of the Liberian Music Industry in 1971 88
Lack of Musical Infrastructure 89
The Church’s and Military’s Institutional Role as Music Educators 90
Popular Prejudices and “Grona Boys” 92
Widespread Parental Opposition (Intergenerational Conflict) 94
Recording Studios in Liberia during the 1970s 97
ABC Studios 97
Studio One 99
Limited Markets for Liberian Music 100
“Ameri-centric” Cultural Dependency 100
The Prevalence of “Copyright Music” 102
Liberian Musical Impersonators 104
The Copyright Phenomenon 105
Copy It Right 108
Poor Working Conditions 113
Low Wages and “Shobu” 115
Discrimination on the Radio 115
State Radio Station ELBC 117
Radio Stations ELWA & ELNR 121

Chapter 4
Liberian Popular Music as a Historical Lens to View Contemporary Events 123
Introduction 124
Liberian Popular Music as a Historical Lens 124
“Normal Times” Defined 126
“Normal Times” and its Relationship to Local Music 127
OAU Welcome to Liberia! 129
Events Surrounding the 1980 Coup 132
The 1980 Coup Revisited 135
Sam Doe’s Social Milieu 140
The 1980 Coup; Effects on the Performing Arts 141
Who Owns Papa’s Land 142
“Redemption of the Liberian People” Dance Drama 145
Social Commentary on the 1980 Coup 146
Miatta Fahnbulleh on the 1980 Coup 147
Miatta Fahnbulleh and “Revolution” 149
Miatta Fahnbulleh, First Lady of Song 151
Princess Fatu Gayflor’s Beginnings 153
Princess Fatu Gayflor’s Career 155
Princess Fatu Gayflor & the Market Women of Rally Time 156
A Gedeh Rooster in the Big City of Lights 158
Youth Concerts and Variety Shows 161

Chapter 5
Recording Studios and Cassette Piraters in the 1980s 164
Introduction 164
Recording Studios and Musicians 165
Hotline Studios 166
Record Producer Faisal Helwani 168
The Introduction of Studio 99 170
Production and Conflict at Studio 99 170
Donald Cooper Comments on Studio 99 175
Close to Power, Yet Relatively Powerless 177
Command Performances under a Military Dictatorship 179
The Musician’s Union of Liberia (MULA) 180
Audiocassette Technology 183
Cassette piracy in Liberia 187
Tulsi Halwani, Pirate Extraordinaire 190
Cassette Piracy Cartels 192
Cassette Piracy and the Radio 192

Chapter 6
Peace and Human Rights: Rallying Cries of the 1980s 194
Introduction 194
Afro-rock and Reggae 195
Purple Haze 196
Reggae’s Popularity in West Africa 198
Reggae Arrives on Liberian Shores 200
The Reggae Sunsplash ’88 Mega-Concert  202
Shared Visions of Peace 203
“No Peace, No Love” and the Anti-War Message 205
Aaron Lewis and the Medusa Group 211
Saku Sillah’s Contribution 212
Liberian Women Musicians and Male Chauvinism 214
Hawa Daisy Moore’s Story 216
Hawa Daisy Moore’s Career 219
Miatta Fahnbulleh’s Experience 220
Nimba Burr Begs us to Remember 222

Chapter 7
Ethnic Pluralism and Social Justice in the 1980s 226
The Ideal of Ethnic Pluralism 226
The Cause of Sectional Equality 229
Zack and Gebah’s “Sweet Liberia” 233
Code Switching and “Africaneity” 235
Malawala Balawala on National Television 236
Liberian Palaver Hut at the 1985 World’s Fair 236
Doughba Caranda’s Career 237
Tejajlu and the Struggle for Social Justice 238
Tejajlu on the National Stage 242
Showman Tecumsey Roberts 242
Tecumsey Roberts; Career and Tragic Demise 244
The Moga Band and Afro-disco 247
Kapingbdi and “Don’t Escape” 249
Lost Career Opportunities Due to Civil War 251

Chapter 8
Reprise: A Summary of Findings 254
On Remembrance and the Act of Forgetting 254
Music History as Labor History 255
Section One (Chapters 1-3) 257
Section Two (Chapters 4-6) 259
Section Three (Chapters 7-8) 261
The Evolution of Musical Taste in Liberia 263
Language Choice Matters 265
Three Political Openings 267

Appendix
A. Interviews for Dissertation 270
B. A Search List of Liberian Recording Artists 275

List Of References 279
Biographical Sketch 307

ÍNDICE

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CONTENTS

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CONTENTS

Foreword to the first edition by B. W. Andrzejewski ix
Foreword to the 1996 edition by Abdilahi Qarshi xi
Preface to the first edition xv
Preface to the 1996 edition xxiii

1. Introduction
The social context 1
The Nature of Traditional Pastoralist Poetry 12
The Historical Development of Modern Oral Poetry 17

2. The Family of Miniature Genres
The Nature of the Family of Miniature Genres 27
The Poetry of the Miniature Family 32

3. The emergence of the Belwo
The Historical Background 49
The Belwo is Born 53
The Poetry of the Belwo 59

4. The Heello: Period One
The Metamorphosis: Belwo to Heello A 75
The Modem Poem: Heello A to Heello B 82

5. The Heello: Period Two
The Historical Background 95
The Poetry of the Second Period 103

6. The Heello: Period Three
The Historical Background 117
The Poetry of the Third Period 146

7. Characteristics of the Heello: All Periods
Themes Common to All Periods 175
Structural Characteristics and
Development Common to All Periods 190
The Impact of Media on Modern Poetry 208

8. Conclusion
The Inheritance of the Heello 215
Forces Behind the Success and Development of Modern Poetry 216

CONTENTS

Foreword by Banning Eyre ix
Introduction 1

Part 1 Early Days
1 The Birth of Afrobeat 27
2 Joe Mensah Remembers 41
3 Fela in Ghana 49
4 Stan Plange Remembers 29

Part 2 Confrontation
5 Kalakuta is Born 67
6 “JB” Talks about Fela 73
7 The Kalakuta Republic 81
8 The Black President 114
9 Amsterdam and After 125

Part 3 Retrospect
10 Mac Tontoh on Fela 139
11 Frank Talk about Fela 152
12 Obiba Plays It Again 165
13 Smart Binete Sorts It Out 174
14 Anku Checks Out the Beat 178
15 Nana Danso Orchestrates 183
16 Some Early Afro-Fusion Pioneers 197
17 Interview with Fela 204
18 Afterthoughts and Updates 209
19. Felabrations at Home and Abroad 238

Chronology 259
Notes 269
Selected Bibliography 281
Discography 285
Appendix A: “Shuffering and Shmiling” Score 303
Index 309

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TABLE DES MATIÈRES

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CONTENTS

AFRICA

The North and West
Introduction: Peter Gabriel 1
Libya 3
Tunisia 5
Algeria 6
Morocco 13
Mauritania 16
Senegal 17
Mali 20
Guinea 26
Guinea-Bissau 29
Cape Verde 29
Sierra Leone 31
Côte d’Ivoire 32
Ghana 34
Togo and Benin 36
Nigeria 37

Central Africa, The South and East
Introduction: Manu Dibango 42
Cameroon 44
Zaire 49
Congo 56
Gabon 56
Angola 57
Zambia 58
Mozambique 59
Zimbabwe 60
South Africa 65
Madagascar 70
Mauritius and Reunion 71
Tanzania and Zanzibar 72
Kenya 74
Uganda 76
Burundi 76
Ethiopia 77
Sudan 79

TABLE DE MATIÈRES

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