{"id":57118,"date":"2012-03-04T20:36:35","date_gmt":"2012-03-05T00:36:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dominicanewsonline.com\/news\/?p=57118"},"modified":"2012-03-05T08:03:56","modified_gmt":"2012-03-05T12:03:56","slug":"african-singer-tiken-a-reminder-of-our-purpose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dominicanewsonline.com\/news\/homepage\/features\/commentary\/african-singer-tiken-a-reminder-of-our-purpose\/","title":{"rendered":"African singer Tiken – a reminder of our purpose"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Athie Martin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Editor’s note: This piece, written by Athie Martin, was inspired by a news story on TV network Aljazeera, about Ivorian reggae singer Tiken Jah Fakoly, as he fights for Africa’s poor and marginalised.<\/strong><\/p>\n

We can see Jeff Jo, Dice, Exile One, and other musical\/cultural prophets in Tiken.<\/p>\n

This News Story\/Video reminds us of our responsibilities.<\/p>\n

We can chase the dollar for the right or the wrong reasons.<\/p>\n

Tiken reminds us as do the others that the primary purpose of our talents is the liberation and advancement of our people here and everywhere.<\/p>\n

This may sound like cliche of the 1960s but guess what, for the past 50 years the politicians andleaders of various kinds have failed to make that positive difference for our people.<\/p>\n

It is like they\/we all have spent the time building extensions to the legacy of slavery and colonisation.<\/p>\n

Black History Month has come and gone again and guess what, did the artistes of Dominica, the Caribbean make sure that we used our talents to remind and motivate our people that our liberation and development depend on us? We all know the one word answer to that question.<\/p>\n

Let us Take a look at the video on Tiken and remind ourselves of our purpose.<\/p>\n

The longer we fail to recall our purpose as artistes the deeper the mess we place our people in.<\/p>\n

The crime and violence in our schools and villages is just another painful reminder of what our failure as leaders over the past 50 years has caused for our people.<\/p>\n

I am shooting a video documentary on the current crime\/violence sweeping Dominica. It did not start this year or last. We know that. The question I ask are: Where did it start? What is the impact? How do we get back to the peace path?<\/p>\n

My generation – over 60 years – we were given the tools to prevent this but we have used these tools to make “success” for ourselves while ignoring and aggravating the loss of peace and destruction of our people, our communities, our history, our legacy.<\/p>\n

We have to start by admiting that we have failed, along with the political and commercial leaders of our countries and Region.<\/p>\n

There is no one standing behind us that we can really point an accusing finger at without pointing the proverbial 4 fingers right back at ourselves.<\/p>\n

My generation, our generation has to claim its share of the responsibility for the chaos and collapse of our communities.<\/p>\n

We fight against each other. against calypso. against steelpan. against farmers. against culture. against good food. against thinking. against partnering. against everything that we know is essential for liberation and development.<\/p>\n

Tiken reminds us that this is the road to hell on earth.<\/p>\n

For the first time in my life I see fear in the eyes of Dominican mothers, teachers, children …<\/p>\n

For the first time in my life, I see a sense of hopelessness and hear it in the voices of Dominicans …<\/p>\n

I see this even while a small group of politicians and their associated parasites, professionals, priests, pastors, artistes, media workers, magistrates, judges, bankers, police and poor people cannibalize each other in order to catch the crumbs from the tables of the tyrants we call leaders.<\/p>\n

I see local and regional institutions that were created to work for us become partners with the philosophies and processes that enslave and impoverish and de-soul us.<\/p>\n

I see all this while my generation, our generation still say that they do not have even a few hours a week that they can give to peace, to our people, to our children, our communities.<\/p>\n

I see all this while Jeff Jo, Dice and the others, along with Tiken try to call us to arms for justice, peace and progress.<\/p>\n

I hear us turn up the volume on our car stereos, our music and sund systems at the festivals and carnivals as we appear determined not to hear the message, the call, the cries of people who really need those few hours of our time.<\/p>\n

I see us liming and drinking while we keep insisting that we do not have the time to give time.<\/p>\n

I see the guilt in our eyes as we fail our people because we know what we must do yet seem frightened and are weak.<\/p>\n

Time to wake up!<\/p>\n

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO OF TIKEN JAH FAKOLY<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Editor’s note: This piece, written by Athie Martin, was inspired by a news story on TV network Aljazeera, about Ivorian reggae singer Tiken Jah Fakoly, as he fights for Africa’s poor and marginalised. 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