[PREMIERE] - "A Man Called Biko" de Napoleon Maddox

Le rappeur de Cincinnati offre en avant-première au Grigri un morceau très puissant et très spécial dédié à Steve Biko, activiste sud-africain anti-apartheid assassiné en 1977.

Rencontrer un artiste qui a accompagné certaines tranches de ta vie, des routes du Priorat avec Dj Spooky au bar du Periscope avec Sorg, c’est toujours rare et c’est encore plus rare et précieux de découvrir au détour de quelques verres  un homme entier, loyal et engagé. C’est la chance qu’on a eu avec Napoleon Maddox et c’est la chance que lui n’aura pas eu avec Stephen Biko. 

En effet, il ne pourra pas rencontrer l’intellectuel, le fondateur du Black Consciousness Movement, l’un des héros de la lutte contre l’Apartheid. Il n’aura pas cette chance car Stephen Biko est retrouvé mort dans les geôles sud-africaines le 12 septembre 1977 après 10 ans d’engagement pour l’émancipation des noirs. 

Napoleon Maddox est un homme de nombreux pouvoirs, incluant celui de rendre la vie aux gens à qui il tient comme avec « Twice the First Time »  spectacle-hommage à ses aieules, sœurs siamoises nées esclaves dans le Sud ségrégationniste américain. Aujourd’hui, Maddox ressuscite Stephen Biko et célèbre la droiture, le courage, la conviction et le dévouement d’un Homme à une cause plus grande que lui-même, loin des postures de loyauté et d’honneur que prennent de nombreux hommes. 

Stephen Biko célèbrera le 18 décembre ses 73 ans en bonne compagnie : la vôtre avec ce titre-hommage en exclusivité pour le Grigri: « A Man called Biko ». Rapprocher les gens, c’est en effet l’un des autres pouvoirs de Napoleon Maddox… 

Le Grigri

Quelques mots de Napoleon Maddox “Behind the track” :

Writing the lyrics for this piece I thought about the posture of loyalty. The presentation of it. It has become the performance art of the streets. You are identified as “real” if you talk about certain things, with a certain level of perceived authenticity. But why the act? This performance does not mean at all, that the performer cares anything about the audience. There are too many examples to list. Too many names to name.  The first verse highlights exactly how commonplace betrayal is in the lines,

“The most amazing disgrace / Is every rat at one time  / Was a gangster in his prime / With only honor on his mind / Had to leave it all behind / cause it wasn’t serving him ....”

Everyone claims honor and loyalty, which is easy to claim as long as it’s not put to the test. Will you stay loyal and faithful to your principles even when your life is on the line?It’s rare to see that kind of courage, conviction and dedication to a higher cause. This is where names are few enough to mention, and the reason we celebrate Steve Biko. The spirit of 2nd verse :

“... On a dark and deadly night / in Pretoria / We looking straight into the light / with no euphoria / And let the Spirit send the word / Straight back to JoBurg / So sincere about the beauty that’s known / But hardly heard ”

He knew his life was in danger. He knew that he was threat enough to the apartheid South African government that if they couldn’t control what he said and who he’d talk to, they would take his life and then claim he that he killed himself. He also knew that if he abided by their restrictions, censoring where he could go and who he could talk to, that would mean absolute surrender to the system he and his comrades were fighting against. So took the trip, headed to Cape Town. The police took his life. But here we are today still talking about Steve Biko not because he claimed to be the realest, the most loyal, with so much “omertà” blah blah etc. 

He simply told his truth. He saw that Black people were beautiful and he wasn’t going to stop saying it just because it became inconvenient or dangerous.

Thank you Bantu Stephen Biko, I believe you. Happy birthday!

Cover Art : La Fausse Patte