Yanju Brings Political Controversy To File Sharing Networks

"IWA" music video brings together Saddam Hussein, Idi Amin, the Berlin wall, General Abacha, Arafat, Tony Blair and George Bush

UK-based Nigerian born musician Yanju has released his politically controversial music video IWA on major peer-to-peer networks. The video, encoded with INTENT Media's proprietary technology, will be pushed through search placements in major file sharing applications such as Morpheus, Kazaa and eDonkey. The campaign will also be supported by online marketing campaign conducted by the MusicDish Network, which has already garnered over 1 million downloads for Ms. Cherry's music video "It's Whatever".

"From Nigeria now in the U.K, Yanju mixes up West African, electronic and dance music in a splendid

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 fashion," commented Chris Nickson from Global Riot Idiot. "From the wonderful opening cut, with real tribal rhythm and vocals working over and around techno to slower cuts that are eerily reminiscent of Peter Gabriel (in the best way) this is a stunner of a disc.

BBC World Music noted: "There's far more to Nigerian music than Afro-beat, as Yoruba master percussionist Yanju (IWA's founder) proves on this under-the-radar, 10-tune set of what I'm loathe to call Afro-House (the tag means nothing to me) but would be happy with, say, 'juju, fuji and apala spirits fused with London clubland production ideas' or something equally cumbersome."

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The "IWA" music video is a message to world leaders to respect the democratic aspirations of the very people they govern. The basic message is no one knows what tomorrow will be or bring. The present will judge before history does. The song itself is directed at leaders of all works of life but it uses politics as a video channel to remind society at large not to get power intoxicated.

The video is divided into 3 sections to drive the message home:

Section 1
The first section is about leaders who history has judged. Mandela is shown in true light and respect as a free man because that is what he truly is. He is not free because he was freed by the very system that imprisoned him. He is free because he brought freedom to his people and gave South Africa hope against all odds.

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The video then focuses on Saddam and Idi Amin by portraying them first as glorified leaders and then showing how tragically their power has ended. Idi Amin is symbolized with red and blood all over him because he was an African Hitler.

Section 2
This section focuses on people desire to be free and not to be oppressed and it is shown in the form of people bringing down the Berlin wall which itself was a symbol of repression.

Section 3. The finale
This section focuses on the world leaders who have been truly judged and who are yet to be judged. It uses the very exact real time phrases that the press has used to symbolized and judge these leaders. It opens with the Nigerian fascist despot General Abacha, who barely 24 hours after his death is portrayed as a despot in the Nigerian press.

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Arafat is portrayed as a president even though he wasn't recognized to be one by the world established political machinery of the world because he tried to bring freedom to his people.

It finally ends with question mark on Tony Blair and George Bush against a background of clouds of blood. The question mark is simply a symbol for "yet to be judged"; the clouds of blood in the background signifies the blood of Iraq hanging over Tony Blair and George Bush even though they are yet to be judged. Overriding western interpretation of the video has been freedom. Perhaps because most people in the west feel and live freedom. Perhaps because western media has portrayed developing countries as having a lacking freedom.

This is not so far off from what Yanju intended to communicate. However Africans especially Nigerians who understand the lyrics are instinctively in tune with what it was originally meant to convey.

Provided by the MusicDish Network. Copyright © Tag It 2005 - Republished with Permission