By stripping songs of their political and cultural elements, are DJs and producers—often from Western cultures—engaging in a form of cultural erasure? Yaaba Funk frontman and vocalist Richmond Kessie, aka Chief Commander Yaaba, shares his opinion.
In the dynamic world of music, DJs and producers play pivotal roles in shaping how we experience sound. One of the most intriguing aspects of their craft is the art of the edit— by taking a song and transforming it not necessarily to convey its original message, but to amplify its groove and fit the context of a live set or a specific vibe. This practice raises questions about the relationship between music, its creators, and its audience.
The practice of editing songs for the groove has its roots in the early days of disco, where DJs/producers would create extended versions of tracks to keep people dancing longer.
At its core, an edit involves modifying a track to enhance its rhythmic elements, ensuring it aligns better with the energy of a DJ’s set or the expectations of a particular audience. This can include extending a beat, isolating, or repeating a hook, or even cutting out certain verses entirely.
The goal is to create a version of the song that maintains its core appeal but is more suited to the dancefloor or is radio friendly. These edits were not about the song's message but about maintaining the energy on the dancefloor. This tradition has carried through to modern genres like house, techno, and electronic dance music (EDM), where the focus is often on the rhythm and the collective experience of the crowd.
Culture of fast consumption
A recent phenomenon is DJs choosing to play a small portion of a song, often focusing on the most recognisable and energetic parts, such as the chorus.
By doing this, they ensure that the audience gets a burst of familiarity and excitement without the DJ having to commit to the full track. This approach plays into the current culture of fast consumption, where listeners desire quick and immediate satisfaction.
However, when DJs and producers focus on the groove rather than the message, they're prioritising the physical response of the audience over the lyrical content. This approach can sometimes strip away the original intent of a song, which might have been written to convey
a specific story or emotion.
Removing the cultural meaning
Take, for example, the music of Fela Anikulapo Kuti, the legendary Nigerian musician and pioneer of Afrobeat. Kuti's songs are rich with political messages, addressing issues like corruption, colonialism, and social injustice, and are deeply embedded with cultural references specific to Nigeria and Africa.
A DJ or a producer might edit one of his tracks and focus on the vibrant, brass-heavy chorus of the song, bypassing the more complex verses that carry detailed political messages and cultural references. This selective playing further shifts the focus from the song's deeper meanings to its immediate danceability and crowd pleasing elements to electrify the dancefloor.
More recently, this art of editing has been applied to some of Gyedu-Blay Ambolley, the Ghanaian Highlife music legend's, work from his 2017 album 'Ketan'. Ambolley's songs, also known for their rich lyrical content and cultural narratives, have been edited to remove all lyrical content, leaving only the instrumental grooves.
This transformation highlights the infectious rhythms and melodic structures inherent in his music, allowing DJs to incorporate the tracks into their sets while focusing purely on the groove. While this approach will undoubtedly introduce Ambolley's music to new audiences, who might be more attuned to the dance elements, it also strips away the storytelling and cultural references that are central to his work.
Ambolley, like Kuti, is not just about the groove but also about the message By stripping away these messages, DJs and producers might unintentionally undermine the artists' intent to inspire social and political change through their music.
Editing a song for the groove does raise ethical considerations. Some purists argue that altering a song in such a way can disrespect the original artist's intent and strip away important cultural references.
Others contend that music is a living, breathing entity that evolves with its audience. The key is often in the balance—respecting the original work while allowing it to adapt and flourish in new environments. What are your thoughts?
Richmond has been performing as part of Afrobeat, funk, and jazz band Yaaba Funk since 2006 with fellow vocalist Helen (Lady Yaaba) McDonald when the band was established in Brixton, London.
The music features West African inspired rhythm section, deep analogue synth basslines, intricate guitar work which ranges from ‘psychedelic Highlife’ and funk to dub and horns which go from tight funk lines to deep Sun Ra jazz.
Yaaba Funk’s first album Afrobeast was released on the Yaabaphone label in 2010 and 'My vote dey count', was released in 2014 and the band continues to perform in and around the UK and Europe.
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