Wanga’s backstory mixed into this video from a joke is hilarious. He’s got it hard, but I think he made the right choice. He’s got some mad skillz, and Ninja’s explanation of Wanga’s background peaked my interest. I’m a linguist, and I’ve heard of Xhosa dialect. I’m going to look up Xhosa culture and find out now what Wanga’s people are all about.

And to anyone thinking Ninja’s a crazy loon- he seems quite intelligent and chill to me. Read his interview- the weird art I like is all his doing.

I am going to start using UMNQUNDUWAKHO at every chance I get.

And damn, it’s awesome.

If their album downloads come with a .txt of lyrics and translations, or if those are on their site, then I’m downloading one through a legitimate, money-costing source.

So glad to see Afrikaans and Xhosa ripping it harder than any of those American posers!

Fokken giftig, moenie stop die zef flow nie…

1. To the “is-she/is-she-not a vision of female empowerment” discussion: I read Yolandi’s actions in the video as making a statement about refusing intercourse with someone who doesn’t carry a condom (neither in the pocket nor in the wallet). That’s a pretty empowering statement, especially in the context of SA. I.e., she exercises her mastery over the physical situation via the metaphors of restraint and control (blindfold, shackles, “spell casting”), and then continues that same theme of mastery by examining her partner’s pockets and wallet – alas, “all this paper”, but no prophylactics. In the end, she rejects her suitor’s advances in order to protect herself. That’s a statement about strength and integrity if ever I saw one. (Although I’m still sort of unclear about what the white rat suit is all about.)

2. I don’t read the “sneaky prawn” reference as a District 9 thing per se; I think of it as a reference to the Parkmore prawns that are all over the place. I could be wrong, though.

Just my silly little thoughts on what is clearly an arresting and brilliant feat of performance art. I love the multiple layers of meaning, I love the reclaiming of Afrikaans for a new genre of music and a new generation of activists, and I love the mash up of amazing rap, insider humor and a satirical punk aesthetic.

*cough*

Feminism is the radical notion that women should be allowed to choose what to do with their own lives. Just because /you/ would not seduce and then exploit (in an artistic piece with layers of meaning and ironic-upon-ironic reversion and inversion) a man who is seeking to exploit /you/, does not mean that it’s wrong for Yo-landi to do so*.

Strong women come to their own conclusions, make their own art, make their own statements, and if you merely see an advocacy of women to rely on their looks, then I believe you are perhaps not reading the text closely enough. I urge you to read it — not as an American, European, Canadian, what-have-you — but in the context that it was written (eisegesis, as opposed to exegesis).

In any case, it is — and this is inarguably factual and reasonable to anyone who can read American English — your value judgements and your opinion do not change who and what /she/ is, they merely change who and what /you/ are.

*(again, depicting the act to comment on the act and make aware the dichotomy between the genders is no more an advocacy of the act, than depicting a swastika to comment on it and make aware the dichotomy between white supremacists’ enjoyment of privilege and other people’s enjoyment of rights is not an advocacy of the Nazi’s policies.)

(postscript: I hope you put that Internet in escrow. I might decide to claim it.)

And the only one being criticised is the prick.

The original footnote was making my brain hurt for some reason and it was only after hitting “submit” that it dawned on me.

I actually laughed out loud (for reals) when I read that one – though I heard his name in there…

Being born Afrikaans, we naturally will learn one or more other language very quickly, without formal instruction. (I recall my parents told me I learned English from Masters of the Universe cartoon on TV. :P)

When in your twenties, as an Afrikaner, you will be fluent in English; most likely without instruction be able to understand dutch entirely, be able to follow German without difficulty and keep track of a dialog in one or more Black native languages, prominent in your area. (For me it’s seTswana and seSotho, with very little isiZulu here and there.)

With many of my friends, a conversation will often switch between 3 different languages, sometimes where I can respond in the same language, sometimes not. Luckily we can pick from many languages to keep a conversation going. :)