Comments on: Staff Benda Bilili

Staff Benda Bilili

flapjax at midnite — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 03:30:19 -0800

The other day I happened to come upon a music video that is just so grooving, so human and so real, that, well, it moved me, darling. Just check it out. After watching the clip, I learned that these guys are mostly disabled by polio (that's why several of them are in those rather unusual wheelchairs) and that they were living on the grounds of the Kinshasa zoo, which is where the clip was filmed. Then I learned that last year they were seeking to bring a lawsuit against the UN. Then I found some other clips. And now I am a major fan of Staff Benda Bilili. And how 'bout that totally awesome ultra-high-pitched musical bow that young man is playing? Is that not the coolest instrument ever? Here's a short interview I found, with UN press officer Kemal Saiki, concerning the allegations against the UN by Staff Benda Bilili. Here's an article concerning African disabled musicians, including Staff Benda Bilili, called Music from the Motherland. And this recent article from The Independent mentions Staff Benda Bilili in its last paragraph. Referring to "Na Lingi Yo" (the tune featured prominently in this FPP) the article says: "It was worth coming all this way just to hear that one song." A blog entry that I came across, on the video, from last year.

By: Abiezer

Abiezer — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 03:45:45 -0800

That is indeed a bit special. You've come up trumps again flapjax. The dispute with the UN looks like the kind of thing that could have been settled amicably with a reasonable goodwill payment before things got out of hand.

By: Countess Elena

Countess Elena — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 03:51:02 -0800

I love it. I wonder what that tiny white instrument is, that he gets such a great sound out of? I should look that up.

By: PeterMcDermott

PeterMcDermott — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 04:00:48 -0800

Is that not the coolest instrument ever? Not only is it the coolest instrument ever, but he's such a virtuoso. Is he hitting the notes simply by introducing tension into the hose? Fantastic post.

By: unSane

unSane — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 04:03:00 -0800

Here's the trailer to the documentary Jupiter's Dance. Just astounding. Best FPP of the year so far!

By: fire&wings

fire&wings — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 04:13:22 -0800

Seriously, that wee lad is amazing. He seems to be getting the pitch just by bending the curved piece of metal, yet he's managing some intricate stuff there. From the start of the video it looks like a painted syrup tin with another piece of metal coming off it and a string tied between. Amazing.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 04:22:59 -0800

unSane, thanks for that link. Gotta see that documentary: fantastic stuff there.

By: jammy

jammy — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 04:37:15 -0800

so grooving, so human and so real so true - thanks much for this

By: Flashman

Flashman — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 04:37:41 -0800

Fantastique.

By: Lord_Pall

Lord_Pall — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 04:48:08 -0800

Wonderful stuff.

By: mediareport

mediareport — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 04:55:35 -0800

MeFi gold. Thanks, flapjax.

By: three blind mice

three blind mice — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 05:02:35 -0800

Fine post flapjax. But the eight members of the Staff Benda Bilili band were paid $50 each. The UN has denied any responsibility for paying royalties. Whatever for? It's not like the UN was "stealing" or anything. The UN just downloaded the tracks from the copy that the World Bank has. P2P between friends. Those kids still have their song. It was like "fair use" or something. Those kids should be grateful for the publicity. The greedy bastards. It's artists like this that are killing innovation. Isn't that how it goes?

By: SpecialK

SpecialK — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 05:03:11 -0800

Wow, that was excellent! Thanks!

By: pjern

pjern — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 05:08:21 -0800

Thanks, flapjax! that was an amazing video. I wonder why there's no page for Staff Benda Bilili in the English (US) Wikipedia?

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 05:10:15 -0800

Here's the Belle Kinoise Productions MySpace page. They are responsible for the "Jupiter's Dance" film that unSane linked to above. They tell me (via MySpace mail) that there's a Staff Benda Bilili film set for release in January 2009. Meanwhile, there's one Staff Benda Bilili tune on the music player at their page ("Avramandole") , as well as three tunes from the Jupiter's Dance guy.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 05:14:07 -0800

And, a slightly belated link to the Staff Benda Bilili MySpace Music page.

By: 23skidoo

23skidoo — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 05:29:55 -0800

Yeah, that was cool. If anyone finds out anything more about that white one string thing, please post it here. I so want one.

By: PeterMcDermott

PeterMcDermott — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 05:53:26 -0800

Isn't that how it goes? I think the parallels are here akin to a story that long predates peer to peer filesharing: Independent record producer meets poor, downtrodden but hugely talented artists. Producer pays said talented artists a flat fee of $50 to make a record. Record hits number one. Artists get their $50, producer gets his $5 million. But obviously Staff Benda Bilili have realized that they'll only ever get shafted under such arrangements and have decided to make their material freely available on YouTube and MySpace until they build a market.

By: three blind mice

three blind mice — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 06:08:48 -0800

Independent record producer meets poor, downtrodden but hugely talented artists. Producer pays said talented artists a flat fee of $50 to make a record. It was 400 bucks ($50 for each member), but if that's the case what's their beef? If not for the producer, they'd still be talented, but $400 poorer and still unknown. And 50 bucks per head the producer paid is more than anyone will pay them to consume their music over YouTube or Myspace. The "market" you speak of does not exist. On the other hand, if Youtube and MySpace had to pay royalties like ANY OTHER COMMERCIAL RADIO STATION, the artists might actually have a chance to earn a living from their work. But I digress. It's great stuff and I wish that these kids could get some coin from the people who enjoy their work. Thanks to Western Internet Colonialists who want their content for free, that ain't likely to gonna happen.

By: Lynx

Lynx — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 06:22:04 -0800

While looking for more songs, I found a site that lists many African music videos, sorted by artist or country. There are some dead links, but most seem to work.

By: languagehat

languagehat — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 06:40:26 -0800

Great music, great post. Thanks, flapjax! From the interview: The UN and the independent electoral commission had a budget of $500 million for the elections. Couldn't you have slipped them a little something for helping to boost democracy in the Congo? We made no contract or commitment to them and have absolutely no responsibility in that matter. Classy.

By: Hildegarde

Hildegarde — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 06:57:09 -0800

Um...I'm all about free music, but I would pay them for tracks. Without a second thought. Is there an album somewhere I can buy?

By: Falconetti

Falconetti — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 07:24:13 -0800

supercool

By: PeterMcDermott

PeterMcDermott — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 07:59:41 -0800

If not for the producer, they'd still be talented, but $400 poorer and still unknown. Maybe Muddy Waters can teach them how to paint ceilings for their record company, to tide them over when they've spent their $50 apiece. On the other hand, if Youtube and MySpace had to pay royalties like ANY OTHER COMMERCIAL RADIO STATION, the artists might actually have a chance to earn a living from their work. Ask Muddy how much he saw in royalties -- despite having half his of back catalogue selling millions in Led Zeppelin cover versions.

By: allkindsoftime

allkindsoftime — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 08:11:56 -0800

Posts like these are what makes Metafilter so great. Too bad they're so few and far between.

By: owhydididoit

owhydididoit — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 08:28:57 -0800

:-*

By: batmonkey

batmonkey — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 08:38:03 -0800

Gorgeous & emotional. Well done. Great links, important stuff. Thanks, f@m.

By: scruss

scruss — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 10:41:34 -0800

Countess Elena, PeterMcDermott: looks like the kid is playing a variant on a tension banjo. He's got the can resonator under his right arm, and pulling on the hose tensions the string. What I'm not clear on is where the string joins the can. However it's made, he's really good on it. Best I've ever got out of a tension banjo is a nasty squarking noise.

By: readery

readery — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 10:42:24 -0800

Listened to this quickly this morning - HAD to come back to it, they are that infectious. Thanks, Flapjax!

By: nosila

nosila — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 11:26:24 -0800

Is there an album somewhere I can buy? You can buy a documentary here that appears to be about a guy named Jupiter and his band Okwess International. Here is the Naxos page. They are somehow affiliated with Staff Benda Bilili through belle kinoise, who is promoting the documentary. Their website has a lot of videos that are fricking awesome. Anyway, when you buy the dvd, you get an album with it. Woot! Thanks, flapjax, for the delicious can o' worms!

By: nosila

nosila — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 11:28:10 -0800

Wow...check out this one. Amazing!

By: nosila

nosila — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 11:43:15 -0800

Oops...sorry. Missed that last one in the original FTP. I'm waaay over-zealous about this music.

By: progosk

progosk — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 12:50:46 -0800

Sounds like King Sunny Ade (the vocals) meets Konono N°1 - love it (thx flapjx). A few more (black) African videos here. Oh, and, PeterMcD: ultimately, the Lomax-Mbube saga did end in Solomon Lima's favour...

By: Mike D

Mike D — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 14:12:07 -0800

"We will be the most famous disabled band of Africa". I'm thinking maybe they already are. As for having their music cribbed without any subsequent royalty payment, well, it wouldn't be the first time.

By: Mike D

Mike D — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 14:28:08 -0800

"You can buy a documentary here that appears to be about a guy named Jupiter and his band Okwess International. Here is the Naxos page. They are somehow affiliated with Staff Benda Bilili through belle kinoise, who is promoting the documentary. Their website has a lot of videos that are fricking awesome. Anyway, when you buy the dvd, you get an album with it. Woot!" And thanks a bunch for that signpost, Nosila. Hopped over to Amazon and ordered it solely on the strength of its "Chapter" descriptions and the links punctuating the original post and this discussion. Heavens to Murgatroyd, I do love the internet!

By: lupus_yonderboy

lupus_yonderboy — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 14:40:45 -0800

I often show up around here to complain how people's music doesn't shape up :-D but I love this stuff - the tension banjo player is simply delicious. Interestingly enough, their tuning in general is very good; generally in Africa they're much more informal about matters of tuning than in the West (you have to get used to it). Great post, favorited!

By: Mike D

Mike D — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 14:42:09 -0800

Progosk: "Oh, and, PeterMcD: ultimately, the Lomax-Mbube saga did end in Solomon Lima's favour..." According to that Wiki item, the agreement rolls some money into a trust. Not quite clear where it goes from there. But given that Solomon Linda died a pauper despite a bazillion dollars' being earned by "Weemoway" and its subsequent incarnation as "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", I don't think there's any way you can characterize the outcome as having been in Solomon Linda's favour... except for the fact that his grave finally has a headstone.

By: nosila

nosila — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 15:42:19 -0800

Me too, Mike D. Me too. (And I also love it when people say "Heavens to Murgatroyd.")

By: progosk

progosk — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 17:01:20 -0800

"...the agreement rolls some money into a trust." Too late, surely - but the settlement (CNN apparently pegged it at 25% on past and future royalties on sales) and its provisions are a nice turn of events nonetheless.

By: mrducts

mrducts — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 17:20:30 -0800

This is GREAT! Thanks!

By: fungible

fungible — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 17:23:28 -0800

Weird, I was just looking up some facts about Kinshasa yesterday. I liked this little bit in Wikipedia: Kinshasa is officially nicknamed “Kin la Belle” (Kinshasa The Beautiful), but since the collapse of public services and neglect some of its residents have ironically changed the nickname into “Kin la Poubelle” (Kinshasa the Garbage). Sexa Machina!

By: nmr8

nmr8 — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 17:55:37 -0800

how does that go again? oh yeah, "ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for you country." 70% turnout at an election?? in africa??! be proud, not litigious.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 19:05:18 -0800

be proud, not litigious. You know, one can be simultaneously proud of one's accomplishments AND expect to be fairly compensated for your efforts. Did you miss the part about how these musicians made a grand total of $50 dollars each? That's called exploitation. They clearly deserve better compensation from the people who recorded and distributed the song.

By: Wolof

Wolof — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 19:34:35 -0800

Wow!

By: ZachsMind

ZachsMind — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 20:30:39 -0800

[speechless]

By: progosk

progosk — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 03:40:40 -0800

BBC has the incriminated song (realplayer). Not sure whether it's the full version, but to call it "one of their sweetest jams" (vice) is perhaps overstating it slightly.

By: progosk

progosk — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 03:50:40 -0800

Also: the one-stringed instrument you see 14-year-old Roger Landu playing is his invention; he calls it a satongue.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 07:50:44 -0800

progosk, yeah man, nice detective work! Thanks a lot for those links!