Djeli pop
| Djeli pop | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Honorine Uwineza, considered by many to be one of the founders of the genre | |
| Native name | 𞤔𞤫𞤤𞤭𞤺𞤢𞤤𞤤𞤮𞤤 |
| Other names | Hourege pop |
| Stylistic origins |
|
| Cultural origins | 20th century modernisation of Ndjarendie traditional music |
| Typical instruments | |
| Fusion genres | |
| Regional scenes | |
Djeli pop is a genre of popular music originating in Bahia. The modern conception of the genre became prevalent in the 1980s with the popularity of the genre amongst the Bahian diaspora, in particular the success of Garamburan artist Chloe Kolisi, but its original forms can be traced back to the mid 1960s in Mabifia where such music was seen as a way of combining traditional sounds with modern, especially Euclean, techniques as a revolt against the socialist regime of Fuad Onika. It is marked by its usage not only of traditional instruments such as the balafon, but also Euclean instruments like the electric guitar and even digital music software in contemporary pieces.
Despite its origins in the traditional Bélé Houregic caste, Djeli pop was quickly adopted by singers of other ethnic backgrounds. Its first star was Honorine Uwineza, an ethnically Barobyi singer who saw limited international success, but due to Mabifia's international isolation the genre remained highly local until its adoption by Garamburan artists in the 1970s. Thanks to the international connections of Sainte-Germaine, Djeli pop was able to attain international success. While Garamburan Djeli pop was initially related to the independence struggle due to its Mabifian links, it eventually became associated with the Pan-Bahian movement. This has continued to the modern day, and despite the prevalence of diasporic artists the focus of Djeli pop remains an embrace of Bahian traditions and pride in Bahian culture. Its popularity is not constrained to the Bahian population and diaspora, as its association with anti-imperialism and urban culture has led to the rise of a subculture in several Euclean nations.
History
Origins
The Djeli is a social caste which has existed for centuries in Mabifia. Under the Houregic system they were classed with other Artisanal castes, meaning that for the most part they were enslaved either to a merchant or Djelitier, the name given to a djeli who had managed to earn his freedom and led a troupe of musicians and trained them. Unlike other enslaved groups the Djelis were normally more or less free to move around and many had relationships with their owners closer to modern wage labour. With the fall of the Hourege system following Euclean colonisation, the relatively unofficial nature of the Djeli caste led to its continuation as a hereditary tradition of wandering musicians.
In the industrialisation which came in the early stages of Fuad Onika's regime in Mabifia, many rural people flocked to the cities in order to seek employment opportunities. With this urban influx came several Djelis, who came into contact with more Euclean musical techniques. The Villes nouvelles established in order to sustain the new industries became fertile breeding grounds for new social movements. One such movement was the Djeli pop movement, which attracted the youths who were growing up in these planned cities. Having been taken away from more traditional rural life and the stories told by their elders at a young age and thrust into a flawed socialist system plagued by shortages and persecution, they began to idolise traditional Bahian life and society. At the same time, their exposure to Euclean ideals and culture via contraband increased their taste for this. The result was a hybrid of Bahian traditional music and Euclean pop and Rock, characterised by strongly political lyrical themes and soothing rythyms.
Rise of Uwineza
Club Mambiza
Into the mainstream
Modern day
Controversies
Accusations of historical revisionism
.JPG)
One of the major modern faces of pan-Bahianism in global pop culture, Mabifian-Gaullican artist Djeïne came under criticism in 2018 for remarks made at a concert in Verlois. She claimed to be the "Houregess of pop music", and when asked to explain the title went on to describe the system in a way that was described as "historically revisionist to the extreme, to the point of depicting the Houregic system as vastly superior to modern Bahia" and claiming that Bahian slavery was "humane, and a part of Bahian culture which should not have been erased by the colonists". Facing widespread criticism in Euclean media, she later claimed that the remarks were taken out of context but did not offer any further explanation and instead claimed that she was being vilified for her race. Several popular radio stations removed her songs from air, but overall sales of her music increased by 4% in the three months after the event.