There are many reasons to like JJC’s We Are Africans; a positive, inclusive and unhesitatingly pan-Africanist message, contributions from several rappers, including women rappers and a music video for the remix featuring the wonderful Femi Kuti that was made in Lagos, that could have easily been made in London, with less complexity and almost certainly at lower cost.

So, everything works about this creative endeavour, except for one vital detail: the song. Much of the music from ‘Anglophone’ West African nations (in other words, those formerly colonised by the British) has developed into a generic, heavily American influenced sound. This recording in its various versions is no exception. The Femi Kuti remix amply demonstrates the folly of this. His characteristically fluid saxophone solo is drowned in a poor mix and sounds like the afterthought it most likely is; a sad waste of great talent.

I have no doubt that the various versions of this recording will be played by many people for many years to come. This is a good thing, because the message contained in the music is a worthy one. However, I cannot help wishing that the music matched the message.

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