‘Makeba’ by Jain

Jesus but this flammably catchy song by French songsmith Jain has been raging through my brain these last weeks.  Although… I think I want to recommend the video as much as the song, which is smart and stylish and sassy and just puts a smile on my face every time I’m trying to recover from seeing what new shitstorm has just been unleashed on Twitter today.

Talking of potential shitstorms on Twitter, my spidey-senses tell me that there may be an element of cultural misappropriation going on here.  (The lyric “I want to feel oppressed without any rest” — if that’s what she’s actually singing — does make me a bit uneasy.)

Luckily for me, I am utterly unqualified to make that call myself.  In order to do that you need to know (1) how much claim a person has to a particular culture, and (2) a lot about that particular culture.  And in this case I know neither.

And anyway, I think it all makes sense in the context of a song: a joyous celebration of the life and work of Miriam Makeba.  Who was awesome.  (And seeing as it’s always the norm to tear any young female solo artist to shreds for the slightest transgression, why don’t we buck the trend here?)

Current Favourite Aspect:

The buttery biscuit bass.

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