Interview with the winners of the 2011 Scène Ouverte Rap competition. BEFOR

 



Created in 2001, the rap trio, Befor, consists of Abdoul-hak Soumaïla, known as Machiavel, Moctar Alassane, known as Mocasse, and Harouna Garba. The first time they participated in the SOR (Scène Ouverte Rap) competition was in 2006. In 2010, they won third place before winning this year.


FOFO:What theme did you choose for the competition this year?



BEFOR:We chose the theme of immigration.



 



FOFO:Are you happy that you won?



BEFOR:Of course! We are very satisfied, especially since this is our fifth year of participating in the competition. We have come a long way to get where we are now. This competition is beneficial for rappers; it really helps Nigerien rappers. We hope it will continue as it has been.



 



FOFO:How has SOR evolved since you first became involved?



BEFOR:In previous years, the Scène Ouvert Rap competition received support from a lot of partners, but this year, it seems like they were much less numerous. We can't confirm that this competition is declining with each year, but we are convinced that it's thanks to Scène Ouverte Rap that Nigerien rap is still alive.



 



FOFO:Does being a winner give you any specific privileges?



BEFOR:We are going to do a national tour programmed to start on August 8, and the production of our album will be supported.



 



FOFO:How many groups were there at the competition this year?



BEFOR:Ten rap groups were on the list of candidates, one of which was from Maradi and another from Tahoua.



 



FOFO:Where are you in your carrier?



BEFOR:Our first single was called 'Rap Gono' (rap exists in the Zarma language). Today, we have an album of 12 titles. It's an album about awareness and denunciation.



 



FOFO:Isn't SOR for groups who don't have albums?



BEFOR:Yes, in order to participate in this year's competition, we did not release our album beforehand.



 



FOFO:What do you think of our Hip Hop?



BEFOR: Today, Nigerien hip hop is in decline. There is nothing new, everything sounds the same. The artists don't have a creative spirit. In order for this movement to go forward, rappers need to stop hoping for the support of the Ministry or someone else. We just need to work.



 



FOFO:What are your projects?



BEFOR: We plan to record some songs featuring others. We have already started with the star, Fati Mariko. We introduce and supervise young hip hop artists every year, for example, Mireille, from the group Bachaka, who won the competition last year. 



Traduction: Irene Waggener 






Thursday, September 01, 2011