Blakk Rasta's Obama "Theme Song" In Ghana

The New York Times writes up what it calls a "theme song for Obama's Ghana visit."

The theme song of the last stop may have been provided by a Reggae singer named Blakk Rasta, whose song, "Barack Obama," was played constantly during an arrival breakfast in Accra, Ghana, and had a way of staying in the head long after the travelers left.

The main refrain of the song was just a lyrical rendition of the president's name, over and over: "Barack, Barack, Barack Obama." The rest was a proud celebration of the first African-American president -- "As you keep the fire burning, black president..." -- flavored with some in

Read more here, or watch the music video for Blakk Rasta's "Barack Obama."

Comments

[loveobamas]

I like it,I can hear this playing in the clubs.

[naturallight]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cV7BUB9f_oY

Rasta Nah Apologize to no batty boi
in a lake of fire me dash you, ahoy!

Rasta gets bad rep b/c they do not accept homosexuality. They are on a Caribbean Island. Haiti has extremely high HIV rates. They do not want to be like Haiti. This is a matter of survival for them as they see homosexuality as a mortal threat, Sort of like the 80's AIDS bashing and jokes in the U.S. Except they are poor, landlocked, and have no one to speak for them besides Rasta leaders. They ultimately fear bisexual men who may have sex and spread the disease to straight women and on and on and on........ It is survival not "political correctness" . In case you heard bad things is why I wrote this. Jamaican Rasta or "maroons" are the ONLY successful slave revolt in the world. Raspect in every aspect. True freedom fighters!

[The Ghost]

Oh bullsh*t.

Just more bigotry hiding behind religion.

[MadDemocrat]

Wow is that lame. No wonder they live in Ghana.

[KYJurisDoctor]

Yea Mon, me like the reggae stylie!

[hekimanimali]

This song has been around for minute.....just now dem recognize it? Cocoa Tea a also make a greater Obama chune. Check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPIMkDjzAlc

[Khirad]

This will be popping up in my head later today, I just know it.

[wired]

a provision in the 2008 farm bill (which Obama voted for):
"But perhaps the most egregious item in the new farm bill relates to international food aid. A longstanding provision governing U.S. food aid to foreign countries requires that all the food America sends abroad be purchased from American farmers. This means that, however much we allocate toward international food aid, a chunk of the money goes toward transporting food from the U.S. to its final destination. In light of an increasing food-scarcity problem in less-developed countries, the Bush administration asked Congress to help cut down on transportation costs by allowing the food-aid program to purchase 25 percent of the food it distributes overseas from local farmers in destination countries. This would have allowed the U.S. to provide more food for starving people for same amount of money. Bowing to the American farm lobby, Congress refused."

[Paladine]

I love it! Very catchy...

[Gunga-Din]

Boring

[loveobamas]

It's boring because you don't understand it.

[kimarley]

Well, seeing that I am Jamaican and reggae is my forte' --- I absolutely love the song, especially the chorus!

Very Catchy! 4/5 Stars!

"Barack, Barack, Barack Obama" !!

[ElsaIndy]

It's going to be a different song waiting for him in the USA....

[ProudlyConservative42]

That's wonderful.

[roshni]

Love it!

[c0mm0ntater]

Did Peter Baker of the NYT actually read or listen to the lyrics? This song is not "a proud celebration of the first African-American president." It a rebuke and a plea for action. It suggests that a black man as president is a sign that we're in the end times. It's critical of Obama's views on social issues and America's use of bombs. He calls Obama "idiot bwoy" for using the words, "God bless America," and warns him that there are two-faced people ready to destroy him. It urges him to use his power to lift Africa out of poverty instead of joining with the people with the "fake" smiles.

[boolala]

I think Peter Baker probably listened to the remix (below), even though he linked to the original.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9qf9yq6Q1I

In the remix he does seem to change the lyrics from judgement for legalizing abortions in America to "legalizing unnecessary abortions in Africa" and the other singer on the track is much less skeptical about Obama:

This is not politricks, this is reality...

Do you hear the trumpet sound, sounding from the East?
Obama come fi trample the beast, yea.

Black people, white people,
All of the people say Barack Obama.

But I agree with you that "proud celebration of the first African-American president" is not a good description.

[ghtrains]

Wrong. Never in this song is there a statement that a black man as president is a sign of the end times. The entire stanza is a warning to Obama to watch out. The lyrics are:
9-11 was de beginning of satan endtime
Baptising black americans in a bitter juice of lime
Making sure no black man in a america will see his prime
In a dis ya time a black american president a great sign
Too long dem disrespect blacks and africans combined
pon black peoples flesh and blood,de kuklax clan love fi dine
Watch out Barack Obama and intensify ya power turbine
Or else breddren Obama,your dark days will never sublime

[c0mm0ntater]

ghtrains, it sounds like we have a different interpretation of the same stanza. I interpret the sentence, "9-11 was de beginning of satan endtime," as an indication that we are now in the apocalyptic end of days. How one interprets the sentence, "in dis ya time a black american president a great sign" depends on what you think "in dis ya time" and "great sign" mean. I take it to mean "in today's end time a black american president is a great sign [of the end time.]" I suppose someone could take it as meaning a "great sign" of progress for those of African descent. I think that's a less likely interpretation as I don't see any indication that the lyricist thinks the election of Obama signaled that we're out of the end time and living in the millennium. The lyricist seems suspicious that Obama was elected by the monied class that has never showed much love for Africans in the past. I share your interpretion that Obama is being warned.

[TazoWolf]

I like it!