Optimistic Black Soul
Optimistic Black Soul is a Hip Hop group from Dakar, Senegal based in 1989. The group is made up of two members: Didier Sourou Awadi aka DJ Awadi and Amadou Barry aka Doug E. Tee. They’re identified for integrating conventional music into their high-tech beats and rapping in French, English, and Wolof languages. Their music is closely influenced by political and social activism and its shortened identify, PBS, was a play on the Parti Démocratique Sénégalais initialism “PDS”.
The group initially carried out at a music pageant held by the Dakar French Cultural Middle in 1992 and made many impressions. A French rapper MC Solaar was so impressed by their efficiency that he invited them to proceed performing with him in France. Shortly after, PBS put out their first launch named Boul Falé. Following their first launch, the group began touring throughout Europe and the UK and was featured on Baaba Mal’s album. After their explosion, they had been signed with Mango Data and continued touring doing a complete of 130 performances in 1970.
Liberation & Hip Hop
Optimistic Black Soul has promoted political exercise and activism in different areas exterior of their affect by means of hip-hop. The group urged Senegalese folks to take part within the nation’s authorities and vote in elections. PBS additionally decries pictures of Africa within the media, which they view as one-sided. They state: “We need to present the positivity within the black soul. That’s our battle. Africa shouldn’t be solely a land of struggling, distress, warfare, and illness. We’re proud to stay there and we’re not struggling.”They view their chosen medium of rap as an accessible technique to speak about points akin to corruption and politics. AIDS has additionally been featured of their music: one music, “Écoute Fils” (“Hearken to Son”), is written concerning the illness and cautions listeners about its risks.
