African in the World I: Alpha

3.0 credits · Graduate

There have been speculations, both founded and unfounded, about African positions on the Middle East. As an integral part of the international community, Africa as a whole has maintained keen interest in global politics from the end of World War II to the Cold War and beyond. This interest reached individuals as well. Notoriously, Alpha Blondy, the Ivorian singer and graduate of University of Columbia, dedicated his life to raising awareness on issues ranging from poverty, the corruption of public morality, and war. Three of his songs – Masada, Jerusalem, and Dieu – appeared between the two Palestinian Intifadas. This course pertains to concerns expressed then Blondy and likeminded African artists that a tragedy was in the making the region. It is based exclusively on the content and evaluations of the content of these three songs.