Wake Up Africa! Leve-toi, Afrique!
SummaryText
The Leve-toi, Afrique! (Wake Up Africa!) song is the centerpiece of the Wake-Up! Africa campaign. Recorded in French and local African languages, the lyrics call on listeners to become aware of the risks of AIDS, to minimise those risks by taking specific actions (practicing fidelity, using condoms, knowing their HIV status) and to increase the acceptance of and compassion for People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWA). The music draws on West and Central Africa’s rich cultural heritage. The infectious beats of the Congo provide the underlying rhythm. In addition to the song, the campaign included a music video, seven TV and radio spots and a “behind the scenes” magazine/documentary.
The goal of the Wake-Up! campaign was to motivate listeners to take personal responsibility to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS by protecting themselves. Given the popularity of music among young people, the primary target audience for the campaign was urban youth in the four SFPS target countries: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire and Togo. However, given the extent of the campaign’s reach, it is clear that many “older” youth were also reached by the song’s important messages.
Participants included Papa Wemba, Koffi Olimide, Tshala Muana, Meiway, Aisha Kone and Nayanka Bell, all of whom dedicated their time and contributed their unique talents to the project. While acknowledging the devastation caused by AIDS, the song’s tone is one of hope and resilience. The beats behind the words are eminently danceable, but the urgency of the messages cannot be ignored.
The music video shows scenes of the artists in the recording studio, demonstrators demanding better care for PLWA, street scenes of Abidjan and highlights of the 10th International Conference on STD/AIDS in Africa (ICASA), where the song had its debut. The TV and radio spots contain a key section of the song and testimonials edited from lengthier interviews with the artists. Since the spots were not scripted, the musicians can be heard speaking from their hearts about an issue that is near to many of them.
Each spot addresses one of the Wake-Up! messages: promotion of condom use (three spots); mutual fidelity (one spot), importance of the well being of PLWA (one spot), importance of HIV testing/knowing one’s status (two spots). Additional portions of the interviews with the musicians can be heard during the magazine programme, which gives viewers insight into the process of making the song as well as why the musicians chose to participate.
Click here for more information on the material.
The goal of the Wake-Up! campaign was to motivate listeners to take personal responsibility to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS by protecting themselves. Given the popularity of music among young people, the primary target audience for the campaign was urban youth in the four SFPS target countries: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire and Togo. However, given the extent of the campaign’s reach, it is clear that many “older” youth were also reached by the song’s important messages.
Participants included Papa Wemba, Koffi Olimide, Tshala Muana, Meiway, Aisha Kone and Nayanka Bell, all of whom dedicated their time and contributed their unique talents to the project. While acknowledging the devastation caused by AIDS, the song’s tone is one of hope and resilience. The beats behind the words are eminently danceable, but the urgency of the messages cannot be ignored.
The music video shows scenes of the artists in the recording studio, demonstrators demanding better care for PLWA, street scenes of Abidjan and highlights of the 10th International Conference on STD/AIDS in Africa (ICASA), where the song had its debut. The TV and radio spots contain a key section of the song and testimonials edited from lengthier interviews with the artists. Since the spots were not scripted, the musicians can be heard speaking from their hearts about an issue that is near to many of them.
Each spot addresses one of the Wake-Up! messages: promotion of condom use (three spots); mutual fidelity (one spot), importance of the well being of PLWA (one spot), importance of HIV testing/knowing one’s status (two spots). Additional portions of the interviews with the musicians can be heard during the magazine programme, which gives viewers insight into the process of making the song as well as why the musicians chose to participate.
Click here for more information on the material.
Languages
English and French
Source
Johns Hopkins University website on August 3 2005.
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