Allegory of an Afropolitan

Between You and I... there is something missing 

we both know that there is something missing 

that we might probably not find in this generation. 

we know that there is something that burns, 

much more stronger than what we attach ourselves to. 

Do you think there are flames that 

burns so fast and last longer? 

America burned really fast to catch up with 

her first cousin, Europe. 

America has become a monster that needed 

to be re-born in order to get things right again. 

between you and i 

Africa has been seen and told from western eyes, 

unconsciousely we tend to see ourselves 

from the slants of the western judgement 

and you and i continue to dance 

around these laid down stereotypes. 

let you and i ask each other, 

if auto-mobile was made by Africans. 

what would have been the speed limit. 

cos we tend to run too fast, 

shall we last long with this pace? 

we are becoming uncivilized 

of our proper civilization 

with the hope of catching up 

with this capitalist world 

in the shadows of globalization. 

the title of my presentation in school 

as part of my final year degree. 

is AFROPOLITAN 

African and citizen of the world. 

though the autorities claim i'm not African enough 

i'm not making them realize that we live on trees 

that i tend to be blind to the fact that 

Africans are dying of DISEASES and HUNGER. 

that there is an issue of child soldier 

that Africa strongly need to catch up with the world 

because we are retarded. 

i think there is something missing again 

that i might probably not find. 

but let me say it to them in the simpliest way. 

and showing them simple images

like the way i was thought in nursery school. 

This is Ali, 

Ali is a boy 

This is Simbi, 

Simbi is a girl. 

Simple right? 

I think teaching was made easy to the highest level 

in nursery school days. 

PS: nursery school teachers needed. 

This is Africa 

Africa is not my country! 

the Africa you know, is in the media 

Thats not Africa! 

This is Lagos 

if Lagos is as dangerous as you portray it 

there won't be 14 million inhabitants remaining in it! 

AFROPOLITAN is here at home 

not in the artificial luxeries of London 

nor in the pitiful paradise of Paris 

but in the whispering desert of Lagos. 

a lake fresh for new ideas, that will spring up 

to find the alternative to a self-fascist way of living 

that might just be the saving grace and hope for the future. 

A white friend asked me yesterday, 

how do i manage to be happy always... 

you and i know that this is a question 

i have never came across in my entire childhood 

in Lagos that even seem more fun.

 

when i am in Europe 

i'm not an African, i'm YORUBA 

when i'm in Lagos 

i'm not YORUBA, i'm an African... 

its time to turn around clichés

use them to our own advantage

The Afropolis is still not big enough

we will keep on the pilgrimage of advocacy

keep going away with our roots or roofs

or perhaps with our peper pot

"do we need cola-cola to dance?" 

is a project i did around 6 countries of africa in summer 2007 

Lagos, Cairo, Jo'burg, Maputo, Nairobi and Yaounde. 

to retrace a path, that may lead to the discovery 

of the things i find missing 

watchout for the amazing documentary film 

that followed this revolutionary jest.