unterpoint: Nigeria eria May Be A Develo taking West African His- of the human ping Nati T've been fascinated the Nigerians don't It rich cultural stereos or CDs: need money for all in pestry that is

unterpoint: Nigeria
eria May Be A Develo
taking West African His-
of the human
ping Nati
T've been fascinated the
Nigerians don't
It
rich cultural
stereos or CDs:
need money
for
all in
pestry that is
music! Along with
make
their own
stilt
ances
Nigeria. Profes-
а huge
of
8 their
the
Culture
drums, traditional
instruments in.
Palm
sor Olson really
clude many kinds
The Ubakata
But for
Wee
Opened my eyes
Phones, and wooden
of flutes, хую-
SONS Of the yam
the
thing
to Nigerian
Music
yam har
complishments
all aspects of life there, in.
in art, music,
cluding public аззеты
lies,
while wearing
49.
weddings, funerals,
and sti
these huge intricately
and
literature.
sessions. In fact, in Nigeria,
Music lit-
that
of
‘What incred-
Of course, 1 would
will
ibly cool place:
erally is a language: Giant slit drums
ing racist ste:
Only be to
With of
It's sad how
are used to relay messages between
about Nigerians
villages situated along river systems.
dancing.
Playing drums and
‘this king
sauce foe
Sipping tes,
dwell on the nega-
(At first, I figured it was like Morse
YOu ever heard
Of the
society. Grant-
Code, but I learned in class that it's
book Things
Fall А,
some economic
Achebe? He's a
igerian writer.
Part Chinua firs.
realy
of centuries of
actually an extremely sophisticated
definitely one of 1
AS you can
tonal language system!) There's a
ever read. Then there's
he best books I've
heritage of
See. the rich
but sure
West African djembe—a large,
the Nigerian
Soyinka,
the strength
its people
themselves
shaped drum—at this store on Uni-
‘who won the
to overcome the
many
materialism
Nobel Prize in 1986, He had to flee the
Challenges that a developing
versity Avenue for $450 that I totally
Country because the government
such as itself faces. must
every day
3
want to get
wanted to kill him, Fela Kuti, the
‘Such an exciting time to
be in Nig
expr
The various ethnic groups of Nigeria
tia right
TOW. I've got to get
mous musician, is also from Nigeria, 9
Out Of This Godforsaken Hellhole
Parents and three
money, billions and billions of dollars,
Last month, thieves broke the oil
broken bottles. They attack
the gasoline explo-
it disappears. Millions of live here
pipeline to steal fuel. Many people
‘eat you people some
sion last month,
chase a thief who steals a be
in the Lagos slums with no electricity
rushed out to scoop up the fuel that
my mind has
or sewage system. I don't want to
spilled out—to use, to sell. Then,
crowd chases him and throw
been dead to the
smell the garbage rotting in the
everything was in flames. Seven hun-
down and beats him to des
world. Please,
streets are very bad. There is
streets anymore.
dred people died. 1 saw the tractor
hatred.
God.
let
me
No one is safe. The police chase peo-
throwing the burned bodies into a
leave this place.
ple in the streets and beat them like
hole in the ground. My family is
If could get just litte 1
somewhere in that hole.
could try to leave. But must
1 have по hope
dogs. This new general, Abubakar, he
money for food. There is
for my country.
is no better than the ones before.
The month before that, the soldiers
I See it in the
President Babangida, he stole $12 bil-
threw my grandmother out a window,
to buy in the
The soldiers, they set up roadblocks.
tors, still young, 1 don
lion from the Nigerian people. When
and starve. 1 don't
Stares
of
the
people ask where the money goes,
They stop anybody trying to drive
the Please
past, and they take all their money.
We have nothing.
they are shot. They shoot people every
the street in
me, Shango, Ogun, If
fat generals
Sunday on Victoria Beach. The bodies
see people walking down
don’t want to die. I have
@lections but steal all
wash up on the sand after they throw
broad daylight who are
attacked
the people. The
them in the nrean
criminals. Men with knives, sticks,