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Che Geuvara & the Voodoo Boys

from AGITPROP by Kalahari Surfers

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thanks to Nic Paton for playing bass clarinet
photo used by permission Guy Tillum

lyrics

Che Guevara and the Voodoo Boys ( W.Sony )
________________________
they're wearing
a crown of vine leaves
an eagles claw
tail of buffalo makes them invisible

powerful magic
protects them from
snakes and lightning
bullets to water

Che Guevara and the Voodoo Boys
Laurent Kabila for a moment stands poised
Waiting for the River
to take him away

they're wearing Rosary beads and a shower hose
dirty feathers
a mongoose skin
they spit on rocks
to make them explode
eat your heart out then reload

Che Guevara and the Voodoo Boys
Laurent Kabila for a moment stands poised
Waiting for the River
to take him away
______________________________

credits

from AGITPROP, released May 1, 2012
notes: A little while* after the Belgians had stopped murdering Africans and chopping their hands off Che Guevara went to the Congo and tried to whip some enthusiasm into the fight against CIA backed Mobotu but, sadly, found Laurent Kabila and his armies a bit too laid back . He became disillusioned with Kabila, stating "nothing leads me to believe he is the man of the hour." After they were beaten by white South African mercenaries, led by Mad Mike Hoare. Disheartened after seven months of frustrations, Guevara left the Congo. "The human element failed. There is no will to fight. The leaders are corrupt. In a word... there was nothing to do." Guevara also declared that "we can't liberate by ourselves a country that does not want to fight."A few weeks later, when writing the preface to the diary he kept during the Congo venture, he began: "This is the history of a failure."
Child soldiers were used by Kabila and up until 2008 were still common. They were called Mai Mai and would psyche themselves up for battle with voodoo and drugs. They believed that they were invincible if they wore certain charms and fetishes: vine leaves for example were thought to make one invisible. Mai Mai means water and an emphasis on the magical properties of water led the armies to don shower caps, hoses & plugs which would all help turn bullets to water or ensure invincibility.
________*1965

Congo history:
www.africa.com/congo-kinshasa
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4036605.stm
www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5nyqFG2KNY

---------------------
"with leaders like that Africa can expect to have long centuries of slavery and colonialism" Che Guevara on Laurent Kabila

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Kalahari Surfers South Africa

Warrick Sony is a South African composer, producer, musician and sound designer.
He is the founder and sole permanent member of the Kalahari Surfers. They made politically radical satirical music in 1980s South Africa.

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