So, Bathie, please state for the record who you lot are and what you do:
My name is Bathie Pouye aka Mister Pape. I'm the manager and the sound engineer of the band (Gokh-bi System). We are 6 musicians in Gokh-bi System; Mamadou (rapper), Diasse (rapper), Abdou (dancer), Backa (drummer and vocalist), Sana (play ekonting and vocalist).
What is your background?
Gokh bi means "neighbourhood." We choose this name because we all grow up in the same neighbourhood,
called "Guinaw Rails" means the others side of the trucks a poor area in Dkar Senegal. Before the music we were good friends some band members are brothers like me and Diasse, we school together, we spent most of our time together. Finally we end up having the philosophy, same feelings. At that time each one of us have his own skill in music, arrive a moment we decide to speak out after years experiences from living in poverty; March 1994 Gokh-bi System was official. Peace justice and love was our philosophy, it was not just about tell but live. We try to follow the steps of those who fought all their life for liberty, peace, justice and everything who can better life. When we sing peace in our songs we mean peace for everybody. When we say justice for everybody. It's not about peace for the European and not African, liberty for Americans and not Asian.
How would you describe your music? How did it evolve?
We are here to remind ourself and remind people our mission, the reason of our existence. Lot of people forget their mission, some even forget that their forgot their mission. Now it's for those who have the mic, pen, to remind them.
The message is very important but the music is also important. That's why we create this new style of music call "Ekonti-rap". It's a fusion rap and traditional instrument from Senegal like ekonting a 3 string instrument from the ethnic group called "djolla" , djembe ,sabbar and bougarabou drums. All this mixed with hip hop beat give you ekonti-rap.
How does rapping in a non-English language allow you to communicate with your audience?
Most of our songs are in "wollof", the most popular language in Senegal. We sing also in English, French, Serere and Djolla. I think that music have his own language, even people don't get the language that you are singing
they can feel it by your melody, harmony on your lyrics. I tell one story, when I were very young I use to listen Bob Marley's song and sometime I cried and I didn't even understand English at that time.
Are you aiming your music at the hiphop scene or the international world scene?
I think the same thing that I felt that the same thing that Americans, European, Asian, Australians feel about our music even they don't understand 'wollof'. Our music is for everybody, the reason that we created this combination
is build a bridge between two generations: we want help young people to discover traditional music from Senegal and older to pay attention to the rap. We not trying to copy rap from MTV or BET, we wanna do our own rap, less samples with positive lyrics. Our music is like mirror for the society.
What do you think of the world music scene? How could it improve to get a wider audience?
The world music scene is well but we could make better because Artists more particularly Africans have trouble touring in the US or in Europe because of the visa. Africans artists makes CDs but you don't see often play live and it's a important element of music.
What are your biggest influences?
Our 3 biggest influences are the " Last Poets" the founding fathers of hip hop , "KRS ONE" and the Fugees.
How do you like UK hip hop?
I never heard about UK hip hop may be because we never came to EUROPE BUT I wanna really hear some from there.
How important do you think it is for musicians to be political and more conscious in their lyrics?
Yeah musicians must talk about everything they know or experience. Politically I think that we have so much thing to say, most of the problem that the world is facing now are caused by politic, I don't say it's bad but people use in a bad way by being selfish. Music and politic is almost the same, musician and politician must represent the voice the people. Unfortunately that's the opposite, most of the hip hop that you see on TV is all about sex, violence, bling
bling. Hip hop is turning in a bad way but they still some MC'S WHO REPRESENT BUT UNFORTUNATELY YOU DON'T SEE THEM OFTEN.
Exactly. Where are the real MC's? Representing Africa, representing those corners of the world that don't have huge marketing budgets and constant rotation on MTV. Those artists who are left standing between righteousness and bullshit. Gokh-bi System are one of those bands left standing. They don't rap in English, which may not be immediately appealing to some. But what they represent, how they carry themselves and most importantly, the sound they create is an all-encompassing and bewitching album. That alone will transcend any language barrier. Bill Hicks would have called it "a gift of forgiveness". They are real musicians, representing to the world their surroundings and their worldview. It's something that would often pass most people by, because quite frankly, more people would prefer the new "Gang Starr" album, which is fair enough. But instead, I want to hear something organic, rootsy and from the earth. I want vivid mental images. I want a break from processed beats and American twangs. I want a break from it all. And Gokh-bi System are the perfect remedy for all of that. They are perhaps the only band out there "keepin it real."
