Backlash!

It’s been a year since Backlash was thrown onto the world wide web and we think it’s a great time to re-visit some of our favorite coverage so far.  Today, Backlash is bringing back that Rock the Bells feeling through our interview with the multi-tallented musician, painter, and actor, Chali 2na at Rock the Bells 2009.

Chali 2na has been making hip hop history for about 16 years now. You might know him from Jurassic 5, Ozomatli, or other countless collaborations and solo work. You might also know that he's no stranger to speaking out on important issues, whether pouring through smooth rhymes, or answering a few questions for Backlash.  In between the frenzy of Rock the Bells, Backlash caught up with Chali2na and there were even a couple of surprise visits from Supernatural....

Backlash:  How has your rock the bells experience been so far?

Chali 2na:  [Laughs] It's been crazy.  Three points.  One, I'm a big-ass fan of everybody here.  It's so crazy to be on tour with these guys.  I'm on tour with the Roots, Common, Damian [Marley].  Man, I'm tripped out.  I'm greatful for that because I can see some crazy shit and, you know, people that I'm a big fan of.  Two,  I'm happy to be a part of that and that some of these people are coming to see me.  I'm greatful for both, that this still exists for me.

B:  What do you think of the theme of Rock the Bells?  Bringing socially conscious artists together?

C:  It's a trip to watch the growth.  Going from just a show in Los Angeles and before that, The Smoke Out Tour, when they weren't really a tour.  It was just two shows in the California area.  From that to being a national tour and bringing all these different styles of rappers together.  It's cool.

B:  We're wondering a little about your history, what are the artists that have influenced you in the past and now?

C:  Wow.  When I was a child, just people my mom would listen to.  Earth Wind and Fire, Doobie Brothers, and all that shit.  Generally soul and all of that.  Rock too. Santana and the Doors.  Bob Marley.  And it's crazy to be friends with his sons now!  I get tripped out.

B: How about outside of this?  Your music is quite socially conscious.

C:  Outside of music.  Wow, my father was a big influence on me because he was a really big part of black activism in the 60's and 70's, and the other people he was hanging around indirectly were famous.  From the children of Elijah Mohammed to....my pops knew Red Fox.  You know, stuff like that.  I'd see these people, not know who the hell they were when I was a kid, and I'd grow up to know that I was somehow connected to them.  Yeah, initially my father was someone I would try to pattern myself after.  I mean, he had his down sides, cheating and drug addiction.  It was the 70's and 80's and, growing up, I'd seen his ups and his downs.  I could see what life means, what life has to offer, and how to roll with the punches, and see my pops become strong as ever.  Healthy as an Ox.  Smoke cigarettes like crazy and all that.  It's just crazy with him.  He introduced me to philosophies like Malcolm X.

Supernatural breaks through the door and he says, "What the hell y'all doin' in here.  Get the @%#! outta here."  [big laughs]

Chali2na tells Supernatural we're taping and Supernatural laughs and says, "Sorry"

Chali2na says, "That's Supernatural ladies and gentleman.  Very endearing...that's my brother."

Backlash:  We were hoping you could comment on some of the issues facing the political landscape in the U.S.  We had a chance to catch "Hold on to Your Freedom" out there and we thought of this right away...when you were saying hold on to your freedom it conjured some of the current issues in the U.S. especially the unlawful arrest of Henry Louis Gates Jr.  [In singing "Hold on to your freedom"] we were wondering if you could speak both to the contradictory nature of that and the sense of empowerment also.

Chali 2na:  I'm going to be really frank on that one.  The fact that America was born of all of this.  You know, deception and just griminess itself.  It's part of it and we're trying to build some right shit on top of that.  I am a big Obama supporter and I'm kind of in favor of how he tried to handle all of that.  Sitting down with a beer and all that.  That was cool in the sense that you feel like there's some real town home stuff with the issues.  Racism, as I said, it's money, it's class, it's you have to have, or you don't have control, in a very subtle glazed over kind of way.  Like any sickness, if you don't treat the symptoms, you don't get rid of the actual sickness.  That's what I think this is.  America loves to put a face to the problem.  One solution.  Okay, it's done, let's move on to the next thing.  Some of these problems have more depth than that and need more attention, you know?  So if these two guys, down at town hall, they're all cool, what's to say that the next cop wont?  Because who will protect us from them?  In the streets, nobody.  Because I've lived in areas where the police ruled with an iron hand and who are you going to tell?

B:  So is this what hold on to your freedom comes from?

C:  Yeah.  This was around the time the Power by Numbers album came out and that was around the time 9/11 happened.  People were trying to say that we made that song because of 9/11 but really it was more so because of what my family felt throughout life, that I inherited indirectly.

B:  A huge issue that's at the front with Americans right now is health care reform.  Having talked a little bit about Henry Louis Gates earlier, there are some representatives in the media who argue that this is a detractror from health care issues.  What would you say to that?

C:  They play that puppet game all day, every day.  I'm not sure who this guy was, as a man.  You give me control of the banks and the media and I don't give a fuck who makes the laws.  That's what's going on in America.  There is some behind the scenes shit going on and even Obama's a part of, in my opinion.  You've got AIG and all those people bailed out at a time when everybody's broke, people losing their houses and shit, and you're going to bail out the bankers?  That's a bunch of bull-shit, you know what I mean?  Or like Oprah going to build a school in Africa when Chicago has one of the worst school systems on the planet.  Not just in America, but on the planet.  You're going to build a girl's school in Africa?  You've got all that damned money, buildings and houses and shit, all in Chicago?  Talk about one of those things in high school.  Still, this is what I'm talking about.  My mother used to say, you can't change a person.  My brothers and sisters used to get in a fight and I used to say, "why's she like this?". You can't change her but you can change how you would deal with her.  Tolerate her.  Figure it out.  It's not on you to change the person.  Also, by example, you can change yourself.  Do you see what I'm saying?

B:  So music is a way you can engage with that?

C:  Music is my sword.  I don't battle with weapons of mass destruction, I aint got no pistols.  I aint trying to be thugged out.  I aint trying to point no fingers but that aint me.  My only weapon out here is my tongue.  If I can't change and bring effective justice with my hands, I definitely have to speak out. 

[Supernatural breaks in again]

Supernatural:  My man, Chali2Na is thugged out, don't believe what he's saying, the words on the back of his head in asian mean "I'm a thug"

[laughs all around]

I'm sorry, I'm out.

******************

B:  Obama's presidential victory captivated the world, and it definitely captivated us up here in Canada.  It was a powerful story.  How did you feel about the elections?

C:  I was just as happy.  It was a big thing.  My grandma is 76 years old and she was born in 1933.  She's seen the world change, her world.  It was profound.  She said that there shouldn't be a first black anything anymore, but I'm glad I could see the first black president. That shit just put that into perspective for me.

B:  Continuing on this, the majority of the money from Obama's campaign, especially from the first stretch of it, was from the grassroots.  It was from people giving $5 or $10.  This is where a lot of that money came from.  Before, we could say that the money came only from lobby groups and they could put pressure on.  What does that mean to all the people that have contributed now?

C: They've got a job. At this point people are just hoping that he sticks to his promise.  Even a small slip and people are going, "Wait a minute, but you said! But you're not doing what you said!".  They're going to watch him with a microscope until the day he leaves.  Once again, it's a fuzzy line.  People are put in a position to hope that he sticks to what he says and that's where it comes in to play.  It's either going to be okay or, "Damn these issues still exist!"  We still have to do things to further the cause and do our part to help.

Check out Chali 2na's latest album Fish Outta Water and stay up to date with Chali 2na at chali2na.com

Drawing by Ehren Salazar

This week, libraries across Canada are celebrating the freedom to read week.  They’re calling attention to the significant role that intellectual freedom plays in a democracy, and they’re asking Canadians to, “Reaffirm their commitment to intellectual freedom, which is guaranteed to them under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms” [1].  If you find yourself wandering around in the Olympic crowds, you can stop into the central branch of the Vancouver Public Library and visit a display of books that have been embroiled in censorship battles.  Next to the books is a pile of pamphlets that describes the role libraries play in combatting censorship.  It also tells us that intellectual freedom applies to exhibits too.  After this, you may make your way down to the exhibits that have been set up in and around the building for the Cultural Olympiad.  Once there, you might ask yourself, “Did the organizers of the Cultural Olympiad get the pamphlet?”

At the behest of the IOC, VANOC, and the rest of the Olympic industry, each artist participating in the Cultural Olympiad had to sign a contract that restricts their intellectual freedom.   The contract states:

“The artist shall at all times refrain from making any negative or derogatory remarks respecting VANOC (the organizing committee), the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Olympic movement generally, Bell and/or other sponsors associated with VANOC.”

Maybe Ron Terada’s contribution to the Cultural Olympiad puts it all into ironic perspective. It's located at the southern entrance of the Vancouver Public Library and it's featured below.

Whether or not Terada intended it, this work embodies the contradictions of the Cultural Olympiad.  While the Cultural Olympiad is said to be a “celebration of contemporary imagination” [2], every participating artist has to make sure they don’t use their imagination to express concerns about the very real skeletons in the closet of the Olympic industry.  Evidently, the words don’t fit the picture.

Some artists may not have realized what they were signing, some artists may not have been aware of the economic, social, and political problems surrounding the Olympics, some may have wanted to say something, and others probably wouldn’t.  While it’s difficult to understand why well known artists, who have had the courage to speak out in the past, would sign this contract; lesser known artists may have found the exposure too important to pass up. One should not have to chose between exposure and free speech.  Here we see an overarching issue--artists are unified by freedom of expression. Taking that away undermines the work of every artist participating in the Olympiad, and the greater need for intellectual freedom in a democracy.  If this is what underlies the Cultural Olympiad, precisely what culture is this Olympiad cultivating?

With that in mind, I’d like to talk about what you’re not seeing at the Cultural Olympiad.  You’re not seeing artists who paid very close attention to the contract and refused to forfeit their right to free speech.  You’re also not seeing artists that have made an explicit stand against the IOC, VANOC, and the Olympic industry in general.  Let’s take a look at three artists who took this stand.

Musician Carey Mercer (Frogman/Swan Lake) was outraged by the demands outlined in the Cultural Olympiad contract, and he declined participation.  He wrote an article to draw attention to the censorship clause, noting that there was a lot to criticize Olympic organizers about.  He mentioned the $900 million dollar security bill that the taxpayers of BC had to pick up and how VANOC couldn’t live up to its promise of providing affordable housing.  He also argued that, “When artists are not allowed to critique their government, or the governing agency that endows them with grants and funding, then what they are asking for is nothing more than propaganda” [3]

Another artist that voiced his concerns regarding the Cultural Olympiad is Vancouver's poet laureate, Brad Cran.  He declined participation in the Cultural Olympiad two days before the Olympics began. One of the reasons he bowed out was that he would be unable to read the poem he had chosen.  Cran describes how the theme of equality was chosen by Cultural Olympiad organizers, as they decide which themes artists are allowed to explore.  Cran thought it would be fitting to read his poem, “In Praise of Female Athletes Who Were Told No." Since you have to sign the contract to participate, the contract would have firmly excluded this poem, and it was not to be. On his blog, he outlined several other reasons why he declined to participate, including the organizer's decision to ignore Cran's suggestion regarding the inclusion of Canadian poets in the Olympiad.

Finally, I’d also like to talk a little bit about musician and writer, Matthew Good.  He pointed out that the Cultural Olympiad was never geared toward long lasting support of artists in Vancouver, as it failed to create the infrastructure required to sustain local artists.  He has also written extensively on the highly problematic nature of hosting the Olympic games, and started writing about this prior to Vancouver winning the bid.  I urge you to read his work on the Olympics, which can be found here.

It’s important to remember that the Cultural Olympiad was designed to silence and shut out critical viewpoints.  As such, it has become obvious that the Cultural Olympiad placates the interests of the IOC, VANOC, and the rest of the Olympic industry.  When you’re strolling in and out of the Cultural Olympiad in Vancouver, keep your eyes and ears open.  Notice the silenced viewpoints and notice the artists who refused to participate in the Olympiad.  What you don’t see and hear is as important as what you do see and hear.

In the meanwhile, I'll leave you with a photograph that is on display at the Olympic Tent Village downtown.  Neither the photograph nor the demonstration fits the Cultural Olympiad's criteria. Instead, they stand in direct defiance of it.

Poster by Jochi featured at the Olympic Tent Village.  Organizers of the Tent Village are trying to draw attention to homelessness in Vancouver, which has trippled since the Olympic bid was won.  They also hope to draw attention to the broken promises made by VANOC, and the provincial and civic governments, to build affordable housing as part of Olympic development.

[1] Freedom to Read official website

[2] Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad Official Website

[3] Carey Mercer Op-Ed at Stereogum.com

At the Opening Ceremony of the 2010 Olympic Games, spectators watched as nearly 3,000 athletes marched into BC Place.  Among the spectators were Canadian soldiers and their families, enjoying the ceremony at the Canada House.  Thousands of miles away, in Kandahar, Canadian soldiers had also tuned in for the festivities.  Cutting between images of the Canada House and Kandahar, CTV commentary reminded us of the spirit of peace that embodies the games.  No matter though, the very next day, the largest NATO offensive of the Afghan war was launched.  Operation Moshtarak brought fifteen thousand troops to the regions of Marjah and Nad Ali.  By Sunday, five children had died when misguided rocket fire hit their homes.

Yesterday, antiwar protestors took to the streets to remind us that Olympic peace sentiments fall apart in the face of relentless warfare.  Marching down the streets of Vancouver, the protestors yelled out this question over and over, “Where is that Olympic Truce?”  The words floated through onlookers and bounced off of the Sears Building wall, where the latest Olympic coverage was being projected.  The protestors touched on many of the issues that have been brought forward by other protest groups over the last couple of days.  For a well written summary of these issues, Jules Boykoff's article for the Guardian is worth the read.  Yesterday, though, the protestors also drew some comparisons between the use of public money to fund the Olympics and the use of public money to fund war, “Build homes not games, build homes not bombs!”

In the face of these connections, it’s fitting that the protest made it’s final stop at the tent city that was erected on an empty lot, at Hastings and Abott, earlier in the day.  It's main purpose is to draw attention to the housing crisis in BC. The land is currently under VANOC’s control for the Olympic games and is a strong reminder of broken promises by the committee.  Over the past ten years, VANOC made numerous promises to build social housing but completed a meager fraction of what was promised.  Today, there are still over 3,000 homeless people in Vancouver and about 15,000 homeless people in BC.

If the Olympic spirit is ever going to mean something beyond an illusive nicety, the IOC’s exploitation of this spirit needs to be addressed.  Relatedly, bandying about peace slogans as part of the Olympic fabric doesn’t bring lasting peace.  Actually, it didn’t even bring an attempt at peace.