WHEN the Grammy-winning world music producer and political activist Ian Brennan first approached Parchman Prison, the Mississippi state penitentiary, to ask whether he could record there, he started a ball rolling on a project that would yield extraordinary results. Brennan takes a particular interest in prisons, and the plight of those incarcerated. His previous prison recording, “I have no everything”, recorded the voices of those locked in Malawi’s maximum-security facility in Zomba. Such was its vibrant urgency, it earned a Grammy nomination in 2016.

Brennan tried for several years to get permission to record in Parchman, one of the world’s most notorious penal institutions. When it was finally given, with only a week’s notice, he was only allowed to record sound: no photographs and no video. The resulting recording is truly remarkable, in turns stark and mournful, and then joyful and hopeful. It seems to capture the authentic spiritual life of the Parchman prisoners.

Parchman is an awful place. Founded in 1901, the maximum-security penitentiary occupies 28 square miles of farmland, and houses death-row prisoners and the state execution chamber. In 2019, five prisoners were killed, and dozens more were injured, in a series of riots. Lawsuits filed the following year claimed that the prison was violent and rat-infested, and that prisoners lived in “abhorrent conditions”.

Long after slavery was outlawed, campaigners claimed that Mississippi authorities were circumventing legislation by “leasing” the majority African American prisoners to farmers, in effect re-enslaving them. Although conditions have improved markedly over recent years, the sonorous cries of the jailed men speak of the deep spiritual need still felt by those behind bars. One baritone simply, repeatedly, intones “Solve My Need” — perhaps the most authentic prayer that I have heard. In documenting their songs, Brennan has ensured that the plight of the incarcerated cannot be overlooked.

Parchman Prison Prayer: Some Mississippi Sunday Morning is released by Glitterbeat Records.

Source

The Malawi President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera, currently attending the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, USA, has urged Africans naturalized in America to start investing in their respective countries.

Chakwera made the remarks when he delivered a speech at the African Investment Summit held as a side event during the UNGA Summit.

Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST), Enyo International, and the National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA) organized the African Investment Summit to provide a platform for President Chakwera to highlight investment opportunities critical to Africa’s sustainable development.

The summit drew high level participation from Mozambican President Fillipe Nyusi and Lesotho Prime Minister Sam Matekane, among others.

President Chakwera, who co-hosted the summit with Darnell Brown, President of the National Forum for Black Public Administrator, said African governments were committed to creating an environment that fosters transparency, stability, and inclusivity.

The President prompted the audience to consider investing in real estate and infrastructure development, which he said was vital for Africa’s urbanisation and economic growth.

“But most of all, Africa is your motherland, your homeland, and there is nothing more precious in this life than to invest in your home to make it better,” said President Chakwera.

“We invite you to be a part of shaping our cities and building the infrastructure of tomorrow,” he added.

On the other hand, the Malawi leader touted transformative potential of innovation and technology in Africa and encouraged countries to adopt digitalisation, promotion of research and development and nurturing of tech start-ups.

“These initiatives can leverage Africa’s youthful population, unleash creative potential and drive economic growth across the continent,” he said.

The President emphasised that Africa was a continent of investment opportunities and resilience, dispelling its associated negativity.

Such investments, President Chakwera noted, would enhance global food security, reduce poverty and create employment opportunities for Africa’s youthful population.

The Malawi leader said the continent’s fertile lands have potential to catapult Africa into a global breadbasket.

Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :

Sharing is caring!

Source