Hip hop duo Blind Alphabetz, a/k/a Cataclysm and Iron Braydz, are currently working alongside the UKs freshest new label, Silent Soundz. Look out for the forthcoming Dimension 13 full-length release, which showcases the diversity of Blind Alphabetzs work. Also starring Kyza, Fallacy, Nomad from the Planets, Moorish Delta 7, Mike GLC and more.
When and how did you first learn about the enslavement of African people (a/k/a slavery, the slave trade)? First heard about the African slave trade while I was studying in
How did that knowledge affect you at the time? Initially, it didn’t have a great impact on me, because the Portuguese school system being one of the first European countries to have started the African slave trade, they almost perfected the way they painted this sugar-coated image of the African holocaust. They consciously left out all the information regarding the psychological, physical, emotional and spiritual torture that my ancestors experienced.
As I became older, I developed a great interest in the history of my people, so I started researching and studying the history and it was then that I came across the innumerable atrocities committed throughout the African slave trade.
How does your knowledge and awareness of the history of the enslavement of African people affect you as an artist now? How does it influence your work? The history of the enslavement of African people affects me tremendously as an artist, the more I learn the more I express what I’ve learned through my lyrics. One of the worst things a human being can do is to acquire knowledge and not share it. Our ancestors passed down their knowledge to the next generation, so I feel I must continue that ritual.
I feel it is my duty as an artist to share the little knowledge that I have acquired throughout the years in hope to bring a level of political, spiritual and historical awareness to anyone that hears my music.
My spiritual path and ideologies are always embedded in my music because the music I create is a reflection of me, and as far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t matter what music I decide to use to spread my views whether it’s marrabenta, zouk, kizomba, blues, soul, hip hop, reggae, soca or anything else with rhythm.
How have you personally experienced enslavement as an artist? How have you personally experienced Emancipation as an artist? As an artist, I have experienced enslavement in many subtle ways, from promoters trying to get me to perform, distribute flyers and advertise events without getting paid, to getting my music video banned by racist Zionist-owned TV stations for being too political. I also remember once, when me and Iron Braydz entered a competition with a £5000 prize, and after three months of continuous performing and going through from the quarter final, to the semi final and eventually the final, we had our set sabotaged by a white engineer while we were performing to a crowd of over 1500 people.
As for liberation, whenever I write, I feel free to express my emotions, a lot of emotions that I have bottled up inside, music has become the vessel that liberates them.
How can we as artists uplift our people, i.e. people of African heritage? How can we as artists liberate our people? How can we as artists unify our people? I think that as artists we can uplift our people by constantly reminding them of the beautiful legacy that we have left behind and all the contributions we made to the development of civilisation, its even inspiring to learn about the way we dealt and reacted in the most horrific situation a human being can ever experience.
We must not only look at what we once were, but also ask ourselves what mistakes did we make for us to end up in our present situation, we must learn from the past and try not to allow history to repeat itself, and lastly we must remember that nothing happens in this entire universe without the creator’s will.
We should always remain humble and grateful for the blessings that are bestowed upon us, and never turn away from the devotion to the creator.
Assalamu alaikum