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Emmerson Bockarie: Artiste or business opportunist?

Author: SEM

Sierra Leone News

Emmerson Bockarie, a young and enterprising Sierra Leonean is carving an uncomfortable niche for himself in the musical scene.Â (Photo:Â Emmerson Bockarie)

With his first album, ‘Bobor beleh’, Emmerson scored it big in the market, instantly becoming a household name in the country and even as far off as Sweden and Australia, where incidentally, Sierra Leoneans are resettled in large numbers. The secret of the album’s success is in the fact that it was decrying the then SLPP government which was in power.

Emmerson, having realized where his bread is buttered has now been making politically based songs, and the profit is in hyping on the failings of the government of the day. The reality, as seen by Bockarie is that critical political songs sell like hot cakes while love songs scarcely make it. Thus Bockarie’s second album, ‘2 Foot Arata’ also criticized the government of the day, which happened to be the SLPP.

Now that the SLPP is no more in power, and it has become unfashionable to criticize them because they are in the opposition, Bockarie has had to bid his time till the massive popularity which brought in the present government to power waned, and then using this as a starting point, he has again jumped on his usual hobby horse of singing criticism on the same party he yesterday waxed lyrical in support of.

If tomorrow the SLPP comes to power, all Sierra Leoneans will not have to wait too long before Bockarie will again produce an anti government based album. Probably it will be something along the same line. It is a production line music mentality.

What has become a rather monotonous production of the same type of music to many music lovers is that Bockarie is just using the political scenario to milk the fans and collect millions for another job done. The question is-Is Emmerson Bockarie an artist or a wily business minded personality hiding in the cloak of a musician, while engaged in a hidden agenda.

However, with all the hype, the fact remains that Bockarie is also helping put corrupt prone politicians on their toes while satisfying, like a counselling format, the angst of Sierra Leoneans who have no means of condemning their own government for fear of loosing their jobs or being blacklisted for contracts.

Stay with Sierra Express Media, for your trusted place in news!

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One Comment on "Emmerson Bockarie: Artiste or business opportunist?"

Ophaniel Gooding on Sat, 10th Apr 2010 2:02 pm

The author of this article looks at one side of the coin an thus he or she is not objective. Apart from Borbor belleh there are other other songs in Emmerson’s Album that were unique in terms of style and artistic creativity. look at the rhythm of his songs, the crafty use of language etc… Mind you satirical songs is not about SLPP or APC, it is about showing the shorting comings of the government of the day in other keep them on their toes. Let us stop categorizing the good work of people into political party pluralism. Emmerson is a modern town crier. Some of you who are in the media who are supposed to do it are only adding fuel to the flames to make more money, so before critic Emmerson agenda, look at yours first Lonta! By Black Chinese