Makmende
Encyclopedia
Makmende is a fictional Kenyan superhero
character which has enjoyed a popular resurgence after an adoptation by Kenya
's musical group Just A Band
in the music video for their song Ha-He on their second album, 82
(2009). The video became the first viral
internet sensation originating from Kenya
.
(Swahili
slang) word which means "a hero". The name supposedly originated from a mispronunciation of a phrase spoken by Dirty Harry
, played by Clint Eastwood
, "Go ahead, make my day
" (Mek ma nday) from the 1983 movie Sudden Impact
. The word made its way into Kenyan streets in the 1990s whereby in the streets a bad-guy wannabe would be called out and asked "Who do you think you are? Makmende?". Anyone who thought they could do the impossible or a particularly difficult task was always asked whether they thought they were Makmende, since only Makmende could do or attempt to do the impossible. The character Makmende is associated with the fashion wear of the early 1980s. He is portrayed with long John Shaft
-like afro
hair and bell bottom trousers that were the trend then.
internet sensation and Kenyans launched an internet campaign for the "superhero
" on Facebook
, Twitter
and other social media. The videos references blaxploitation
and kung-fu movies in its style and features Makmende fighting with a variety of humorously named characters in a fictional city. The success of this video and the subsequent internet discussion has centered around the ways in which Kenyans were adopting social media. The cover graphic of the video has a black and white monotone portrait picture of Makmende placing a red head band across his forehead with the words MAKMENDE AMERUDI which is Swahili
for MAKMENDE IS BACK. The role of Makmende on the video was played by graphics designer Kevin Maina, who had little previous acting experience.
As of April 2010, the Makmendewebsite was one of the most visited by Kenyan Internet
users, and the meme had a quickly growing fanbase on Facebook
and Twitter
. The Makmende story has also featured on CNN
and was presented by CNN's David McKenzie. Makmende has also featured in articles in popular Kenyan media.
in an ethnographic
analysis of African contributions to Wikipedia, entitled The Missing Wikipedians
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
character which has enjoyed a popular resurgence after an adoptation by Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
's musical group Just A Band
Just A Band
Just a Band is a Kenyan house/funk/disco band whose career was launched with their debut album, Scratch To Reveal, in 2008. Their music has explored various musical directions such as, but not limited to jazz, hip-hop, disco and electronica....
in the music video for their song Ha-He on their second album, 82
82 (album)
82 is the second studio album by the Kenyan house/funk trio Just a Band, released in 2009 following their debut release Scratch to Reveal. Just A Band signed a US licensing deal with Akwaaba Music, who re-released 82 on February 23, 2010....
(2009). The video became the first viral
Viral phenomenon
Viral phenomena are objects or patterns able to replicate themselves or convert other objects into copies of themselves when these objects are exposed to them....
internet sensation originating from Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
.
History
The word Makmende is a shengSheng (linguistics)
Sheng is a Swahili-based patois or slang-based language, originating in Nairobi, Kenya, and influenced by the many languages spoken there. The word is coined from the two words - wahili and lish....
(Swahili
Swahili language
Swahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
slang) word which means "a hero". The name supposedly originated from a mispronunciation of a phrase spoken by Dirty Harry
Dirty Harry
Dirty Harry is a 1971 American crime thriller produced and directed by Don Siegel, the first in the Dirty Harry series. Clint Eastwood plays the title role, in his first outing as San Francisco Police Department Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan....
, played by Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
, "Go ahead, make my day
Go ahead, make my day
"Go ahead, make my day" is a catchphrase written by Joseph C. Stinson and spoken by the character Harry Callahan from the 1983 film Sudden Impact. In 2005, it was chosen as #6 on the American Film Institute list, AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes. The "Make My Day Law" passed in most U.S...
" (Mek ma nday) from the 1983 movie Sudden Impact
Sudden Impact
Sudden Impact is a 1983 American crime thriller and the fourth film in the Dirty Harry series, directed by and starring Clint Eastwood...
. The word made its way into Kenyan streets in the 1990s whereby in the streets a bad-guy wannabe would be called out and asked "Who do you think you are? Makmende?". Anyone who thought they could do the impossible or a particularly difficult task was always asked whether they thought they were Makmende, since only Makmende could do or attempt to do the impossible. The character Makmende is associated with the fashion wear of the early 1980s. He is portrayed with long John Shaft
John Shaft
John Shaft is a fictional character created by schoolteacher/screenwriter Ernest Tidyman as a sort of African American version of Ian Fleming's James Bond. He was portrayed by Richard Roundtree in the original 1971 film and its two sequels, with Samuel L. Jackson portraying his nephew in the 2000...
-like afro
Afro
Afro, sometimes shortened to fro and also known as a "natural", is a hairstyle worn naturally by people with lengthy kinky hair texture or specifically styled in such a fashion by individuals with naturally curly or straight hair...
hair and bell bottom trousers that were the trend then.
Resurgence
The video, directed by Jim Chuchu and Mbithi Masya, became a viralViral phenomenon
Viral phenomena are objects or patterns able to replicate themselves or convert other objects into copies of themselves when these objects are exposed to them....
internet sensation and Kenyans launched an internet campaign for the "superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
" on Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
and other social media. The videos references blaxploitation
Blaxploitation
Blaxploitation or blacksploitation is a film genre which emerged in the United States circa 1970. It is considered an ethnic sub-genre of the general category of exploitation films. Blaxploitation films were originally made specifically for an urban black audience, although the genre's audience...
and kung-fu movies in its style and features Makmende fighting with a variety of humorously named characters in a fictional city. The success of this video and the subsequent internet discussion has centered around the ways in which Kenyans were adopting social media. The cover graphic of the video has a black and white monotone portrait picture of Makmende placing a red head band across his forehead with the words MAKMENDE AMERUDI which is Swahili
Swahili language
Swahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
for MAKMENDE IS BACK. The role of Makmende on the video was played by graphics designer Kevin Maina, who had little previous acting experience.
As of April 2010, the Makmendewebsite was one of the most visited by Kenyan Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
users, and the meme had a quickly growing fanbase on Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
and Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
. The Makmende story has also featured on CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
and was presented by CNN's David McKenzie. Makmende has also featured in articles in popular Kenyan media.
Scholarly Discussion
The meme is discussed by Heather FordHeather Ford
Heather Ford is a South African researcher, blogger, journalist, social entrepreneur and open source activist who has worked in the field of Internet policy, law and management in South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States. She is the founder of Creative Commons South Africa...
in an ethnographic
Ethnography
Ethnography is a qualitative method aimed to learn and understand cultural phenomena which reflect the knowledge and system of meanings guiding the life of a cultural group...
analysis of African contributions to Wikipedia, entitled The Missing Wikipedians
External links
- Fast Company Article
- Blog and HD Version of the Video on Liwani
- : Article on Afrinnovator
- Marcus Olang', on Makmende and Just-A-Band
- The official blogpost by Archer Mishale
- Blog post by Moses Kemibaro
- Makmende's "official website".
- : Makmende on Facebook
- World Welcomes Makmende -Kenyan Super Hero
- Profile of Just A Band in Kwani
- Akwaaba Music on Makmende
- Ethan Zuckerman of Harvard's Berkman Center/Global Voices discusses Makemende in the context the relevancy of cross-cultural icons and the western-centric view of the internet.