Mamadou Diouf (musician)
Encyclopedia
Mamadou Diouf is a musician and writer of Senegal
ese descent, currently residing in Poland
.
, Voo Voo
and Zakopower
.
("black" or "negro").
Diouf has criticised Poland's first black Member of Parliament
, John Godson
, who has said that the word "murzyn" is not offensive and that he is proud to be called one. In response, Diouf has said that the word has only had "negative connotations" (it is used in many pejorative phrases) and that Godson does not know the etymology of the word.
Regarding racial comments said by prominent Polish figures, Diouf has said: "That's the problem in this country. I'm not even talking about racism, but there's no critique when someone says these things."
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
ese descent, currently residing in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
.
Musical career
Diouf has released a number of albums and has collaborated with Anna Maria JopekAnna Maria Jopek
Anna Maria Jopek is a Polish musician and singer. She represented her country in the 1997 Eurovision Song Contest, with the song "Ale jestem" and finished 11th out of 25 participating acts; and in 2002, she collaborated on an album with jazz guitarist Pat Metheny...
, Voo Voo
Voo Voo
-Band members:* Wojciech Waglewski - guitar, main vocals, and lyrics. Founder and leader of the band, its name comes from his initials. Father of Bartosz Waglewski and Piotr Waglewski, better known as Fisz and Emade. He also plays with the bands "Osjan" and "Gaya"....
and Zakopower
Zakopower
Zakopower is a Polish Goral folk music group. It is named after Zakopane, the hometown of its lead singer.- Awards :* 2008 - Fryderyk award for Folk Album of the Year * 2008 - National Festival of Polish Song in Opole, Grand Prix- Discography :...
.
Writing
In 2011 Diouf published his first book, A Little Book about Racism ("Mała książka o rasizmie"). He has also frequently spoken out against racism in Poland and the use of the racial term murzynMurzyn
Murzyn is a Polish word for a black person. It is seen by some as a neutral word, but others consider it to have pejorative connotations. Notably, the noun murzyn appears in a popular Polish saying which referres to any menial work performed by a Pole for the sole benefit of his own potential...
("black" or "negro").
Activism
In 2007 Diouf set up the "Africa Another Way Foundation" to increase "knowledge sharing and communication" regarding African issues in Poland.Diouf has criticised Poland's first black Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, John Godson
John Godson
John Abraham Godson is a Polish politician, a university teacher and a former Pentecostal minister. He is the first black Polish Member of Parliament and a member of the Civic Platform party....
, who has said that the word "murzyn" is not offensive and that he is proud to be called one. In response, Diouf has said that the word has only had "negative connotations" (it is used in many pejorative phrases) and that Godson does not know the etymology of the word.
Regarding racial comments said by prominent Polish figures, Diouf has said: "That's the problem in this country. I'm not even talking about racism, but there's no critique when someone says these things."