Dakamerap

The trio Alif (Attack Liberate of the Infantry Feministe), who emerged in 1997, were the first all-female rap group in Senegal. The release of Alif's first cassette Viktim caused a big stir in a country where traditional values prevailed. Hip-hop has had it's place in the Senegalese music scene for well over 10 years now and it has evolved into it's own blend of infectious music. Just like most rappers from Dakar/Senegal, Alif see themselves as the voice of their generation. They are the Dakamerap: The camera that documents everything happening in Dakar 24 hours a day. They rap about overloaded minibusses without functioning breaks, about low servant wages and other forms of oppression. After the 2000 elections, in which president Abdou Diouf was finally voted out of office, hip-hop became even more of tool of influence with Senegalese youth. Musically, Dakamerap goes full circle, reconnecting hip-hop with it's roots in Africa. Songs like "Dakamerap," "Taspe," "Joolaa" and "Bataxal" combine traditional sabar-rhythms and the music of the griots with a contemporary blend of African hip-hop.