Mamay- Niu Raza

This week I will be doing my coverage on Mamay by Niu Raza. Her song is a love letter and call of pride to her homeland Madagascar and her love for the powerful and vibrant women that are from there as well. Her Visual is filled with visuals that amplify her lyrics, not the women of Madagascar and more so places emphasis on her pride in her country and how it has crafted her into the individual that she currently is. She speaks to coming from a place low on cash and not many resources but along with this reality is how much love, support, and care exist still. She emphasizes in her last line before she transitions into rapping in her native language says

“doing what I love is not something, I take for granted.”
MAMAY NIU RAZA

When thinking about the song I think about the relationship to Braggadocio and how in many cases black women artists find themselves at a challenging juncture. Whereat one point they are engaging in a persona that promotes themselves, their talent, and their worth. On the other hand, as mentioned in Hip Hop in Africa, that braggadocio in African Hip Cop Communities with women,

“extols sexual dominance and control is sometimes seen as undermining female empowerment and feminist values.” (Clark 132)

The next point of focus I would like to highlight is the message that is being evoked in the song. Raza depicts the women in the video in ways that visually present simply freedom, strength but more so, she presents that African women and more particularly the women of Madagascar are so much more than the limited perspective that might be out there. She depicts them as dancers, directors, doctors, coders, and so much more. She shows them as actualized people who are significant in her country. The last quality that she depicts that is also present from the text is a mix of the idea around the African Woman and sexuality. In the same likeness such as Stella Mwangi, she presents women who are

“confident, young, urban woman boasting about her sexual dominance and skill—a taboo for women in most societies.”(Clark 148)

By placing a centre on these women who are being literally clawed after by an audience, she is showing their attraction and the desire around them. What she does not do is allow them to be consumed. Overall the video touches on numerous points that create a complete picture of an artist who employs the use of “street” level feminism in her music.