MC Solaar is a renowned Senegalese rapper and poet. At a very young age, MC Solaar moved to France with his parents where he developed his love for rap. His official name is Claude M’Barali, but he is known as MC Solaar, which was his old graffiti tag. This in itself is interesting as Senegal is very accepting of graffiti and views it as a close partner of hip-hop culture. MC Solaar’s rap style tends to be very melodic with intricate poetic lines interwoven in his lyrics. It is clear from his music video for “Hijo de Africa” that he has a very diverse vocabulary from “j’vois des côtes ancestrales et de belles gardes robes” which is translated to “I see ancestral ribs and beautiful robes”.
He speaks of development in Africa, and how Africans need to fight the underdevelopment. In his video, we see classic Senegalese transportation from taxis to vans. Public transportation is a huge part of the Senegalese culture. The people in his video are seen wearing tradition Senegalese dress. His lyrics describe how all of Africa is connected by color, geography, and a united and unique culture. This is not to mistake that every country is the same. The song uses traditional and western clothes that are perhaps a nod to the mixture of MC Solaar’s personal cultures. Men and women are seen at local markets, which is very typical of Senegalese city hubs.
