Some musicians in Cote d’Ivoire were unhappy with the country’s national television station, Radio Television Ivoirienne (RTI) for refusing to broadcast their music.
The pro-opposition L’Expression, newspaper cited two of the affected musicians, Fadal Dey and Lago Paulin, whose music RTI’s management claimed were “subversive” to the state.
However, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA)’s correspondent reported that the musicians were being victimized because their music appeared to be critical of the administration of President Gbagbo.
In his album “Mea Culpa”, Fadal Dey, a reggae star, asked the late Félix Houphouet-Boigny, the country’s first President to forgive him for calling him a “thief” when President Gbagbo was in opposition. At that time Gbagbo had instigated the youth to call the first president a “thief”. Fadal Dey said under the circumstances things were not different, therefore, Houphouet-Boigny should pardon him.
In an album entitled: “We are tired”, Lago Paulin, condemned what he described as “excessive increase in the prices of goods” and made reference to the fact that “human rights and social security do not exist” in the country.
The correspondent said the music of pro-government artistes, particularly those who call themselves “patriots”, enjoyed massive broadcast.