アフリカの今、未来、そして若者たち
[Music] This is the Africa you don’t see. This is the Africa you don’t hear of. I think the narrative of Nigeria being um poverty center and all of those things. What’s the dating culture like in Japan? No sushi. Do you eat sushi? I’m going to buy your first sushi, please. Okay. So, nice to meet you. I am from Japan. [Music] [Music] [Music] Hi. Hi. Hi, Mana. Hi, Cotty. Um I would say um thank you. Thank you for saying there. What’s popping? Hi The image of Japan that I have is that Japan is very fast. It’s very innovative. It’s very creative. And you know it’s it’s a world of its own that everybody Glad to hear that. Thank you. Yeah. Um um for me growing up um or every single time we hear this product is from Japan. What that means what that means is quality. You know it’s it’s yeah like the impression the first impression we get is this is like this is original. is quality, you know, but if you’re going to look at where we at with time now, um I would say Japan happens to be one of the hot, you know, top hot spots, you know, for for tech, you know, for innovations, creativity, even, you know, down to um our own space, even our own creative space, you know, from from music to You know, it’s um yeah, I see that they’ve got a very in they’ve got a very big global influence. Victory. That’s nice. Mhm. Even though there are some there are some beautiful places people don’t get to see, don’t worry, Cotty and I will show you around. We’ll definitely show you around. We’ll show you the food. We’ll show you the culture. We’ll show you the dance. We’ll show you the lifestyle. You know, beautiful people. You’re welcome. Okay. Um I think the first thing is that Africa is filled with incredible incredible talent. Um from music to fashion to film. Um over the years our talent has just continuously um putting us at the forefront of the world. Afro beats is global. Hollywood is getting global. that even our content is crossing borders and you know it’s it’s very incredible to see. I think that’s the one thing that unites all of us are incredible. And yeah, just to add to what Courty said, you know, Africa, we’ve got a very beautiful diverse culture. Um, aside the fact that we are the most blessed continent in the world in terms of minerals, everything you could think of, you know. Um, in the area of sports, we’re excelling. If you remember Korea, Japan at the World Cup, you know, you saw you saw um Seneagal getting to the quarterfinals. Yeah. You know, that was the first time. And you know, when it comes to sports as well, we are big, we’re heavy, you know, there are so many things and so many places, so many areas to brag about when it comes to Africa, you know. And that’s why that’s why people like Cotty and I were trying to use our platform, our our influence, you know, to to show the world and tell the world the part of Africa they don’t see, the part of Africa they don’t hear. You know, I’ve got a song called This is the Africa you don’t see. This is the Africa you don’t hear of. You know, [Music] Yeah. Yeah. Um, from my childhood, a lot of things has changed. You know, to be honest, I got a very different story. I grew up in a in a ghetto, you know. I was born in a slum and and um I grew up selling on the street of Lagos in Nigeria. I grew up selling the selling with my dad. And when you look at how things were then and now, a lot has a lot has really changed, you know, but I tell people that um my my future, but my present is as a result of my or was as a as as a result of my past, you know. So, we’ve we’ve we’ve seen a lot of things um and things have changed so fast, you know. Take music for example. you know, how we make music in the past, how we make music in the past and how we make music now, you know, there’s a whole lot of change, you know, but one thing that won’t change is um the originality, the substance in what we do. Like I think that’s the that’s the only thing that hasn’t changed yet. But when you look at then and you look at now, the disparity is very large. I think Pat Rankin has said most of everything um very accurately as well. Um one thing that has also helped this change is obviously the internet and being able to like cross culture for example this a a way of life that that benefits us. People are making money from the internet right now. You couldn’t do that 20 years ago. Um, and yeah, I think I think that’s a significant change between, you know, the past and right now That’s nice. that question I would ask Cotty first then I’ll come back to you. I’ll come back to you mana then I I’ll be I then I would answer that I’ll I’ll come last. I probably will just listen to music, watch movies, you know. Um those are the main things I’ll do when I’m trying to relax. But man, how do you relax? Okay. Me, if I wasn’t a if I wasn’t a musician, I would have been a footballer. I play football very well. Very very well. Cuz you need to see that part. I play football. I kill it. So, but um if if I want to relax, I think I would have I I would love to go play football with my friends. But if I’m in a place where I’m out of reach, like I can’t get football, I think I’ll do movies. Yeah, I’ll do I’ll do I’ll do movies. [Music] [Music] Um, music is music is everything to me, you know. Music music music changed my life, you know. Um earlier earlier on I was um speaking about the past when you asked the question of what has changed from the past and now you know I’m just just I’m just a young kid from from the ghetto and the only thing I had was you know aside my family I had my voice you know and you know that young boy from the ghetto as you know his voice is heard you of in different part of the world. So for me that is that is everything. The fact that I’m able I’m able to speak for people I’m able to touch lives you know I’m able to to be the voice of the voiceless you know is everything to me and and music has you know music I would say music is music means life to me. I can’t I can’t just find one word. I just can’t find one line to say, “Oh, this is how much or how important music is to me.” Music is everything to me. You know, with music, I find myself, you know, doing the things I want to do. You know, me being a vessel, a vessel for change, you know, a vessel for positivity, you know, that is what music has done to me. Given me a platform to be able to say, “Okay, I want to touch lives. I want to be I want to be of service to humanity. That’s that’s that’s music. I can go on and on and on and on. You know, I’ve been able to tell my story with music. With music, I’m speaking to Cotti. I’m speaking to Mana, you know, today. You know, with music, there’s a there’s a collaboration, you know, with the UNP like. So, for me, there’s a lot it has done and it never stop. I never stop. It’s been a big blessing and I’m thankful thankful to God for music. Um, so my my creative process is very very I tell people but it’s easy. It sounds funny at the same time it sounds I don’t know but before I write a song I visualize what I want to sing about you know I just have a visual playing in my head of you know this is I want to talk about life or people suffering so I just look at people suffering you know and then I paint them in my mind you know that’s why they say music is art you know And then you go back to writing. So when I write it, I go back to recording, you know, and I want to shoot a video that that is similar to what I first saw. So for me, that’s my creative process. But creating creating music is one of the in music making is is one of the most enjoyable part of the whole thing when it comes to music because um I love to I love to create. I love to try new things you know. So there is there is no one way for me when it comes to creating music. Yeah. Sometimes I visualize it before I sing it. Sometime I just feel the music before I sing it. [Music] Yeah. I have to see the music before I I even sing it. like I have to see what I want to sing about because in that way it’s very easy to connect to the people. Okay, take for example I know CI is giving me a face of someone that likes rice. I would say jelloof rice. So what I need to do if I want to make a song about jelloof fries, I need to just I need to look at I need to look at her face, you know, her manarism when she’s eating, how she’s happy, you know, you know how she makes the rice and everything. And that’s what I was thinking about. So when I think about it, when Coty hears that and sees the video, she could relate easily and say, “Oh no, he’s talking about me.” Yeah. Thank you. Honestly, my main my my focus has changed over the years, but right now I think my main focus is showing a side of the people in Nigeria that, you know, the outside world doesn’t necessarily see all the time. Um, so it’s in how I communicate with artists, athletes, um, actors, um, all kinds of people. Um, and show a side of them that both their fans and, you know, people globally do not really see. So, um it’s basically putting our culture in the most positive light that I can because you know um I think the narrative of Nigeria being um poverty center and all of those things I’m trying to reduce that in my own small capacity as much as I can because there’s so many like intellectual and brilliant and talented people that that the world can you know can see and tap into as well. So those are the things I focus on putting Nigeria putting Nigeria’s people um putting our stories in the most positive and impactful lights. So I have I have two shows. I have a show called Flow with Kotty and I have a show called Love or Lies. So, Flow with Cotty is like a interview style documentary while Love is like a dating show where we pair young people up. So, we paired people from like different parts of of Nigeria to come together and different different lifestyles and so on. Um I think the dating culture is very interesting because you know just like anywhere in the world the the idea is for you to date to you know get married but yeah I things are changing right now. Um people still date to marry but but right now it’s people are more concerned about finding stability which is very important before settling down to marry. um both women and men. Um everybody wants to have a certain level of both financial, emotional and you know mental stability before you settle down into a marriage. So before that you probably date a a couple people, a couple of people. Um I think I think the dating culture is very fun. It’s very it can be chaotic especially in Lagos but but generally it’s fun and yeah. What’s the dating culture like in Japan? Nice. um I think the the the thing that I know very well about Japanese culture are mostly in entertainment. So, for example, anime, um, kid drama, K-pop, although that’s that’s Korean drama, Korean pop, but Japanese, you know, anime and and music. Um, but yeah, I think I think I think those are the main things. And maybe your food, although I’ve never really had Japanese food, I’ve heard a lot about it. Um, and I would love to try it. Sushi. You don’t eat sushi, Cy? Do you eat sushi? I’m going to buy your first sushi, please. Okay, cool. Okay. For me, please. Please. Okay. Thank you. to be honest I I I it’s one that is um that speak for itself you know um I know CI cut CI made mention of anime you know um but for me I think there’s there’s there’s there’s quite a lot to learn which is why I’m looking forward to you know going to TCAD and attending TCAD as well you know but you know um one of when people talk about culture there’s something there’s there’s something I believe that comes first before um what people consider to be culture which is love you know yeah I could see how the people I would say I would say the first thing before the culture to me that I see in the Japanese people is love because when you look at with the things I’ve heard you know, um the amount of decency, you know, um um and also um the the the coordination, the way how people move and things and how they do things in the country. Funny how I was I was in a studio I was I was in a studio in America like 3 months ago and I had an American telling me about Japan telling me how you know you could move freely at the at any time of the day. My friend that is a filmmaker you know was telling me listen I just got back from Japan P when you come to Japan film everything you know you know to me those are the things I would I would consider as you know um um um you know they they culture they they culture um culturally you know um motivated you know so I would I would really want to find I would really want to go I would really want to learn more about the Japanese culture cuz I know there is more to what meets the eyes, you know, just like ours cuz we have ours. We’ve got different cultures in Nigeria, you know. Um, which hopefully someday, man, we’ll get to we’ll get to we get to teach you and we get to show you. I don’t I don’t Oh, thank you. We’re looking forward We’re looking forward to to a more um to a bigger cultural exchange, you know, also where we get to where Cotty and I get to show you our food, you know, our people, our dance, you know, our tradition, you know, how to greet in some cultures. Some cultures you have to do like this, some you have to do like this. some you have to lie on the floor, you know. So, it will be nice, you know. I think I think Coty, we should we should get Mana some some some going when we’re going when we’re going to Japan, we should get her some few African prints, you know. Yeah. Like gift items, you know. You know, we can have Cy dressed as a Japanese girl and have mana dress and you dress as a Eurob. Ah, that’s nice. [Music] Welcome. [Music] Nigeria, thank you very much. You know, for me, I have um my background is is is is business. You know, I grew up with my dad doing buying and selling, which is literally business. And and that is something that is something I grew up with, you know, that is something I grew up with. And right now um the reality of life is um 95% of everything we do is transactional is business you know um and it’s very important we we actually educate ourselves and most especially the youth and you know not just education also providing tools as well because you know for we We we we coming from this part of this world, we are we are resilient people. We are people that they don’t just give us the opportunity. The minute you give us the opportunity is done. You know, we are limited to opportunities and take for example in Nigeria right now you have about maybe about 75 million active phone users out of a 250 million population. So it’s not even half of the country that is active when it comes to mobile phones you know and you know how how much the internet is important with modern day business and when you check the amount of people when you check the amount of people that that has this um that when you check the amount of people that that has access to internet is is not even up to let me say even 50% of the active phone users So now business are changing you know business strategies business plans are changing and a lot of people are not being able to make or do business the way they should because they have limited access. So that is the that is the education that needs to be provided. you know from my own little side is about experience. is about making them understanding that listen you don’t have to start big to become big you start small you scale up and you become big you know uh I make them understand that with business you have to you you have to understand that failure is not the end of of it is part of it you know and these are like the important educations you give you know um and this this help them. This helped them build a strong elite mentality because in in reality we are actually limited to a lot of tools that could have made us great, you know, and and also that’s why doing business in this part of this world is very very difficult. It feels very different. But when you get it, you get when you get it right, you you you’ve gotten it. So I’m just being I’m just being realistic about the the things I try to pass on to people when I talk about business, you know, when it comes to me. But if you look at the business education in school, it’s actually different. But there’s school and there’s there’s reality. Exactly. So that’s just my few cent. I think is 100% accurate. Um already Nigerians have a spirit of hustle. So if you mix that spirit of hustle with some with some structure and just you know fine-tuning what works for you or you know where you want to focus on um absolutely nothing is impossible and like he said I don’t think there’s any country in the world where you may try some things and not fail. Um but failure shouldn’t be the thing that you know stops you from moving. Um, so I think 100% he’s he’s he’s very accurate. Oh, right now. Okay, let me take that. Um, quite a number of young people are looking at um there’s the tech space, you know, there’s the tech space. Um you have you have um um yeah you have you have quite a lot of people going into tech right now because this is this is this is where we at. This is you know also there’s the creative space as well. You know you have you have you have so many people looking in that direction. You know, that’s why like people like us on the forefront. You know, people like Cotty is inspiring a whole different generation entirely. You know, sometimes they don’t know what it takes for her to get things done, for her to get things done, like the sacrifices. Now, she has to wake like 5:00 a.m. which is very early in Nigeria to get ready for this, you know, and I have to do the same. So a lot of youth are looking at the tech and when it comes to tech the fintech agit you know so many parts um part of um so many um different areas in technology um they’re looking at show business as well which is our space um the creative space as well um because it’s relatable they can they can actually work from they can actually work from anywhere they at and because a lot of young people want to enjoy what they doing. So this is why they look at this areas. Thank you. Thank you for today’s conversation. Thank you. Oh, thank you very much. Thank you very much. [Music] Let the glory.
国連開発計画(UNDP)国内親善大使である芦田愛菜さんをはじめ、アフロビート／レゲエアーティストとして世界的に活躍し、UNDPアフリカ局親善大使でもあるパトランキング（Patoranking）さん、そして映像作家・YouTuberとしてZ世代から高い支持を得ているコーティー・イーオー(Korty EO)さんが参加。音楽・映像・起業といったエンターテイメントや文化の話題を通じて、アフリカの「リアルな今」と、日本とのつながりについて語り合いました。
３人の対話を通して、アフロビートや日本アニメの相互影響、SNSによる若者文化の共通点、そしてアフリカにおける起業やクリエイターエコノミーの最新動向など、多様なトピックが交わされ、ステレオタイプを超えたアフリカの姿が浮き彫りになります。