Eloïse Brezault presented a paper on “L’Histoire rappée: Reclaiming African Intellectual Heritage through Senegalese Hip Hop” at a conference at the Sorbonne in Paris on Hip Hop in French: The Rap Text Between Francophone Poetry and Narrative.
Her presentation explored the innovative project “L’Histoire rappée” developed by Senegalese Hip Hop artist Simon Kouka, which seeks to revive and re-center the stories of African leaders and intellectuals who have been marginalized or distorted in dominant historical narratives. The project also reflects the political dimension of Simon’s artistic engagement. As cofounder of the Senegalese citizen movement Y’en a marre, he is widely recognized for his activism in defense of democracy and social justice. Last year, Simon was invited to campus through an Arts Collaborative grant, along with graffiti artist Docta, to speak with students about their artistic and political practice. Eloïse Brezault had the pleasure of reconnecting with Simon during the conference in Paris. She also co-organized, with Serigne Seye from University of Cheikh Anta Diop (Senegal) a roundtable discussion featuring Simon Kouka, creating a space for dialogue on Hip Hop, history, and contemporary civic engagement in Senegal.