Je Suis Heureux
June 25, 2014 1:42 AM Subscribe
I had to check where Goma is on the map - I'd always thought of Swahili as being the lingua franca of east Africa and French as being the one on the west (and I could well be wrong). Interesting to see a place where everybody seems to speak both.
posted by rongorongo at 2:43 AM on June 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by rongorongo at 2:43 AM on June 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
I had to check where Goma is on the map - I'd always thought of Swahili as being the lingua franca of east Africa and French as being the one on the west (and I could well be wrong). Interesting to see a place where everybody seems to speak both.
Yup, same here. The linguistic mix is rather fascinating, and pleasant to hear; was that French rap that I hear in the middle? Addictive.
They also seem to have a "regular" Happy video, replete with a Pharrell Williams lookalike (them hipster suits/ glasses, for one) dancing in front of a volcano and UN vehicles.
posted by the cydonian at 3:34 AM on June 25, 2014
Yup, same here. The linguistic mix is rather fascinating, and pleasant to hear; was that French rap that I hear in the middle? Addictive.
They also seem to have a "regular" Happy video, replete with a Pharrell Williams lookalike (them hipster suits/ glasses, for one) dancing in front of a volcano and UN vehicles.
posted by the cydonian at 3:34 AM on June 25, 2014
Rongorongo, French in Western and Central Africa is more analogous to English in East Africa (with Portuguese thrown in, too). It's not your natal language, generally, and you learn it in school. A better analog to Swahili in West Africa (around Mali, Cote d'ivoire, etc.) would be something like Dioula, and Lingala serves that purpose in a lot of Central Africa where Swahili isn't commonly spoken. They are African languages whose use spread along trade routes. I think Swahili has limited penetration into DRC, mostly on the east, and then Lingala takes over.
posted by ChuraChura at 3:38 AM on June 25, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by ChuraChura at 3:38 AM on June 25, 2014 [2 favorites]
Both great, but that Brother Mouzone lookalike is a terrible camera hog.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 3:44 AM on June 25, 2014
posted by PeterMcDermott at 3:44 AM on June 25, 2014
God damn, this video is fucking packed with some really handsome folks! The whole lot could be models.
posted by Arch_Stanton at 4:24 AM on June 25, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by Arch_Stanton at 4:24 AM on June 25, 2014 [3 favorites]
At mark 1:59, Toddler Breakdancing!
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 5:08 AM on June 25, 2014
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 5:08 AM on June 25, 2014
How is it possible everyone in that video were astonishing singers? Wonderful stuff.
posted by digitalprimate at 5:22 AM on June 25, 2014
posted by digitalprimate at 5:22 AM on June 25, 2014
Any info on the singer in the striped shirt towards the end? She's amazing - I would love to hear more from her, if there's anything out there.
posted by Mchelly at 5:25 AM on June 25, 2014
posted by Mchelly at 5:25 AM on June 25, 2014
Some Latin ( Veni Vidi Vici ) in there as well.
posted by maggiemaggie at 7:50 AM on June 25, 2014
posted by maggiemaggie at 7:50 AM on June 25, 2014
Perfect start to the morning!
posted by mochapickle at 8:02 AM on June 25, 2014
posted by mochapickle at 8:02 AM on June 25, 2014
It's really fantastic work, even more so when you realize how spectacularly unHappy the DRC has been.
posted by mcstayinskool at 8:39 AM on June 25, 2014
posted by mcstayinskool at 8:39 AM on June 25, 2014
This video is great. I travelled through eastern DRC a few years back (near Goma where this was filmed) doing monkey science work, and everywhere we went most people spoke Swahili (Kiswahili). You can see the extent of the area in DRC using Swahili as lingua franca on this map.
posted by bergeycm at 9:07 AM on June 25, 2014
posted by bergeycm at 9:07 AM on June 25, 2014
I've happily seen numerous "Happy" videos from around the world, but this one feels special. The way their cover was structured was really enjoyable, with each contributor adding something new, a melody or rap. By doing so, it seemed to capture the exuberant spirit of the original better than the more exact copies.
Great!
posted by StrangerInAStrainedLand at 10:49 AM on June 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
Great!
posted by StrangerInAStrainedLand at 10:49 AM on June 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
At about 2:15 there is a couple doing a Weekend-at-Bernie's-type dance where the woman acts dead and the man bounces her around acrobatically. DOES THIS DANCE MOVE HAVE A NAME I CAN GOOGLE.
posted by Xalf at 2:51 PM on June 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Xalf at 2:51 PM on June 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
Finally, a version of this song I can get behind. Usually I can stand the first two or three repetitions, but the thing just drags out so freakin' long. This was outstanding. And the women at the opening and the ending are both spectacular vocalists.
posted by jburka at 5:31 PM on June 25, 2014
posted by jburka at 5:31 PM on June 25, 2014
God damn, this video is fucking packed with some really handsome folks! The whole lot could be models. I had the same thought. I wonder if the sample is representative.
posted by Jeff Dewey at 5:34 PM on June 25, 2014
posted by Jeff Dewey at 5:34 PM on June 25, 2014
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posted by MartinWisse at 2:11 AM on June 25, 2014