AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange

(Psychology singing in Kirundi) YANSA FATIMA: Set in a dystopian future, a punk sci-fi musical transports audiences on a cinematic journey through technology, liberation, and identity.

MATALUSA (speaking Kirundi): "Technology."

Mining is music.

(men chanting in background) FATIMA: A coltan miner and an intersex hacker spark a revolution against oppressive systems to imagine a new world.

(whispering): The Motherboard?

- Matalusa!

FATIMA: On this episode of "Afropop," "Neptune Frost."

- Hey!

Hey!

Hey!

Hey!

Hey!

NEPTUNE (speaking Kinyarwanda): (people singing softly, rooster crowing in distance) (fly buzzing) PRIEST: (congregation murmurs) PRIEST: CONGREGATION and PRIEST: PRIEST and CONGREGATION: PRIEST: (congregation murmurs) PRIEST and CONGREGATION: PRIEST: PRIEST and CONGREGATION: (rooster crows in distance) (dirt sprinkling, tool scraping) NEPTUNE: (tool scraping) (tool clangs loudly) (gun hits, music stops abruptly) GUARD (speaking Kinyarwanda): (man shouting) (workers exclaiming) (drums pounding, men exclaiming) MATALUSA: MAN: GUARD: NEPTUNE: (Matalusa sobbing) (drums continue) (men singing) NEPTUNE: MATALUSA (speaking Kirundi): (singing and drumming continue) MATALUSA (yelling): (shovel digging in rhythm with drums) (singing and drumming continue) (singing and drumming continue) (singing and drumming continue) (singing and drumming continue) (music stops) (knock at door) PRIEST (speaking Kinyarwanda): NEPTUNE: PRIEST: NEPTUNE: (priest patting bench) PRIEST: (punch lands, glass shattering, priest grunts) (Neptune breathing heavily) (insects chirping) (men singing in Kinyarwanda) (singing and digging continue) (song ends, birds chirping) (water dripping) (people talking in distance) (singing song from previous scene) (sniffs) (goat bleats) (kids calling) (bird calling) (shouting indistinctly) (shouting continues) (shouting continues) (goat bleats) (singing song from previous scene) (muted) (people talking in background) (singing same song softly) (bird calling) (insects chirping) (insects chirping, drums pounding in distance) MAN (whispering in Kinyarwanda): (whisper echoes) (speaking aloud): (whispering, echoing): (speaking aloud): Once upon a time (singing in Lingala) Once upon a time (singing in Lingala) (singing in Kinyarwanda and Swahili): (singing in Swahili): My mother and father were Binary stars (speaking Lingala and French): (speaking Swahili): (speaking Lingala): (speaking Kinyarwanda): (speaking French): Binary crime theory.

(speaking Swahili): (speaking French and Lingala): (speaking Lingala): (speaking French): (speaking Kinyarwanda): And then there was fire.

Fire in the sky, fire in the sky Fire in the sky Fire in the sky, fire in the sky Fire in the sky, fire in the sky Fire in the sky, fire in the sky Fire in the sky There was day.

And then there was light.

Fire in the sky, fire in the sky ALL: Fire in the sky Fire in the sky Fire in the sky, fire in the sky Fire in the sky Fire in the sky MAN: Binary crime theory.

(speaking Swahili): (speaking French): (speaking French and Lingala): (speaking Lingala): (speaking Kinyarwanda): ALL: Fire in the sky, fire in the sky Fire in the sky Fire in the sky Fire in the sky, fire in the sky Fire in the sky, fire in the sky Fire in the sky, fire in the sky Fire in the sky Fire in the sky Fire in the sky, fire in the sky Fire in the sky, fire in the sky MAN: There was day.

Day.

(song ending) NEPTUNE (speaking Kinyarwanda): - (singing in Kinyarwanda): (singing in Swahili): (singing in Kinyarwanda): (singing in Swahili): (water lapping) (music fades) (engine humming, water lapping) (engine humming) (baby cooing) (baby babbling) (baby babbling) (breathes deeply) (insects chirping) (exclaiming in Lingala) (chanting in Lingala) (motorcycle approaching) (audio distorts) (motorcycle crashes) (distorted audio continues) (static buzzing) BINYA (speaking Kinyarwanda): NEPTUNE: The Motherboard?

BINYA: (speaking Kinyarwanda): (singing): (bird cooing) (cooing softly) - (whispers): The Motherboard?!

BINYA (singing in Kinyarwanda): (chorus joining) (bird cooing) (voices echoing) BINYA: - (inhales) NEPTUNE: - (singing earlier song): (singing in Swahili): (bird calling) (singing in Kinyarwanda): (singing in Swahili): (singing in Kinyarwanda): (singing fading) (bells jingling, goats bleat) (singing fading) (singing in Swahili): (bird cooing) (wings flapping) (bird cooing) ELOHEL (speaking Kinyarwanda): - Mm.

ELOHEL: - Mm.

MEMORY: - Hm.

MEMORY: (bird calling, wings flapping) (Memory clicking tongue) (gently summoning) (clicking tongue) (bird cooing) (insects chirping) ELOHEL: MATALUSA (speaking Kirundi): (bird cooing) MEMORY (speaking Kinyarwanda): (Matalusa sighs) MATALUSA (speaking Kirundi): MEMORY (speaking Kinyarwanda): MATALUSA (speaking Kirundi): MEMORY: Mm.

(speaking Kinyarwanda): ELOHEL (speaking Kinyarwanda) and MATALUSA (speaking Kirundi): ELOHEL (speaking Kinyarwanda): (bottles opening) MATALUSA (speaking Kirundi): ELOHEL (speaking Kinyarwanda): MEMORY: ELOHEL: MEMORY: Mm.

ELOHEL: MATALUSA: ELOHEL: MATALUSA (speaking Kirundi): (insects chirping) (people talking in distance) (water splashing) (television playing in background) (interference buzzing) SERVER (speaking Kinyarwanda): NEPTUNE and SERVER: (chuckles) NEPTUNE: SERVER: NEPTUNE: SERVER: Okay.

(static buzzing) (glasses clinking) SERVER: INNOCENT: NEPTUNE: INNOCENT: NEPTUNE: (insects chirping) INNOCENT: NEPTUNE: INNOCENT: NEPTUNE: INNOCENT: NEPTUNE: INNOCENT: (softly): Hm?

(footsteps approaching) Ah.

Yes.

(Neptune breathes deeply) INNOCENT: (pouring) NEPTUNE: INNOCENT: (Neptune chuckling) (Innocent laughing) NEPTUNE: Mm.

(stool slides) (static buzzing on TV) OFFICER: SERVER: INNOCENT (softly): (insects chirping) (static buzzing) (paper rustling) (bills rustling) INNOCENT (singing): (television playing) (interference buzzing) (Innocent speaking softly) NEPTUNE: INNOCENT: (drums beating, people singing indistinctly) (music volume increases) (drums and singing continue softly) (audio distorts) (drums and singing intensify) NEPTUNE (singing earlier song): (audio distorts) (sits heavily, music fades) (growling with hand movements) (growling stops) (bird chirping) (growling resumes) (insects chirping) PSYCHOLOGY (speaking Kirundi): WOMAN (speaking Kinyarwanda): MAN (speaking French): WOMAN (speaking Kinyarwanda): PSYCHOLOGY (speaking Kirundi): WOMAN (speaking Kinyarwanda): ELOHEL: PSYCHOLOGY (speaking Kirundi): MEMORY (speaking Kinyarwanda): PSYCHOLOGY (speaking Kirundi): MEMORY (speaking Kinyarwanda): PSYCHOLOGY (speaking Kirundi): (instrument playing) MEMORY (speaking Kinyarwanda): PSYCHOLOGY (speaking Kirundi): - (shouting indistinctly) PSYCHOLOGY (singing in Kirundi): - (shouting) PSYCHOLOGY (singing in Kirundi): (song continues) (singing): (shouting continues) PSYCHOLOGY (singing in Kirundi): (song continues) (protesters shouting) (vocalizing) - (shouting) - (vocalizing) (singing): (vocalizing) (singing softly) (singing softly) (singing softly) (birds chirping) (song ends) (door creaks open) (goat bleating) (hits wall audibly) (Neptune groans) NUN (speaking Kinyarwanda): NEPTUNE: (goat bleats) NUN: (singing): (others join in): NUN (solo): (nuns join in): NUN (solo): (others join in): (wind blowing, leaves rustling) PSYCHOLOGY: ELOHEL and PSYCHOLOGY: ELOHEL: (softly): Okay.

(device chirping) PSYCHOLOGY (speaking Kirundi): ELOHEL (speaking Kinyarwanda): PSYCHOLOGY (speaking Kirundi): MEMORY (speaking Kinyarwanda): (birds chirping) (insects buzzing) TEKNO (speaking Kirundi): (echoing): MATALUSA: TEKNO: MATALUSA (echoing): (echoing): NEPTUNE (speaking Kinyarwanda): (chorus vocalizing) (singing): (chorus vocalizing) (people talking in background) (talking in background) (growling) (group murmuring) (growling fades slightly) (growling with hand movements) (growling echoes) (insects chirping) MEN (excitedly): (cheering and greeting) DORO (speaking Kinyarwanda): MATALUSA (speaking Kirundi): DORO (speaking Kinyarwanda): MAN: DORO: MAN 2: (all laughing) MATALUSA: Yeah.

MAN 1: Anonymous Goldmine!

(speaking Kinyarwanda): (all cheering and laughing) MATALUSA: This is my friend.

(speaking Kirundi): ELOHEL (speaking Kinyarwanda): From the mine?

DORO (speaking Kinyarwanda): MATALUSA: (speaking Kirundi): (laughs) (men starting beat softly) MATALUSA and MEN (chanting in Kirundi and Kinyarwanda): MEN (singing in Kinyarwanda): (insects chirping) (miners chanting in distance) MEN (chanting in Kirundi and Kinyarwanda): (man screaming) (chant continues) (chant continues) - Mining is music.

(chant continues, man yells) (chant continues) (chant continues in distance) (electricity crackling) (chant stops) (crackling) ELOHEL (speaking Kinyarwanda): (bottles clink) (growling begins) (growling with hand movements) (growling, static buzzing) VOICES (singing): (echoing): PSYCHOLOGY (speaking Kirundi): VOICES (singing, echoing): (instrument playing) NEPTUNE (speaking Kinyarwanda): PSYCHOLOGY (singing in Kirundi): NEPTUNE (speaking Kinyarwanda): PSYCHOLOGY (singing in Kirundi): (Elohel speaking French) MATALUSA (speaking Kirundi): PSYCHOLOGY: Martyr, loser ELOHEL (speaking Kinyarwanda): PSYCHOLOGY (singing in Kirundi): PSYCHOLOGY and OTHERS (chanting): PSYCHOLOGY (others respond): PSYCHOLOGY and OTHERS (chanting): (feet stomping, hands clapping) MATALUSA: NEPTUNE (speaking Kinyarwanda): MATALUSA (speaking Kirundi): NEPTUNE (speaking Kinyarwanda): MATALUSA (speaking Kirundi): NEPTUNE (speaking Kinyarwanda): MATALUSA (speaking Kirundi): Martyr Loser?

MATALUSA (speaking Kirundi): NEPTUNE (speaking Kinyarwanda): (voiceover): (static buzzing) ELOHEL (singing): (group repeats): ELOHEL (others responding): ELOHEL: ALL: ELOHEL: ALL: DORO (singing): (all clapping in rhythm) (all vocalizing and clapping) (Doro singing) ALL: DORO: ALL: DORO: ALL: DORO: ALL: DORO: ALL: DORO: ALL: DORO: ALL: DORO: (all clapping in rhythm) (all vocalizing) DORO: Hey!

Hey!

Hey!

Hey!

(static buzzing) (all vocalizing, static buzzing) (all vocalizing) MEMORY: (all vocalizing) NEPTUNE: MATALUSA (speaking Kirundi): NEPTUNE: ELOHEL: (device playing upbeat techno song) (all exclaim in background) (speaking Kinyarwanda): (song continues) MATALUSA and ELOHEL: PSYCHOLOGY (speaking Kirundi): NEPTUNE (speaking Kinyarwanda): MATALUSA (rapping in French): Rocky Horror cinema.

(in French): White smoke, had high hopes.

Straight man with gay ghost.

(rapping in French): (rapping in French): NEPTUNE (voiceover in Kinyarwanda): (static buzzing) (bird calling) (wings flapping) (flapping continues) MAN (speaking Kirundi): ELOHEL (speaking Kinyarwanda): MAN (speaking Kirundi): ELOHEL (speaking Kinyarwanda): PSYCHOLOGY (speaking Kirundi): ELOHEL (speaking Kinyarwanda): MAN (speaking Kirundi): (singing): ALL (singing): DORO (singing in Kinyarwanda): ALL: ELOHEL: ALL: NEPTUNE: (news report playing on television) MEMORY: NEPTUNE: MEMORY: MATALUSA and NEPTUNE: (TVs playing in background) MATALUSA (speaking Kirundi): (Memory laughs) MEMORY (speaking Kinyarwanda): TV REPORTER: ...mysterious hacker Martyr Loser King continues... MEMORY (speaking Kinyarwanda): NEPTUNE: MEMORY: NEPTUNE: MEMORY: (bird calling) (wind howling) (wings flapping) MEMORY: NEPTUNE: (Memory chuckles) MATALUSA: (speaking Kirundi): ..."technology."

(chuckles) (blows out) "Technology."

(laughing) Yeah.

MEMORY (speaking Kinyarwanda): NEPTUNE: MEMORY: NEPTUNE: (singing): (Matalusa joins in): MEMORY (singing solo): MATALUSA AND NEPTUNE (singing): MATALUSA (solo in Kirundi): PSYCHOLOGY: (TVs playing at once) PSYCHOLOGY: (TVs playing at once) MEMORY (speaking Kinyarwanda): - (shouting): (people cheering) PSYCHOLOGY: (others chanting) (all cheering) MATALUSA (speaking French): (speaking Kirundi): MAN: MATALUSA: DORO (speaking Kinyarwanda): MATALUSA (speaking Kirundi): MEN (speaking Kirundi and Kinyarwanda): MATALUSA (speaking Kirundi): (men cheering) MATALUSA: (men responding, Matalusa continues) MEN (speaking Kinyarwanda): (panting) Brothers: Gone!

M-Windows: On!

Sisters: Gone!

Google: On!

Nobody knows I'm not alone Tell them I need somebody Coltan: Gone!

All cars: On!

Mountains: Destroyed iPhone: On!

Nobody knows I'm not alone Tell them I need somebody Division: On!

Solution: None!

Conclusion: War!

Happiness: Gone!

Nobody knows I'm not alone Tell them I need somebody Malaria: Home!

Material: Not Familia: Pauvre But guess who comes home!

You think I don't know that you're bad and wrong?

Welcome Mr. Nobody!

You're wrong and you're still doing it You're saying that my country's a bad deal I'm the boss, but the deal is on me You betrayed me and then you're rich So (muted) Mr. Google Hey!

(muted) Mr. Google Hey!

(music stops) PSYCHOLOGY (speaking Kirundi): NEPTUNE (speaking Kinyarwanda): MEMORY: PSYCHOLOGY (speaking Kirundi): MEMORY (speaking Kinyarwanda): PSYCHOLOGY (speaking Kirundi): MEMORY (speaking Kinyarwanda): PSYCHOLOGY (speaking Kirundi): MAN: DORO (speaking Kinyarwanda): MAN 2: Mm.

MAN 3 (speaking Kirundi): (man talking in background) MAN 4 (speaking Kinyarwanda): ELOHEL: (beeping) (static buzzing) MEMORY: MATALUSA (softly in Kirundi): NEPTUNE (speaking Kinyarwanda): (static buzzing) (echoes overlapping) REPORTER: Mysterious hacker MartyrLoserKing continues to elude authorities while breaching access to hundreds of millions of smartphone users across the Occidental West.

This raises other questions for the thousands of people inspired by the actions of Martyr Loser King, which many go so far as calling poetic... WOMAN: The Martyr Loser King.

MEN: The Martyr Loser King.

REPORTER: ...Martyr Loser King...

PSYCHOLOGY: Memory!

These are games!

(speaking Kirundi): Poetry.

(speaking Kirundi): (people singing softly in background) MEMORY (speaking Kinyarwanda): (song continues) (speaking French): (speaking Kinyarwanda): (speaking Kirundi): PSYCHOLOGY: (song continues) ELOHEL (speaking Kinyarwanda): One justice algorithm.

One little Black girl algorithm... (speaking Kinyarwanda) (song continues) ELOHEL and OTHER: (song continues) (song continues) (insects chirping) (birds chirping) MAN (gasping, yelling): (gun cocks) MEMORY: (birds chirping) (speaking Kinyarwanda): (birds chirping) (leaves rustling) PSYCHOLOGY (speaking Kirundi): ELOHEL (speaking Kinyarwanda): (electronic static and garbled voices playing) (warped voices playing) (distorted voices continue) (distorted voices continue) (music playing) (sound stops) MEMORY: INNOCENT: MEMORY: INNOCENT: MEMORY: INNOCENT: MEMORY: (woman vocalizing) ELOHEL: MEMORY: ELOHEL: MEMORY: PSYCHOLOGY (speaking Kirundi): ELOHEL (speaking Kinyarwanda): PSYCHOLOGY (speaking Kirundi): MEMORY (speaking Kinyarwanda): PSYCHOLOGY (speaking Kirundi): MEMORY (sighs, speaking Kinyarwanda): ELOHEL: MEMORY: (woman vocalizing) (arguing indistinctly) MAN: MEMORY (speaking Kinyarwanda): MEN: MEMORY: MEN: MEMORY: (drone buzzing overhead) (drone moves on) DORO: MAN: MEMORY: MAN 2: MEMORY: ELOHEL: MEMORY: ELOHEL: MATALUSA (speaking Kirundi): MEMORY (speaking Kinyarwanda): MATALUSA (speaking Kirundi): MEMORY (speaking Kinyarwanda): MATALUSA (speaking Swahili and Kirundi): (Memory responds) PSYCHOLOGY (speaking Kirundi): DORO (speaking Kinyarwanda): (wings flapping) MEMORY: (all exclaim) DORO: (all exclaim) MEMORY: MAN: Mm-hmm.

MEMORY: (ground rumbling) (all shouting) (explosion roaring) (explosion roars) (birds chirping) (explosion roars in distance) (jet screeches overhead) (explosion roars) (jet passes into distance) (sizzling) NEPTUNE: (static buzzes) WOMAN: I'm sorry.

I thought we had received confirmation that the target was destroyed.

(static buzzes) MAN: Affirmative, the target was destroyed.

WOMAN: The target was destroyed.

(static buzzes) (static buzzing) (static buzzes) (drums pounding) (drums continue) (man singing) (others join in) (man singing solo) (all singing) (man singing solo) (all singing) (song continues) (static buzzes) (song continues) (static buzzing, song stops) NEPTUNE: My truth is encrypted.

And yours is easy to read.

So what do you need to know about me?

That I continue to exist?

(static buzzes) I am the Martyr Loser King.

You build walls, but no firewalls will protect you from those who burn like candles, whose necks you can chop a million times but still burn bright and stand.

(static buzzes) MAN (speaking Ga): MEN (speaking Ga): (men repeating "Amen" after every statement) (wind blowing) (bird cawing) YOUNGER BROTHER (speaking Ga): (imitating gunfire) (distant machinery roaring) (seagulls squawking) (wind blowing) (imitating rapid gunfire) (imitates bullets impacting) (footsteps approaching) SOWAH (speaking Ga): (sucks teeth) (garbage crunching) YOUNGER BROTHER: SOWAH: YOUNGER BROTHER: SOWAH: YOUNGER BROTHER: SOWAH: (sighs) (distantly): (counting continues) (waves crashing) (Sowah shouting) (shouting continues) (waves crashing) (bird cawing) (Sowah shouting) YOUNGER BOY: Hey, hey, hey, hey!

YOUNGER BOY: LARYEA: YOUNGER BROTHER: SOWAH: YOUNGER BROTHER: MAN: MAN: (struggling) YOUNGER BROTHER: (slaps, thuds) MAN: MAN: LARYEA: MAN: (sobbing) SOWAH: YOUNGER BROTHER: SOWAH: YOUNGER BROTHER: (waves crashing) (water sloshing) (waves crashing) (waves crashing) (waves crashing) (fire crackling) (waves crashing, fire crackling) YOUNGER BROTHER: (shouts, water splashes) (water bubbling) (splashing) (water splashing, gasping) (waves crashing) (coughing, sputtering) SOWAH: (coughing, gasping) (splashes, coughs) (panting, coughing) (wind blowing) (door creaks) (waves crashing) YOUNGER BROTHER: SOWAH: YOUNGER BROTHER: (panting) (waves crashing, footsteps departing) (flames crackling) (waves crashing)