“As mentiras da verdade” (Azagaia, 2007)
Today would have been Azagaia’s 39th birthday had he not died earlier this year of complications of epilepsy. Celebrations of his life in March and April were marked by police violence, which has led to ongoing protests and concerns about policing in Mozambique. The song I’ve translated below, “As Mentiras da Verdade” (“The Lies of Truth”) from his 2007 album “Babalaze” still rings so true today. The official video for this song opens with the following:
“All citizens have the right to freedom of expression,
freedom of the press, as well as the right to information.”
“Exercising the freedom of expression, which specifically
includes the ability to express one’s own
thoughts through all legal means, and exercising the
right to information may not be limited by censorship.”
Constitution of the Republic, Article 48
“The Lies of Truth”
And what if I told you
That Samora was assassinated
By government people who still pretend they’re looking for the culprit
And that everything was planned
To make it look like an accident and to quickly stifle the case
And what if I told you
That Anibalzinho is yet another yes man
Who didn’t escape from Machava prison but was released
By the same justice system that convicted him
And most likely now he’ll be eliminated
And what if I told you
That Siba-Siba, poor thing
Was a victim of the homicidal gang
That killed Cardoso in the street
Not Anibal and his team
Convicted by the media
But the same one that left
Pedro Langa lifeless
And what if I told you
That Mozambique isn’t as poor as it seems
That those are false statistics
And someone is getting rich
With money from the IMF, WHO, and UNICEF
Then they make the people believe
That it’s the economy that’s not growing
And what if I told you
That the opposition
In this country has no hope
Because the people have been taught to fear change
But what if I told you
That the opposition and the government are no different
They all eat from the same plate
And everything is the way they want it
And what if I told you
That the Cahora Bassa dam isn’t ours
It belongs to a handful of folks who will still fill their pockets
And what if I told you that there are newspapers
That manufacture information
To sell more papers and get advertising
And that they’re the same ones who sell us
That image of chaos
Who transform simple sheep into bad wolves
And what if I told you
That there are TV channels committed
To the government and they only cover permitted subjects
That those TV news shows have all been sold
You only see what they want
And they want your smiles
And what if I told you
That AIDS in Mozambique is a business
NGOs see the government as a partner
Because not everything that they say is true (it’s true)
Because not everything they say isn’t true (it’s true)
They make you think that you know (but you don’t know)
Careful with the lies of the truth (it’s true)
What if I told you
That the history that you study has lies
That your brain is washed with each good grade you get
That the revolution wasn’t made just of songs and cheers
There was betrayal, torture, and hidden versions
And what if I told you
That former combatants are living off memories
They gave their lives for the homeland and the government just tells them stories
How many today would give half of what they gave?
On behalf of Mozambique, not even those you elected
And what if I told you
That the let it go hasn’t stopped
Look at the corrupt playacting at stopping it
Anti-corruption committees created by the corrupt
Bribing each other to multiply the profits
And what if I told you
That the advertised openings already have owners
We line up on the street but we don’t even imagine
That half the spots belong to bribery schemes
The universities have been bought, but what kind of shit are we?
And what if I told you
That your engineering degree isn’t today’s news
For every hundred economists that come out, there are two engineers
University housing crammed with people
You’ll see the fees in the red and the instructors indifferent
And what if I told you
That foreigners run this country
They have the jobs and salaries they want and still run things
A half dozen domestic ones kicked out
It’s a rawer version of neocolonialism
And what if I told you
That the color of your skin matters a lot
The lighter it is, the more doors that open, it’s absurd
The selection criteria for jobs
You go to companies like banks and you can’t find a single black person
And what if I told you
That the police of the republic are a comedy
Scrawny, no morals, they sell themselves for a buck
Now they’re killing each other, betrayal in the corporation
In the end who are the cops, who are the robbers?
And what if I told you
That there are banks that finance parties
And then suddenly their coffers are bankrupt
[Spoken: You guys can even kill, but you can’t shut up the truth.]
Because not everything that they say is true (it’s true)
Because not everything they say isn’t true (it’s true)
They make you think that you know (but you don’t know)
Careful with the lies of the truth (it’s true)
The powerful official video for this song ends with the following:
“In the memory of all those who have left us
defending the truth.”