Xabsiga New Bell ee magaalada Douala, dalka Kaameruun, waa meel lagu helo nidaamyo aan caadi ahayn, iyadoo shirkad muusig oo ku dhex taalla xabsiga—Jail Time Records—ay ka dhigatay maxaabiis fannaaniin caan ku ah gudaha iyo dibaddaba.
Jail Time Records: Istuudiyo oo ka dhalata nafis shucuureed
Jail Time Records waa istuudiyo iyo shirkad muusig oo ku dhex taalla xabsiga New Bell, kaas oo ka dhigaya maxaabiista kuwa caan ka noqda gudaha iyo dibaddaba. Istuudiyaha waa mid aad u fudud, kaas oo ka kooban qol yar oo kulul oo lagu duubo codadka iyo qol kale oo uu yaallo hal kombiyuutar.
Jail Time Records waxaa la aasaasay sannadkii 2018, markii Dione Roach ay iskaa wax u qabso ula shaqaynaysay hay'ad samafal oo qabanqaabin jirtay barnaamijyo lagu qabto gudaha New Bell. Intii lagu jiray fasal qoob-ka-ciyaar oo loo qabtay maxaabiista, koox fannaaniin raabka caan ku ah ayaa qabsatay makarafoonka waxayna bilaabeen inay si kedis ah u qaadaan heeso. Waxqabadkooda oo ay aad ula dhacday awgeed, Roach waxay maamulka xabsiga ka codsatay oggolaansho ay ku furto istuudiyo muusig. Mas'uuliyiinta xabsigu way soo dhaweeyeen fikraddaas, waxaana Roach ay u yeertay Steve Happi si uu u maamulo,
Muusigga iyo dib-u-habaynta nolosha
Steve Happi, oo hore uga tirsanaa maxaabiista isla markaana ka mid ah aasaasayaashii Jail Time Records, wuxuu yiri: "Waa aalad aan ku muujinno iska caabbinta… halkaas oo aan si dhab ah ugu wadaagi karno saaxiibtinnimada, jacaylka iyo codkeennana loo maqlo." Mar dambe kama fikirno afarta darbi ee nagu hareeraysan – waxaan helnaa xorriyad.
Heesaha ay sameeyaan maxaabiistu waxay taageerayaal ka heleen dalal fog sida Koonfur Afrika, Maraykanka, iyo Argentina. Horraantii sannadkan, Jail Time Records waxay sidoo kale ku qabatay riwaayad weyn barxadda New Bell oo loogu talagalay maxaabiista. Empereur, hoggaamiyaha laga cabsado ee kooxaha burcadda ee ka hawlgala gudaha iyo dibadda xabsiga, ayaa 24,000 oo daawasho YouTube ah wuxuu ku helay muuqaal muusig oo gebi ahaanba lagu duubay gudaha xabsiga.
Dukumeentiga iyo abaalmarinta caalamiga ah
Dukumeentiga Jail Time Records waxaa wada agaasimay Steve Happi iyo farshaxanka Talyaaniga ah Dione Roach, waxaana lagu duubayay gudaha New Bell muddo lix sano ah. Bishii hore, dukumeentigu wuxuu ku guuleystay saddex abaalmarin oo ka mid ahayd tan loogu talagalay dukumeentiga ugu wanaagsan, intii lagu jiray Bandhigga Filimada Tribeca ee magaalada New York.
Taika Waititi, agaasimaha reer New Zealand ee ku guuleystay Abaalmarinta Oscar, wuxuu yiri: "Muusigga halkaas ka soo baxa waa mid cajiib ah." Isaga iyo xaaskiisa, fannaanadda Rita Ora, waxay ahaayeen soo-saarayaal fulineed oo ka qeyb qaatay dukumeentiga. Waxayna intaas ku dartay: "In qofku helo meel uu ku cabbiro dareenkiisa waa arrin aad u awood badan, isla markaana bani'aadamnimo leh."
Inside Cameroon's notorious New Bell prison, a group of incarcerated musicians have built a recording studio that has produced songs heard across South Africa, the United States and Argentina, earning international acclaim and three awards at the Tribeca Film Festival.
A Studio Built Inside a Notorious Prison
New Bell, located in Douala, Cameroon, is widely known for its harsh conditions and reputation for violence. Human Rights Watch reported in 2022 that the facility held approximately 4,700 prisoners despite an official capacity of only a quarter of that number, with crumbling walls and loud noise worsening the environment.
Jail Time Records, a music studio and company founded in 2018, operates inside the prison. It was established after Italian artist Dione Roach, working with a charity, noticed prisoners singing during a football class and asked the administration for permission to open a recording space, which was granted.
Music as a Tool for Expression and Survival
Steve Happi, a former prisoner and co-founder of Jail Time Records, described the project as a means of self-defense and a way to share friendship, love and have their voices heard. He added that the artists no longer think about the four walls around them and instead find freedom through their music.
The studio is simple, consisting of a small hot room for recording voices attached to another room with one computer. Despite the modest setup, the music produced has gained significant attention, with a music video by gang leader Empereur accumulating 24,000 YouTube views entirely filmed inside the prison.
International Recognition and Human Stories
The documentary about the studio, directed by Steve Happi and Dione Roach over six years, won three awards at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York for best documentary. Oscar-winning director Taika Waititi praised the music, saying it is amazing and that having a place to express feelings is a powerful and human thing.
One inmate featured in the film, Stone, formerly a member of Cameroon's presidential guard, was sentenced to 10 years for rape and possession of illegal weapons while insisting he did not commit any crime. He recorded a voice message to his daughter, saying she needs to hear his voice so she does not forget her father.
Ilaha iyo xuquuqda sawirka
Sawir: BBC Somali Xigasho
