The opening skit starts with Daniel Jakob recording a runnel in the mountains. ‘So, let’s dare to do this’, he says to himself in Swiss German. The skit ends with the words ‘take the back seat’, spoken by London-based sociologist Jenny Mbaye. ‘As a privileged white man, what can my role be in researching and curating contemporary music from the African continent?’ Thomas Burkhalter had asked her in an interview. Her full answer was, ‘I think your role can only be a humble one. Take the back seat, and feel privileged to take that back seat. Enjoy the view while recognising all the luggage that you may bring with you. And if you have ways of making things visible, ask how you can be of use. You’re not driving here. And you’re lucky to be enjoying the view. Be curious. Be open-minded. Have your eyes wide open, your ears wide open. So don’t try to come with good intentions because those good intentions are loaded with history, a genealogy of violence, and authoritarianism that goes beyond you. So yeah, take the backseat and feel privileged to enjoy the view’.

Lyrics:
So, chames wage
Take the backseat

Quote:
‘Take the Backseat’.

Music written and produced by Thomas Burkhalter and Daniel Jakob
Voice: Jenny Mbaye, recorded by Thomas Burkhalter