Thought-Provoking George the Poet Film ‘Black Yellow Red’ Marks Ugandan Election

Meji Alabi and George the Poet have today premiered George’s political thought piece ‘Black Yellow Red’ to coincide with the 2021 Ugandan Election.  

As the country deals with an internet shutdown, the short film offers a diaspora perspective weighing up singer turned politician Bobi Wine and incumbent President Museveni, who is currently vying for his sixth consecutive term. George, who is of British Ugandan heritage, uses the film to discuss his passion for politics and his realisation that music and spoken word, not politics, can be his medium for speaking to and inspiring young Black people.  

Named for Uganda’s flag, ‘Black Yellow Red’, the film was adapted from poetry from Episodes 6 and 7 of ‘Have You Heard George's Podcast?’. It was filmed pre-lockdown in 2018 in London and Uganda, and completed with creative solutions during lockdown, including a cameo from Meji on Zoom.  

“We wanted to get people thinking” says Meji, “does a musician have the political agility to run a country, or is it better to keep things how they are? I went into this not fully knowing what I was getting into but two years later it's all come together. I'm thankful to George for bringing me to Uganda and blessing me with a deeper understanding about the political situation there. As George said...it's an African story and these parallels run deep throughout the continent.”