I know that my good brother Ken Jenie & I wrote the
tune nearly 3 years ago & shot the video for Siempre a year after
it was recorded (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmzVq0MNwVo)
but i never really explained publicly why I co-wrote the song...
at that time,Ken just finished Che's Biography "a Revolutionary Life"
& i've had a long admiration for the
Comandante since a teenager.
the idea of "Siempre" was to write a tribute to the Comandante without
including his name...just his struggle,his rank, his ideas & what
he means to the younger generation.
the Comandante's impact is felt in all revolutionary movement's from
his passing until now & even though his most famoust photo has
become a mere symbol for "the rebel without a cause"yanqui generation
& the commodity of capitalism, the very force & system in which
he fought against through the majority of his life.
I still believe his creed of Self-Sacrifice & working for society
as whole for humanity's progress is necessary to diminish individualism
& free-fight liberalism in which every single day man & his
fellow men(and women) become more & more alienated from one another
due to selfish individual needs (not basic & common needs), with
the old saying
the rich are getting richer & the poor are getting poorer.
we're not quick to realize that some can own yacths,dozens of
mansions,go for the latest craze for gadgets & fashion tips while
on the other side of the world you have fathers & mothers who are
calculating how to feed their children with a 2 dollar a day wage.
sad...you say? or maybe from someone from the west would look at this with just mere sarcasm & total yanqui arrogance.
we don't ask & we don't need your pity. what we need is Justice,
that's what
Che Guevara believed in & in his method to achieve a
just society is to topple a corrupt system in the way of armed struggle.
I as a musician & specifically a social compositioner regard "Guevarismo" necessary in order to bring social change. Personal gain & Commerce should be less of a priority but replaced by the drive for the development & progress of culture, prosperity of the people, Social Justice & equality. if Che brought the new philosophy of "the New Man" in Cuba then the world must witness the rebirth of "The New Man" in artistry & craftsmanship.
we can never deny humans as social beings that in, Indonesia 1st President Sukarno's teachings "no matter the size of the problem each n every person must work COLLECTIVELY to solve it"
that is the essence of the beautiful Indonesian creed of "GOTONG ROYONG".
Freedom Fighters all sing the "SAME SONG", to free the people from all forms of tyranny.
so, let us remember & respark the fire that Guevara once lit in a world of total
" PAR L'HOMME DE L'HOMME"
MERDEKA !!!
Social Compositioner
Ras Muhamad
Reggae Ambassador of Indonesia to the world