Soundtrack of a Coup: The Revival of Pro-Military Music in Niger

In one video a famous trio of female artists dressed in fatigues lauds soldiers who they say are as fast as antelopes.

In another, pickup trucks race through the desert to intercept suspected criminals.

And in a third, a dragon from “Game of Thrones” flies through the sky as a well-known pro-military singer likens it to men in uniform, commending their “strength, wisdom, intelligence.”

On July 26, as a military coup was underway in the West African nation of Niger, the airwaves of Télé Sahel, the state television station, filled with upbeat music videos praising the military. Some of these videos had been circulating for years, but since a group of generals toppled the democratically elected president in July, Niger has witnessed a revival of both old and new military propaganda, now remixed for the TikTok era.

In interviews, a dozen artists, academics and entertainment executives plugged into the Nigerien music scene said that what could be seen as a paradox in the West — an outpouring of new videos and music under military rule — made sense in a country with a long history of griot culture, where storytellers and keepers of oral history praised figures of authority. Fear and respect toward the military are also deeply entrenched within the society, analysts said.

It is not clear how many Nigeriens support the military takeover. But the widespread appeal of these songs and videos provides a window into the layered history and sentiments that exist between Nigeriens and the military, which has been omnipresent in the country’s political life through five coups in 50 years and, lately, a struggle with Islamist insurgencies.

They also shed light on why many in Niger have in part welcomed the end of democratic rule that they associated with endemic corruption, economic hardship and limited freedom of expression, including for artists.

Drums of war and the silence of censorship

As thousands of people took to the streets of the capital, Niamey, in early August in support of the new junta Souleymane and Zabeirou Barké, two brothers, joined the crowds to shoot their latest music video.

Among throngs of men assembled in front of the country’s national assembly, the green and orange Nigerien flags, raised fists and defiant messages against Western countries provided an ideal backdrop for their new song, “Niger Guida,” or “Niger My Home” in the Hausa language.

The threat of a military intervention by a bloc of West African countries has only strengthened the resolve of young Nigeriens to defend their country and prompted some artists to denounce the threats in scathing songs.

“Niger is our home, whoever tries to attack us will face the consequences,” the Barké brothers, who are in their 30s and make up the popular rap group MDM, say in the song, which has been broadcast on Télé-Sahel. “We are not afraid of death, come and kill us.”

“Democracy in Niger was already gone,” said Souleymane Barké, who welcomed the shift to military leadership. “We want new forms of governance.”

Many artists have remained silent since the coup. At least one well-known group, Mdou Moctar, invited fans at a concert in New York’s Central Park to show their support to Mr. Bazoum, the ousted president.

But in Niger, the junta has only authorized pro-military gatherings.

“The majority of voices we’re hearing now are the voices that are allowed,” said Ousseina Alidou, a Nigerien professor of linguistics and cultural studies at Rutgers University. “If you’re not hearing other voices, what does it mean? That there’s a lot of censorship.”

A civil society activist in Niger, speaking on condition of anonymity after being threatened by the junta, said, “We either show our support for the putsch or we shut up.”

Pro-military music for a new generation

One of the more prominent pro-military videos that has resurfaced on TV and online in recent week’s is “Sodja” (“Soldiers” in the Hausa language), which was released in 2009 by the late singer Hamsou Garba. The video, which features both women and men dressed as soldiers, praises the virtues of the country’s military.

“Soldiers are known to rule the nation. Soldiers ensure the safety of the nation,” Ms. Garba sings.

It’s a message that has resonated with many Nigeriens. “We love and we support our soldiers,” Bouchra Hamidou, a 32-year-old protester, said at a gathering in Niamey last week.

The Nigerien Army itself has long been a favored audience for musicians, with bands touring military camps across the country. Most military coups in Niger have led to a resurgence of pro-military songs, said Abdourahmane Oumarou, a former lawmaker and the owner of the largest music television channel in the country.

Now, aging bands are passing the torch to hip-hop artists like MDM, with an uptick in songs and videos calling on Nigeriens to strengthen Niger’s autonomy and independence, Mr. Oumarou said.

The takeover in July was the first since 2010: many of the 25 million Nigeriens, half of whom are under 15, are experiencing military rule for the first time.

“Young folks might struggle to eat three meals a day, but they watch TikTok and follow the news,” said Mr. Oumarou “They have 4K cameras and they make their music in home studios with the help of YouTube.”

Over the past month, hundreds of young people have stood guard every night, checking suspicious-looking cars as they heed a call by the junta to protect the country against a foreign invasion. Pro-military songs have been a frequent soundtrack.

Blasting through a speaker at a traffic circle on a recent evening was a song from Sgt. Mamane Sani Maigochi, Niger’s best-known pro-military singer and a former member of the armed forces, who said in a telephone interview that he has put out around 60 pro-military songs over the last decade.

“Soldiers are mighty,” Sergeant Maigochi sings. “They defeat aggressors and fix our nation.”

The Nigerien military recently shared one of Sergeant Maigochi’s songs on Facebook interspersed with footage of Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani and his allies, the military leaders who claim to be in power.

On a recent Sunday, Sergeant Maigochi performed for the junta in the country’s largest stadium, drawing thousands of fans and some military officials. “The goal is always the same: galvanize our soldiers, lift up their spirits,” he said.

He refused to disclose how much he had been paid for his concert, or whether it had been financed by the junta.

Freedom of expression faces a renewed test

The cheerful songs in Niger, touting patriotic fervor and military might, hide the darker prospect of strengthened censorship under military rule, as has taken place in neighboring in Mali and Burkina Faso, where military coups also prevailed in recent years.

Niger’s junta has vowed to work more closely with those two military-led governments. It has also arrested officials from Mr. Bazoum’s government, and forced others to go into hiding. Several teachers have been arrested since the coup, and journalists harassed online and attacked.

But artists argue that they also faced limited freedom expression under the rule of Mr. Bazoum and his predecessor, Mahamadou Issoufou.

“As soon as democracy doesn’t work, people think of the military,” said Aichatou Ali Soumaila, the lead singer of the band Sogha, who made a song dedicated to the army in 2016 that has found a renewed popularity lately.

Still, some artists said that their songs weren’t a free pass to the generals in power. Souleymane Barké from MDM warned that they would also target the military leaders in their music if they went against the people’s will.

“Griots could make kings fall,” said Ms. Soumaila. “We can still play this role.”

Elian Peltier reported from Niamey, Niger, and Sarah Kerr from New York. Omar Hama Saley contributed reporting from Niamey.