By Nvasekie N. Konneh
What does Liberia and Haiti have in common? For starter, they are both two historic black nations. One is located in the Caribbean region of Americas and the other is located in West Africa. Haiti became the first independent black nation in the world in 1804 and Liberia became the first independent African nation in 1847. Haiti has a national hero called Toussaint Louverture who is celebrated globally among African people at home and abroad. More than hundred years after their independence, Haiti and Liberia produced similar history when they elected two celebrity presidents in persons of Michel Martelly and George Weah. Michel Martelly, a celebrated Haitian musician was elected president of Haiti in 2011 and ruled for five years. George Weah was elected in 2017 and ruled for six years. As a musician, he is popularly known as Sweet Micky. He was the 47th president of Haiti. After his presidency, Martelly went back to his former band and sang a carnival méringue song, titled "Bal Bannann nan" (Give Her the Banana). This was a mocking response to a famous Haitian female journalist, Liliane Pierre Paul. Martelly's genre of music is known as Kompa,, a Haitian dance music that is sung mostly in the Creole language of Haiti. Martelly's contribution as an artist led to the popularization of what came to be known as the new generation of kompas music. The music is heavily created with synthesizers and electronic instruments. Between 1989, to 2008, he is reported to have recorded dozens of studio albums and a number of live CDs. As a popular musician and club owner in Haiti in the late 1980s and early 1990s, he was associated with the neo-Duvalierist Haitian military and police. He was affiliated with the police chief, Michel François. He supported the 1991 coup d’état against the Haitian president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide. When President Aristide was brought back to power in 1995, Martelly's name was on the hit list of coup supporters. As such, he went into self-imposed exile for almost a year, during which time he released the song, Prezidan on his album Pa Manyen. The song, “Prezidan,” showcased Martelly as a musician and politician. The lyrics and the theme of the song put a lot of emphasis on leadership, national pride, and the responsibilities of a president. Imagine singing such a song when he was not yet a president which became very popular with his fans. With this song, it is fair to say that he was basically presaging his political interest in becoming president for Haiti. Though musicians often sing romantic lyrics, there are some whose lyrics are imbued with strong political messages. It is one thing to sing about political issues which is common in reggae and hip hop music, what is not common is to see a musician running to be president of a country.
Before becoming president of Liberia in 2017, George Weah was a nationally and internationally celebrated soccer star. The election of 2017 made him the the 25th president of Liberia. Before his election as president of Liberia, Weah served as a senator of Montserrado County. He played for 18 years as a professional football player. His career took him to some of the biggest soccer clubs in Europe. He is the first African footballer to become a president of a country. He's also the only African player to win the Ballon d'Or and Fifa world player of the year. Both of these awards were achieved in 1995. He won the African Footballer of the Year three times and is considered one of the greatest strikers of all times. Before going to Europe to play for clubs Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan, Chelsea, and Manchester City, Weah played for the local team, Invisible Eleven. Over the years in his soccer career, Weah won the hearts of many as a humanitarian during the war in Liberia. During the years of his active playing, he became UN Goodwill Ambassador. In 2004, he won the Arthur Ashe Courage Award for his humanitarian efforts. He also was named as the UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, a role he could not continue due to his active political roles in Liberia. All these roles endeared him to his many followers or fans.
Just like Martelly, whose songs might have inspired political movement that led to his presidency, Weah’s celebrated football career and his humanitarian contribution took him to the presidency of Liberia. While Martelly might have said so much in his songs as a message, Weah didn’t say much. His prowess on the pitch did his talking for him to his adoring fans in Liberia who catapulted him to the Liberian presidency. While singers trade in words and rhythm, footballers speak with their feet on the soccer pitch. As such for Weah, he's not an eloquent speaker, nor can he elucidate fluently on any issue, be it political, economic or social. Despite being a taciturn, thousands of people support him politically. While Liberians in general celebrate his soccer career, many are opposed to Weah the politician. Same thing can be said of Martelly. While critics disagree with his politics, many love him for his music which adds more value to the cultural experience of Haiti.
Looking at the presidential legacies of both men, there are mixed feelings and reviews. Depending on who you talk to, some accused them of being incompetent and corrupt. Their rules as presidents of their countries did not bring improvement to the economic conditions of their respective citizens. In 2012, Martelly was accused of corruption. It was said that following the 2010 Haiti earthquake and after the presidential election that brought him to power, Martelly received $2.6 million in bribes from a Dominican Republic construction company. This and other allegations of corruption and controversies have dodged his legacy as a politician of Haiti. In Liberia, Weah’s legacy is a mixed-bag with his supporters saying he was a “good president” while his opponents think he was very “corrupt, incompetent and the worst president of Liberia.” In their post presidencies, while Weah is planning a comeback after losing his reelection bid in 2023, Sweet Micky continues with his music, sharing his life between Florida, USA and Haiti. While Liberia is more stable with democratic transitions and governance, Haiti is still going through a political crisis as gang members are competing for power and control in the country. As we write this article, President Weah’s vice president, Jewel Howard-Taylor is under arrest for her alleged roles in transnational narcotic trades which have both national and international implications. Though Weah is not accused of any involvement in drug busts in the country, references are still being made to the 100 million dollar drug bust during his presidency. While Weah is no longer playing professional soccer which brought him to fame, Martelly is still producing music and performing on stage. As president, Weah tried to make name for himself as an artist but his music does not appeal to people that much like his soccer career. So what the both men have in common are their abundant talents and showmanship which they were able to use to become presidents in their respective countries. For Weah, he made history by becoming the first footballer to become president. Now that he’s planning a comeback, will he succeed or have Liberians have already had enough of him?
