This is the instrumental version of an Afrohouse track I call “Co.Co Co.Co”. It's a riff in the song, by itself, but it actually stands for “COlonialism COrruption CObalt COngo”. Initially, the reason I even made this track was to explore more into the realm of Afrohouse and Afrobeats, which is burning up the charts around the world as a fast-growing, hugely popular genre of music coming out of the African continent. But then I felt I could add to it and talk about an issue that truly affects us all, since you wouldn't even be able to read this note or listen to this song on any of your various electronic devices without the horrific exploitation of the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo (a country located in the heart of the continent of Africa), because the world's largest supply of cobalt, which is crucial to any device requiring a rechargeable battery, comes directly out of the Congo. To be more specific, without the Congo's over 70% of the world's cobalt supply, even the rest of the world's countries with cobalt mines, combined, are not even close to enough to supply the world's high demand for it so that we can continue to have smartphones, laptops, tablets, power banks, electric vehicles, and ANY electronic device with a lithium-ion battery. The blood of the Congolese people is quite literally in every device that we own and their exploitation needs to end!

I felt I needed to do something through my art to help raise awareness, so I encourage you to go to my website and listen to the full vocal version of this song–which features soundbite quotes I used from interviews and documentaries with prominent activists who have been to the DRC–detailing the human rights atrocities they witnessed there: https://ahmedsirour.com/track/3888065/co-co-co-co-teaching-version. Any sales I receive from the full vocal version on my website, I am donating 100% of the proceeds to a vetted charity (or charities) who directly support the victimized Congolese people in these cobalt mines, like https://FriendsofCongo.org, for example.

For this instrumental version, which I had initially planned to press on Catalog, I will also donate partial proceeds I receive from whomever collects this record and/or Co-Signs it. While I made this version to dance to, I hope you also learn something from the full version and want to get involved to help stop conflict cobalt and hold all these tech companies accountable so that the people of Congo can reclaim and thrive from their own country's mineral wealth.