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Dakar (Senegal), Africa Arrival

Date confirmed in “Blues and Soul” magazine (“It was Tuesday evening, January 29th when we boarded Pan Am flight 184 with The Jackson Five”)

"Jet" magazine (March 7, 1974) (archived)

It was in distant Africa and they were doin' it; crooning their familiar beebop tunes and cutting fancy dance steps across rainbow lighted stages; looking lavishly hip; causing shrieks and shrills. Feet were patting madly to the rhythm.

Forty-five minutes of spiritual bedlam they gave, America’s sextet of Brown adolescent dreamboats, The Jackson Five.

It was Dakar, Senegal on Africa's most western tip where the Jackson Five recently made a sixday visit—their maiden odyssey to their ancestral homeland.

As guests of the Sengalese government and artists of sizable African fame in their own right, they were welcomed like ruling dignitaries.

A covey of colorfully robed dancers greeted them upon arrival in the humid dawn, presenting each of the Jackson brothers a seashell necklace and a performance of dazzling ritual dances—enough to prompt one journalist in the entourage to observe, “and we thought 'Soul Train' was something.”’

Billboards announcing the group’s arrival were posted weeks before and posters bearing their pictures peered at you from nearly every store window. An expatriate Black American now living in Senegal said the national frenzy was almost unbelievable.

“The way all the people are excited you would think Nixon is visiting,’ he said. “In fact, I haven’t seen this much ado for full state visits for world leaders.”

Indeed, father Joseph Jackson was presented the country’s highest commendation in a formal ceremony for his contribution to the arts.

“The Jackson Five, under your fatherly guidance,” said the Sengalese officials, presenting the Silver Medal on behalf of president Leopold Senghor, “represents in contemporary times the richest and most beautiful part of the Black diaspora in America... .”

American Ambassador to Senegal, O. Rudolph Aggrey, hailed The Jackson Five’s visit as ‘“‘something of a milestone in cultural relations between America and Africa. A link which was lost that is now being found... .” :

All the stately ballyhoo was not : lost upon the senior Jackson who admitted to long dreaming of bringing his sons to Africa’s shores. For him it was much more than another stop and three more performances.

“IT came to strike a relationship with my brothers here that is long overdue,” said the father. “Everybody is going to Japan and Europe, but nobody seems to be interested in coming to the motherland. Well, we are.”’

And the Africans were just as enthusiastic hosts as the singing Jackson’s were guests.

All of the three performances were nearly complete sell outs, even though front row seats were selling for as much as $10 (too costly, according to some, noting that the national average income per worker is around $40 a month).

The wife of a British diplomat said “Half the people who wanted to hear the group can’t afford to attend the highly-publicized event.

“This is a developing country and it’s bloody poor,” she protested.

But that didn’t seem to dampen the spirit of the youthful fans who cheered as madly as they do in Tucson or Hoboken when precocious lead singer, Michael, breaks into such group hits as “ABC” or “Git It Together.”

It seemed even the differences in languages did little to daunt the enthusiasm. Senegal is a Frenchspeaking nation and as much French as The Jackson Five got into on stage was a “bon jour” Marlon gave the crowd at the start of the performance.

For the imported emcee Frankie Crocker, Harlem’s disc jockey deity, it was more of a problem however. An interpreter was at his side translating his every word:

“The show you are about to see will put dips in your hips, a glide in your stride... .”

By far the most heralded of the singing troupe was young Randy, who pounded his conga drums into the African hearts. A review of the group’s performances in the local press lauded him with such sugary adjectives as “exhilarating’ and “dynamic.”

But initially there was apprehension about the reception they might receive. As bass player Tito put it: “We weren’t scared, we knew there was a language problem and we just weren’t sure we could get to them. He said their fear was dispelled the first few minutes on stage.

Between performances, they became quite the tourists they were, visiting historical points of interest and shopping for souvenirs to carry back to their California home.

Hankering to see the true Africa, the human condition not mentioned in the glossy tourist guides, they walked through the dusty paths of the fishing village of Joal, down the coast from Dakar. They saw old men and women, wrinkled and maimed by age, sitting in floorless two-room shanties.

“It’s a shame,” said Jermaine, shaking his head in disbelief. ‘I am very upset. I never liked that and I never will.

“These people are really poor. We complain about poverty in the states but this is very very bad.”

Except for the brutal poverty, Michael said he could conceivably live there. Marlon blamed the government and European domination for the squalor and hardship: “Dakar is a hip place; Africa is a hip place, but the whites and the government officials seem to be ripping off all the money from the people.”

Then to Goree Island, two miles out from Senegal’s rocky shoreline in the Atlantic, to visit the fort where slavery got its start.

Led on a tour through the whitewashed stone blockade, The Jackson Five were shown the windowless cells where slaves were imprisoned, the rustied shackles that still remain. They were told how the slaves were given numbers in place of their names by their Portuguese captors who built the fort in 1536.

For Jackie it was an educational and emotional experience. “I studied about slavery and how it got started in school, but I never knew it was really like this,” he said with dampened eyes.

Looking around at other tourists, he murmured, “It doesn’t seem to bother white people at all. They just come over here to have a good time.”

“These are real chains,” said Jermaine to himself, looking down at them as he gripped the shackles in his hand. Then he ventured that “If Black Americans all came back here and started building Africa up, it could be the strongest country in the world.”

Like ordinary visitors, the Jacksons departed with souvenirs of their journey—silver jewelry and ancient pieces of wood carved art. But the most precious memento, said Michael, were the links of chain given from a history-rich shackle from Goree’s slave fort. “It is a symbol of how we came over to America. I’m going to put it on a plaque so nobody can touch it.”

As The Jackson Five left behind in Africa a trail of brotherly goodwill, the proudest individual had to be the trip’s promoter, Johnny Secka, the 27-year-old Senegalese.

For him there was a special success because he claimed this to have been the first time an American entertainer or group had come to perform in Africa under the promotional auspices of an African businessman. In the past, such trips have been arranged by the U. S. State Department or European impresarios operating on the African continent.

Its cultural considerations aside, Secka, head of the New Yorkbased Mamadou Productions, said he hoped The Jackson Five’s successful trip to Senegal would be the kernel of a wider movement in the entertainment industry among Black artists. He said he hopes this will spur others to tap the virgin African music market.

“Blues and Soul” magazine (March 12-25, 1974) (archived)

...As [Senegal promoter] Johnny or Mamdou said to the group just before leaving for Africa with the entourage, "Today is a glorious day for me, because it marks a dream come true... It was in May when I met Mr. Joe Jackson and Michael, at the Academy Awards in Hollywood. After talking to him about my country, I promised him that one day I'd take him there. Mr. Jackson expressed to me how he wanted to take his children to see Africa one day. So, for us, it is a dream come true."

It was Tuesday evening, January 29th when we boarded Pan Am flight 184 with The Jackson Five. Everyone was excited, being that it was the first trip to Africa for most of them. We had just finished a picture session in the airport and the J5 were tired. They had flown from Los Angeles that morning, had a three and half hour layover at which time the press conference was held and had a six and a half hour flight still ahead of them. Despite their hectic schedule, they were very cooperative, allowing photos and autographs to other passengers and airport personnel.

The entourage of assistants numbered 25. Since the three youngest, Randy, Michael, and Marlon were still in school. Mrs. Rose Fine, their private tutor, was long for the ten day journey. Even at the time of take-off, we did not know how many countries we were going to make. We were sure of the original dates in Dakar, but promoters from other African countries heard of the trip and tried to make some belated arrangements to bring the tour to their areas. As it turned out, technicalities barred the Ghana, Zambia, and Ethiopian proposals for this trip.

The take-off was delayed about ten - fifteen minutes but was as smooth as could be. Aboard the 707, we constituted a good proportion of the passengers and had free run of the plane, shifting from first class to coach to get the next chess game with Tito, or to rap with someone or another... that seemed to be our flight plan.

I rapped with J5 lawyer, Richard Aarons, who informed me that by press time, the group would be ready to announce plans to make a movie starring the Jacksons, not as singers, but as a family crossing the U.S. in the 1860's and some of the problems they encounter. They will shoot in Arizona this spring and it will probably be released before the year is over.

...On board, we all got to know each other. Three press members were female Veronica Claypoole of Black Enterprise Magazine, Linda Corrant of Encore Magazine and my long time friend, Marion Etoile-Watson of Metromedia. Grayson Mitchell, of Johnson Publications and Frankie "Hollywood" Crocker of WBLS FM radio were the other members of the press. Crocker also acted as co-M.C. with producer Secka.

On board, the discussions were pretty general, like talking about what to expect, about their previous trips to Europe, happenings that were funny or otherwise interesting on tours and behind the scenes. Many questions about what shots you were required to take and which you actually need, and comparing of prescribed pills and all of that. Seat hopping was popular as we sought to introduce ourselves and check affiliations, etc. By the time we landed in Dakar, we were pretty much one big family.

It was still dark when we touched down at Yoff airport in Senegalm since the sun had not yet made its way across the African continent. We disembarked and were escorted to the V.I.P. lounge where about 35-40 drummers and dancers greeted us at the entrance outside the building. They performed for the group and we entered the building for a Press Conference with Senegalese radio, TV and the national newspaper Le Soleil.

After the conference we returned outside to the dancers and the fellows got into the act, trying to emulate the steps that the dancers were doing. I'd have to say that Randy copied the steps best of all.

The festivities continued for about 30 minutes by which time the sun had risen, almost as if the drummers and dancers had made it appear (the change from night to day was so sudden, that I'm not so sure that they didn't).

We boarded the three vans for the trip to the city and to the Taranga Hotel near Independence Square. The hotel was the newest in the city, less than ten months old. It is adorned with plenty of African sculpture.

After unpacking it seems that everyone had the same idea, and without notice we found ourselves meeting in the lobby ready to explore the streets of Dakar. Now if you don't know Senegal, or at least the capitol, it's a city where the people make little or no salary in comparison to most standards. The per capita income is about $150.00 per year, and the best paid are the civil service or government workers. The rest are either working in the hotels, small jobs, or hustling in the streets or at the airport. The best chance for making a living is by "haeking beads" and other artifacts. Even little children learn the art of bargaining and are among the best of salesmen, especially if you are not quick to learn the money.

Most of the shops are not owned by Senegalese, but by Lebanese and other foreigners, mainly French, own the larger businesses.

Now if I were alone, I could have roamed inconspicuously in the streets, and just blended with the people, but when in a large group with varied styles of noticeably U.S. attire, and with six persons as well known as The Jackson Five it is not quite so easy, especially since there were three foot high posters of the group almost everywhere. So as we walked, the group drew crowds of fans, curious individuals and sidewalk salesmen with everything from carvings, beads, and jewelry and Koras (a predecessor of the guitar) to sell.

In Senegal, like in all parts of Africa, the people are friendly. Like in most parts of the world they are also curious, so at times one might feel that he is on display, if it is evident that he is a stranger to the area. There is a kind of warmth most brothers in Africa display when meeting brothers from the U.S., because of the celebrated lifestyles and what they read in newspapers and magazines. Sometimes what they imitate isn't quite our best attributes, but there is unquestionably a widespread adoration for "soul brothers" and news about the western black experience.

Even the young revolutionaries are soul (r&b) fans and dig such names as James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, the Staple Singers, The Jackson Five, and most of the top names in the field. But many judge the acts only as how they relate to the worldwide black liberation struggle.

[Marion Etoile-Watson, Metromedia interview:]

The phone rang and a French speaking operator informed me that I had a call coming in from Senegal which is a French colony on the extreme Western point of the continent of Africa and which was an area that once played an important part in the slave trade. However, that was all part of yesterday and today's big news from the capital city of Dakar was that The Jackson 5 were there, making their very first trip to the continent. Ronnie Brathwaite's familiar voice suddenly came in and he informed me that he had all six members of The Jackson 5 corralled and ready to speak.

First to come on the line was Tito who quickly stressed how excited the whole family was to be in Africa. "It's our first time here and thing that has hit me straight away is how polite the people here are", he exclaimed. Tito went on to explain how the tour had been put together by a gentleman called Johnny Secka and that it was something more of a "political tour as opposed to a tour done for financial gains. Tito's parting words were to watch out for the next J5 album because it was a departure from what the group has become known for. "It's something a little different, a little more mature, and a continuation of what we tried to do with the 'Get it Together' album", he chuckled. Hal David is again the producer.

... I further asked [Marlon] if he had heard much music since his arrival and whether the J5 were well-known in that part of the world.

"Well, we have been hearing music ever since we landed at the airport because they played music over the loudspeaker there. But it was mainly African local music rather than things we would know. People here seem to know about us and everyone knows of Michael."

...Last but not least on the line was Michael, perhaps the best known of the brothers. Michael's trip seems to have been built around all of the pleasant things in life and perhaps this best sums of his disposition--he looks for the best in life and therefore finds it more often than most. "It's so warm and clear here and it started off well for us when we landed at the airport", he enthused. "They had a whole group of local dancers there to meet us and ever since we've been here, it has been a procession of meeting people and everyone seems so friendly and genuinely nice. Like my brothers, I've been out buying things ever since I got here!"

"Black Stars” magazine (September 1974) (archived)

To learn of their impressions and experiences there on Africa's shores, "Black Stars" sat down with members of The Jackson Five recently and rapped. What follows is what they had to say:

Black Stars: You have just returned from your maiden African visit. How was it?

...Michael: I was very excited to see what it would look like. On the long flight over, I was thinking how it would look. I pictured mountains and jungles and beautiful scenery--and that was exactly how it looked.

...Black Stars: Now that you have returned what were some of your impressions of Africa?

Michael: There are a lot of people there who don't have food and who can't afford food. Before people here throw away food, they should think.

...Black Stars: Recently, Stevie Wonder announced he intends to leave the United States to live in Africa. What are your feelings on that?

Michael: I haven't seen all of Africa. First, I would like to see all of Africa before I make the decision. But anyway, before Stevie told the public about moving there, he told me and I asked why.

He said he would feel safe there because that was his home. I could live there. Africa is beautiful, the most beautiful place I've seen. The people are warm and kind.

...Black Stars: Your performances in Africa were well received. Were you at all surprised by either your reception or your African celebrity?

Michael: Yeah! But they're black and we're black also.

Jermaine: It wasn't a surprise, but it was good to see all our people there, happy and smiling at us; giving us that eye-to-eye contact, showing us that they loved us...

Marlon: ...The people were so warm and moving.

Michael: I knew that they were going to be nice; I just had a feeling.

See, the African music and the Afro-American music give you the same feeling; it's the same music. As a matter of fact, most of the white music you hear today copies the African style.

...Black Stars: What kind of souvenirs did you bring home from your trip?

Michael: We bought a lot of wood carvings that we really liked. Some of it we gave away, some really nice art, and the rest we kept. I don't think anybody has the talent Africans do for carving wood. They're fantastic.

...Black Stars: Are you eager to visit Africa again?

Randy, Michael, Marlon, Jermaine, and Jackie: Yeah!

“ImageNation” (July 14, 2009) (mirror) (archived mirror)

Narrated by renowned actor Robert Hooks and filmed in Senegal, this never-before-seen film documents the Jackson 5 as they embarked on their 1974 African tour.

The film opens with the Jackson being greeted by a group of dancers and drummers at the airport. There is a wonderful section with Michael Jackson and the family at an African market and classic live footage of the group performing "Hum Along and Dance" (rare songs not-recorded) and 10-year-old Randy (who at the time just joined the group) is interviewed briefly and plays a drum solo at the concert. There's lots more in the film, including some great shots of both Northern and Southern Senegalese weaving techniques, an excellent description of mask-making and a great shot of teary-eyed Joe Jackson receiving the Medal of the Lion, the highest Senegalese honor.

The film is 50 minutes long and ends abruptly because it was never finished.

How did ImageNation get such a rare film?

“Jackson 5 in Africa” was made by a group of African investors who ran out of money trying to finish the film. In 1982, the owner of this film -- an international businessman (who wants to remain anonymous) -- bartered with one of the original producers, acquiring a 16mm print of this rare film, in exchange for a 4ct rough diamond. Years later, he reached out to ImageNation to help him find a collector/buyer for the never-before-screened rare film. When Michael Jackson passed on Thursday, we requested permission to do a public screening of the film to celebrate the life of Michael Jackson. The owner agreed, and asked ImageNation to vet offers for this rare film.