To demystify history is to read it in its entirety, without shame or false pride, so that we may stop living within it. An opportunity for this reflection arises with a song that has been circulating across Africa since March: ‘The Blueprint’ by Uyiosa Emmanuel Omoregbe, known as UyiosaEL. In just five minutes, it recounts what our history textbooks take three chapters to explain with hesitation.
The song describes the arrival of foreigners not as a conquest, but as a courtesy visit. They arrived by sea with books and notebooks, welcomed by Africans with water, bread, and hospitality. While the locals looked to the sky, the visitors mapped the mountains, the souls, and the markets. What followed was not a visit, but a calculated conquest.
In Madagascar, we often like to believe we are an exception, shielded by the Indian Ocean. Yet, the scenario was the same: our hospitality served as a gateway. The song rightly points out that we were abused, in part, by our own virtues. However, it was not just the visitors; some Malagasy people facilitated this process for their own gain. Colonization often resembled a guided tour rather than a burglary, with local guides paid on commission.
This does not diminish the fault of the colonizers, nor does it tarnish our ancestors who lost everything. It simply demands that we read history in full and then have the grace to leave it behind. Remembering is for understanding, not for dwelling. A people who remain trapped in their past keep their former colonizer in their minds, rent-free.
The song concludes with a warning: we now know how it happened, and we know how it can repeat. If we allow it to happen again, the fault will be ours. We can no longer plead ignorance. To negotiate as equals today, we must shed the weight of the past. Countries have no friends, only interests. It is time for us to stop letting others draw the maps and distribute the cards; it is time for us to play our own game with our own blueprint.
Captured & Published at: 2026-10-03 06:38:47 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/10/tour-de-cartes.html