Kyle Gordon, a musician known for his parodies, has released a new song called ‘Mr. Jambo’ that playfully mocks Westerners traveling in Africa. The song is inspired by Paul Simon’s ‘Graceland’ and features Gordon as a character named Barry Bergen, who travels to the African savannah and claims to experience enlightenment.
Gordon’s Inspiration
Gordon’s idea for the song came from his love of ‘Graceland’ and his interest in the combination of Western rock and traditional African music. He self-funded a trip to South Africa and Eswatini to shoot the video for ‘Mr. Jambo’, which has since gone viral and been viewed millions of times.
Gordon’s music often walks the line between niche and accessible, and he strives to make his parodies both funny and respectful. He believes that good parody comes from a place of love and that it’s possible to both love and recognize the humor in something.
The Video Shoot
The video for ‘Mr. Jambo’ was shot in South Africa and Eswatini, and features a local choir and brass band. Gordon took Zulu lessons to better understand the language and culture, and he worked with a Swazi producer to cast the video and ensure that the jokes were understood and appreciated by the local community.
Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.
