Törö Ndara’s Apology

By Karen Ann SULLIVAN | LNC

(Bangui, August 24, 2026 | LNC) It was a storm in a teacup, yet one that sheds light on a facet of the backward mentality found in the Central African Republic. The Central African singer—better known by his stage name Törö Ndara—issued a public apology to the population following a decision by the High Council for Communication (HCC) and the Ministry of Arts, Culture, and Tourism to ban a song of his deemed controversial. The event took place on Saturday, August 22, 2026, in Bangui, at the initiative of Armand Touaboy, president of the Union of Central African Musicians (UMC). On that day, Törö Ndara followed the example of the Chinese under Mao: he engaged in self-criticism, publicly acknowledging his errors and expressing regret for the uproar caused by his track Vityala. "Thank you. What really motivated me to write this song is that here, among the youth, making a name for oneself musically requires engaging in 'clashes' and using vulgarity in songs. Because the majority of our young brothers only like vulgarity. In fact, I was sending a message to my fellow rappers, and it was meant as a metaphor. But my brothers and sisters interpreted it differently, and it caused an uproar in our society. I offer my sincere apologies to the people I offended with my song." Draining the bitter cup to the dregs, he stated that he was following the advice of his elders and the Minister of Culture, who had asked him to raise awareness among his peers. "I call on all other rappers to stop making this kind of music." "Rap can also be used to raise awareness and mobilize the population." Speaking on the matter, Armand Touaboy recalled the UMC’s role in the affair: "We were alerted by the public and had to work with the artist in question first to understand why he had created the song. He provided explanations, and we subsequently decided to ban the music. The minister agreed to meet with us and took note of the situation. From now on, this young man must serve the State by raising awareness among other young people still involved in that scene." Touaboy added that he had implemented training programs for young artists to teach them to respect appropriate themes and avoid verbal excesses. "We are going to urge nightclubs and download outlets to stop playing this type of music. We have identified at least 19 tracks that will soon be subject to official notices." Naturally, viewed from the West, this affair might provoke a smile; it involves a clash between creative freedom and perceived moral decadence, alongside the intervention of a minister who seemingly has nothing better to do. It brings back painful memories of censorship in 1960s France—yet here it is, alive and well in the Central African Republic.

LNC

Date: August 24, 2026

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