« L’attente » de Manu Militari : les limites des sentiments collectifs et l’impact d’une polémique canadienne

Abstract

In 2012, Québécois rapper Manu Militari released the first single for his upcoming album Marée humaine, entitled “L’attente.” Written from the imagined perspective of an Afghani insurgent, “L’attente” evokes guerilla warfare against Canadian soldiers, echoed in its music video. “L’attente” was denounced by Canadian military veterans and families and rebuked by members of the federal government. This article uses affect theory to argue that the discourse mobilized in the polemic works to solidify the social contours of community, personhood, and human rights in a Francophone Canadian context despite attempts of the song to expand them through its own emotional resonance.