By Dafe Ivwurie
In Nigerian politics there are no dull moments. There is always something to talk about at the national, state or local government levels. And we must give kudos to the Nigeria press for always bringing us up to speed with happenings all over the country. Had it not been for members of the Fourth Estate of the realm, we would not have known the intrigues and power play that almost consumed the political soul of the country at the height of the Yar’Adua-is-sick-Goodluck-must-take-over debacle.
I am wondering, is anybody writing a book on “The Politics of Sickness and Presidential Succession”? The title can always change depending on what you prefer to focus on. But that is not our concern here at the moment.
I have been looking at a number of words that have been used profusely in the Nigerian press in the last six months and how they will shape the coming campaign and election season. Although I call it a glossary of current buzzwords in Nigerian political conversation, it is not in alphabetical order, neither is it exhaustive. I have chosen to start with the word cabal.
The dictionary meanings of the word cabal are; a small group of secret plotters, as against a government or person in authority; the plots and schemes of such a group; intrigue. The word came to national prominence when all the shenanigans about the politics of the health of the late Umaru Yar’Adua were on. It was reported that a certain cabal, a group of plotters, intriguers or junta were taking advantage of the late President’s incapacitation to ‘arrange’ themselves. In case you are not familiar with Nigerian street language, the word ‘arrange’ means to manipulate a situation to achieve a desired selfish motive. Reports had it that Hajia Turai Yar’Adua was the head of that infamous group of arrangers or cabal.
However, the death of Yar’Adua does not mean that the word has been expunged from current political usage. Probably relegated to the background but also assuming a more strategic role in the emergence of Goodluck Jonathan as the would-be presidential flag bearer for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Please note names like Theophilus Danjuma, Mike Oghiadomhe, Ima Niboro, Cairo Ojougboh in the coming months and many more that will come up. Synonyms for cabal are manipulating (manipulators), collude (colluders), conspire (conspirators) and scheme (schemers).
The next word is zoning. It would help for you to disregard the geography and regional planning definition of the word. Also, it has nothing to do with the time segmentation of the earth or the allocation of land. Zoning is a political term coined by the ruling PDP. It became popular in the run up to the election that brought Olusegun Obasanjo into power in 1999. The argument was that the acclaimed winner of the nullified June 12, 1993 election, Bashorun MKO Abiola, was from the South West of Nigeria; and since he was not allowed to take up his mandate before he died in prison, it was politically expedient to pacify that zone, region, geographical location by ‘enthroning’ one of his kinsmen. The pattern, which is enshrined in the constitution of the PDP and which is almost being peddled as if it is entrenched in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was what brought Yar’Adua and Jonathan to power in 2007. Please note that if PDP did not zone to the North, Goodluck Jonathan would not have been vice president and invariably president today. But is the largest party in Africa about to jettison or scrap that constitutional provision now that it seems that Goodluck may be interested in the presidency? Will Jonathan himself begin to plot with his own cabal to change the pattern? PDP seems to be boxed in now as they will have to contend with credibility issues when they begin to tinker their constitution again to achieve an arranged result. Synonyms for zoning are exclusion and elimination.
Governors’ Forum: Note that this noun is a political organisation. There are different factions of the Governors’ Forum like the Northern Governors Forum, the South South Governors Forum, the South West Governors Forum and of course, the PDP Governors Forum. It is not a political party but when its members are united, there is nothing they cannot achieve. For instance, it was reported in the press that the President was only able to choose a vice president, a governor from Kaduna State, after a meeting with the forum. Remember that Yar’Adua and Jonathan were members of that group when Lucky Igbinedion was the chairman. It will also do a world of good if you put this other fact at the back of your mind; that the governors played a major role in bringing the political impasse occasioned by the late president’s ill health to an ‘expedient resolution’. Synonyms for governors forum are power brokers, kingmakers and deal brokers.
Niger Delta: May I urge you to do away with the images of AK-47-wielding, grenade-launching and trigger-happy militants that have so much become the images that come to mind when the Niger Delta is mentioned in any conversation. It used to be that the images that the Niger Delta conjured in the past were that of environmental degradation, depravation, neglect and abject poverty amongst the people from whose community the oil that greases the wheel of development in other parts of the country, especially Abuja, is tapped. It seems to be convenient for some political players that militancy is drummed up as against the need to resolve the neglect that has been the case in the region forever. Goodluck Jonathan is from that region and a former governor of Bayelsa State, which is very active in the agitation for desired development of the people of the region. Now that one of their own is the Commander-in-chief, will they make it mandatory for the status quo to remain in order to ensure peace and speedy development? Will the ruling party use the current amnesty programme as a political tool? More than ever, the Niger Delta will play a major role in the coming election. Will the states that make up the region remain loyal to PDP? I get the feeling that if there is a candidate strong enough to sway the people into thinking that PDP has failed in most of the states in the region, PDP might lose some of them. Synonyms of Niger Delta are cash cow, neglect and troubled spot.
There are other words like, consensus, lobby, credible elections, electoral reforms and wait for this, IBB.
Published in Saturday Independent, 22 May, 2010: http://www.independentngonline.com/DailyIndependent/Article.aspx?id=13980
Nigerian Music, popular culture and politics
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
My Name Is Goodluck, I Sleep With Patience
By Dafe Ivwurie
Few people are as lucky as Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. The only other person I can think of in modern political history, who has had the opportunity of a good fortune is Barack Obama. If Obama was the renegade that broke all the rules about American politics leading him to win the biggest prize in politics, then Jonathan is a study in how we can be predestined by our names, in fact, a study in what some Pentecostal preachers refer to a ‘sweat-less’ struggle in the attainment of your goals in life. I am not even sure that being president of the most populous black nation on earth was part of what Jonathan wanted in life.
The comparison between Jonathan and Obama probably stops at breaking a particular set of rules that makes the politics of both countries notorious and closely monitored around the world. While Barack Obama fought hard and long, with hundreds of speeches and town hall meetings to impress Americans, defeating political institutions in the process, Goodluck Jonathan can hardly be pinned down to any sociopolitical and economic ideology whether they be adopted, propounded or redefined by him.
Before becoming the president of Nigeria, he had in almost similar circumstance been the governor of Bayelsa State when Diepreye Alamieyeseigha was deposed because of allegations of corruption. He was a loyal deputy governor then, just as he was a loyal vice president to the late President Umaru Yar’Adua. When the late president became incapacitated, Jonathan patiently waited for the National Assembly to bend the rules on the altar of political expediency to provide a leeway for him to act as president after so much agitation by the civil society and eminent Nigerians. And now he is president because the president died. How lucky can a man get in a lifetime!
It has been said that President Goodluck Jonathan is a very patient man. I guess the only thing to be when you are Goodluck is be patient and watch your good fortunes unfold. On top of that, he went and married Patience for a wife. When you sleep with patience (pun intended here, please) it does not take long for you to eat the good of the land.
In time, Jonathan will find out that Nigerians are not as patient as he is. They cannot be patient with unemployment rising, the unsolved power problem, the apprehensions over credible elections, the security situation and a lot more.
Aspiring to and attaining the highest office in any country, especially Nigeria, should not be based on any sentiments – ethnic, religious and certainly not on any astrological permutation and dependence on the bad fortunes of others, it must be earned by presidential candidates espousing their core beliefs to the electorates. Jonathan has said he will continue with the Seven-point Agenda of his former boss. Three years into the presidency of Yar’Adua before his sad demise, it is difficult to hold on to any concrete achievement on any of the key performance indicators he set for himself.
I am particularly wary that very soon the President’s aides will begin to talk about how it is difficult to achieve anything in just one year and how Jonathan should be allowed to run in 2011. I do not think that anything other than the Peoples Democratic Party ,PDP, (because of their zoning policy) stops Jonathan from contesting the presidency. If he gets the PDP ticket then it will be a very interesting election to watch. It will be interesting because we will have an opportunity to grill him on a number of issues. Furthermore, if credible candidates come up, it will be quite intriguing to note how he fairs in a national debate. I am also sure that a lot of Nigerians will want to know how he would allow the PDP machinery to work for him or otherwise.
He runs the risk of being accused of getting to Aso Rock on the back of an incredible election just like the one supervised by Maurice Iwu and stage-managed by Olusegun Obasanjo, if he runs and wins. The best option is for the President to play the role of a statesman; lay down the framework for and deliver free, fair and credible elections that will usher in a government that will be respected by everyone including the international community.
Nigeria does not need and does not deserve a sick president. Neither does Nigeria deserve a president that emerges from some kind of political arrangement. I expect the political class to be more circumspect this time around and not allow anybody to have an overbearing influence on what affects our collective destiny.
The UK elections has just ended with Gordon Brown resigning as head of the Labour Party and invariably as prime minister, giving way for David Cameron, the leader of the opposition Conservatives, to form a government with Nick Clegg’s Liberal Democrats. The beauty of elections in the UK and America, especially, is the focus on the economy, internal security and foreign policy, not necessarily in that order. I hope that for once since the departure of the Awos, the Ziks and the Balewas, Nigerian politicians will take Nigeria seriously. We have been ruled for too long by sentiments and it has only gotten us this far.
By the way, does anybody know the names of Goodluck and Patience’s children? I hope they are not Longsuffering, Tolerance and Contentment? In any case, I’d rather Jubilee in this 50th year of Nigeria’s independence.
Few people are as lucky as Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. The only other person I can think of in modern political history, who has had the opportunity of a good fortune is Barack Obama. If Obama was the renegade that broke all the rules about American politics leading him to win the biggest prize in politics, then Jonathan is a study in how we can be predestined by our names, in fact, a study in what some Pentecostal preachers refer to a ‘sweat-less’ struggle in the attainment of your goals in life. I am not even sure that being president of the most populous black nation on earth was part of what Jonathan wanted in life.
The comparison between Jonathan and Obama probably stops at breaking a particular set of rules that makes the politics of both countries notorious and closely monitored around the world. While Barack Obama fought hard and long, with hundreds of speeches and town hall meetings to impress Americans, defeating political institutions in the process, Goodluck Jonathan can hardly be pinned down to any sociopolitical and economic ideology whether they be adopted, propounded or redefined by him.
Before becoming the president of Nigeria, he had in almost similar circumstance been the governor of Bayelsa State when Diepreye Alamieyeseigha was deposed because of allegations of corruption. He was a loyal deputy governor then, just as he was a loyal vice president to the late President Umaru Yar’Adua. When the late president became incapacitated, Jonathan patiently waited for the National Assembly to bend the rules on the altar of political expediency to provide a leeway for him to act as president after so much agitation by the civil society and eminent Nigerians. And now he is president because the president died. How lucky can a man get in a lifetime!
It has been said that President Goodluck Jonathan is a very patient man. I guess the only thing to be when you are Goodluck is be patient and watch your good fortunes unfold. On top of that, he went and married Patience for a wife. When you sleep with patience (pun intended here, please) it does not take long for you to eat the good of the land.
In time, Jonathan will find out that Nigerians are not as patient as he is. They cannot be patient with unemployment rising, the unsolved power problem, the apprehensions over credible elections, the security situation and a lot more.
Aspiring to and attaining the highest office in any country, especially Nigeria, should not be based on any sentiments – ethnic, religious and certainly not on any astrological permutation and dependence on the bad fortunes of others, it must be earned by presidential candidates espousing their core beliefs to the electorates. Jonathan has said he will continue with the Seven-point Agenda of his former boss. Three years into the presidency of Yar’Adua before his sad demise, it is difficult to hold on to any concrete achievement on any of the key performance indicators he set for himself.
I am particularly wary that very soon the President’s aides will begin to talk about how it is difficult to achieve anything in just one year and how Jonathan should be allowed to run in 2011. I do not think that anything other than the Peoples Democratic Party ,PDP, (because of their zoning policy) stops Jonathan from contesting the presidency. If he gets the PDP ticket then it will be a very interesting election to watch. It will be interesting because we will have an opportunity to grill him on a number of issues. Furthermore, if credible candidates come up, it will be quite intriguing to note how he fairs in a national debate. I am also sure that a lot of Nigerians will want to know how he would allow the PDP machinery to work for him or otherwise.
He runs the risk of being accused of getting to Aso Rock on the back of an incredible election just like the one supervised by Maurice Iwu and stage-managed by Olusegun Obasanjo, if he runs and wins. The best option is for the President to play the role of a statesman; lay down the framework for and deliver free, fair and credible elections that will usher in a government that will be respected by everyone including the international community.
Nigeria does not need and does not deserve a sick president. Neither does Nigeria deserve a president that emerges from some kind of political arrangement. I expect the political class to be more circumspect this time around and not allow anybody to have an overbearing influence on what affects our collective destiny.
The UK elections has just ended with Gordon Brown resigning as head of the Labour Party and invariably as prime minister, giving way for David Cameron, the leader of the opposition Conservatives, to form a government with Nick Clegg’s Liberal Democrats. The beauty of elections in the UK and America, especially, is the focus on the economy, internal security and foreign policy, not necessarily in that order. I hope that for once since the departure of the Awos, the Ziks and the Balewas, Nigerian politicians will take Nigeria seriously. We have been ruled for too long by sentiments and it has only gotten us this far.
By the way, does anybody know the names of Goodluck and Patience’s children? I hope they are not Longsuffering, Tolerance and Contentment? In any case, I’d rather Jubilee in this 50th year of Nigeria’s independence.
Understanding Naija Hip Hop
By Dafe Ivwurie
The word ‘swagga’ or ‘swagger’ or ‘swag’ as the case may be is perhaps the most used word in Nigerian hip hop lingo in the last one year and it is a noun that simply means “a very high degree of belief in one's own abilities” or “extreme self-confidence”. Your swag can be seen in the way you dress, the way you speak and the way you generally carry yourself. So when you hear KC Presh and Terry G say “ginger your swagga”, it only means boost your self confidence or believe in your self.
Hip hop is unarguably the most listened to genre of music in Nigeria today. That is simply because this is what Nigerian radio and television stations play, with the exception of those set up to take care of more eclectic and classic taste. The newspapers, glossy magazines and the soft sells (some of which you might prefer to call junk and I wonder why) celebrate them. They are identified by their whole get up; the bling (which Lagbaja refers to as panda (imitation) in one of his albums) the raunchy video with ill clad girls, the oversized sagging pants and shirts and of course, the general joie de vivre around them: hip hop in Nigeria and pretty much anywhere else the music enjoys patronage is all about the good life. It celebrates Moet, Hennessy and Bacardi in the company of starry eyed giggly girls.
But it is not the exuberant and flamboyant lifestyles that fascinate me, rather it is the language as you may have noticed from the intro of this piece. One thing that delights me from the trend in the genre is the code-switching; the switching from the English to Nigerian languages. Nigerian languages have become a major part of the hip hop textual content; hence you hear artiste switching between the English language and Yoruba or Igbo (the two languages that enjoy prominence) Hausa and Pidgin English. For me, two artistes epitomize the trend and they are not necessarily the most popular: they are 9ice and the rapper known as That Nigga Raw. The former with Yoruba and the latter with Igbo. They are good examples of the fact that you can understand your language very deeply, sing in it and still sound hip. The fact is arguable, though, that no other artiste brought hip hop to the fore of popular culture like Ruggedman when he released ‘ehen’, the Pidgin English rap song that ‘dissed’ those that hip hoppers call ‘wack MCs’. The lyrics were very clear and appealed to the masses. A lot of rappers took a cue from the delivery and style that finally broke all barriers. The hip hop stage opened up and we stopped seeing rappers as just some bunch of kids throwing tantrums on stage.
However, much as I love what we all refer to as Naija Hip Hop, I am a bit worried about lyrical content. When I was growing up the word choco or choko meant either chocolate or any chocolate drink. It is interesting how words take on new meaning. Can someone please tell Sean Tero that his choko is dangerous to his health? But I love that song:
pass me the choko, choko/
I gbadun the choko, choko/
I choko the choko, choko/
anywhere wey you see me make you pass me the choko.
I am sure a lot of you like the song, too, but when your daughter or son walks up to you and asks “daddy what is the meaning of choko?” please be honest to tell her or him that choko means marijuana or Kaya according to Bob Marley, Mary Jane according to Wyclef Jean or Kpoli according to Tuface Idibia or cannabis or ganja, according to my idren in Jamaica. Do you still want the choko?
I used to think that the expression or acclamation, Hallelujah, belonged in the church until I heard this song by Terry G in the club:
Everybody shout hallelujah, hallelujah
Maga don pay, hallelujah
Everybody shout hallelujah, hallelujah
Mugu don pay, hallelujah.
Our focus is on the words maga and mugu. I have known the word mugu since I was probably 6 as a word that described someone that is daft. Maga, I want to believe, is a recent coinage, a mutation of the word mugu which means the same thing. But because we know that words can be ambiguous and can have sociological connotation, it will interest you to know that a maga is someone who falls prey to a scam, especially the Nigerian type called 419. Now, scamming or gbajue as the Yoruba would refer to it has been around for a long time. However, there was a new dimension added to it when the internet came into existence and Nigeria became synonymous with this special brand of electronic scamming. Those who engage in it are referred to as ‘yahoo boys’. I do not suppose that these were the guys Olu Maintain was glorifying in his song ‘Yahozee’ which became an anthem with its own dance moves in Nigeria almost three years ago. But I suspect that only people who make money from ‘yahooing’ others would engage in the kind of ‘lau lau’ spending that Olu Maintain and Eldee sang about in ‘Yahoozee’ and ‘Big Boy’. Good music not doubt, at least it got Collin Powell dancing in London the other day.
The notion that Nigerian music can be better than the celebration of wine, women and revelry that is today is debatable. Musicians pick their materials from the prevalent situation in the country, the continent or on the global stage. Gone are the days of ‘Fire in Soweto’ and ‘Papa’s Land’ by Sony Okosuns; South Africa is free now. Gone are the days of ‘International Thief Thief’ and Unknown Soldiers by Fela; Nigeria is democratic state. Interestingly, while Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and Sony Okosuns were busy sharpening their lyrical dexterity against Apartheid regime in South Africa and Corruption in Nigeria, some Nigerian musicians were busy feeding the party life. Musicians are free to choose their materials and sing about anything under the sun, what I worry about is do they worry about posterity?
Popular music in whatever form – afrobeat, reggae, fuji, juju, hip hop to name a few - belongs to the street and from the street it must derive its language if it must stay relevant to its patrons. As classic as ‘Sexual Healing’ by Marvin Gaye may sounds, I think it is a bit too heavy for the ears and so does ‘I wanna sex you up’ by Colour Me Bad and the expression ‘je ka sere omo’ or ‘ka gbetan le tan’.
Some contemporary Nigerian artistes are actually getting innovative; ever heard the expression minimini wanawana or shokishombolo? They actually mean the same thing that the previous words conjure in your mind.
The word ‘swagga’ or ‘swagger’ or ‘swag’ as the case may be is perhaps the most used word in Nigerian hip hop lingo in the last one year and it is a noun that simply means “a very high degree of belief in one's own abilities” or “extreme self-confidence”. Your swag can be seen in the way you dress, the way you speak and the way you generally carry yourself. So when you hear KC Presh and Terry G say “ginger your swagga”, it only means boost your self confidence or believe in your self.
Hip hop is unarguably the most listened to genre of music in Nigeria today. That is simply because this is what Nigerian radio and television stations play, with the exception of those set up to take care of more eclectic and classic taste. The newspapers, glossy magazines and the soft sells (some of which you might prefer to call junk and I wonder why) celebrate them. They are identified by their whole get up; the bling (which Lagbaja refers to as panda (imitation) in one of his albums) the raunchy video with ill clad girls, the oversized sagging pants and shirts and of course, the general joie de vivre around them: hip hop in Nigeria and pretty much anywhere else the music enjoys patronage is all about the good life. It celebrates Moet, Hennessy and Bacardi in the company of starry eyed giggly girls.
But it is not the exuberant and flamboyant lifestyles that fascinate me, rather it is the language as you may have noticed from the intro of this piece. One thing that delights me from the trend in the genre is the code-switching; the switching from the English to Nigerian languages. Nigerian languages have become a major part of the hip hop textual content; hence you hear artiste switching between the English language and Yoruba or Igbo (the two languages that enjoy prominence) Hausa and Pidgin English. For me, two artistes epitomize the trend and they are not necessarily the most popular: they are 9ice and the rapper known as That Nigga Raw. The former with Yoruba and the latter with Igbo. They are good examples of the fact that you can understand your language very deeply, sing in it and still sound hip. The fact is arguable, though, that no other artiste brought hip hop to the fore of popular culture like Ruggedman when he released ‘ehen’, the Pidgin English rap song that ‘dissed’ those that hip hoppers call ‘wack MCs’. The lyrics were very clear and appealed to the masses. A lot of rappers took a cue from the delivery and style that finally broke all barriers. The hip hop stage opened up and we stopped seeing rappers as just some bunch of kids throwing tantrums on stage.
However, much as I love what we all refer to as Naija Hip Hop, I am a bit worried about lyrical content. When I was growing up the word choco or choko meant either chocolate or any chocolate drink. It is interesting how words take on new meaning. Can someone please tell Sean Tero that his choko is dangerous to his health? But I love that song:
pass me the choko, choko/
I gbadun the choko, choko/
I choko the choko, choko/
anywhere wey you see me make you pass me the choko.
I am sure a lot of you like the song, too, but when your daughter or son walks up to you and asks “daddy what is the meaning of choko?” please be honest to tell her or him that choko means marijuana or Kaya according to Bob Marley, Mary Jane according to Wyclef Jean or Kpoli according to Tuface Idibia or cannabis or ganja, according to my idren in Jamaica. Do you still want the choko?
I used to think that the expression or acclamation, Hallelujah, belonged in the church until I heard this song by Terry G in the club:
Everybody shout hallelujah, hallelujah
Maga don pay, hallelujah
Everybody shout hallelujah, hallelujah
Mugu don pay, hallelujah.
Our focus is on the words maga and mugu. I have known the word mugu since I was probably 6 as a word that described someone that is daft. Maga, I want to believe, is a recent coinage, a mutation of the word mugu which means the same thing. But because we know that words can be ambiguous and can have sociological connotation, it will interest you to know that a maga is someone who falls prey to a scam, especially the Nigerian type called 419. Now, scamming or gbajue as the Yoruba would refer to it has been around for a long time. However, there was a new dimension added to it when the internet came into existence and Nigeria became synonymous with this special brand of electronic scamming. Those who engage in it are referred to as ‘yahoo boys’. I do not suppose that these were the guys Olu Maintain was glorifying in his song ‘Yahozee’ which became an anthem with its own dance moves in Nigeria almost three years ago. But I suspect that only people who make money from ‘yahooing’ others would engage in the kind of ‘lau lau’ spending that Olu Maintain and Eldee sang about in ‘Yahoozee’ and ‘Big Boy’. Good music not doubt, at least it got Collin Powell dancing in London the other day.
The notion that Nigerian music can be better than the celebration of wine, women and revelry that is today is debatable. Musicians pick their materials from the prevalent situation in the country, the continent or on the global stage. Gone are the days of ‘Fire in Soweto’ and ‘Papa’s Land’ by Sony Okosuns; South Africa is free now. Gone are the days of ‘International Thief Thief’ and Unknown Soldiers by Fela; Nigeria is democratic state. Interestingly, while Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and Sony Okosuns were busy sharpening their lyrical dexterity against Apartheid regime in South Africa and Corruption in Nigeria, some Nigerian musicians were busy feeding the party life. Musicians are free to choose their materials and sing about anything under the sun, what I worry about is do they worry about posterity?
Popular music in whatever form – afrobeat, reggae, fuji, juju, hip hop to name a few - belongs to the street and from the street it must derive its language if it must stay relevant to its patrons. As classic as ‘Sexual Healing’ by Marvin Gaye may sounds, I think it is a bit too heavy for the ears and so does ‘I wanna sex you up’ by Colour Me Bad and the expression ‘je ka sere omo’ or ‘ka gbetan le tan’.
Some contemporary Nigerian artistes are actually getting innovative; ever heard the expression minimini wanawana or shokishombolo? They actually mean the same thing that the previous words conjure in your mind.
Of Sound, The Spoken Word, Technology and Nigerian Politics
By Dafe Ivwurie
“Of sound, the spoken word and technology; it should not be long before audio/visual recordings become untenable as evidence. Cleverly manipulated and placed in a different context, your utterances would acquire new meaning.”
The above quote was taken from Lagbaja’s tribute – a collection of four songs to Fela – the most controversial and most revered activist-musician that has ever come out of Nigeria. Two of the songs in the album titled Abami used Fela’s voice profusely in a prearranged sequence that gave the impression that Lagbaja had sat with the late creator of Afrobeat music in the studio to have an actual conversation. The songs are ‘Vernacular’ and ‘Put Am Well Well’.
About the songs Lagbaja himself had written: “A few questions may arise in your mind. When and where did this conversation take place? Did it even take place at all? Were the sentences uttered in the context in which you hear them now? Were those the exact words and sounds uttered in that exact order and context? In fact, did Fela utter some of these words and sounds? Whatever your self-inflicted answers, remember not to believe everything you see on television. Neither should you believe all that you hear…”
Although this is not a music review, it is apropos to opine that the Abami (A Tribute to Fela) album is the best, most radical and most creative musical tribute that has ever been paid to Fela since his demise. Lagbaja, the masked musician has MEE Mofe Damijo, of very blessed memory, to thank for the materials he used for the songs. MEE had conducted one of the most comprehensive and in-depth interviews with Fela. It was a most creative and clever manipulation of the spoken word by Lagbaja to create a different context than it was originally intended.
Guess who is manipulating contexts again. Tiger Woods. Well, not exactly. On the eve of returning to competitive golf after a five-month, self-imposed hiatus, NIKE, one of the sponsors who have stood by him through the sex scandal that stunned the world, released a commercial that got the world talking again. I think it is germane to see the original context of the recorded voice, which I have managed to transcribe. It is from a Tiger Woods DVD documentary released in 2004. In what I suppose is an answer to the question on whose character traits between his father and mother he possesses, Tiger had said:
“I am a mixture of both, ‘cos when I play, I can see both of them in me. I am pretty fiery but at times I am calm.”
Earl’s response, in the documentary, to Tiger’s comments was:
“… yea. Tilda (Tiger’s mother) is very authoritative and very definitive, so yes and no. I am more prone to be inquisitive, to promote discussion. I want to find out what your thinking was. I want to find out what your feelings are. And did you learn anything? So, we (Earl and Tilda) are two different types, but we co-existed very well.”
In the advert, some parts of the above comments were expunged or discarded or jettisoned to create a different mood and context of Earl Woods speaking to (scolding, admonishing, counselling) a somber looking, stoned face Tiger in an apt atmosphere of pin-drop silence as Tiger could only manage to blink two or three times in the 30 seconds clip with these words: “(Tiger), I am more prone to be inquisitive, to promote discussion. I want to find out what your thinking was. I want to find out what your feelings are. And did you learn anything?” In the original recording, Earl was not speaking to Tiger but in the NIKE ad, Earl was speaking directly to tiger.
We will never agree on whether the ad is good or bad (and I have actually heard some people say it is eerie and creepy) but we would all agree that it achieves one major thing; it’s got people talking.
The veracity or authenticity of Earl’s voice and words and Fela’s voice and words in the two examples of contextual meanings are not in doubt. But we must look at another example; the Yar’Adua/BBC ‘interview’. I, in particular, did not hear the original broadcast on BBC Hausa service, but I heard a voice that the BBC (British Broadcasting Service) say is the voice of our ailing President, Umaru Yar’Adua, posted on their website. Who are we to doubt? The voice sounded sick and tired when it (the voice) said:
“At the moment I am undergoing treatment, and I’m getting better from the treatment. I hope that very soon there will be tremendous progress, which will allow me to get back home. I wish, at this stage, to thank all Nigerians for their prayers for my good health, and for their prayers for the nation.
“As soon as my doctors discharge me, I will return to Nigeria to resume my duties. I would also like to wish our team, the Super Eagles, success in our Nation’s Cup matches in Angola.”
The question that comes after hearing the voice requires a yes or no answer. If you heard the voice, was that Umaru Yar’Adua’s voice? We would remain divided on this when we look at it from different perspectives. The nagging questions are: Why BBC? Why BBC Hausa Service and not BBC World Service? Why not Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria? Why not Voice of Nigeria? Perhaps, nobody puts it more in context than the National Assembly that admitted that interview, indeed, the voice in evidence, in the case of Yar’Adua and the Presidency Vs Jonathan and the Nigerian people. The honourable men of the Assembly unanimously agreed that the voice was that of the President and was tenable in evidence. It is based on this that Goodluck Jonathan is able to act as president. Thank God for the voice. But let us suppose for one minute that it is discovered that the whole Yar’Adua/BBC thing was a ruse, would Jonathan’s acting presidency be illegal?
The President has since returned as he predicted, albeit like a thief in the night and we have yet to sight him anywhere, except in rumours that he sometimes receives fresh air by being driven around in Abuja and of course by Muslim and Christian clergies, who were invited to pray for him. Note that none of the clergies admitted that they heard his voice clearly, only gestures, grunts and moving lips. Men of God don’t lie, whatever the context.
By the way, does anybody know where the video tapes of a certain coup in 1995 that implicated many military leaders are being kept?
“Of sound, the spoken word and technology; it should not be long before audio/visual recordings become untenable as evidence. Cleverly manipulated and placed in a different context, your utterances would acquire new meaning.”
The above quote was taken from Lagbaja’s tribute – a collection of four songs to Fela – the most controversial and most revered activist-musician that has ever come out of Nigeria. Two of the songs in the album titled Abami used Fela’s voice profusely in a prearranged sequence that gave the impression that Lagbaja had sat with the late creator of Afrobeat music in the studio to have an actual conversation. The songs are ‘Vernacular’ and ‘Put Am Well Well’.
About the songs Lagbaja himself had written: “A few questions may arise in your mind. When and where did this conversation take place? Did it even take place at all? Were the sentences uttered in the context in which you hear them now? Were those the exact words and sounds uttered in that exact order and context? In fact, did Fela utter some of these words and sounds? Whatever your self-inflicted answers, remember not to believe everything you see on television. Neither should you believe all that you hear…”
Although this is not a music review, it is apropos to opine that the Abami (A Tribute to Fela) album is the best, most radical and most creative musical tribute that has ever been paid to Fela since his demise. Lagbaja, the masked musician has MEE Mofe Damijo, of very blessed memory, to thank for the materials he used for the songs. MEE had conducted one of the most comprehensive and in-depth interviews with Fela. It was a most creative and clever manipulation of the spoken word by Lagbaja to create a different context than it was originally intended.
Guess who is manipulating contexts again. Tiger Woods. Well, not exactly. On the eve of returning to competitive golf after a five-month, self-imposed hiatus, NIKE, one of the sponsors who have stood by him through the sex scandal that stunned the world, released a commercial that got the world talking again. I think it is germane to see the original context of the recorded voice, which I have managed to transcribe. It is from a Tiger Woods DVD documentary released in 2004. In what I suppose is an answer to the question on whose character traits between his father and mother he possesses, Tiger had said:
“I am a mixture of both, ‘cos when I play, I can see both of them in me. I am pretty fiery but at times I am calm.”
Earl’s response, in the documentary, to Tiger’s comments was:
“… yea. Tilda (Tiger’s mother) is very authoritative and very definitive, so yes and no. I am more prone to be inquisitive, to promote discussion. I want to find out what your thinking was. I want to find out what your feelings are. And did you learn anything? So, we (Earl and Tilda) are two different types, but we co-existed very well.”
In the advert, some parts of the above comments were expunged or discarded or jettisoned to create a different mood and context of Earl Woods speaking to (scolding, admonishing, counselling) a somber looking, stoned face Tiger in an apt atmosphere of pin-drop silence as Tiger could only manage to blink two or three times in the 30 seconds clip with these words: “(Tiger), I am more prone to be inquisitive, to promote discussion. I want to find out what your thinking was. I want to find out what your feelings are. And did you learn anything?” In the original recording, Earl was not speaking to Tiger but in the NIKE ad, Earl was speaking directly to tiger.
We will never agree on whether the ad is good or bad (and I have actually heard some people say it is eerie and creepy) but we would all agree that it achieves one major thing; it’s got people talking.
The veracity or authenticity of Earl’s voice and words and Fela’s voice and words in the two examples of contextual meanings are not in doubt. But we must look at another example; the Yar’Adua/BBC ‘interview’. I, in particular, did not hear the original broadcast on BBC Hausa service, but I heard a voice that the BBC (British Broadcasting Service) say is the voice of our ailing President, Umaru Yar’Adua, posted on their website. Who are we to doubt? The voice sounded sick and tired when it (the voice) said:
“At the moment I am undergoing treatment, and I’m getting better from the treatment. I hope that very soon there will be tremendous progress, which will allow me to get back home. I wish, at this stage, to thank all Nigerians for their prayers for my good health, and for their prayers for the nation.
“As soon as my doctors discharge me, I will return to Nigeria to resume my duties. I would also like to wish our team, the Super Eagles, success in our Nation’s Cup matches in Angola.”
The question that comes after hearing the voice requires a yes or no answer. If you heard the voice, was that Umaru Yar’Adua’s voice? We would remain divided on this when we look at it from different perspectives. The nagging questions are: Why BBC? Why BBC Hausa Service and not BBC World Service? Why not Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria? Why not Voice of Nigeria? Perhaps, nobody puts it more in context than the National Assembly that admitted that interview, indeed, the voice in evidence, in the case of Yar’Adua and the Presidency Vs Jonathan and the Nigerian people. The honourable men of the Assembly unanimously agreed that the voice was that of the President and was tenable in evidence. It is based on this that Goodluck Jonathan is able to act as president. Thank God for the voice. But let us suppose for one minute that it is discovered that the whole Yar’Adua/BBC thing was a ruse, would Jonathan’s acting presidency be illegal?
The President has since returned as he predicted, albeit like a thief in the night and we have yet to sight him anywhere, except in rumours that he sometimes receives fresh air by being driven around in Abuja and of course by Muslim and Christian clergies, who were invited to pray for him. Note that none of the clergies admitted that they heard his voice clearly, only gestures, grunts and moving lips. Men of God don’t lie, whatever the context.
By the way, does anybody know where the video tapes of a certain coup in 1995 that implicated many military leaders are being kept?
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