Johnny Drille was introduced to me by my friend in college after I complained of being tired of listening to the usual afropop from Nigerian musicians. He prescribe Johnny like musical pharmacist and I was healed immediately. I have been to many catholic churches in Nigeria and they have this particular song which belongs to the folk music genre. The song is called “mabuza-mabuza” and that was the song that popped my mind when I head this song. The Hallelujah in the music and clean lyrics makes it suitable for Churches to use it in wedding ceremonies. This song is like a traditional catholic hymn sang by local Igbo and Yoruba churches-Drille is a real church boy. Adding some elements of afrobeats to it made it sound Nigerian even though it sounds a song sound by a folk/country music singer in the United States.
Simisola found herself in my blog last month and she is here again in this month’s first week. I am not surprised, she is the best and hottest female talent in Nigeria. She brought her baby-like voice and gave the song the country music feel remembering me of songs sang buy most American duet teams of the 80s. She is perfect for Johnny and having her in this song is a step in the right direction for Mavin records.
THE MESSAGE
The song talks about a guy and a lady who just got their crush ask them out and accepted respectively. The first verse begins with the guy telling the girl what she means to him. He states that she the only one in his mind and wishes he she knew how much she meant to him. He declares that he has gotten to the stage of stocking her on social media and wishes to talk to her about his feeling but he is afraid if she might not feel same way. He eventually declares that if she agrees to be his lover that that will be worth celebrating hence the Halleluiah chorus.
Just like a girl waiting for a guy to make a move Simi jumps on the second verse. She brings a twist to the story. She makes us know that the lady in the story is a friend to the guy talked about in the first verse. She states that she sees the sign and has him in his mind. She know the guy loves her and she is into him but as a lady can; he has to make a move because she has been waiting. The last verse ends with them declaring their love for each other.
THE BEAT
Like I said before, this song sounds like a catholic hymn. It has local Nigerian sound like odum and wood. The wood sound is used to make the ponpon sound which is the modern Nigerian afropop trademark. The song opens up with some real well arranged acoustic guitar string line and the sound made from hitting the body of the guitar married with some keys. Some mixing of some kind must have been done because the songs open up with a door opening. They have to put that in the video. What I love about the beat is the transposing from pure folk beat to a new sound which might want to call “afro-folk” beat when the bridge with lyrics “You in my life is all I need” is sang by Johnny. I don’t know who produced this song but if it is the Mavin records Boss and Johnny that worked on it then it must be an uphill work trying to limit the elements of afrobeats from clouding the folk sound.
POSSIBLE VIDEO
Going epic will give this music a nice feel. This video might go ancient epic or post-colonial epic to allow the visual come home. It should have shy scenes from the male and the female characters and tell some stories. After much brain storming a nice epic video will come out nice.
