Opinion: Is Davido a flash in the pan?

By Joseph Akahome 

Have you ever seen a marathoner getting off to a flying start at the beginning of a race? No, unless of course they plan on lapsing behind eventually, winning a cardiac arrest and celebrating by being out of breath and gasping, having burned out too quickly, too soon. A true winner naturally begins with a leisurely pace and picks up speed as the event progresses.

I imagine this same principle applies to other major areas of life too, like growth, education, even sex! The latter parades examples of those who paid the ultimate price for ignoring this rule, including a certain General, as I heard. Moving on.

I’m inclined to believe it should also apply to music and its performers. I am hardly aware of any big artiste whose career kicked off with a big bang and is still relevant after about five years. I’m not implying that it is impossible to find any, but they are sure to be in the minority.

I remember a certain soca artiste from St Vincent and Grenadines called Kevin Lyttle, who was the next big thing on the international stage in the early 2000’s. But the hype generated by his smash hit single, ‘Turn Me On’ was short lived, and his fame proved with time to be a flash in the pan.

Here in Nigeria, I still remember when the former Triple B member who went solo, Bigiano seemed to have the music industry at his feet. Numerous interviews on radio and television, shows and parties and the like all trailed the artist. His video for his monster track, ‘Shayo’ which was shot in South Africa was evidence of his newfound fame, as it reportedly cost a pile to make. Today, he’s just another one-hit wonder.

I have however realised that the music public is very much like my ex-girlfriend; you are dumped in a hurry once they are tired of your presence. They are only then excited by different new experiences which you unfortunately can’t keep giving them. The trick is to give just enough only when needed to ensure longevity, which nowadays, rarely exceeds a decade – or even half.

Today, Kevin Lyttle and Bigiano and others in that club, can only look wistfully at those in the limelight now and wish a second chance would come to better manage and maximally utilize their opportunities. The same opportunities blooming for teen pop singer and rave of the moment, Davido.

With two smash hit singles, ‘Back When’ featuring rapper Naeto C and ‘Dami Duro’, and a third, ‘Ekuro’ which is intended to sweep the ladies off their feet, this young man apparently has the world at his fingertips. To back that up, telecommunications giant, MTN, recently endorsed him as the new face of their youth targeted social services on mobile, MTN Pulse. Sudden fame, fast money, women, fast cars and everything else you can imagine. Life in the fast lane so soon. But hey, isn’t this a familiar pattern playing itself out again?

I can only wish him well, but I wonder if his sudden fame may be attributed to the fact that the music public (and my ex-girlfriend) are probably getting tired of the status quo, and needed something new, exciting, different. Something different from what they have from the usual suspects like the Choc Boys, 2face, EME all stars, Duncan Mighty, Timaya, Terry G and the former Mo’Hits Crew.

David ‘Davido’ Adeleke is a talented young man no doubt, and I would love to see him go on to greater things, conquer the continent and then the world, and perhaps even bring home a Grammy. It would be a real shame if he burns out too quickly, before then, sharing a sobering cup of coffee with you know who.

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