Pain In Their Songs

By Ayeni Adekunle

‘‘Poor man dey suffer while rich man dey use money sow agbada……’’- Marvellous Benjy

‘‘Everyday my people dey inside world/suffering and smiling’’ –Fela Kuti

‘‘Dem just dey ignore our existence…/dey make suffer dey full in abundance…/ dey make me to wan run away to the place wey e be say I go dey feel like to break dance…/ where dem go respect our skill for instance…’’ – 2Face Idibia

In 2004, the Zimbabwe state news claimed that the Americans were trying to depose Robert Mugabe by distributing condoms. The rubbers cheekily rebranded ‘‘Revolutionary condoms’’ came in attractive packages carrying a Bob Marley quote: ‘‘get up, stand up, don’t give up the fight’’.

Nigerians are not waiting for condoms. From Festus Keyamo to Adams Oshiomole  and Gani Fawehinmi (who passed on last year), Nigerians have, over the years,  continued to demand better living through better governance.

Particularly interesting is the league of artistes that have continually become (c)overtly confrontational with their songs. Young, firebrand artistes with lyrics that clearly portray the mindset of ordinary Nigerians; lyrics that clearly demonstrate the essence of arts in a decaying society such as ours.

They are taking a cue from the late Fela Anikulapo- Kuti who spear-headed the battle throughout his career: speaking up for the people, government after government until his death in 1997.

Things were not this bad when Ras Kimono lamented ‘‘No food in a we belly/No money in a we pocket /some are weeping/some are dying...’’. Now, that seems like ages ago.

Today, Kupa Victory, Femi Kuti, Sound Sultan, Marvellous Benjy, Blackface, 2Face Idibia, Eldeethedon, and Africa China are some of the artistes that have taken the bull by the horn.

When Kupa debuted in 1998 with ‘‘situation’’ begging God to ‘‘deliver I and I’’ because ‘‘we no want anarchy and sufferation’’, little did he know that there’ll be  the return of one Olusegun Obasanjo who’ll someday declare a state of emergency in Plateau State before sending aids and relief to dying and displaced persons. The questions he asked in ‘‘Kilode’’ featuring (Seun Anikulapo-Kuti) still demands answers even as I write.

Lyricist Sound Sultan is ‘stepping into Fela’s shoes’

Femi’s stand on the situation in the country is no news. Apart from the fact that Obasanjo (who ruled Nigeria between 1999 and 2007) was his father’s arch-enemy, he has continued to deplore the anti-people policies of the government that has ensured that common man has no food,water, shelter and the ‘‘luxury of light’’. Kuti runs an NGO called ‘‘movement against second coming slavery (MASS) which sees to these sundry issues including AIDS – no wonder his choice song when he performed for Big Brother Africa in 2004 was ‘‘I sorry sorry o, I sorry for Nigeria…’’

But Femi is not the only one that’s sorry. Sound Sultan’s debut album ‘‘Kspssheew…………….sound of the frustrated mouth’’ contains tracks like Gen-gen, craze world, koleyewon and others plus videos that’ll make you laugh at our leaders and the trend of events in the country. Sultan has taken it further on his later works, especially Bushmeat where he joins 2face Idibia to caution our thieving leaders using the story of the bushmeat and the hunter. Sultan is not confrontational, like Marvellous Benjy and Blackface who continue to wail at the government in Benjy’s dancehall chant ‘‘Situation’’. ‘‘Government make everything worse/they steal our money and put it into their purse………./poor man dey suffer while rich man dey use money sow agbada……’’. Black face has since gone solo with a promise that all his songs will come correct-come what may!

Then comes African china with enough pain in his voice to win Idi-Amin’s sympathy. Unfortunately, Idi-Amin is not living and it’s not likely the government is listening. China has only succeeded in getting the sympathy of radio DJs. At any rate , these ‘soldiers’ are speaking and some of us are listening. ‘‘with the amount of seed that Fela has sown/ and the amount of greed that rules us so’’, one should only expect the songs to increase.

If  and when Nigeria’s current president Umar Musa Yar’adua returns from his medical sojourn, will someone be nice enough to give him a compilation CD containing the following songs

1. I go yarn – ElDee
2. Mathematics – Sound Sultan
3. For Instance – 2face Idibia
4. Crises – African China
5. Bushmeat – Sound Sultan Ft. 2face Idibia
6. Jaga Jaga – Eedris Abdulkareem
7. Situation – Marvellous Benjy
8. E don do me – Six Ft Plus
9. Sorry sorry – Femi Kuti
10. Kilode – Kupa Victory ft. Seun Kuti
11. Under Pressure – Ras Kimono
12. Mr President – African China
13. Make dem talk – 2shotz Ft. 9ice
14. Jailer – Asa

Nigeria will clock 50 in a few months – That would be a nice gift for democracy day! (Well, let’s hope Mr president returns before then)

(Originally written in 2004)