Like fine wine

I make mistakes, I learn from them
with each passing day, my knowledge expands.
Like fine wine I guess, with age I do get better.
Although I can't ever predict what happens tomorrow,
when I am an old woman, I will wear purple!

Technology has become a living being;
it consumes, it adapts it grows.
Working with the advertisement media,
new tech is now a fashion statement.
A need or want? It doesn’t matter you must Buy! Buy!! Buy!

The Earth is finite, its resources, ours to cherish.
Unlike me, it isn’t getting any better with age.
Such ungrateful tenants we are;
burning, reaping, drilling.
Exploiting and forgetting to ask What? Why? How?

Wine is sweet but good health is sweeter.
To live, to laugh and to love,
to look forward to friendship, accomplishments and aging.
To bother about constant indecisiveness over what to wear.
Well, when I’m an old woman I shall wear purple.

Toh bad

Nenye resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
She was on a call with Stacy her best friend whose life was so ‘perfect’ she wondered how they remained friends.

Looking up she noticed the queue for the bus about 400 meters away from her was getting thin she couldn’t wait for her bus to pull up so she could go to her apartment get rid of the many layers of clothes she had decided to wear today and relax with the last can of Gulder she had found in a Nigerian store during her house hunting phase.
She glanced at the bus again. There was something about the bus number that was familiar.
She stared at it for a while before it clicked.
That was her bus! “Stacy I’m going to miss my bus! Talk later, love ya.” Ending the call, she shoved her mobile phone into her handbag, searched blindly for her ticket while running to make it to the bus stop before the driver shut the doors of her ride home.
The last passenger got on. She was half crying half muttering “please don’t go, please don’t go” as she drew nearer. She was so close.
The next bus wasn’t due to come in another 30 minutes and right now she wanted to pee.

She made it! The last passenger smiled at her before going to his seat. He saw her running and deliberately stalled so she could make it. For a moment she was so enthralled by his smile that she forgot to show her ticket. The driver hit the call button to get her attention. Embarrassed, she flashed her ticket and made her way to an empty seat after mouthing thank you to the guy with the lovely smile.
He was handsome, she was in love.

She got to her apartment without incidence and sighed as she opened the door.
For the next 18 months this little space was going to be her home. She hadn't spent up to a month in the town but she was already homesick.
Dropping her bag on her reading table, she padded over to the kitchen in her small studio apartment and brought out the chilled drink from her fridge.
Deciding to make it last, she picked up a bucket of left over chicken from the fridge, emptied it on a plate and popped it into the microwave. When the timer beeped, she carefully picked the plate and placed it on a tray along with the can of Gulder. She slipped into her sandals tray in one hand and opened the back door of the apartment.
She was nibbling the last piece of chicken when she smelled something familiar.
It was menthol flavoured cigarette, it was a smell she associated with a lounge in her home country.
Feeling like a hound, she dropped her tray and started sniffing around for the source.
The trail came to a stop at the fence dividing the apartments. She turned over a bucket, climbed on it and peeped over. "Aha! I've got you!" It was a man with his back turned to her.
The series of events that followed happened so fast, she almost convinced her self it did not happen.

He turned, she gasped, lost her footing and fell from the bucket and landed on her butt.
She heard him walk towards the fence. “Are you okay over there?” His voice brought an image of John Legend serving her breakfast in bed to mind. She nodded, realising he couldn’t see her she managed a squeaked. “I am okay, nothing is broken just my pride.” She heard him laugh and walk away.
She didn’t know what hurt the most. Falling on her butt or finding out the really cute guy from the bus she was now convinced she was in love with lived next door and his first impression of her was a chicken bone carrying clumsy stalker.

Nenye was awake and out of her bed before her alarm went off. She was a girl on a mission.
Today, she decided she was going to ‘accidentally’ bump into her neighbour she had nicknamed Denzel on his way to town.
They were going to engage in a brilliant conversation, ride the bus together, fall in love, get married and have babies with super sexy smiles.

She had carefully picked out what to wear, had her bath and was dressed with her face flawlessly madeup in record time.
Stacy would be proud of her (if not jealous), she looked gorgeous!
On high alert, she had been listening for any sound from next door indicating someone was leaving the building.
Two hours later, no one had opened or closed any door.
Giving up hopes of bumping into today Denzel, she picked her handbag and made her way out of the apartment.
Looking over the low hedge separating their apartments, she noticed a pile of empty cans of bug spray beside the trash can.
She thought to herself "That does not look right." With a shrug, she continued walking and headed to the bus stop.

The day went by in a blur, she kept looking out for Denzel until she was sure her neck was going to break from craning over so many times. She looked and felt tired.
She couldn't wait to peel off her clothes and crawl into bed.
As she searched her bag for her apartment key, she noticed someone had put the empty cans from the morning into the too full refuse bin by the roadside.
There was a tin of what smelled like half empty turpentine and a turned over paint can among the peeping rubble. The mixture was trailing over the side of the bin and flowing down the road to the street. Someone walking by dropped a still lit cigarette on the floor and kept on walking.
It landed on the turpentine-paint trail, she saw a spark.
Without thinking she dropped her bag and grabbed a handful of damp earth.
She imagined the number of explosive items that might have been carelessly thrown in the bin and did not want to lose her house in the event of a fire.
Besides she hadn’t gotten a chance to meet Denzel and have his babies. Speeding over to the front of his apartment, she arrived in time to throw the dirt on the fast burning flame and push the bin away. Unfortunately, in her haste she didn't look at where she put her feet. She slipped on the greasy burnt paint, lost her footing and landed on the concrete floor.

Nenye opened her eyes and grinned sheepishly at the worry lined face of Denzel.
Denzel!
She sat up with a start and yelped in pain. She had hit her head on something when she fell and it ached like crazy.
Denzel was squatted beside her.
He held he reached out to help her sit up. “Are you okay?” She mused. That voice again angry all of a sudden, she frowned and tried to yell as loudly as her aching head would let her which was rather calmly .
“Do I look okay? My head hurts like hell and I am living next door to fire prone people! Who puts ignitable substances in a trash can just like that? Have either you or the arsonist people you live with heard about waste separation and management before?!” The man had the audacity to hide a grin and look cute. “I am sorry about that, I’d speak with my flatmates.”
He handed her handbag and continued looking at her. She scowled. “What?!” “Erm this is going to sound awkward but I’ve been kind of hoping I’d bump into you again since we met on the bus. Do you mind if we go to the clinic to have you checked out and grab a bite or two afterwards?" Just like that all was forgiven. She smiled and muttered. “ Well, it is hard to hold a grudge when a guy offers you food after nearly burning down your house. Help me up.” He helped her to her feet. Within her, beneath the calm exterior she presented to him, she was swinging from vine to vine shouting alleluia at the top of her voice. She was going on a freaking date with Denzel, mission accomplished!

End

4th’s Super 8 Audio/Video Countdown (Nigerian Mix)

So I went on a journey *cue in temple music* okay seriously, not the figurative self-awareness type journey.
I’m talking about a sit on your butt-and-hold-your-pee-till-you-get-to-a-decent-gas-station/eatery 8/9-hour commute.
Having spent the previous days cheating sleep, I planned to pay my dues to mother nature and sleep the whole X miles.
There I was trying to find the best position to snuggle in a cozy corner with my pillow under head and facemask in the ready position when I accidentally hit the play button of a playbook forgotten under another pillow.
The 1st song that filtered through was enough to wake me from my haze of tiredness and move me to a level of nostalgic bliss making that journey a memorable one.
Heck, it could pass for a self-awareness journey of sorts after all because it confirmed my appreciation for Nigerian talent.
So without much ado, here’s my who, what and why Super 8 Audio/Video Countdown for the 1st week of October.



08. Toh Bad: Niyola

image courtesy channelo.dstv.com

Toh bad is in one sentence a love song.
It details the artists struggle with the emotions in her relationship and her steadfast affection for her love interest.
The song starts slow and continues in a harmonic stirring pace.
What I like about the video is that it portrays incidents I can relate to.
From the oftentimes unwanted inputs of over zealous friends who have their own opinions of how your relationship should go, to the trials and triumphs of being in healthy relationship but I think she overreacted though.
I mean it is very hard to find a man new to fame willing to gamble his popularity by admitting to the world that he is neck deep in love with the woman of his dreams.
She should have waited for him to come home, confront him before going all mad black woman.

I like that for this song, Niyola isn’t bathed in heavy makeup. She looks like the girl next door only sexier, confident with a rocking body and a lovely voice to boot.

07. Irionor: Blixxy (D Rapking)

image courtesy notjustok.com

Irionor is about the artist’s initial struggle for recognition and his career journey so far. He pays homage to his roots (which is incidentally my root as well) by rendering most of his lyrics in Esan an Edo dialect.
Irionor is Esan for ‘na so e be’ which is pidgin for ‘that is the way it is’.
The guy apparently has a lot on his mind so you would probably have to listen to the song (with an Esan speaking fellow on hand) to appreciate the depth of his talent.
Sadly BDR is yet to release a music video for this track so here I am waiting in anticipation to see what he comes in.
Meanwhile, thumbs up bro!

06. My Darlin’: Tiwa Savage

image courtesy theucloud.com

I think I should have added Ms. to her name but it would be more out of respect for how far she has come in her career than her present marital status.
My Darlin’ is the artists rendition of her devotion for her lover. She recognizes him as a vital part of her life and a source of inspiration. It is an engaging love song.
The music video is again set in a typical Nigerian wedding theme but this time it focuses more on the pre wedding preparations.
I can relate to the old lady's ‘ginger’ to grab that poor boy's plate of jollof rice.
Seriously what is it with traditional wedding and starving guests really?
The screens in this music video swing between the on going wedding preparations and old mother Tiwa’s memories of her married life and come to end with a solo dance number by present day Tiwa.
I like her acting!
She played the part of old mother Tiwa, young girl crushing on hot dude, newly wed, new mother and grieving wife flawlessly.
Erm I don’t get why she is in white apparel for most of her screens in the video though.
Thoughts anyone?


05. Eleda mi: Olamide

image courtesy tooxclusive.com

I can’t speak Yoruba to save my life but from what I’ve gleaned from the little English he threw in around the track, the song is about (correct me if I’m wrong) reaping the rewards of hard work.
The first thing that got to me in this track was the instrumentals.
I am quite happy to listen to just about any song with rubbish lyrics (I fondly refer to such songs as noisic) provided it has remarkable instrumentals.
I often try to guess how many classes of music instruments are present in a particular mix.
Take me to an orchestra and I’d be your loyal sidekick for months to come.

The music video follows Olamide and friends hanging out and fooling around then later decide to throw a party.
He invites everyone but me *sad face*
The song reminds me of a time way back when children actually had childhoods.
A time when I could throw a party without breaking bank, have fun without fear of malaise and communication was done via physical contact or letter writing.
I don’t get this “take me now stance” I have noticed him adopt in a couple of music videos though.
What is that about?

04. Marry me: Falz featuring Yemi Alade and Poe

image courtesy tooxclusive.com

Marry Me addresses The Problem Of Societal Expectations And The Female Ticking Biological Clock. Three amazing singers came together to create this piece.
Yemi Alade took time off in her search for “Johnny” to represent the ladies and the pressure put on them by society that they in turn put on any man bearing a slight resemblance to their prospective better halves. Falz (the man I know as the funny one with comical short video’s pertaining to his search for a valentine, wife, etc.) and Poe (who I’m just getting to meet) spoke on behalf of the men who are just a little bit confused as to what their relationship goals are *dodges flying shoe*.
The video gives tiny glimpses of what a typical Yoruba wedding is like and the goings on in the background of said weddings (or should I say the corners *wink*) including the dynamics of getting served in relation to where you are seated, using eye contact to pass and receive messages from a prospective "new catch", the accusatory glances from partners in a long relationship that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere and loads more!
I like the white and red wedding colors abi asoebi and Falz’s accent.
He makes the H factor sound sexy (OMG, did I admit that out loud?).
Okay, on to the next one!




03. Irawo: Seyi Shay

image courtesy goldenicons.com

This is actually the song that set me off on my journey to #.
Ms. Seyi Shay put so much positive infectious energy into this song that it was impossible to sleep afterwards.
I kept replaying the track till I was sure one of my travelling companions would toss the music device out the window in frustration.

Irawo which means destiny in this sense became true to the word after the playbook which was buried under a pillow found a way to beat the odds and be in the right position at the right time to get turned on my me.

In honor of the message of the song I am picking this song as my party anthem for my birthday (October 4, 2015).

About the music video; I can’t give a definite take on my opinion because I am confused.
At first it seems like the music video begins with the end and recounts the adventure of a fair maiden chosen as an offering of sorts for a young dashing prince (the dude looks familiar, abeg the guy be?) she startles her captors and escapes by running into the ocean.
The difference in costume at the beginning and the end is what has led to my confusion.
Now would be a good time for uncle C. Peters to enlighten me on his idea behind the Video for Irawo.


02. Baby Mi Da (Baby Jo Wo) Remix: Dr Victor Olaiya featuring 2Face Idibia

image courtesy spinlet.com

This is a remix of an original highlife classic by Dr. Victor Olaiya.
Remember what I said about my feelings for instrumentals and rhythm?
Well, this song is rich in that and then more.

I was stuck between pledging allegiance to Dr. Olaiya and 2Face but past history with 2Face proved him as the winner.

Up until a few years ago, 2Face was going to be my fall back guy for when things did not work out as planned between the now late Michael Jackson and me.

2Face is one of the few musicians I know who can turn just about any piece of musical item into a classic by having his name on it. He is a standard and an icon, someone who has proved to have Nigeria’s best interest at heart.

Baby Jowo is a song dedicated to Dr. Olaiya’s love interest.
He apparently offended her, is afraid to loose her so he is trying to find a way back to her heart.

01.Gollibe: Flavour

image courtesy youtube.com

This is my number 1 song for this countdown and I believe it would remain on top of my list for a long time to come.

He is playing a piano for crying out loud!

The song is mostly in Igbo but he manages to pass the message across.

Gollibe is a love song but unlike other love songs, Flavor sings like the words are directed to me personally.

Between us, it was love at first sight.
He has been searching for me and he has finally found me.
I am his soulmate and he is mine.

The music video is in two plots.
The first is the story of the crown prince who has returned to the kingdom to take a bride in preparation for his ascent to the throne. He meets and falls in love with a common village girl whose charisma and virtue are the highest points of her beauty.
Like the epic beauty pageant held in the courts of the Persian King Ahasuerus to replace Queen Vashti in the biblical story of Esther, a pageant is held in King Edochie’s court to find a befitting wife for Flavour the crown Prince.
From all the fair maidens presented to him, he picks and presents Ebiere the village girl to be his bride and they live happily ever after!
The second plot is a reminder of where we came from.
A reminder and representation of a time Nigerian children were brought up to respect their elders, taught how to be responsible adults at an early age and to be proud of their heritage.
A time when social events consisted of coming together to listen to stories laden with admonitions, history lessons and proverbs, learning intricate dance moves and songs to be presented at the stipulated time and reveling in their identity.
A time when we were Nigerians without the foreign accents.

With that, I have come to the end of this countdown.
Phew! That was quite a ride.
Do you have an opinion? Share it!

Until next time, here is the link for Irawo by Seyi Shay.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KK1vi8Dtat8


cheers mates!