THE THEMATIC APPRAISAL OF 9ICE’S AND ASA’S SONGS
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
This chapter focuses on the analysis of Asa’s and 9ice’s musical commitment to themes of social sensibilities and political events. It is shown in this chapter how these artists harness their artistic prowess and lyrical compositions as a vehement instrument of sociopolitical advocacy. The three songs that are appraised in this chapter for their sociopolitical relevance are Petepete by 9ice and Asa, Fire on the Mountain and Iya ni by Asa.
A Critical Appraisal of 9ice’s Musical Style
9ice is known for his extensive deployment of African proverbs in a distinct way to communicate important themes of socio-political relevance in his songs. The Yoruba Oral tradition is rich in many enigmatic axioms that codify deep philosophical reflections which are adequately available at public disposals for speech utilization. Post-colonial African writers as well as musicians draw resource materials massively from the oral corpus available in their immediate environments as a means of enriching their aesthetic productions and distinguishing them from other forms of literary expressions across the world. It is an established proposition in contemporary literary parlance that for a work of art to be deemed as African, it must carry the African stamp by not merely reflecting the social sensibilities of African societies but must also be created in such a linguistic form either of African origin or nativized version of Western languages simplifed to convey the African nuances. Chinua Achebe, Ola Rotimi, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Fela Kuti, Ebenezer Obey, Niyi Osundare, Femi Osofisan, Sunny Ade among others artists are prominent for drawing inspiration and materials from oral tradition either through the use of language, proverbs, folktales, songs etc. The early works of Wole Soyinka and Christopher Okigbo have been criticized for blind imitation of the Western writers especially the Modernist poets like Ezra Pound, T. S. Eliot, Hopkins, etc primarily because of their linguistic complexities which have identifiable African trait. Chinweizu, Trioka, Niyi Osundare, Funso Ayejina, Jamie and Maduike among others have condemned such works as literature of obscurantism and senseless narcissism. Therefore, in the production of African literary works, many critics see orality as a basic tool which should inform its creation.
However, 9ice’s utilization of African oral materials, especially the African proverbs, has given a distinctive relevance to his musical style as well as making them richly available and accessible to the common people who have little or no western education. Though it can be argued that the extensive use of Yoruba language in musical productions may delimit its consumption to a regional rather than a global audience, but for artists of 9ice calibre, his choice to identify with his cultural and linguistic origin has inevitably promoted the value system of the Yoruba people among his global admirers and carved a place for its recognition on international platforms. In James Curry’s Orature in African Literature Today, Helen Chukwuma is quoted in Modern African Writing thus:
Proverbs are used to express an essential idea. When they are used in verse, they are not usually subject to a rendition in their original forms. Rather, they are modified and adapted according to the demand of rhythm and beat. Adaptation may take the form of adding a few words or if contrasting the proverb world while still retaining the essential image necessary for its identification.
More so, 9ice drawing from the available oral corpus can be seen as a revolutionary act against western linguistic dominance which came as a result of imperial impositions leading to the encroachments of several African languages. Many African languages are confronted with the prospect of extinction and artists like 9ice will be relevant in preserving this aspect of our humanity through their songs for the sake of progeny. It is worthy of note that many African critics over the last few decades have called for the preservation of African languages through art institutions. For example, Ngugi wa’ Thiong’o contends in his Decolonising the Mind that language is the vehicle through which a people’s culture is preserved and effectively transmitted to younger generations. He argues that the death of a language is the ultimate death of the history, values, worldview and traditional specificities of its speakers. He went on to produce several works in his native Kikuyu language. Chinua Achebe also reacts to this means of cultural alienation by advocating for a localized and simplified form of western language constituted in a way capable of reflecting the African nuances. His Things Fall Apart for example, has English language as its primary means of expression, yet the flora fauna of the traditional Igbo communities as well as their basic beliefs are carefully and copiously represented. Whichever of these aforementioned critical polemics is considered, it is significant to note that 9ice’s decision to utilize the oral resources available at his disposal asserts the fact that he takes pride in his tradition and black identity.
We can also draw some ideological parallels between his musical patterns with that of the 19th century Negritude in the Francophone African countries. Negritude as a movement is committed to the celebration of Black identity by asserting their unique nature and romanticizing its positions against bias eurocentric perception of the Africans who view the Black race as barbaric and crude inhabitants of a dark continent. 9ice produces most of his songs using Yoruba proverbs and complex axioms as his basic means of expression is a means of asserting his identity and celebrating his origin in the face of untrammeled westernization which is aggressively finding its ways into every system of the post-colonial African society. His secular music which is predominantly in the Yoruba language canonizes him among the artists who can be regarded as the true custodians of tradition.
PETEPETE
POSTCOLONIAL DISILLUSIONMENT
The song opens on a serious note by addressing salient themes of post-colonial disillusionment like political instability, poverty, corruption, insincerity among others. Before 1960, majority of Nigerian artistic preoccupations which include literary materials, political documents, musical and dramatic productions etc. are produced as counter literatures redefining the bastardised identity of the Blacks by their Western counterparts and agitating for the right of self-government by various nationalists and scholars. An independent Nigeria seems to hold sweet promises of greater achievements if granted autonomy as a sovereign State. At this time, various nationalist movements begin to emerge across the country and beyond sensitizing the populace on the evils of colonial imperialism and the exploitation of the country’s natural resources by the Whites. However, independence finally came in 1960 but not with its great promises as once envisaged by the freedom fighters. The immediate downturn progression ransacking every facet of the society which is now in the managerial hands of Nigerians is worse than it was in the colonial period. With glaring political despotism destroying government parastatals, the misappropriation of State treasury by political kleptomaniacs, the unimpeded impoverishment of less the privileged citizens, it is established that even the Blacks now in charge are just as egocentric as the colonial masters and independence has only let loose an unfortunate era of moral and social decadence.
9ice refreshes our memory of independence by reminding us how young we are as a free nation. He recounts the several celebrations in every part of the country that welcome this new era which seems to be an encouraging start of great exploits among other contemporary African countries. The fact that our government is now self-determined and our economic is no longer pseudo-European triggered felicitation across the country. Nevertheless, things begin to head in awry direction just within the first few years after independence. Corruption becomes the ravenous cankerworm eating consistently deep into the fabrics of National polity. Ethnic and religious clashes become a serious threat to our dream of love, peace and unity which are the pillars upon which the Nation is built. The military coup of 1966 and the civil war of 1967 ushered in a season of tragedy from which wounds Nigeria is yet to recover.
Among the first social sensibilities 9ice evaluates in this opening verse is that of economic declination. “Ominira” which could be translated as “independence” is manipulated through the tonal devices of the Yoruba language to become “omi-inira” which literal transliteration will be “the pool of hardship.” Appraising Nigeria as a territory of depression and oppression illustrates the paradigm shift of sociopolitical realities from the initial dream and expectation of the populace. Using the continuous devaluation of our currency as a case study, he elucidates how economically backward we are as a nation in the international market. At independence, one naira was equivalent to one US dollar. Nevertheless, considering the foreign exchange rate between December 31st 2015 and 22nd February, 2017, a time-frame of less than two years, the overwhelming depreciation of Naira when compared with other international currencies is disappointing. As at 2015, a dollar was equivalent to 172 naira, but in 2017, a US dollar is selling for 516 naira at the parallel market. This economic statistics is an excruciating fact conditioning an overbearing period of hardship across the country. Naira is said to be one of the poorest currencies in the world.
SOCIAL RECKLESSNESS AND ITS EFFECTS
More so, 9ice proceeds to evaluate the lackadaisical dispositions of Nigerians towards the ever declining economic situations of the country. Nigerians are either afraid to speak up in agitation for their rights or are bribed to remain silent. The literary import of such lexical items like “agba” and “ewe” is beyond their surface semantic correlates which are “old” and “young”. It signifies the social stratifications obtainable in our society where there is a wide margin between the poor and the rich, bourgeoisies and the proletariats, literates and illiterates, business tycoons and the impoverished citizens. Those who occupies the lowest social and economic strata, which are the poor and common Nigerians, are not just reluctant to advocate for their rights and entitlements, but have been compelled by so many political strategies to accept economic failure and hardship as a normal way of life. The influential class which includes the educated class and elites are the ones intellectually and financially equipped to check the excesses of the government and call them to order in the face of perceived political highhandedness. However, 9ice also laments the disheartening corruption that is ruining this set of people who are expected to be the voice of the unheard, unseen and unknown. Those who the government suspects to be threats to investigate their economic culpabilities are held at bay by political appointments and improper favouritism. It does not therefore matter which way the populace is being kept from complaining or resorting to a dramatic demonstration of their disapproval of government policies, the most important thing is that the calculated system of looting with gross impunity and embezzlement of public wealth runs uninterrupted.
The artist encourages a reexamination of the various political stakeholders and parastatals and the attendant consequences of persisting recklessness thus:
9ice examines the nonchalant attitudes of Nigerians as a major challenge. He criticizes the unconcerned disposition of the people in the face of overt political danger. He is apprehensive of potential disasters and continuous declination if we remain quiet and pretentious of these realities. He wonders if we must remain stereotyped in a spot finding solace as derelicts of a backward government. He warns that our persistent quietness will only make us backward, abandoned and forgotten among other contemporary African States. The obvious imbalance and instability in government will only lead to greater marginalization of the larger percentage of the population leaving the dividends of democracy in the custody of a few aristocratic groups.
POLITICAL INSINCERITY
Every four years, politicians present promising manifestoes and popular driven agenda as if they are concerned about the wellbeing of the people. These documents detailing their plans to improve the socio-economic infrastructures of the masses are nothing but political strategies to amass electorate’s votes and supports. The artist at this juncture points out the insignificance of labouring without reward. While these political bigots make themselves comfortable in the security of State wealth with exasperating bonuses and allowances, they encourage the citizens to exercise patience in their hard conditions. The artist therefore wonders what benefit is decades of silence and patience if there has been no positive results or developments at all. There are hardworking and well-meaning Nigerians who are labouring assiduously to build a progressive country, but their sacrifices have been greeted with frustration and disappointments. This is to encourage a critical economic evaluation of such a country peopled by hardworking citizens still wallowing in abject poverty. Nigeria will eclipse other African countries in terms of man and natural resources, yet these nations still have records of steady growth and developments. Sometimes, politicians try to explain away the economic recession in the country by predicating it upon the current fall in pump price at the international market, but Asa reminds us that ever before the discovery of crude oil in the Niger Delta, Nigeria already has a means of sustenance which is dominantly in the agricultural sector. At the time when the primary source of fund generation is agriculture, things seemed to be much better then and our currency was regarded then as one of the richest in the world. If agriculture could be harnessed effectively then, it is just natural to envisage that the discovery of several oil wells in the Niger Delta which will generate greater federal funds will lead to the socio-economic advancement of the country. Unfortunately, reverse is the case as our conceited leaders see it as a fertile avenue to aggrandize their private accounts and siphon the public treasury into private coffers.
Asa commends and corroborates 9ice’s critical opinions with emphasis on the appropriateness of the time this political retrogression is being addressed.
9ice continues to appraise the pretence of political aspirants and their disguised attitudes during electoral campaigns. They try as much as they can to deceive the electorate into believing that they are intellectually equipped and politically competent to function effectively in leadership positions through socially oriented propagandas when in reality they are kleptomaniac rouges. There have been overwhelming cases in this country when leaders emerge based on the people’s trust as messiahs only to worsen the state of things. They promise to create enough job opportunities for the unemployed youth, affordable tuition fees, attraction of foreign investors, disbandment of religious terrorism, among other things which are only gimmicks to convince the people about the appropriateness of their candidacy. However, not only are these promises unfulfilled, things become unbearably harsh in a steady deteriorating descent. This attitude which is fast becoming the norm in Nigerian politics has created room for doubt and people no longer trust the politicians.
Nevertheless, they are not only renowned for their mendacity, they are also reputed as instruments and sponsors of social crimes and upheavals. They organized youths with deformed sense of dignity to constitute nuisance in a civil society. They manipulate them with crumbs to foster their selfish ambitions not minding if the fundamental rights of civilians are being violated in the process. They are popular for gross misconducts and misappropriation of public wealth, yet they parade themselves in useless messianic togas.
With the above lines, 9ice speaks of the successive transition of political authority from one bad government to another equally rotten one. Except on very few instances, leaders have always vacated offices leaving greater challenges behind. It seems political appointments are opportunities of enriching one’s pulse and it could be argued that Nigerian politics is one of the most lucrative appointments in the world. Apart from the economy crashing allowances of the politicians, the system has made stealing and corruption easy as an individual can make away with several billions of naira undetected.
These lines encapsulate a significant aspect of Nigerian politics whereby a candidate who does not represent the people’s choice or have popular support can possibly emerge as the winner of an election. This is only possible through electoral rigging and falsification of results. The youths are admonished to take decisive steps in protecting their destinies which the political leaders have set out to destroy. They are encouraged to take over their personal responsibilities and not rely on the unfaithful and unreliable politicians who are remarkable for deception, egocentrism and betrayal of popular trust.
THE LAW OF RETRIBUTION
Asa comes in at this point with a cautionary comment concerning the imminent future of political leaders who have transformed State treasury into personal fiefdom. She warns that there are natural consequences for every action and those who drain off the public funds or diversify social resources into private coffers should not expect to go unchecked or unpunished. She advises them to drop the hope of enjoying their illegal accumulated wealth as it is necessary for the immutable natural law of retribution to catch up with them someday. To Asa, it is only a matter of time before everyone responsible for the social and economic hardships of this country gnash their teeth in great remorseful regret.
Asa brings the song to an end by motivating herself and the possibility of her survival in the face of obnoxious political system. She believes that being hale and hearty coupled with her youthful strength is a strong guarantee that her future is secured even if the government chooses to remain irresponsible. According to her, the dividend of hard-work and diligence is success. This therefore is to encourage the many youths who are hopelessly waiting for white collar jobs to have a change of orientation and introspectively reflect on their intrinsic potentials and what they can do to earn a living with honesty and dignity.
CONCLUSION
This song copiously reveals the system of retrogression and the backward progression of things engendered by the culpabilities of our political leaders and the recklessness of the citizens as well. Though, the artists are interested in the character reformation of our leaders, they are also of the opinion that the citizens should take over the responsibilities of their individual lives with or without government support.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page I-II
Certification III
Dedication IV
Acknowledgements V
Abstract VI
Table of Contents VII-XI
Music, Literature and Society 1-4
CHAPTER TWO
SECTION ONE
Music as A Means of Entertainment 16
Music as A Means of Education 17
Music as an Instrument of Socio-Political Criticism 18-19
SECTION TWO
SECTION THREE
CHAPTER THREE: THE THEMATIC APPRAISAL OF 9ICE’S AND ASA’S SONGS
A Critical Appraisal Of 9ice’s Musical Style 32-34
PETEPETE
Post-Colonial Disillusionment 35-36
Social Recklessness and Its Effects 37-38
THERE IS FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN
Political Instability and Insecurity 43-45
Cultural and Moral Decadence 47-48
IYA NI
Sociopolitical Servitude 51-52
CHAPTER FOUR: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF LAGBAJA’S SONGS
An Appraisal of Lagbaja Musical Style 53-54
The Roles of the Citizens in a System of Corruption 55-57
Relevance of His Masked Tradition 57-58
Criticism of the Social Culture of Scapegoatism 58-60
Restoration of Moral Values as the Way Forward 60-61
200 MILLION MUMU (PART THREE)
Political Avariciousness 62-63
CHAPTER FIVE
Conclusion 69-70
Recommendations 71
Works Cited 71-74
Appendices 75-83WORKS CITED
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