Two Favorite Things

So I entered Bastard's car and this loud wonderful music just hit me, hit all my senses. So beautiful, so soulful, so sensual....so African, so Yoruba. I was amazed. So I ask Bastard who this is and he says "Asa.....blah blah blah (he's a bit prone to TMI - too much info)". I've heard about her before and had an opportunity to hear her once, she was supposed to be before Soul-E or something like that but we got there late, so i think we missed her (can't really remember). I'd even heard and seen the video for "Fire On a Mountain" and while i liked the song i wasn't like....blown away. So can this really be the same girl?!?!?! I'm thinking all of this and Bastard bursts into my thoughts..."hear this, this is the best part..." and he sings at the top of his lungs

Mo ti f'oro me f'Oluwa
Ko so, ko so wa
Mo ti f'oro me f'Oluwa
Ko so, ko so wa

Iwo, Iwo nikan soso
Iwo, Iwo nikan soso........

Track #3, Bibanke. Simply fabulous! The words to the song, the arrangements, the producers. Cobhams Asuquo, who is blind by the way, is just a musical genius is Nigeria's version of Quincy Jones, or Ray Charles and he produced all of Asa's tracks. Bibanke's words are so simple, but so poignant, and meaningful. And then listening to the tracks, I took a second listen to "Fire on the Mountain" and the lyrics........are something else. I can't really talk to much on this girl because there's no other way to put it but amazing. As a songwriter, I've always had some trouble with Yoruba in songs and respected those who can sing with the language beautifully (Angelique Kidjo for one) because the intonations are so hard to flow with melodically (if that's a word!) but Asa just constructs it so seemingly effortlessly and beautiful. Listen to Track #8 - Awe. That's a good example.

Anyhoo...i can go on and on and on about this woman but I read someone say this is Nigeria's best chance at getting a Grammy and I'm so there, if she's not Grammy worthy I don't know who is!!!



























Just finished reading “The Mrs. Club” by Ekene Onu. A Nigerian female writer who proudly describes her book as chick lit and chick lit it definitely is; the first of its kind in Nigeria (that I know of anyway). The books is basically about three different Nigerian women who happen to be friends and living in Atlanta, Georgia. The first one Titi, is unmarried but determined to be soon and to a rich, successful, and handsome man to boot! Amaka is a slightly chubby unmarried who is essentially a goody-goody who believes in all the romance of life and love, and Mina is the only married lady out of the three. She married only for financial security and status.

The book follows these three women along their journey into reclaiming a good part of their lives and who they are and I must say the book is SOOOOOO good. It is supposed to be coming out in February 2008 at your nearest Amazon.com (lol) and other bookstores soon so watch out for it.

Thing is I went to the book launch (coordinated by the wonderful bobby) first before I read the book so maybe that biased me but I did find the book powerful. When Ekene was answering some of her questions during the launch she mentioned that she had many motives in writing the book. One of the ones she mentioned that stuck with me was that us women don’t really tell our true stories on our journeys on either side of the mrs. Club so she wanted to give voice to some of those experiences and she was so on point with that. I don’t think any woman that has read the book can say she doesn’t know one or two girls that those same things have happened to! Even I, hmmm….Amaka’s story has happened to me just exactly like that (save one key thing that I won’t mention to spoil it for y’all) but believe me just like that. And who doesn’t know a Titi and Dele story? Especially in this Lagos? Abeg……in fact I had heard a story of one famous Nigerian first lady (ex now) who was the Karen Omoruyi in the story so…

Us women we try o! Kai…truth is, it’s important to know thyself and stay focused!