Lagbaja, his new album and the politics

*It is not a regular thing to see a Nigerian musician organize media presentation of his new musical work using high brow Muson Centre as venue. Coming from the fellow called Lagbaja, many were not surprised…… And so naturally when he invited those he considered close business associates, captains and stake holders of the music industry to a media presentation of his new musical work, it was a full house that graced the occasion.

*In a world where rhythm more than lyrics counts, let’s see how far Lagbaja would go with his new musical experiment. Great musical achievements have been attained by artists who necessarily don’t sing in English. The great Bob Marley did some of his greatest songs in patois the Jamaican form of pidgin English. Salsa , Soukous, Makossa, Highlife, Reggae and Afrobeat music are some of the different forms of music that have gained international prominence without the artist doing so in English. Julio Iglisias, his son Enrique are some of the most sought after musicians on earth. Carlos Santana, Manu Dibango, Fela, Miriam Makeba are world acclaimed musicians who made their name singing in their native tongues. Pidgin is our heritage and our common ligua franca. Lagbaja should please look for another excuse if he is feeling musically inadequate. The oyiboman who pays hundreds of dollars to go see King Sunny Ade play doesn’t care about the juju artist’s lyrics but the delivery in the rhythm. Pidgin made Lagbaja and if he decides today that it’s no longer good for him, let’s see how far he’d go.

Ogbonna Amadi, Showtime, Saturday Vanguard, July 16 2005

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