Gesikeme Akparakata
I am a fan to good music, a fan to all Ijaw musical artistes. I love all Ijaw artistes, for they are all special and offer different genres of music, gift and talent for our consumption.
Sometimes I can't understand myself, how a man like me with a very bad voice becoming so addicted to Ijaw music to write about their stories as my time permits. But that too is another irony of life, notwithstanding the fact that one may not be a good cook but knows when the food is delicious or not.
Often times many of us do assume and compare the musical talent of King Pereama Freetown to Chief Barrister Smooth or Jking Alfred Izon-ebi. No, that's where we erred. No musician has the same talent with another. Never, and it has not recorded in history. Fortunately the greatest King Dr Robert Ebizimor was not excluded from such only to observe and accorded each musician his own right of honour.
Sometimes one would wonder how lucky we are to be gifted with these great men and few women who came and change our lives and lines of thought. The truth is that, all of them are gifted in a unique way.
In respect to our extraordinary gifted music icon Chief Barrister Smooth with the appellation as King of Highlife; to me his songs are different and truly loaded with different philosophies and high levels of I. Q.
Chief Barrister Smooth can better be described as a musical catalyst who has produced songs of freedom, of love, and most times sing to heal our pains, and for correction of societal ills and norms.
His music has long been a powerful social catalyst, driving change, unity, and progress across various aspects of society in the Niger Delta and the diaspora. Here are some ways his music has acted as a social catalyst:
*Social Movements: Chief Barrister Smooth has used his music as a vital part of the Niger Delta struggle. His songs Mubutu and others created a different aspect of the movement for the Ijaws for self actualization. It spurred and inspired us to go for action thereby waking up the sleeping giants of the region . He sings to unite us as one common force bond in destiny.
*Community Building. His music brings us together as a people, creating a sense of belonging and community, as we listened to "Ama lagha" the need for us to go home and build our communities.
*Emotional Healing: His Music has provided solace and healing in times of crises, and life challenges.
• Love: His golden track records like Emomotimi and Cynthia were songs out of this world, that could make the most beautiful woman to fall in love with a beast.
*Social Change and awareness campaign:
His music has inspired changes in societal attitudes and norms, contributing to progress in the right direction. His music has played a crucial role in preserving cultural heritage and historical events, keeping memories alive.
Cigarette Smoking and the repercussions
His recent release "Cigarette" is so educative and worths the listeners attention. It tells a story of Pamela, the widow who lost her husband and five children to tuberculosis as effect of cigarette smoking and addiction.
The music is so emotional that one would listen to it a thousand times without any form of boredom. It all started with a blind love and innocent youthful choice. Pamela against the warning of her parents went into a marriage that later took her husband and kids, a resultant effect of cigarette smoking by her reckless husband. Life became unsettled. Things fell apart in pieces. But to Chief Barrister Smooth, her regret in life came too late. However according to Pamela, her story should be told to the rest of society that cigarette is dangerous to our human health, even though the smokers can hardly believe the gospel and change their habits and addictions.
Chief Barrister Smooth is truly good and a gift to the Ijaw Nation.
In summary, his music's are powerful and serves as a social catalyst with the ability to inspire, unite, and drive change, making it a vital part of human society and progress.
Gesikeme Akparakata Author and Patriot of the Ijaw Nation.
No comments:
Post a Comment