Welcome to 2010! There is no doubt that every new year brings its own surprises- positive and negative. This fact, however, does not dissuade pundits from making predictions stemming from their knowledge of the workings and on-goings in the Nigerian music terrain. In view of this, let’s look at the musical possibilities of 2010 and maybe a little of the ‘promise and fail(s)’ that befell 2009.
The first group of acts, ‘once upon a time’, had us humming their lyrics and winding our waists to their beats. We had our hopes high on them and then one after the other, incident after incident, they left us unsure of what to expect from them.
First stop is at the Ginjah master’s.
He was set free and then went on rampage. His marijuana and alcohol intake are open secrets, just like his recklessness on the microphone. Terry G advanced from writing other artistes’ hooks, singing their choruses and producing their songs to writing, recording, performing his own songs and releasing an album in 2009. Born Gabriel Amanyi, 23-year-old Terry seems to have shown ‘all’ that he can do especially with the word ‘swagger (swaggah)’.
The young producer will have to come up with fresh beats, new lingos and perhaps new habits, if he is not to be rendered obsolete in the new year.
Speaking of fresh beats, Darey seems to be having an early start. His last month release of the first single off his coming album, titled ‘Stroke Me’, is giving clues as to the new direction R N B may be heading. Produced by Don Jazzy, the naughty, fill-in-the-gap lyrics, well laid on a cha-cha-like beat with horns, casts minds back to the kind of beats that once held sway while also fingering the imaginations. His ‘Un.
Darey.ted’ album was one of the highly-rated and most-successful albums released in 2009. ‘Stroke Me’ tells us that there’s more where that came from and 2010 has the answers.
We hoped and prayed that she would bounce back. ‘Riranwo’ heightened hopes and she repeatedly reminded us that she wasn’t giving up on music and is only taking her time. But, alas, how much longer to wait? Rapper Adesola Idowu aka Weird MC easily makes the ‘promise and fails’ list having declined to deliver the come-back album she promised.
She sampled singles, ‘Riranwo’, ‘Gelegogoro’, ‘Happy day’and ‘Step Up’ with videos for the first and last songs. Though in her early forties, it is hoped that Sola’s long forthcoming album will be delivered this new year and that it adequately makes up for the wait. The anticipated album is titled ‘Broken Silence’ and Sola insists that her come-back is ‘absolute’ this year.
On the 30th of August, 2008, rapper Ruggedman announced in a newspaper interview, his intention to quit the music scene and focus on his clothing line, his yet-to-debut Tv show and record label. He quipped, ‘I can officially tell you that the album is going to be my last’. Between then and now, the rapper has released just one single (titled‘Banging’) from the third and ‘bow-out’ album.
Ruggedman seems to still be enjoying the scene and reluctant to quit.
When Showtime contacted him just to know if he’s having a change of decisions, the rapper said he’s still very much decided to make his next album the last. Also he said he’s playing around two titles, one of which he would pick eventually as album title.
On why the album’s taking so much time, he said, ‘I’m not rushing things. The album drops when I finish. If the soup is not done, you can’t taste it.’ Interestingly, he squeals that he’s recorded a track with M.I and Tu Face. Hopefully, a few other make-sense collabos just might upscale the album quality. Will it be an applauding bow-out? 2010 will tell.
Kween Onakala definitely makes this list what with her promise to return in April 2009, two months after childbirth. Up till now, there is yet a word from the raunchy mother of two. Kween left Nigeria late 2008 for London just before her tummy began to bulge from the pregnancy of her second son.
It was a crucial stage for her career since we were just warming up to her and her career was on the verge of taking shape again since her 90s release of the song ‘Oluronbi’ and 2005 release of ‘Mo fe Ba e’. Of all her single efforts, the most celebrated and most popular remains ‘Jebele’ which went as far as winning the ‘Best music video Female’ award at the debut edition of SMVA (Soundcity Music Video Awards) in 2008. Kween promised to bring us her kingdom in her first body of works. Will her ‘Kweendoncome’ in 2010?
On the brighter side, there are loads of new talents to look forward to in 2010. Some we know, and some we’ve never even heard of. However, of the few that we know, we can conveniently tip.
Jesse Jagz
Producer Jesse Jagz is one of them. Brother to rapper M.I and massively talented in the Rhythm Applied Poetry (RAP) and song production, this young dude’s beats have been tested to be on point and 2010 just might be his illuminating year.
SLK
Susan Ayo-Amu who goes by the stage name, SLK, has promised to deliver in this year too. The R N B singer is so optimistic she says, ‘I would probably be in trouble if I don’t release an album. That is how big the market is.’ Her song ‘Darling’ received high ratings from the on-line community, OAPs and radio DJs .
Tosyn Bucknor
And talking of OAPs, radio presenter Tosyn Bucknor has disclosed that her single will be on air soon. Before taking up a job with Top Radio, Lagos, where she handles the weekdays’ morning belt, Tosyn had been an entertainment writer, blogger, song writer and singer. Now, she’s ready to take the singing bull by the professional horn and God help radio stations that don’t play her song.
Remember, 2010 is just beginning and a lot can be achieved, especially if one starts on time. Once again, welcome to 2010.
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