by
Obododimma Oha
The late Igbo highlife musician, Oliver Akanite, populary known as "Oliver de Coque," was unique in his rousing praise of people, activities, and experiences. Along this line, he sang the praises of his band, "Ogene," claiming that more thrilling performances were to be expected from it. It was in that regard that he sang, in one track,
Ogene bụ new chassis,
A gbapụbeghị mmanu,
Ogene bụ new chassis,
Nke bụ egwu na-abịa!
(Ogene is brand new (vehicle),
Engine oil is yet to be drained from it;
Ogene is brand new (vehicle),
The real music is yet to come)
So, one is borrowing the expresssion, "The real music is coming" from him. Is it the metaphorization of his band as a brand-new vehicle (an Nnewi man, mind you!) , or the hyperbolic representation of Ogene as the source of great music? Yes; in other respects, one could say along with his spirit that the real "bearded" music is coming! I am not sure many are ready to dance to that music yet to come. We are only rolling and twisting our bodies to this rousing Ogene song, but the real music is on the way. Why are we drinking "ngwọ" hungrily (raffia) palm-wine when "nkwụ" (oil-palm) wine is coming? Let us wait for "nkwụ" for the palm-wine tapper is coming down.
We are masking and sanitizing for COVID-19, what comes after it (post-COVID-19 scenario) should also be our concern. The world of hunger and starvation that is possible should worry us. Elderly people and many working on the land and producing food can no longer do so. Some have even died of COVID-19, cremated and scattered to manure the earth. Others have fled (due to unpleasant situations) or have migrated, even to unfriendly areas. So, one is forced to look upwards and sing along with Oliver de Coque, "Nke bụ egwu na-abịa." Yes; the real music that would make the world twist and turn is coming.
Why is one talking about music and also talking about suffering and pain? No; one does not derive pleasure from pain. One is not really "sick" as one teams up with the muses. The music we hear and dance to is made from the cries of many suffering. In that case, this "muse-sickling" can only hear pain and call it pleasure. That prepares the mind to dance to the unique Ogene coming. For, indeed, there is a unique, Ogene well-packaged, astonishing, dumb-founding, coming.
When music becomes the expression of my pain, the world needs to know what the song says. It may look strange that others are masking and one is busy singing and dancing. But that one is masking and not masking as two paths to the world. One is singing and dancing the pain, hoping the audience would understand. The audience has to understand that it (the audience) is really the theme.
That the real music is coming is prophecy. It is about coming times. It is like living in the future. It is like struggling to see a new movie. What more, when one is an actor in that movie. Yes; the real music is coming and time is the major singer.
It is exciting to live at the end of time, to be on this ship that is sinking in one unfortunate corner of our galaxy. One sees and hears strange things. It is not just that one can see spirits with seven heads or hear about golden caskets that fly, it is because strange things mainly choose to happen in strange times. It in strange times that unique music drizzles down and we dance it in strange style.
The real music is coming and many should be concerned. Many should get ready to dance to that music. We are yet to drain the engine oil of the vehicle. It is still exciting, thrilling, astonishing as "tear-rubber," even tears that ask to robbed.
The real Ogene is coming. It is for the dead to teach the living how to dance it with head down and legs up. The real music is coming for a sick world.
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