THE CUTS: EP 03 VOL. 7
THE CUTS is a weekly round-up of songs and videos that has caught our attention or think you must hear. The music featured here aren’t genre specific. THE CUTS is delivered every FRIDAY
Edem – Fie Fuor
‘’I’ve been on the road for the longest time/ But nothing dey happen/ What dey wrong my life’’. I assume millions have at a point in life asked themselves this question echoed by Edem. And in the process, accused many –both family members and friends alike- for their losses. ‘’Fie Fuor” (My Family) is a popular generic phrase used by many Ghanaians when blaming unknown forces for their misfortune. It’s said that, the only people who could do you harm are those closest to you. Edem’s sentiments-calling on ‘fie fuor’ to let him be- are brought to visual life by video director, Nana Asihene. A 48 year old man taking a beat from life sees his troubles unfold before his eyes. His tattered clothes, bare feet and long walk to nowhere attest to this. En route to his destination, he encounters scary incidents, including a calabash he was drinking from turning into a basket. A scary picture into his life. As is revealed towards the end, the man was dreaming. Living in a shack, eating rice with shitor, we are introduced to the man’s world.
EL feat DopeNation – Ayeyi
Aside the clean visuals and the camera angles-the panoramic view of the beachline, this video is one of the best from EL. The simplicity and the dapperness of both EL and Dope Nation, and of course, the beach front location gave the video a degree of sophistication. Employing great use of light and colour grading, the director, Yaw Skyface delivered a concept that deviated from the ‘gospel’, contemplative template of ‘Koko’. This video is more fun and exciting to watch. A good song with a good video to go with. If we are to judge his two videos –Joy and Ayeyi, one may be tempted to think EL is going for simple, less effect videos.
Fatoumata Diawara – Nterini
First time I saw her perform live was in 2016 at the Alliance Francaise stage in Accra. Here invigorating and riveting performance made me a fan. She’s not only a musician but also an activist who uses her song to spotlight some of the issues faced by humanity especially in Africa and her homeland of Mali. Her new single ‘Nterini’ (My Love/Companion) is about migration. As the opening words reveal: ‘’In a world of 7 billion, 1 million are immigrants’’. With that set, the story of a man embarking on a journey rolls. Desert, the sea, red flags and white clothes turning red (indicative of how perilous and deadly these journeys are) are emphasised. The sombre reflections of the man’s parent and Fatoumata’s red clothe whizzing through the water signalled his death. With the reported incidents of migration and its associated deaths, human trafficking and slavery, ‘’Nterini’’ is a call to action.
WurID –Show You Off
This video appeared on my TL and it was good I checked it out. Inviting afrobeat sound-with all the horns, soft drums and hi-hats resting gorgeously under the drums- stitched together to provide a tonic of irresistibility. ‘’Show You Off’’s strength lies in WurID’s vocal work, and most importantly, the easy, slow-tempo mood of the song. A love song about showing off his girl, WurID comes across as a true gentleman when he asked ‘do you mind if I show you off?’ The video plays like a mini movie. He dreams about crashing his car into her, wakes up and begins to show her off to his friends in the club, to the world during their drive about town and spending intimate time together. Grading the video in pink enhances the message being preached by WurID; the message of love.
SIMI- Complete Me
Love is beautiful they say. And seeing it in play makes it more beautiful, even if it’s an acting performance. It’s an undisputable fact that Simi can sing and write emo-stirring songs. Her videos also reflect these qualities. Watching ‘’Complete Me’’ is like flipping through a photo album of good times. The coziness between the two ‘love-birds’ is pure and convincing.
PapaChie-Palmwine
Afro EDM artist, Papa Chie’s latest song, Palmwine blends his signature traditional rhythms with EDM elements. One could hear the xylophonic sounds spread across the song. Singing in both pidgin and his native Nzema language, Pap Chie could pass as Akon on this song to someone. Produced by Afrolektra, himself an afro EDM enthusiast, the pair have cooked a groovy song with simple lyrics which could be hummed to. Not your notable traditional palmwine music but this surely is good vibes.
