She looks like Tracy Chapman. Sounds like Alicia Keys/Corrine Bailey Rae with full amala flavour. (Probably on paraga or some other Yoruba concoction.)
I don't know why it took me so long to 'discover' her music given that I actually met her about two years ago but by then she was a novelty sort of, an unknown quantity then. Now I read some very good reviews about her on Youtube and all, the girl done done good. I even have her song on my phone as ring tone.
It was funny reading how she came by the name 'Asa' . Yoruba being a tonal language, the same word Asa (Asha) could mean several things depending on the tonal stress in pronunciation such as:
Asa (d:m:) - Hawk; Falcon
Asa (r:r:) - Vagabond, Rebel
Asa (r:m:) - Barren, overused
Asa (d:d:) - Habit, custom
She uses the first one, meaning Hawk.
It is very rare to buy a CD and actually like all the songs on it but I am gbaduning this girl so much right now its unbelievable. All her songs just do me one way or the other but none like 'Bibanke'. And you can't but smile at the satire in Awe - a song about Waidi, son of Sekina, who impregnates a woman old enough to be his mother. Its been some time since we had an artiste who sings and the audience so connects.
Some critics and reviewers have translated the Yoruba word Bibanke (misspelled deliberately, I believe) to mean 'When I cry' but rather it means 'If i cry'. The Yoruba word 'Bi' as an adverb denotes choice while the adverb 'Ti' (as in Ni igba ti) denotes time. Thus 'When I cry' would have been 'Ti m'ba n'ke' and 'Bi m'ba n'ke' is 'If I cry'.
Q: Nimmo.
A: Ehn?
Q: Who send you all these Yorubanalysis you are doing now?
A: Abeg, no mind me jare. Na so e dey do me sometimes. Asa, joo gbe'lu soke! (Asa, raise the beat)
Biiibanke-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e [If I cry]
B'ójo ba n'ro [And the tears fall as rain]
Fi mi si'le [Leave me alone]
14 comments:
Due props to you. I have come to dobale and pay serious respect. With the respect I pay I ask for forgiveness. If you choose to forgive me I will know because it will mean the next time I am reading someone's blog I will be able to: a.) comment first, b.) comment without having to say I agree with everything NIMMO has already said. That way I can stop sounding like a sycophant.
Haba, wetin, the winsh wey u dey mindread me powerful o!
As for Asa. I too agree. I am also a latecomer but downloaded her music on Napster and thoroughly enjoyed it, along with Nneka as well. It appears the young, international Naija music scene is also poised to grow big time.
How are you and yours? hope all is well.
respectfully,
Aburo Methuselah
Waidi! Omo sekina, omo muyina, omo Moh'd. I am feeling that song like crazy. That girl is too much...
lol @ naapali...
...i will go and look for this 'jewel' somewhere...i hope you or naapali will help me with the yoruba...such an interesting language...it intrigues me...i should do a post on language...
ok, I feel like I just crashed a yoruba lecture. I'm going to listen to her (Asa) on the internet now. I will be back with a full dissertation as soon as I listen to the recommended songs.
If I see this Asa in one more blog post I will scream...
infact I can start screaming here...haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
im gone have to chk her out
lol you know in this case if and when mighr be interchangeable. think about it. but i love fellow yoruba "disserters" is that a word?
I must confess, I have two copies of that hit CD. I listened to it once but haven't gotten round to doing it again.
I don't know why I'm not Asa-struck. Is there something the matter with me?
wow...listening to her on myspace...her voice is quite macy gracyish, but much soothing to the ear...running to buy this as soon as i get a paycheck...thank you for the heads up!!!...o wise methuselah...hahahaha...i dey try no be so;)...
everybody likes her but she is just okay to me..
I like your "Yorubanalysis " expressions
@Naapali: Right from your very first comment on my blog, I knew we shared a lot more than others. We were probably born about the same time; had read the about the same books; probably watched the same movies or had similar experiences growing up. We were bound to see things similarly. Most times, when I do my blog rounds and I see your comments, I don't bother commenting again becos you would have said what I wanted to say. Nuff respect
@Black007: Yeah, you're feeling her too...
@GNaija: Yoruba is music. Just listen to it, you can guess the meaning.
@Bumight: Don't mind me and my TK sometimes. Just had to share.
@Afrobabe: Afro, can you please scream again in Yoruba? LOL. You neva start.
@Torrance: First time on my blog right? *Bell-o-blessing rings*. Many thanx for stopping by, Bro.
@Omo: Its about usage and context, I agree. Particularly in 'Lagos Yoruba'. Its been some time o, how u dey?
@Papi: Nothing do you jare. You just have to listen to her a bit more often.
@allied: This is your first time here too, right? *Bell-o-blessing rings*. I think OK is just OK. Is it OK enough to buy the CD? OK, just had to do that. OK? OK. Many thanx for stopping by.
pls feel Asa, she's da bomb...heard the Adaba single on air on my way to work 2yrs ago, i went wild...WHO BE THIS GIRL?...now the album's out, i got 4 copies...no kidding...she writes about the craziest thing and then razzly sings the posh genre...GOSH...every song does something to me
'...my mama say baby be careful, if anybody come to say i love you, ow ow ow...'
NIMMO, you're analysis is like rhema...we need to talk
Your "Yorubanalysis" is beautiful. Shee, they say the Yoruba race is one of the most influential in the world. Did a bit of comparative religious studies and I was amazed with what I found. Nice blog bro.
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