When you do the kind of job I do,there's a huge tendency that your daily modus operandi will not conform to the global nine-to-five practice especially when you work the late evening or night shifts like me.
At noon,while majority of the people in my area are at work,I'm usually just waking up,trying to prepare breakfast and plan my day.Yes I know,weird isn't it?.
One day,I decided to watch something other than Supersport,Africa Magic and the news channels for a change.I tuned to a particular music channel for a little visual entertainment and after about twenty minutes I began to wonder whether I was really watching musical videos or soft porn.The skimpy dresses which left little or nothing to imagination,the erotic dance steps and poses and so on.I turned off my TV out of disgust and dressed up for an appointment I had that afternoon.
On my way to the aforementioned appointment,the car stereo in the vehicle I was in was turned on and co-incidentally the song playing was the exact one whose video I had earlier watched.After two minutes of paying close attention to the lyrics of the song,I couldnow understand the vulgarism being displayed in the video-It was simply an offshoot of the lyrics to the song.
As a broadcaster,I am privy to songs of all genres and forms from different personalities who want you to give their "artistic expressions" airplay.Eight out of ten times the musical progression,rhythm and instrumentals are almost the same."Pop Moet","Pop Champagne","Give it to me","Wind your waist","Shake it";These are a few of the cliche lyrics the listening audience(most of which comprise teenagers and young impressionable adults) are exposed to.This in turn raises a very pertinent question:Is it about making an impact with art or is it just about making money for these artistes?.
After continuous proliferation of the soft porn we call music videos,offensive display of violence and wealth(most of which are facades),what will be the opinion of posterity concerning these so-called superstars.
Very recently,a female artiste named Maheeda went completely naked in her video titled "Naija Bad Girl".Not only was the video utterly distasteful and absolutely classless,Maheeda has successfully shown the woman-folk to be objects of sexual pleasure and gratification;She has also laid a very wrong example for her teenage daughter.Yes,she is married with a daughter.
It now behoves the National Broadcasting Commission to clamp down on this ugly trend that is rapidly eating deep into our society and if this scourge is not adequately nipped in the bud,the consequences could be fatal.
This is my candid advice to artistes,music practitioners and enthusiasts in general:When writing your music and expressing your art in whatever form you deem fit,endeavour to create masterpieces that you could look back on and be proud of because whether you believe it or not the real owner of that talent will inquire of you what you have been able to achieve with his gift to you.
I wish you all the things you could possibly wish yourself and my ernest prayer is that you find the inner courage and strength to stay true to what you believe in while exhibiting your God-given talent for the world to see.When you do this,the money and all the other perks will come to you.Good luck!
Chuks Asoegwu(07011918203)
Well said.
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