My first encounter with Simi was at a music rehearsal somewhere in Surulere Lagos. A popular music recording company was holding a rehearsal session for an upcoming event. Simi was one of the new generation musical acts that were invited for performance at the studio. She entered the studio casually dressed in a denim top in the company of a female friend. One could easily notice from her temperament that she was a lady that was so full of life.
She quietly sat down at a corner to watch the performance of the band. At the studios, he rehearsed a song with one of Nigeria’s foremost music legend Evangelist Dele Ojo. As I watched her performance many thoughts kept running through my mind. One of such thought was that Simi’s voice was enough antidotes to soften the heart of the wicked.
She is so natural in her act musically and behaviorally an innate trait that continues stomach her gain the admiration of her teeming fans. Her disposition is what the Yorubas often refer to as Omoluabi. Even though she looks petite and a bit frail her voice is enough to give hope to the hope less and more than evident that she is a promising musician. At the studio, she danced and effortlessly enchanted all with her songs which connected straight to the soul of the on lookers. To say Simi is gifted is saying the obvious.
The way she dishes out her song still marvels me. I have so many Yoruba words that of tenure set of qualify her depending on the circumstance. Every time I take some time out to scrutinize her songs I often refer to her as“Omo Agba”the child with the mind of an adult. It is no doubt that her songs talk about so many issues around her immediate environment especially matters of the heart.
Her song jamb question produced by Oscar Herman Ackma hand nominated as the bests of track/alternative video at the 9th Nigerian Music video award was cleverly crafted as it equated the difficult Jamb Questions (A Nigerian entrance examination for tertiary level institutions) has been equivalent to the difficult rhetorical questions often asked by some men when desperately trying to woo ladies. She has many songs to her credit in Jamb Question, Open and Close, Joromi, Soja, Lovedon’title etc
Her song Open and Close must have been inspired by Abami Eda, Fela Anikulapo Kuti the Afrobeat creator who composed a song with the same title. Simi’s version of the song was given artistic wits as she took her listeners on a musical voyage by recounting an experiences he had at a club house where all that was available for entertainment was laced with foreign culture i.e. cuisine, music, dance etc. As clearly translated in the video Simi in the absence local music at the dance hall decided to improvise with the Open and Closed ancestry which is believed to be more flexible and can be
As clearly translated in the video Simi in the absence local music at the dance hall decided to improvise with the Open and Closed ancestry which is believed to be more flexible and can be adopted for any music genre. Often time I wonder if this young talent didn’t come before her time as all the songs to her credit are very inspiring and message endowed. To Simi with love.
To Simi with love.
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