Omo Anifowose ...... @Olamide_YBNL #fridaymusic Nigeria oh Nigeria!!!

I have been MIA because I simply can't get myself into the zone. The state of the nation is a major factor in this. Everything around is so depressing. I was even discussing this challenge with my sister earlier today and she said "so blog about just that".Still it was so hard to put any thoughts down, until this evening when I saw something and I'll share in a bit, first let's let out all this gloom.

Am I the only entrepreneur who is finding is difficult to stay upbeat and motivated in Nigeria right now? I am just curious. Do we still get up gearing to go and conquer? I saw some comment on twitter earlier and I was like huh?! Some have actually been capitalizing on the #bringbackourgirls campaign for personal benefits, not subtle ones like "me too, I dey here" type benefits but blatant advertising and marketing of themselves or their business. Someone tweeted a link with a catchy heading relating to the campaign only for people to follow the link and find it was just a link to a sales website! Na wa o! So I am guessing maybe, not many of us are really downcast by the mood in the air. It's still business as usual. Oma se oo.

I also noticed a struggle for recognition of the creator of the hashtag #bringbackourgirls on twitter and couldn't believe it! Does it really matter who created it? It's a nice to know, but perhaps we can get on with that once this is all sorted, maybe? Come on guys! Why are we letting this is become an opportunity to gain brownie points. This is serious! Of which, truth of the matter is the abducted girls' case (true or not, as there is another debate going on about this) is just a part of the whole picture. People have been dying in their 100s every other day! We need an intervention and fast! It's great that Nigeria is in the spotlight right now, let's make it count. Let's put aside all our shenanigans and focus on the matter at hand.

About that the I saw that lifted my spirit, I watched a video produced by +Kemi Adetiba and it got me excited! I remember the first time I heard @Olamide_YBNL 's  rendition of Kwam 1's "Omo Anifowose" I couldn't stop listening to it. I rocked the track on the CD till it was too scratched to play properly, hahaha! The song is a story of the struggle of many. My favorite line in the song is - "Versace, Versace, you're rocking versace, your mummy is hungry, Oloshi" . Apparently the official video was uploaded in March! Where have I been? I just have to say, Kemi and Olamide, you guys made my evening! Besides today is Friday and I haven't shared any #fridaymusic in ages plus this'll be my first Nigerian track on the blog. Yipee!!

I hope you enjoy it like I have. I wish I could translate the whole song for the benefit of my non-yoruba readers, but omo, na long tin be dat. Look for a yoruba speaking friend and ask them. I'll translate a few lines.

Hey, so I created this version of his quote at the end of the video using pikochart! Yaay me.

Cheers to the weekend and God save Nigeria....!

link to watch the video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoayYeEcqO0

I love the part where he gives someone a note and the person opens it and see a 5,000 naira note with Olamide's picture on it. I also love the quote at the end. I literally felt the hairs on my skin rise as I watched this video!

 Bonus Transcripts

 - Oga Ade, E wo bi ta ba de, Omo eru d'oba, Igboro d'emi lade
Mr. Ade, look where we are now, the son of a slave is now king, the streets crowned me (I think that's close, hehe)

- Mummy t'aso e ati bata e fun paro, Daddy t'aso e ati bata e fun paro to put food on the table
Mummy sold her clothes and shoes for barter, Daddy sold his clothes and shoes for barter

Meanwhile, times have changed o!! I just thought to try to see if I would get the full lyrics online and voila! Thanks to  http://www.freenaijalyrics.com. I'll try to do a few more translations and corrections because apparently there are some lines I am almost certain are wrong. Kudos to the person who put these lyrics out though! It must have been quite a bit of work.

More translations are welcome, especially for those deep proverbial lines meeen!! Feel free to help us here.

By the way this gunman pose went completely viral when the album was released last year. While many were busy striking the pose and posting pictures via social media, others were out crying blue murder with claims that its was an Illuminati concept. What's your take?

Lyrics

Omo Anifowose

Omo Anifo

Iru ki le yi

Omo Anifowose

Omo Anifo

Iru ki le yi

Omo Anifowose

Won mu ewure dudu

Won mu re igbo ifa

Omo Anifowose

Won m’aguntan bolojo

Won mu re ile osun

Omo Anifowose

Osun o gba aguntan

Ema se gba emi mi

Omo Anifowose

Eni ti o le se bi alaaru l’oyingbo

Na na naaa na ( This ad lib by Olamide just has to be there!! I love it)

ko le se bi adegboro l’oja oba

Ayinde ooh eh

Ayinde ooo

eh

Won ni kilode,

Ki lo ba de, ki lo n wa n bi, ki lo fe
 ( They say what is it, what brings him here, what does he want?)

They never thought I’ll make it to the top but that’s not fair

To ri mummy wa o l’owo
  (Because our mummy didn't have money)

To ri daddy wa o l’owo
(Because our daddy didn't have money)

Hustled from the house and every damn thing na sorrow

Mo ya je solo o

A de soro o

Highclass dem say we are so low o

Mommy ta’so ati bata e fun paro

Daddy ta’so ati bata e fun paro

To put food on the table

Ko ma d’abi pe won wa capable

Salary daddy o wa stable

Everyday ko la ma je vegetable

Mama a ni God is able, highest nkan ta ma fi mu garri lebu

Awon omo Landlord chance wa

Tor'on pass wa, won embarass wa,

Won ni e kuro ni house wa

Won frustrate mummy ati house wa

Awon omo alhaja

To ba so mi m’ole le yin, ma ja

Mi wa ja but t’owo mi ba d’eyan, wa ja

Chorus.....

Mo n da gba

Mo n da fa

Mi o mo ile onisegun, mi o mo ile alfa
(I do not know any herbalist homes nor do I know any cleric's home)

Bo ya mommy ati daddy lo sise lori mi
 (Maybe my mummy and daddy worked on me)

Glory be to alpha

Before life hard

Poverty fi mi se cypher

Sorrows and pain ma fi mi ka ***

Ma tun se high five

So we roll up just to get high but

poverty no stop
 so man gats open eyes
 (I edited these lines, I think this is what he said)

Oga Ade

Ewo ibi ta ba de

Omo eru d’oba

Igboro demilade

Ema kun pancake

Me i am getting my cake

Niggas dem be like hey

When they see my picture on the ***

Them no reach God,

them know this

Won fe si office le mi lori

Se mo jo novice

I love this

I can be rolling like a borris

Versace, versace

You rocking versace…..

your mummy is hungry (I can almost bet my life that this is what he said here!!), oloshi 

Emi tun flourish, awon parents mi jeun to nourish (edit)

Chorus.....

Long live king wasiu ayinde marshall

for the inspiration

Living legend toh bad

Kwam I the ultimate

Mo sample your voice baba, e ma kana

Olamide badoo

Copied from FreeNaijaLyrics.com: http://www.freenaijalyrics.com/lyrics-olamide-anifowose/#ixzz31FcDVV6q

It's no longer business as usual... Lend your voice!!

As I was going through online petitions that seemed to be heading somewhere and signing them, a breaking news headline flashed on twitter! Another bomb blast in Abuja... Hmmmm. People, we can no longer continue to sit back and carry on with our lives as if nothing is happening. It can no longer be business as usual!! 

Whenever issues like this are raised, many of us retreat into our shells or send curses and abuses to the government for failing us. To be honest, I feel the same way most of the time. But now let's forget these "people" and do whatever we can ourselves. Nigeria needs US!! I appreciate the efforts of the organised protests being held across the nation. I have seen pictures with people like #oby ezekwizili, +Seun Kuti, +Iruobe Waje  in the fore-front, to mention a few. This is good. We must stand together and save our nation. 

We may ask how? Now I am not proving to be an expert on this but I will share my thoughts on a few things we can do. I watched the bee movie recently again and one thing they kept saying there was it doesn't matter how small your job/contribution is, what matters is if you do it and do it really well. 

• Join the national discourse on the way forward. Hey, the advent of social media has changed the landscape for information. Share relevant information and links, information is power. Someone out there knows something that can help others, share!
• Sign online petitions
  Here are the ones I signed tonight;
  
  Work with the UN and Nigerian government
  www.change.org
  
  We may not all be able to go to Borno or Abuja to join rescue operations or protest, but we must support in every way we can.
• Be vigilant, report suspicious events in your area. Don't look away.
• I read a comment from someone today and I think it makes sense. Let us engage GEJ and his team. What are they doing to fight this insurgence? We need a clear cut agenda. Its been over a week since I read about the forest where the abducted girls are being held, why is there no visible effort to invade this said camp? Reuben Abati is on @abati1990 on twitter, let's bombard this handle with questions, not beer parlor type comments please! We need thought provoking questions that would lead to solutions. We can get a brainstorming session going!
• Another valid point is to stop rumor mongering. We need facts. So many have said we do not know the names nor can we put faces to the abducted girls. The government cannot do this for us, where are our journalists? Its a shame that we've got more information from BBC and CNN than we have from our own. If you cannot verify the source of any information please don't spread it. 

God bless Nigeria!!!!