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Showing posts from April, 2006

Lagbaja

I first took notice in 2002. I was in Lagos and that particular day my cousin had switched the channel from channel O to A.I.T. There he was, the tall masked one trying to toast a woman who wasn't even trying to hear him out. I was captivated. I do not know what got me, was it the horns? the lyrics? the juxtaposition of english and yoruba? or was is simply because I was hearing homegrown music after a diet of stateside r & b by way of south africa? Whatever it was, it was made concrete when i saw the video for Surulere a few days later. I was blown away. The cartoon video drew me in and had me transfixed in front of the television. The lyrics? He was more than an R&B toaster, he was a man of substance and that won my heart. I had to have his tapes, cds whatever. He was definitely going back home with me. Fortunately, a friend hooked me up with Lagbaja's tape (We before Me) which I proceeded to play day in and day for months when I got back to Boston. Thank God for frien