Unless you’ve been living under a rock, chances are that you’ve heard Egedege (Larry Gaaga teamed up with Flavour, Phyno and Theresa Onuorah aka Queen of the Coast to re-release Onuorah’s classic Egedege recently). At least five different people sent me the video via WhatsApp after I’d discovered it myself, and even played it on YouTube several times already sef.
Growing up in Enugu, Egedede was popular, but it wasn’t a song that folks played in ‘funky spaces.’ You wouldn’t hear it in clubs or at parties. Furthermore, although it played on TV, Egedede wasn’t welcomed in some homes because the rumour was that it was diabolic and that Onuorah was a marine spirit who had a house in the middle of some river, and that if you danced to Egedege, she’d lure you into the marine kingdom. She was a Mami Wata, the wife of a marine king, a spirit.
- Ohanaeze begs IPOB for peace as FG insists on Anambra election
- Currency swap: Nigerian banks to begin operation in China – Envoy
I couldn’t tell you how these ridiculous rumours started but from reading Twitter posts of my fellow Enugu Brought Ups ( EBUs ) , they were strongly held as truth. Grown folks believed it. It was so bad that some families walked out of occasions where Onuorah appeared to play and children ran away at the sight of her. With many churches apparently discouraging their parishioners from listening to her, Onuorah did not gain the prominence her huge talent arguably deserved.
There’s something to be said for the way our tradition – whether it is song or religion or art – is relegated to the level of the diabolical by those who do not understand it, but I am not going to repeat that today. I’ve said it often enough. Today is about rejoicing that an old talent is getting the recognition and accolades that she’s thoroughly earned and that we are here for it. Have you seen the video? Seen the joy on Onuorah’s face as she sang and danced? Ijele erubego ọbụ mụ n’onye ga agba egwú eh, eh he he? To be given due recognition is a sweet thing abeg. Egedege is loading to be the go-to Christmas song of 2021. And with good reason. I expect to hear it played at least one party here in Atlanta. Incredibly danceable and catchy, one doesn’t need to understand the lyrics to be caught up in its magic.
The Egedege phenomenon is not isolated. Nigeria may not be exporting technology but in recent years, our arts- movies, literature and music- have become visible on the world stage, nudging 419 out of the way for being what we are known for. More often than not, when I tell someone new I am Nigerian, they tell me which Naija musician or writer or movie or actor is their favorite. In Belgium, a truck driver told me of how much of a fan he was of Mama Gee (Patience Ozokwor). In Durban, a street vendor on hearing I was Nigerian, told me he loved Tekno and started singing Folake give me love ooo, and I want to believe he gave me a discount because we bonded over Tekno’s Folake and her liking cassava. In Aruba, a porter said he was a Burna Boy fan. At my regular hairdressers’ here Naija music is played constantly. In Providence, a Puerto Rican friend said he was a huge fan of Yemi Alade and loved her “Looking for my Johnny.” My son sent me an excited text that he heard William Onyeabor’s “Fantastic Man” on an episode of netflix’s Sex Education. It no longer stuns me to hear a naija artiste played on the radio here or to see the ubiquitous videos of oyibo people dancing to Davido or Flavour or even singing the lyrics of their songs. That, my people, is soft power in motion and action.
In addition, young Nigerians (even those in Naija) who had little to no connection to their culture are reconnecting through the arts and finding pride in their identity as Nigerians. It was such a pleasure to scroll through Twitter and find young Igbo men and women in Naija who had never heard of Theresa Onuorah (or whose parents were raised on the “Theresa Onuorah is a marine spirit” diet) doing the Egedede challenge, dancing to the song and finding joy in it. Whether or not Egedede crosses over in as huge a way as other Naija songs have – and a friend raised in Aba who I suspect is jealous of our Enugu claim to Onuorah assures me it won’t- it’s already added to the cultural renaissance spearheaded by our artists and entertainers. It’s revived the conversation among certain Igbo of what we value and why, what we allow to be forgotten and why. Folks are googling Theresa Onuorah and discovering her old songs. And for that, I am grateful to Larry Gaaga, Phyno, Flavour and The Queen herself.
I’d love to see many more of such collaborations. Perhaps Mike Ejeagha and Phyno? Sunny Ade and Wizkid? I love the idea of bringing our old musicians to new audiences. Let me go and play me some more Egedege.