Celebrities

‘You lack understanding of Afrobeats’ — ID Cabasa replies Buju Banton

Published

4 months ago

September 21, 2024 10:42 am

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ID Cabasa, the Nigerian music producer, has dismissed the Jamaican reggae icon Buju Banton’s deprecatory view of Afrobeats.

Last month, Banton, who is one of the well-regarded artistes in Jamaican music, described Afrobeats as a “shallow and unsubstantial music genre”.

The 51-year-old, born Mark Anthony Myrie, argued that despite its global recognition, the genre does not spotlight the struggles of Africa, unlike the politically charged and culturally rooted messages of Reggae and Dancehall.

In a chat with TheCable Lifestyle and Nigerian Guardian, Cabasa, 49, addressed Banton’s criticism of Afrobeats, suggesting the Jamaican “lacks understanding of the genre’s language and style”.

The music executive highlighted the genre’s depth and substance, citing the quality of music from artistes like Burna Boy, BNXN, Olamide, and Asake.

Cabasa, the founder of Coded Tunes, the record label that brought Olamide, 9ice, 2Shotz, Reminisce, Lord of Ajasa, Ajayi Brovas, 2Phat, Seriki and Banky W to the limelight, also taunted Banton, saying his disapproval might have stemmed from the fact he got carried away with the “genre’s beat”.

“Buju Banton does not understand… can he speak our language? No,” he said.

“You know, when you go online, Nigerians are the most sarcastic people in the world. So when you don’t understand our sarcasm, when you don’t understand how we tell our stories, you will think there’s no story to it.

“Now, these guys, they present truth in a very simple way now… and because your (Banton) own generation sang and you were saying so many things, you think you are deeper than them.

“For me, depth is actually your ability to understand what’s supposed to be complicated and to break it down.

“I think one Kenyan proverb said that ‘if it takes you so many words to explain something, probably you don’t understand it’.

“So, these guys, they say stuff. You listen to Burna, you listen to BNXN, that we call Buju. You listen to Olamide, you listen to Asake. Are you going to tell me that there’s no substance in what Asake is doing?

“So, a lot is coming in. That you don’t understand it doesn’t mean that you should just criticize it. I think he is falling in love so much with the beat, which was why he said what he said.

“But we know when people say there’s no substance to it, we know it’s a fallacy. There is substance to it but people need to understand what these guys are saying.”

Cabasa spoke on Thursday at the memorial lecture of Denis Joseph Slattery, the late cleric, in Lagos.

The Slattery memorial lecture was organised by the Old Boys’ Association of St. Finbarr’s College at the Civic Centre in Victoria Island. The music executive is a member of the association.

The memorial was attended by notable persons including Donald Duke, former governor of Cross River, ex-footballer Segun Odegbami, and actor Patrick Doyle.

Earlier this month, Tems, the Grammy winner, also stressed that Afrobeats is meant for “vibes and enjoyment”, adding that “the climate of Nigeria calls for it”.

Celebrities

‘He’s playing a character’, Actress Bolaji Ogunmola defends Etim Effiong over intimate scene

Published

24 hours ago

January 11, 2025 9:04 am

BodexNG

Nollywood actress and producer, Bolaji Ogunmola, has spoken out in defense of her co-star, Daniel Etim-Effiong, following backlash over a scene in the promotional video for their new movie, Summer Rain.

The video, which has been making rounds online, features the duo in an intimate moment as part of their characters’ romantic storyline.

While some fans praised the chemistry, others criticised Daniel for the passionate kiss, questioning how it aligns with his status as a married man.

In a post shared on her X account on Friday, Ogunmola addressed the criticism, stressing that the scene was entirely professional and part of their job as actors.

She explained, “Promotional shoot/content is part of an actor’s contractual obligations. Were there cameras there? Yes. Tons of people there? Yes. Was he there as a husband? No. He’s an actor playing a character called Adimchi, who’s ridiculously in love with Murewa. Was he professional? Yes!”

The incident also reignited discussions about Daniel’s wife, Toyosi Etim-Effiong, and her perspective on her husband’s work.

Speaking on a podcast in December, Toyosi opened up about navigating moments of jealousy in their marriage.

Celebrities

Timaya thrills 20,000 fans at 3rd homecoming concert in Bayelsa

Published

2 days ago

January 10, 2025 2:21 pm

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The third edition of the Timaya Day Concert was a resounding success, as the iconic musician filled the Samson Siasia Stadium with an impressive 20,000 fans.

The event, which took place in Yenagoa, Bayelsa on January 1, featured an electrifying lineup of performances from some of Nigeria’s biggest music stars.

Timaya, the headlining act, delivered an unforgettable performance, thrilling the crowd with his hit songs.

He was joined on stage by fellow music heavyweights, including Rudeboy, Patoranking, Kcee, Ruger, Duncan Mighty, King Perry, and Stereo Man.

Popular comedian Brodda Shaggi entertained the audience as the event host.

The event was attended by the Governor of Bayelsa, Duoye Diri, and other government officials, who came to show their support for the music icon and the state’s vibrant entertainment industry.

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Celebrities

Cynthia Morgan reveals why she’ll never reach out to Burna Boy

Published

3 days ago

January 9, 2025 2:24 pm

BodexNG

Cynthia Morgan has revealed why she will never reach out to Burna Boy amid the controversy surrounding his rumoured past relationship with Uju Stella.

In a recent post on her Instagram story, Morgan claimed people advised her to contact Burna Boy regarding Stella’s interview.

In the interview, Stella alleged that she and Burna Boy dated for three years and she got pregnant for him.

In the post, Morgan said she can’t reach out to Burna Boy because he is still upset that she didn’t believe him when Stella made the accusations in 2016.

The songstress also took a shot at men, arguing that they tend to lie and get angry when others don’t believe them.

“For those sending me messages to reach out to Burna Boy, I won’t. If it was me I would reach out but he is probably still mad that I didn’t believe he didn’t impregnate Uju Stella in 2016,” she wrote.

“That’s what most men do. They lie and get mad when you don’t believe them. Something he finally admitted to online 8 years later. You all leave me alone. All the best Damini.”

Morgan and Burna Boy have collaborated on music, with their 2016 song ‘Acting Bad’ a notable example.

There were also rumours of a romantic relationship between the two singers in 2015, although the pair did not confirm it.

Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others