Mother’s Day 2022: ‘Sweet Mother I Nor Go Forget You For This Suffer Wey You Suffer For Me’ -By Sandra Ijeoma Okoye

When Prince Nico Mbarga, vocalist and guitarist, who died following a motorcycle accident on June 24, 1997, went to the studio to produce one of his hit songs, “Sweet Mother”, he may not had known that the libretti will by each passing year be resonating and listened to by not a few Nigerians to appreciate the essence of Mother’s day, which is yearly celebrated across many countries around the globe.

Therefore, being alone at home on March 27, 2022, that was yesterday, which was incidentally 2022 Mother’s day, I had the opportunity of listening to the lyrics of Prince Nico Mbarga’s hit, “Sweet Mother”, without witnessing any jot of distraction from anyone. As I listened to the music, I could not help thinking of how the lyrics rhymed with the kind of incomparable soft spot and unconditional love mothers’ naturally have for their children, and by that blended with the mood of the day.

For the sake of clarity, the lyrics, particularly in the first and second stanzas, unarguably rhymed with the incomparable soft spots and unconditional love mothers have for their children: The lyrics in the first canto of his hit song goes thus, “Sweet mother I nor go forget you/For dis suffer wey you suffer for me yeah [2x]/When I dey cry my mother go carry me/ She go say my pikin wetin you dey cry yeah yeah/Stop stop! Stop stop!! Stop stop!!!/Make you no cry again oo”

Literarily interpreted, it simply explains that the suffering which mothers passed through in the course of cossetting cannot be forgotten, particularly when they pass through sleepless nights trying to rock their babies to sleep. The lyrics also explains the fact that mothers do not sleep when their babies are not in good health. While they are awake singing lullabies, more often than not, fathers were found to be asleep. Thus, the lyrical lines say, “When I dey sick my mother go cry cry cry/She go say instead wey I go die make she die/She go beg God, God help me, God help me, my pikin oo/If I nor sleep, my mother no go sleep/If I nor chop, my mother nor go chop/She no dey tire ooo”.

Against the foregoing backdrop, there is no denying the fact that the things mothers do for their children show that the love of a mother does not know limitations or boundaries, as they usually spend long nights or exhausting days sacrificially to make their children comfortable. In fact, the love of a mother keeps on going, and it is unconditional.

A mother once testified in a church thus: “Just recently, my oldest daughter got sick and we had to visit the hospital’s emergency department on two different occasions. The first time, after a long and exhausting clinical day, I took her to the ER (Emergency Room) without hesitating, tried to console her and stayed at her bedside for many hours. It didn’t matter how exhausted I was, how many hours I spent that day standing on my feet, or even how long it had been since I last ate. Every strand of exhaustion and hunger seemed to be erased from my body and my mind, and all that mattered was seeing her get better soon. She even realized it and asked, “Mom, aren’t you tired, aren’t you hungry?” “No, I am fine, sweetie,” I said.
Then she added, “Mom, I am so sorry you have to do this after your long clinical day,” to which I replied that she didn’t need to be sorry. I was fine and I was not tired. There is nothing more important for us mothers than our children’s wellbeing, and nothing mattered more for me than to be there for her”.

Against the foregoing backdrop, it is little wonder that throughout last week that Dufil Prima Foods, makers of Indomie, have been asking the question “What is Unconditional Love?” Without doubt, the company, like many other companies, have proven that there is no better time like yesterday, being Mother’s day, to tell the answer as a mother’s love is unconditional, particularly when appraised from the lyrical perspective of Prince Nico Mbarga’s music, sweet mother.

Ostensibly authenticating the fact that mothers unarguably have soft spot and unconditional love for their children, not less than 15 musicians; dead and alive, in Nigeria had composed songs dedicated to the celebration of mothers.

To my view, there is never a time to celebrate mothers other than celebrating every day, even if there are several dates in the year dedicated to celebrating them. Nigerian songs about Mother share commonalities in the fact that mothers are selfless, loving humans that sacrifice many of their wants and needs just for their children. The songs are lyrically unanimous with the fact that mothers brought children into this world, taught them to be of good manners, and encourage them to always be the best they can be. Mothers were wont to sing and read to children, feed them, and stuck on them when sick, and even when they are not doing well in every ramifications of life. The unconditional love mothers show towards their children is unarguably explanatory as local proverb has it that “Monkey nor fine but him Mama Like am”.

Being a mother is perhaps the hardest, most rewarding job a woman will ever experience. Gladly, there are many Nigerian songs; both in the genre of old school and new schools that acknowledged mothers’ love for their children towards their growth and survival of their children.

Therefore, it is not an exaggeration to say that some Nigerian musicians that have released albums about mother’s strong bonds with their children cut across Dele Ojo who released “Iya Ni Wura”, King Sunny Ade who sang “Iya Mi”, which are no doubt filled with timeless lyrics of a mother’s message to her child to always do well.
In a similar vein, 2baba’s (Tuface) also released “Unconditional Love”, where the legendary Nigerian artiste talks about love on this single, but a different kind of love from erotic, the type that exists between mother and child.

He employed the lyrics of the music to demonstrate the fact that a mother’s love has always been unconditional, pure, and genuine. In this emotional tune, 2Baba puts what he feels for his mom and dedicates it to her and his loved ones, even as he thanks his mother for raising and keeping him with unconditional love. He cherishes her and says he would love her forever.

At this juncture, it is expedient to say that yesterday’s Mother’s day, which was celebrated by virtually everyone that is born of a woman was a further reminder of the fact that mothers can never be forgotten; particularly for the unconditional love they keep extending to their children across all families in the country.

Against the foregoing context, particularly as the mood of Mother’s Day still lingers, one cannot fail to mime Prince Nico Mbarga’s song, ‘Sweet Mother I Nor Go Forget You For This Suffer Wey You Suffer For Me’ to celebrate all mothers.