The Songs That Raised Us For The Love Of Jazz (Part 2) -By Kareem Itunu Azeez

In my previous odyssey into the realm of growing up into messages in music, I had adorned Akinola, the one we know as the true Beautiful Nubia, and his renaissance, especially in the folklores of the music industries. I narrated how the music changed minds and made men, how it send messages across, and importantly how they would not sing unless there was a message in the music.

However, there is the jazz side of things, the thorough lullaby of dancing to the tune of those who study, play, and make things work. In contrast to what we have today called jazz, that is if there is any at all, in this modern trajectory. Sometimes when I listen to Uncle Jimi Disu his growing up at the old surulere, and how he sashayed with dear friends of times ago, into clubs where jazz is served, I feel many things are lost in these things called modernization. I feel robbed of the same fun, through fun undiluted.

At one time he had mentioned names like the Bucknors, and the Sowandes, then again Ireti Bakare in one of her shows, had made me feel through legendary names like Yinka Davies, and Bobby Benson, you won’t expect me to forget the legend himself Fela Kuti, and even the ones who went abroad with our flags and talents waiving high, that’s SADE-ADU, at least you would remember the hit, (sweetest taboo). others are Babatunde Olatunji, Etuk Ubong, and many more.

These many names had shaped the music industry and not just the jazz realm alone. And it would be very absurd to compare them with what they have today in this industry. This isn’t to play down the talents we have now, but in truth, it’s a lot different in terms of message, in terms of the audience in perspective, terms of the fans, and I must sorrowfully admit, it’s killing the Jazz world.

For little or, no Nigeria remember these crafts and the great things that had come out of them.

“No aspect of Nigerian music cannot be jazzified, even though we have other forms of music in Nigeria”. Those were the words of the former president of jazz music in Ibadan, professor Odumosu. The songs that we listen to are part of what we have become today, and if there are bound to be corrections in the side of things as we have today, then the jazz world would play a role too. Through jazz, a lot of people have been raised beyond what they stand for, and some have been depleted to the lower echelons of life, such is the power of this ballad.

Reading the memoirs of the famous Tony Allen, may his soul find rest, I remember my father’s simulating him while growing up, he had seen Allen play for Fela, at least once, just for the love of jazz. My father said, FELA was just the creator of the afrobeat, but Allen with him makes their music 60% jazz and 40% the rest, and they grew up listening to folks like Yinka Davies, Femi Temowo, Lekan Babablola, and others. Some of us were just toddlers then, but we grew up to that too.

Today there are no messages in music, just sounds and we know our heads to them all. Just because we don’t understand the meaning of the lyrics in this music, there’s likely no way we would understand them as well. If I were to be a music critic, many of these would never pass the first stage, but then again I am not one. We all look for different things in all the things we hear and listen to too, and jazz isn’t an exemption.

We can learn, relearn, and unlearn a lot of things in our industry, in our jazz industry perhaps. If we didn’t listen to garbage while growing up, even though there may not be up to per as well, based on selection and choices, why should or perhaps how come today we have less real jazz and more of less jazz, under its disguise?

To be fair, many in the entertainment industry want to earn a living, and those who do this music too, asides from money to be up there whenever their time comes. While those who went direct for the money are more of those who spill less jazz, those who want to b lord and remembered after a long time, are the real jazz musicians. They are the people I am referring to as my clans, we listen to the same music, read the same lyrics, and felt the message in the music, Most importantly, they are those we grew together in the spirit of music.
The songs that raised us, the jazz side of things.