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How many times did we see a good song get ruined by the enthusiastic pursuit of a needless remix, which kicks off the momentum of the original, and replaces it with a remix of a lesser sonic quality, which in the long run affects the artiste negatively?
Ask Oritsefemi, who reached for the stars (literally), found D’banj lounging and ready to ride a hit song. D’banj ruined the remix, muddled sounds of the original, and ended up cutting short the radio lifespan of the single. Or the case of Tekno, who brought on the firepower of Phyno and Flavour to milk dry the potential of a certified hit single. That failed spectacularly, as it never sped out of the blocks.
Zoro, the Hip-hop Prince from the East, appears to have shot himself in the foot. The rapper who has steadily worked his way from an industry outsider, to a man who has an outside chance to top the rap game, struck gold when he dropped the single ‘Ogene’, this year. The song had Flavour supplying the best of hooks. ‘Ogene’ was special for what it represented.
Ogene is a style of Igbo music consisting of, and taking its name from, the ogene instrument, which is a large metal bell. The Ogene instrument has historically been made by the Igbo people of Nigeria. It is one of the most important metal instruments of the people.
The Ogene type of bell which is commonly used as a “master instrument” in a bell orchestra in the Omambala River basin of the Igboland. It is an instrument of the struck idiophone class and is made of iron by specialist blacksmiths. The bell has a flattish, conical shape, and is hollow inside. The sound itself comes from the vibration of the iron body when struck, which is made to resound by the hollow inside of the bell. The iron body is usually struck with a soft wooden stick.
The Ogene is important because it is a percussion double bell that doubles as a traditional musical instrument or a sounder for town criers. It’s a staple in Igbo communities, and forms a core part of their music, culture, and lifestyle.
Zoro’s song’s instrumentals was built around a combination of the Oja (local flute) and the ogene. But he lost that essence on the remix. Already having Flavour on the song, star power was not something that was a need. The remix featured the Western vocals of Ycee and Lil Kesh, two buzzing artistes that have their stars aligned.
But in the remix, they failed to add anything of note to the song, giving off weak verses, and ruining what stood out as an eastern affair. Zoro wanted more traction for the song, and felt the Lagos artistes would be a good addition to increase the acceptability of the song in the hub of Nigerian music. Time might prove him to be correct, but perhaps another song, will have served his end better, instead of tainting the flavor of this one.