I must confess that when I first heard about this song I thought it would be my first official joke for 2010 but being pleasantly surprised is always a good thing… The song is corny but in a good way? lol Everyone, except the guy in the glasses who was slapping the poor yahoo boy delivered IMHO.

Enough yarns, check it out yourself.

What was perhaps the weirdest thing about the video and song came right at the end for me… Microsoft? efcc? lol they should have dropped that.

The Crime of the century was not committed by a few faceless bank robbers, nor was it an endeavor embarked upon by a number of computer savvy fraudsters. No, the crime of century has- and always will- be the insidious brainchild of faces, many people in our nation know all too well. Politicians and the so called elite of this country have been robbing, stealing and murdering the good people of Nigeria for decades, seemingly without fear of retribution or consequence, safe in the comforting knowledge that they’re morally bereft brethren will  be there to make all their sins disappear. Like a confessed man before his priest,  seemingly absolved of their crimes, they go about the cities and states and laud themselves as men of substance, the esteemed upper class,  honored nobles and kings of all they survey. They are free from prosecution. From any form of atonement.

It is no secret that one of these seemingly untouchable patrons- in our overly corrupt and decadent government- won a gubernatorial election while still in prison, nor is it uncommon knowledge that another of the anointed, even after being convicted of numerous crimes abroad, also became governor of one the southern states. There have even been cases where elected officials have been forced to step down for the chosen one’s and the needle-headed offspring of these so-called powerful men and women. All in the aims of assuring that these villainous and cretinous people maintain their stranglehold on a country gasping for the air of freedom and morality. Yet these so-called elite, deem it fit to pass judgment on the poor and starving masses,  sentencing petty thieves and robbers to confinement and death as they see fit. Punishing those whose crimes pale in comparison with the rifling decay they have set in the very heart of the Motherland. They are in power…they punish the people for their crimes. So who punishes the punishers…? How does one find justice in a country where the wicked and depraved hold sway over the land? The answer…who knows? There are many who clamor for change in this country. But who will hear their cries when the only authority to turn to is the one that binds them to the shackles they wish to shake off.

EFCC…are charged with uprooting fraudsters and embezzlers, yet the country’s greatest con men- even long after their tenors in government are over- still walk the corridors of power as free men.

LASMA…roams the streets punishing motorists who can barely afford to pay the fines levied on them by the same men who have made them poor.

THE POLICE FORCE…harass their citizens, striking fear into them with a charge originally meant to bring peace and security to the populace.

All the while the untouchables sit in their castles willfully and deliberately ignorant of the effect of their crimes against their own people. They call themselves good men, great men, men of the people, bastions of the society, the elite, the anointed, our country’s leaders. These are things we all know. We all know what our leaders are doing. How they rob us of our rights everyday. How they’ve pillaged the country’s coffers for their own gain, only to be made celebrities in  our lands as well as elsewhere. They all deserve to be punished…but who can punish the punishers…?

The Most Corrupt Country in Africa:

Assistant US Secretary of State for African Affairs, Johnnie Carson, has been quoted as describing Nigeria as “the most corrupt state in Africa”.

Carson who disclosed this en route to the Nigerian capital Abuja added: “Nigeria is undoubtedly the most important country in sub-Saharan Africa.”

Carson was on the entourage of Hillary Clinton who was on her first trip to Africa as secretary of state.

Mrs. Clinton arrived in Nigeria on the fifth leg of her seven-nation tour of Africa.

During her 36-hour visit, Mrs. Clinton met with her Nigerian counterpart, Ojo Maduekwe, and later held talks with President Umaru Yar’Adua.

It is important to note that U.S President Barack Obama skipped Nigeria on his first official African trip, in what was seen as a snub for its record on governance.

President Yar’Adua came to power in a widely criticised election in April 2007.

Mrs. Clinton  also held a private meeting with representatives of the country’s political elite, with democracy and corruption said to be on the agenda.

She is expected to seek an update on the status of a 60-day amnesty period in the Niger Delta, declared in an effort to end years of militant attacks that have hobbled the oil industry. (Guess the people who’ve been suffering weren’t an issue they needed to discuss.)

She left Nigeria on a Thursday for Liberia and rounded off her trip in Cape Verde.

SO WHAT DID THIS TRIP ACHIEVE…? ONLY GOD KNOWS.

Continuing my call for someone- with the resources- to tap into the overly underutilized talent in Nigeria…here’s something a friend of mine was kind enough to throw my way.  It may just seem like  a bunch of Naija kids messing around, but if you’ve ever watched a Naija home video before, you’ll more than understand the brilliance of this homemade mock about (and short) fan movie. While I’ll admit it’s a little rough, it’s obvious that at least one of these guys knew more about what it takes to make a movie than any Nigerian movie director in this country today. I also found it somewhat ironic that the makers of the fan-movie chose to call themselves: Low Budget Media…sigh, just imagine what they’d be able to accomplish with a bigger budget?

ENJOY!

Well what can one say about animation in Nigeria…? Not a lot as it happens. The animation sector in this country is virtually non-existent, however that doesn’t mean some people aren’t giving it their best shot.  If only this country’s so-called creative visionaries had any real vision at all. Sigh, ah well…it’s a little sad when you consider that many of the animators in this country often fall short of their aims to provide us with some decent (homemade) animated entertainment simply because most (if not all) are doing the said animation with meager resources and very little manpower. Money simply seems to be the measure of one’s creativity most times, though I guess this isn’t only peculiar to the Naija creative scene. However, breaking ground in this area is made even more difficult by the lack of an actual animation industry. Where do these poor animators go and even more to the point, would anyone be willing to listen to them? I have nothing but praise for those who try though and urge them to keep moving forward in their attempts to bring these types of creative media to the forefront. There was a time in Nigeria where the Music industry was also virtually non-existence. With most music artists-even the more prominent one’s- of those times, struggling and grossly unappreciated. Perhaps that’s what this country needs, someone or some big corporation (like MTV base did with the music industry) to swoop in and give the weak and ailing  body of this particular sector of creative media, a much needed  shot in the arm. Perhaps, if someone could just make the break, then these money grubbing entrepreneurs would see that there was a vast wealth of untapped talent sitting under their noses all along. I believe the market is out there….waiting. All someone has to do is come and pluck the apple from the proverbial tree.

Meanwhile…here’s a little peek at the kind of apples some of these apple trees have been able to produce with so very little nourishment.

COCONUT ISLAND!

click here for more info

THE ADVENTURES OF ALAYO!

click here for more info

Update: 2nd of October/2009

It’s been recently brought to my attention that I may not have been exactly clear as to my beef with the problems facing animators in Nigeria. The crux of my argument was not to suggest that their weren’t enough animators or people doing animation in the country. Quite the contrary, Nigeria has an ample (if sometimes under-used) amount of talented people in several areas involving creative media. However, while the country boasts the largest t.v network in Africa- and some say the world- and the presence of a number of satellite cable companies, it has yet to provide home based animators with the platform from which to launch themselves. It’s more than a little sad (and there’s a slight, but hardly notable chance that I may be wrong) to accept that none of these networks carry any Nigerian made animations on their broadcast schedule. Having said that, a recent visitor to the site alerted me to this trailer of another Naija based animated feature in the works, which is set to be released in 2010 and I was more than reasonably impressed with the prospects of what I saw to be compelled to post it here. (I hope the animators don’t mind?)

So a big thanks for this:

THE O TWINS!

To visit the online site click here

Yemi sax, as he is called, is a Nigerian saxophonist. He is, without doubt, really good and arguably, one of Nigeria’s best.

I however can’t understand why he would do an album in such a silly way. So much skill, no creativity.

This is not so much a review. I am just expressing my curiosity. Why? Someone said he did it because he lacked musical education. I think it could have been a function of lack of respect for the art form. I mean, why take pains to be creative? Its not worth it. I’m assuming he must have thought along such lines. My skill can take me through.

Maybe I should do a review of some sort, its definitely not worth taking the pains to do a real review of the nineteen or so tracks.

If you are wondering which album, he’s got just one.

I mean, he couldn’t just take the pains! Ah! Why?!!! I really can’t believe it. I wish I could hear from the horse’s mouth. Can someone please ask Yemi for me; why?

If you are looking for a demonstration of plenty skill, no creativity; plenty saxophone pains, no production pains, then, the album is a must buy. Or at least, a must listen.