IF you grew up binging Nigerian TV soap operas of the early ‘90s, chances are you would remember the rich polyrhythmic fusions that soundtracked these shows. From TV soaps like Everyday People, to Super Story, to Fuji House of Commotion, one interesting unifier among these fusions was the exciting Conga percussion that soared with the African spirit.
Across this writer’s constant erratic search for novel Afrocentric fusions, Ar’urdayjee’s deep Jazz/Folk-facing discography surfaced as a captivating spin, with songs like ‘Two To Tango’ and ‘Oba (Sovereign King) ringing as ear-worms. In ‘Two To Tango’, Ar’urdayjee rehashes that nostalgic feel from ‘90s Nigerian TV soaps, with groovy piano synths, gyrating conga and tongue drums, and Jazzy horns. His work follows strongly in an age-long Afro-Cuban tradition, ranking highly among masterpieces from maestros like Irakere, Machito, Zag and Coco Maria, among others.
The most exciting facet of Ar’urdayjee’s composition is the tribal call-and-response or ‘scat singing’ that propels the song’s enjoyability. It strengthens the groovy Latin jive, tucking in the record with a catchy tune that’s as rhythmic as the complex polyphonic progression itself.
Produced by himself, ‘Two To Tango’ also soars with an exciting piano solo improvisation around the song’s centrepoint, which actually bestows the song with that befitting old-school Nollywood nostalgia. The song’s catharsis shines with a distinct allure, especially from the gentle giddy feel that cloaks the song. It’s a feel-good listen, poised and tuned with a strong replay value.
In ‘Oba (Sovereign King)’, Ar’urdayjee applies a similar technique in crafting an evergreen folk song. The song establishes other tribal melodic lines, using pot drums, birdsong mimicry, and non-lexical vocables or ‘choral melodies’, to create a powerful African folk foundation; which he pairs with Jazzy pianos to unlock a thrilling ethnocentric fusion. His witty compositions spotlight him as a futuristic maverick, with a strong tendency to redefine African Jazz/Folk music with his eclectic fusions.
Flipside, across ‘Two To Tango’ and ‘Oba (Sovereign King)’, Ar’urdayjee’s outros seem to suffer the most, with jarring anti-climaxes that stun the listener. In ‘Two To Tango’, subtle horns lay-up for the finish, establishing the central melodic line, while the choir’s a capella vocals crescendos the song to a halt.
The dramatic tension remains too thick, without enough time for release, causing the end to feel slightly gritty and jagged. In ‘Oba (Sovereign King)’, the outro is subtler, but its tribal percussion disjoints the otherwise cinematic finish that the Jazzy chords had stirred.
Overall, Ar’urdayjee’s compositions, ‘Two To Tango’, ‘Oba (Sovereign King)’, soar as boisterous cinematic records, ranking with strong replay value, catharsis, and ingenious fusions. The ethno-conscious songs feel quite transient, suitable for African cinema of either the past, present and even the future. While their grand complexity also serves as their tragic flaw, both songs brim with enough potential to keep them in rotation as one of the most audacious Afro-Cuban and African Jazzy-Folk releases, respectively, in recent times.
