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I grew up listening to Juju, Apala, Highlife and Fuji music. These songs have this vibe- the rich man kind of music. They are songs that will shame your enemies but make you count your blessings. They can be didactic as well as spiritual.
P.S. Please don’t think I can sing their lyrics word for word. I just know most in my mind and few in my mouth. When I think of it, I know their instrumentals too!
I have memories of my dad jamming these songs on our stereo early in the morning. Then, those songs were boring to me because it wasn’t P- Square but now I can relate to the vibe they found in it. Maybe because I’m getting old.
Apala music has a kind of feel that makes you rock your body while paying attention to the lyrics. Apalla music is only sweet if you know the lyrics. If you know, you know.
It was Yhemolee’s wedding that brought me into knowing Terry Apala’s Apala Disco. Terry Apala has been modernizing Apala music into the Gen-Z kind of thing. I’m sat!
The song was used as the soundtrack for most of his traditional wedding videos. I was so intrigued at the modernity infused into Apalla music to create such a masterpiece.
Predominantly, I was drawn to the beat with so much reference to the cultural beat. DJ Tunez did a thing with the beat. It is the faaji kind of music.
In my exploration of the song on Spotify, I came across the remix version he sang with the Apalla legend, Musiliu Haruna Ishola, it was like a 2.0- Egunjobi Ishola. I was enjoying the buzz until I got to this partā¦
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How Musiliu Haruna Ishola validated catcalling in one of his verses in Apala Disco remix
Oga Musiliu Haruna Ishola verses in the song were the usual Yoruba motif of shaming their enemies on how they can’t conquer them. It was soft and I could imagine chilling in a million dollar mansion vibing to the song.
However, he proceeds to developing his part with lines that are musically pleasant but lyrically insensitive. The musician was uplifting the concept of catcalling women. It was so audacious that I had to go over to listen to it. Look at the lyrics below.
The personae were advising men on how to toast women, which ought to be romantic. But he was glorifying catcalling, saying men should call women with three words like, āwos, kiskis, eiiiā. That was audacious enough until he added that women who don’t answer to the calls are the ones who end up being unmarried at a young age.
As much as I liked his remix of the Apala Disco, I couldn’t let that slide. Catcalling women should not be embraced in any culture at this age. It is archaic. What happens to a man walking up to a woman to woo her and not catcall her as if she’s hawking herself for marriage.
Terry Apala’s verses were also in the same theme- wooing a woman. Cajoling her to agree to his proposal regardless of his pocket. But for me, he didn’t cross the boundary of being gender insensitive.
I’ll say Oga Musiliu Haruna Ishola imbibed the ways of the old into the song but actually the world is evolving into gender sensitivity therefore women shouldn’t be catcalled as they’re not goods to be bought.
On Spotify, the remix doesn’t have up to half of the plays the original has. I can’t say why but I think the lyrics have to be modified to respect women. I personally love the remix version but I can’t bear listening to the validation of women being catcalled and sing along to it.
But this doesn’t stop me jamming other Oga Musiliu Haruna Ishola ‘s songs like ” Opon Apala Ti Sun” or “Ise Oluwa Ko Seni Toye”. Like he’ll always say in his lyrics, he is the boss of Apala music.
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