The song, “Okunkun e ye
wa” was written and recorded by Demola Suzi and produced by KYteno. The music
is rendered in Ikale dialect (a dialect found in Yoruba language, spoken by the
people of Okitipupa and Irele local Government areas in Ondo State).
“Okunkun e ye wa” by
Demola Suzi, in spite of all odds, became a success and really extended his
(Demola Suzi) fan base. The achievement of this song has its root on
Piggybacking (riding on the back of something that already has its audience).
Demola Suzi ingeniously wrote this song to express the pain and displeasure of
total blackout in the southern senatorial district of Ondo State and, as a result , gained the attention of
all the people concerned.
In the subsequent
paragraphs, I will write about other things that contributed to the success of
the song and I will highlight the lessons songwriters, arrangers and producers
can learn from “Okunkun e ye wa”.
Form of the music
The overall structure
of “Okunkun e ye wa” by Demola Suzi is:
Intro-Chorus-Verse1-Chorus-Instrumental
Interlude-Verse2-Chorus-Chorus-Coda(outro)
Intro
“Okunkun e ye wa” by
Demola Suzi starts off with a fascinating instrumental introduction led by
Brass (synth) which signifies “clarion call” (kéééére òòò). The intro creates
unity in the whole work as it reoccurs after the second chorus at 3:18. It also
sets the mood for the music as it starts with moderately slow tempo which is
maintained throughout the music to express the theme of the work- “Expression
of displeasure”.
Lyrics
The lyrics of “Okunkun
e ye wa” is inspiring and heart-warming . No wonder, it stirs the consciousness
of the listeners.
Melody
Demola Suzi is so
dexterous as he keeps the melody of each section (verse, chorus, coda) of the
song different despite the fact that all is built on the same chord
progression. This creates interest to the listeners.
Another thing to note
in this music is the BALANCE BETWEEN UNITY AND CONTRAST which always stands out
great songs.
Elements of unity
·
The intro is repeated after the second chorus.
·
The same chord progression for all the
sections.
Elements of contrast
·
Each section of the music has unique
melody.
·
The fourth chorus at 5:05 is made
different as it is rendered in acappella but accompanied with clave,
contrasting to how listener has perceived the chorus in preceding section.
·
The coda or outro also comes up with new
melody.
Lessons for songwriters
·
Hook your title. The title of “Okunkun e
ye wa” by Demola Suzi is hooked. It comes up at the first line of the chorus,
it is tuneful and easily remembered.
·
Introduce the hook as early as possible.
The hook of “Okunkun e ye wa” is introduced at 0:59.
·
Bring out the emotional message of your
song by all means. Demola Suzi expresses the emotional message of “Okunkun e ye
wa” through his vocals, instrumental and tempo of the music.
·
The secret of great music lies in the
balance between unity and contrast. Demola Suzi tells the world through
“Okunkun e ye wa” that he knows what it takes to cook a great song as he
reaches balance between unity and contrast.
·
Finally, you have to learn from the
prowess of Demola Suzi in the area of piggybacking, to extend your fan base.
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