Obiba Sly
Veteran Ghanaian highlife act, Obiba Sly, has ended the year 2020 on a love note as he released his last music for the year on Christmas Day titled, Real love.
The music which is typically highlife has a very deep reflective lyrics.
As is becoming lyrically typical, the multi-instrumentalist is also a good singer, who of course wants his music heard outside the shores of Ghana. This song is rendered in Yoruba from Nigeria, Twi and other languages from Ghana interspersed with English which seems to capture the mood of West Africa at this time.
The concept of love, as he pointed out, should not be built on material things but on condition that each of the partners in the relationship are ready to give it their all to make it work.
This even becomes more imperative in this season of love which unfortunately has been marred by the COVID 19 outbreak which has cast a deep shadow of uncertainty, fear and trepidation on the whole world with no one sure of tomorrow. In fact 2020 has not been the best of times for mankind. Businesses and livelihoods were crushed to the ground while many who have drawn up plans for the year have to reschedule them.
Obiba Sly in his song recognised this as he pointed it out that for the elderly, it has been a stressful year. It therefore behoves on us to spread love so that it will come back to us.
Singing E’joo which in Yoruba means love and its variations in the various Ghanaian languages, is one with powerful and deep message to the younger generation not to trifle with love.
Citing a long list of powerful political and social figures who have kept the flame of love still burning in their lives despite the many years of marriage, he advises the youth to be patient with their partners that attitude will remove the shadow of divorce hanging on many marriages these days because they were not built on real love but on materialism and what the immediate benefits are; no one is thinking in the long term, he explains.
The celebrities shoes marriages he cited as shining examples for each one of us to copy such as a Nigerian legal luminary like Ebun Shotunde, SAN, of Sotunde, Osakwe, Ogundipe and Belgore who were very instrumental in drafting that country’s current constitution is still married to his first wife after decades of starting the matrimonial journey together.
Other examples he gave are late former Ghanaian president Jerry Rawlings who until his sad passing away about a month ago was still married to the love of his life, Nana Konadu. Same can be said about former President John Kufuor who is still together with Theresa after all these years, current president Nana Akufo-Addo, the Asantehene Osei Tut II, Nana Osei Despite who despite his wealth has not gone for a second wife which applies to Fada Dickson, Dr. Jonathan Yeboah and Cecilia Abena Dappah. All these people, he pointed out who have acquired fame and fortune but are still keeping their heads properly screwed up on their heads should be our mentors and examples we should follow as we embark on the journey of love and marriage.
The music which was released on all social media handles is already gaining good airtime as its sober advice is what we all need at this time as we end the year believing that better things will come our way next year, 2021 which will also bring an end to the pandemic which has placed our lives in suspense.
By George Clifford Owusu