tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23276543689590760502024-03-13T20:05:56.448-07:00Wave KorodeWave Korodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15768695809144150339noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2327654368959076050.post-74571257614127707372014-01-19T00:41:00.000-08:002017-11-15T04:32:04.062-08:00Suggested Additions to the Anti-Gay Law<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Dear Mr. President,<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi520K6gue04luSR1Tubh4Hs-nxpJtAQV66tK2PIweC0GO13TdTEkvp-8RKnkLJ8IWmZJ5ZcYrMYI39SEi49eDTheGhhVPuyY4D2-vW35XNtqtVDwitnUDDCiC2PNfVb_f1TqeaFh5RIm4/s1600/index.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi520K6gue04luSR1Tubh4Hs-nxpJtAQV66tK2PIweC0GO13TdTEkvp-8RKnkLJ8IWmZJ5ZcYrMYI39SEi49eDTheGhhVPuyY4D2-vW35XNtqtVDwitnUDDCiC2PNfVb_f1TqeaFh5RIm4/s1600/index.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Firstly, let me issue a disclaimer for the preceeding greeting 'Dear Mr. President'. It is by no means an expression of anything beyond respect and just following the usual protocol of letter-writing. Please, do not attach to it any homosexual interpretations, as I am a law abiding citizen of the Federal Republic of Naija!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now that you have gone from being the worst president this country has ever had, to being the best leader this world has ever seen, with your divinely inspired signing of the visionary Anti-Gay bill into law, I want to congratulate you on your genius, and if you do not mind, I also want to suggest a few additions to this law, to aid in the progress and development of this our great nation, Naija.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I have listed below, for your consideration, sir, groups of people that should, in line with the moral motive behind the Anti-Gay law, also be outlawed and criminalised as soon as possible for the good of Naija:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>Adulterers</li>
<li>Fornicators</li>
<li>Drunkards</li>
<li>Liars (white lies qualify too)</li>
<li>Aristos and their girlfriends</li>
<li>Sugar mommies and their boyfriends</li>
<li>Ladies who bare too much skin and or cleavage in public</li>
<li>Guys who sag their pants below the constitutionally permitted level</li>
<li>Anyone with a tatoo</li>
<li>Any lady with more than the constitutionally allowed number of piercings</li>
<li>Any guy with piercings</li>
<li>Anyone who curses and or uses foul language</li>
<li>Christians who stab and miss church services on Sundays</li>
<li>Muslims who do not fast during Ramadan</li>
<li>Christians who ping or text during church services</li>
<li>& People who sing off key during praise and worship</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
By the way, sir, do not worry your intelligent and genius presidential head about non issues in Naija like bad roads, a crumbled education system (the importance of our future is overrated anyway), an economy that grows on paper but is dead in real life, apparently and shamelessly corrupt government officials, a heated polity that is currently threatening Naija's democracy, missing public funds, Boko Haram, poverty, insecurity, epileptic power supply (which was actually the most important item on your manifesto/list of promises to begin with) and all those other minor challenges. Besides, this quest for national morality will solve all those problems indirectly anyway.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Thank you for your time, sir.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Yours sincerely, (#nohomo)</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
An impressed Citizen</div>
</div>
Wave Korodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15768695809144150339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2327654368959076050.post-85934037050402940222013-02-28T00:19:00.001-08:002013-02-28T00:19:34.781-08:00New Wave Music - Loving You<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3>Background</h3>
Who said the 'love song' is a thing of the past? <i>If I hear!</i> I am personally a proud sucker for love songs, I listen to, I write, I sing them everyday! What would the world be without the love song? I'm talking about classic tunes like 'Endless Love', 'When A Man Loves A Woman', 'The Power Of Love', as well as more recent Naija sounds like 'No One Like You', 'I Love My Baby', 'Fall In Love'. I love these songs because they connect with everyone on one level or the other and have become household jams; just sweet!<br />
<h3>Loving You (Composed, Produced and Performed by Yours Truly!)</h3>
So now, I'm bringing you one of my very own original additions to your Naija-love-song-collection. If you don't totally love this jam, I'll refund all the money you paid for it via this site! ;)<br />
Ok, you may or may not have heard about my <a href="http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/mayowawavekorode">Verses and Love Songs (VALS)</a> compilation series. I'll be telling you more about that in a while. But for now, I want you to listen to 'Loving You', the first single from Volume 2 of the said compilation.<br />
<h3>The Jam</h3>
Here's the jam. I've also added a download button for your convenience.<br />
<embed src="http://www.4shared.com/embed/3331464255/86d05531" width="320" height="200" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed>
<br />
Listen, <a href="http://www.4shared.com/mp3/Wf3WBetv/Wave_LovingYou.html">Download (click here)</a>, Share and don't forget to let me know what you think of it. ;)<br />
<h3>Lyrics</h3>
Meanwhile, just so this post won't look as short as it really is, here are the lyrics;<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>VS 1:</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>When I wake up in the morning</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>If you're by my side I kiss you</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>If you ain't by my side I miss you</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>Write a love song and sing for you</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>The song will be a great song</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>'Cause you're my inspiration</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>Send to radio station; standing ovation</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>Puts good food on my table</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>Let the music show how much I love you</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>Let my lyrics tell how much I care</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>Let the melody say I'm thinking of you</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>Oh, let the music play</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>Chorus: </i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>Loving you is my calling</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>Loving you is my profession</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>Showing you love is my talent</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>Loving you is all I wanna do</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>VS 2:</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>As I'm making all the money</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>If you're by my side I spray you</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>Throw a party 'cause I'm able</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>Carry live band and play for you</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>The show will be a big one</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>Add more to my income</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>Show it on television like a sitcom</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>You'll be the star of the show</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>Let the music show . . .</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>Chorus:</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>Loving you is my . . .</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>Bridge:</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>Oya baby come don't let the music waste</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>Wind up your pretty waist</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>Dance all over the place</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>It's your song, there's nothing wrong</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>We can dancia all night long</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>On and on to the rhythm of love</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>Till you tire</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>Won't stop until you say so</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>Let the rhythm show how much I love you</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>Let the tempo tell how much I care</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>Let the harmony say I'm thinking of you</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>Oh, let the music play</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>Chorus: (till end)</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i>Loving you is my . . .</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.5px;">
Share with a loved one first, then you can thank me later . . . or now . . . at your own convenience <i>sha</i>. :D </div>
<br />
<br /></div>
</div>Wave Korodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15768695809144150339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2327654368959076050.post-28545928409221531052012-05-27T23:09:00.001-07:002012-05-27T23:15:50.034-07:00The Profession war: Secular vs Gospel music<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<h4 style="text-align: justify;">
Background</h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now this one is a must-yarn-about topic for me because for a
while at the beginning of my venture into music on a professional tip, it was the single biggest issue that
saturated my thoughts with respect to music. What category of music to fall
into – secular or gospel.</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now this will seem simple enough a question to answer for an
aspiring musician in a country or place where the music industry has
sufficiently evolved as to provide a viable market for all sorts of music. I mean
that in the United States (<i>yankee</i>)
for instance, you have musicians in a wide range of categories from gospel
through pop, r&b, hiphop, jazz, country, dance, house, dancehall, to classical,
doing their thing and still having enough people come to their shows and buy
their CDs to afford to live lives fit for royalty.</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Not so in Naija! In dear old beautiful Naija, if your music
is not in line with whatever is ‘reigning’ at the moment, then it’s one of
three things:</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span>You are doing your music for fun or passion and
probably have somewhere else from which you are making your money; a day job so
to speak.</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span>You are dangerously trying to move the nation
into the next phase of ‘reigning’ music. This is dangerous because this ‘reigning’
concept is believed to be largely unpredictable.</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span>You don’t know wassup! In this case, you no <i>jasi</i> as per what is reigning and thus,
can’t sing it!</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Right now, the music of the times in Naija is Pop. Your beat
must be fast, heavy and extremely danceable; your hook must be short &
catchy (you can do whatever you like on the verses – sing, rap, sneeze, etc);
and optionally, for the greatest effect, your video must have sexy ladies,
expensive liquor, flashy toys and cameo appearances by other Naija stars. Although other genres exist tailored to specific audiences like fuji, apala, hi-life, jazz and so on, pop, which many wrongly term hip hop, is undeniably the money spinner on the Naija music scene.</div>
</div>
<h4 style="text-align: justify;">
The Dilemma</h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Naija is a very religious country majorly split between
Islam and Christianity and almost every aspiring and made musician started out
(yeah you guessed it) in the choir of their respective churches (yup! most mainstream naija artistes are Christians). Cross this
fact with the hypocritical nature of Christian practice in Naija churches and
their <i>na me holy pass </i>doctrines, and
you get professional musicians who are confused as to what to sing, in a bid to
afford the finer things in life and still retain the church’s pass mark and
paradise-citizenship!</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
As far as the church is concerned, it is impossible to enter
heaven if you sing about sexy ladies and have scantily-clad representatives of
that community (lol) shaking <i>baka</i> up
and down your video, under a rain of booze as sprayed by glaring men! It is
even worse for the female musician as she would personally do a lot of the
under-dressing and <i>baka</i>-shaking. Personally
I can’t speak for immigration people in heaven, but I know for a fact that it
will be at least awkward to do all these and still lead praise and worship on
Sunday!</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Some churches do not even subscribe at all to members singing
for money. Never mind the problem of unemployment and the lack of vacancy in
the organizations of the allowed professions, just don’t do music for money!</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
All these challenges make it hard for fulltime gospel
musicians to make ends meet with their art, however talented they might be (the
gospel musician doesn’t get as many shows as or get paid as much per show as
the secular artiste). Frankly, even if they continue to sing strictly gospel
music, there still is the stigma attached to the music profession as a whole
that has their church members saying awful things about them (mostly in their
absence). So the question comes up – I want to be a musician but I am confused
as to what to sing; what do I do?</div>
</div>
<h4 style="text-align: justify;">
Wave’s take on the issue</h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I, Wave Korode, do not give a fuck about categories in music
in Naija! Be true to yourself as per your lyrics and message and sing what you stand
for, making the delivery as entertaining as possible to satisfy and fuel the
marketing aspect of your profession/business.</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Many gospel musicians, as far as the category goes in Naija,
are neither here nor there. In other words, they have lost a lot of their
credibility as born again Christians in the opinion of their fellow church
members (who are also not sure of making the heaven they preach oh!), but
unfortunately they are not reaping the ‘rewards of selling out’ either since
gospel music does not bring in the dough like secular does!</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
My advice, is to be yourself (most of y’all are <i>kuku </i>just forming <i>holy holy</i>) and sing whatever you wanna sing – be that strictly
gospel or secular stuff and deal with the rewards and the consequences of that
decision appropriately having thought it through to begin with. In my opinion, all
music na music!</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Whether na secular or na gospel? Just do your thing <i>jare</i>! <i>Jtchorr oh</i>!</div>
</div>
</div>Wave Korodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15768695809144150339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2327654368959076050.post-16525059560173575332012-05-23T00:22:00.000-07:002012-05-27T23:17:04.276-07:00The Glo Voice SMS Scam: Fooling Our World!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The Glo Voice SMS Scam</div>
<h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Background</div>
</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Permit me to digress a bit from
music matters but this stuff’s been bugging me for quite a while. I use a glo line. For no reason really other than the fact that it was the most
cost-effective (cheapest <i>sha</i>!) line
available when I finally got around to buying my first phone, and I’m not
exactly the type to be carrying more than one phone or line up and down. Now, I
have serious issues with the quality of their services – the erroneous cross-connection
stuff that has you talking to God-knows-who when you pick up a call that your
caller ID tells you is from Shalewa (fiction <i>oh</i>!), the not-waiting-for-your-credit-to-absolutely-finish before
ending your ability to make calls and my all time favourite, the impossibility
of getting through to real-life, human customer service personnel (hence my
resorting to venting here), just to name a few! But this article has to do with
something that transcends these lesser evils and borders on outright scam
status.</div>
<h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The Scam</div>
</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
You know that voice SMS service glo provides via which you are able to record and send a message to someone and
get charged the standard SMS rate? Well, I don’t know what you think of it, but
when they first started it, I liked it! I never got around to using it, but I
liked it nonetheless! It kinda made sense and I felt that despite glo’s other
lapses, they were constantly thinking of new ways to provide Naija people
quality telecommunications services (if I hear!). They probably realised too
that not many people were using it, and that’s when, I believe, some clever-ass
ex-yahoo boy (or girl) employee of theirs came up with... The Scam.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
It’s simple. You make a call, it
either rings without being picked up or the line you called is unavailable,
then of course, a voice recording lets you know that you are not getting
through but instead of the usual ‘try again later’ ending, the evil voice
finishes by telling you of an alternative – to send a voice SMS; (and this is
where it gets dirty!), all you have to do to send this SMS, IS TO HOLD ON AND
DON’T END THE ONGOING CALL ATTEMPT!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
This means that if you dial and
don’t listen to the message, opting for staring at the screen, waiting for the
display to show that your call has been connected, like almost all of us do, or
if you dial and shift your attention to something else, like an ongoing gist in
the room, like almost all Unilag girls do <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span>,
then you’ll miss the evil voice going on about the voice sms, and by the time
you put the phone to your ear, you’d have started unwittingly ‘recording your
voice SMS’! As a result, all your callee will hear when playing back your
message, is “Hello! ... Hello! ... D’banj... Hello! <i>Soro now</i>! <i>Olosi ni bobo yi
sha</i>! <i>See as him just dey burn my
credit</i>! Ptscheeeew!” end of message!</div>
<h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Implication!</div>
</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Now this seems like an innocent
bug in glo’s service and it also has that minor glitch feel to it but get a
load of this:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Suppose this SMS is sent to just
100,000 of glo’s millions of subscribers, 5 times daily (and I get well more
than 5 when I’m working in the studio and can’t hear my phone ringing), and
suppose the standard charge applies – 15 Naira. This would amount to 7.5
million Naira worth of pointless ‘<i>Olosi</i>’
voice SMSes, in glo’s pocket, everyday. That’s 225 million Naira in a 30-day month,
and eventually 2.7 billion Naira annually! <i>Mehn</i>!!!</div>
<h3>
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Calm down, Wave!</div>
</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Ehen</i>! I should calm down <i>abi</i>!
They have <i>kuku</i> said it; that you
Naija people get all puffy-chested and go “DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!!!” when small
people try to cheat you, but when big men and corporations do the same, you
turn tail and go “<i>well, na papa-God go
punish them</i>!”.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
As for me, I am doing what I can
do to stop this particular chapter of the madness that goes on in our country –
firstly I’m letting you know so you can find out for yourself, then act;
secondly I’ll keep on knocking on 121’s door (customer care centre) until
somebody picks my call so I will lambast his or her life with my complaints!
Then if that one doesn’t satisfy me, <i>na
to carry the matter go NCC na</i>! Yes <i>ke</i>!
2.7 billion Naira is not a small something <i>now</i>!</div>
<h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Appeal</div>
</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
On a real though, all the
networks and multi-national corporations need to start treating Nigerians with
the same (or even better) quality of service that (than) they do their
customers in more developed countries. If not for any other reason, they should
do this because we are many! They make too much money here to afford to lose
this market.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Hello! ... Glo! ... This is Wave!
Stop FOOLING our world... <i>mehn</i>! <i>Jtchorr oh</i>!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>Wave Korodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15768695809144150339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2327654368959076050.post-54392663337449364002012-05-19T17:30:00.000-07:002012-05-27T23:18:53.149-07:00Music vs Banking; The Profession War<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Background</div>
</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Now the thing that bugs me the
most about Naija people with respect to music is how, even after their
celebration of successes like TuFace, D’banj and the likes, they still don’t
consider music to be a respectable profession relative to Banking, Law,
Engineering and Medicine (to limit it to the big four).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Yeah I know this issue has been
flogged a couple of times already, but what I am canvassing for now, is the
flogging of the people who still think that way! The thing is, every one of us
knows at least someone who is into one of the above mentioned disciplines and
you will agree with me that once you get past the suit and tie dress code and
the official car (or personal car on a long lasting loan <i>parole</i>!), only a few of these cats actually enjoy what they do, or
even get paid as much as their time and energy are really worth.</div>
<h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Personal Experience</div>
</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Even if I don’t know too much
about the other professions, I USED TO BE A BANKER (‘bank worker’ is the
correct training-school endorsed term) and without mincing words, IT SUCKED... <i>MEHN</i>! At least for me it did, that is to
say that I can’t speak for anyone else. There might be people who get off on
senseless tension and stress mixed with pointless insults from colleagues with
about as much self esteem as earthworms; different strokes & stuff! As for
me, the whole point of working in a bank was to earn and save money to spend on
my true love – music! Dumb idea right?! I know. I found out just how dumb it
was three months into the job & I’m not sure if I deserve kudos or caning
for sticking around for another four months before turning in my resignation
letter (yes I left after only seven months).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The point is, even though
everyone showered me with respect for getting up and putting on a suit every
morning (& damn, I look delicious in a suit!), I knew that my life was
fucked up without music. So after I resigned, it was annoying to have to
respond to people asking me why, even though I wasn’t surprised they were
asking.</div>
<h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
It’s all Good now!</div>
</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Almost four years on (<i>yup</i>! I quit in 2008), I have credits to
my name including various album and singles production credits, most prominent
of which is my annual valentines special compilation – <a href="http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/mayowawavekorode" target="_blank">Verses and Love Songs,VALS</a> (grab your copy... now!) and life is just beautiful and getting more so
daily, but despite these achievements and my happiness, I still occasionally
come across people that go “Wave, there’s this recruitment going on in XYZ
bank, don’t you think you should apply?”. In other words, “I know you’re into
this music thing and all but it’s time you got a real ‘respectable’ job, the
type that only a prestigious institution like XY-fucking-Z can give you!”.</div>
<h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The Money side of the story</div>
</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Entry level pay at a bank these
days can’t be more than 100k (& that’s being generous). Like... seriously?!
I know a keyboardist that makes more than that monthly for playing at a church
every Sunday (how’s that for part time work!)!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
For me, it’s not even about the
financial gains of doing what I love but for those for whom money matters most,
my music craft pays a whole lot more than banking did (<i>and I never even hammer well well be dat oh!</i>)!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
So if working a ‘respectable’ 9
to 5 (more like 7 to <i>whenever oga comot
for office!</i>) doesn’t pay significantly more than the musician whose just
scratching the surface of possibilities, then there must be something awfully
backward about the ‘respectable’ job mentality.</div>
<h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
‘Your Talent will make a Way for
you’</div>
</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Many groups of individuals on the
social scene are not making matters any better, talking about parents,
religious leaders and so on. Despite the fact that their beliefs and rhetoric support the ‘doing what you love’ state of mind, they constantly (and
dangerously) compare their children and or wards to others in more ‘respectable’
professions and wonder, aloud at times, what is wrong with their own kids that makes
them opt for careers in singing, painting, soccer, comedy and so on.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
My piece is that everyone should be
allowed and heavily encouraged to pursue the profession s/he is passionate
about and accorded just as much respect as the next person. This goes for all professions
ranging from music through banking to carpentry. If you love it, do it, become
good at it, change the world (for the better <i>oh</i>!) with it.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Hi! My name is Wave and I am a
Musician! <i>Jtchor oh</i>!<br />
<br />
Naija vocab:<br />
<i>Naija</i> - Nigeria, Nigerian<br />
<i>parole</i> - arrangement (within this context <i>oh</i>!)<br />
<i>hammer</i> - (verb) succeed<br />
<i>oga</i> - boss<br />
<i>comot</i> - leave<br />
<i><br /></i></div>
</div>Wave Korodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15768695809144150339noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2327654368959076050.post-74148069284019573912012-05-19T00:50:00.000-07:002012-05-27T23:42:10.332-07:00Team Optimus: The EKSU job<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Background</div>
</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I just wrapped up the first stage
of work on an album to be released by the choir of the C&S unification in Ekiti
state university, EKSU (thank goodness for the ‘K’ right?!).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
It was broken into stages, mostly
due to funding, and the first stage comprised of three beautiful songs that I
have come to fall in love with.</div>
<h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The Players</div>
</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The choir’s got plenty talented
members but because of school & stuff, only 5 of them were able to make it
to the studio. I call them 'Team Optimus' the optimized version of the choir ‘cause they had
all the talents necessary to complete a whole album <i>self</i> (digitally <i>sha</i>!), if
they wanted to. They were (and are):</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Funmi – the CM. Lovely vocal
talent to go with exceptional leadership qualities. She’s the one that did most
of the running around to gather the funds necessary for the project. Funmi was
so versed in the songs that it didn’t take her long to record her parts in the
three jams even after additions & changes & stuff.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Jide – blaaad! My homie from the
express (Ayo ni o) youth choir. This dude not only came packing usual heat in
the perc department, he threw down lead vocals on two of the jams, revealing a
unique side to himself that express folks don’t see often. Damn, the dude can
sing as well as he can beat a drum!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Sola – six words for this guy; fire
on keys and vocal chords. One of those (us <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span>)
dudes that learn to play and sing on the go and turn out hotter than those who
learn the stuff formally. I totally expected him to lead one or more of the
tracks but I guess they have other songs yet to be made that suit his style (RnB,
baby!) a lot more. He killed while bringing out my notes on the choruses
though.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Muyiwa – also an express cat,
this dude has that whole afrobeat-slash-rnb-slash-pop-slash-tuface-on-steroids
flow on a lock down. You know that flow that often sadly gets relegated to the
back in the C&S setting. A little time though was all it took for him to
come out slinging those notes on the tracks, especially on the reggae jam. Dope!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Seun – the final chasis
ingredient of team optimus was (and is) Seun. On omele and chord for two of the
tracks, he provided that percussion bed that’s signature to your traditional
C&S tunes and along with Jide on the gangan, totally killed it in the
studio.</div>
<h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The songs</div>
</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Gbo aroye mi</i> is a slow hi-life jam that’s cool and just connects
with a multitude of music lovers from the Tope Alabi/Sola Allison fans to the
lovers of old school C&S music. With Funmi and Jide singing up a storm,
this one is one for the books <i>mehn</i>!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Eru jeje</i> is a faster paced track on the <i>worro</i> side of things. Heavy percussive rhythms and an energetic delivery
by Jide make the song truly special.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Ogo Olorun mi po</i> originally had that usual C&S reggae feel to
it. You know, that one that makes you think reggae is for girls & stuff! Well
I wasn’t having none of that, so we changed it up a little (a lot actually!)
and with Funmi and Muyiwa on the lead vocals, one word sums this one up –
classic!</div>
<h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Challenges</div>
</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The first and biggest challenge (actually,
‘bigger’ as there were only two) was waiting for the job to actually happen. We
should have started a loooong time ago but you know <i>now</i>, money <i>finz</i>! Finally <i>sha</i>, they were able to tax members of
EKSU graduate forum (the guys who graduated before the name-change still count
as members! <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">K</span>).
No doubt, they’ll totally love the jams and wish they had coughed up the dough
sooner! (no refunds though!).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The second challenge was on my
side. Would you believe that as slow as business was on the CD duplication end
of The FiRE’s operations, Uniek Grace (madly talented gospel chick!) chose that
period to order plenty copies of her promo CD, <i>Jesus is Real</i>?! Here I was, having booked three back to back
sessions at the studio, but having to shuttle between HQ, computer village and
the airport, while EKSU work was on ground! But you know <i>now</i>, your boy is an engine as well as an engineer. Superman had
nothing on me as I conquered fatigue, sleep, hunger and mental stress to make
it do what it do and totally satisfy all my customers... <i>mehn</i>! Needless to say though, after those first three sessions, I
crashed like a m****rfucker when I got home! *<i>sigh</i>* Fun times I tell you!</div>
<h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Promo</div>
</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
So this is the part where I tell
you to watch out for EKSU’s release (this na one badass promo oh! The something
doesn’t even have a name yet <i>self</i>!).
it’s guaranteed to bring you closer to the Almighty in worship and praise... <i>mehn</i>!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Produced by Wave! <i>Jtchorr oh</i>!</div>
</div>Wave Korodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15768695809144150339noreply@blogger.com2