I just watched a musical video of a supposedly new female act called Simi, titled ‘Jamb Question’. It’s the first time I actually took notice of the video or song and I was impressed.

First, the song is quite a beautiful composition with simple melodies steeped in our highlife roots with a tinge of a neo – urban flavour to it which makes it appeal to both the old and new generation. It’s quite uplifting to know that we still have great songwriters who can borrow from the rich inspiration of the past to create something novel for a new generation fast losing its history.

Simi, the singer, did justice to the song and her looks in the video though was a bit off. I felt she had too much make up on which distracted from the narratives of the video. But her singing is simple and good with no extra frills in her rendition which would have spoilt the song if she had gone overboard. She kept the song mellow and within the confines of her voice pitch and one could really feel the emotions in her voice when she signs disdainfully about the guy irritating her with ‘Jamb Questions’.

And it was quite ingenious too to compose a song from a street parlance as ‘Jamb Question’ is to us in Nigeria. The trick is to get it right and I think this song did. Whoever the Producer of the track is deserves kudos. Sometimes the new music producers miss the essence of producing highlife songs and leave out the horns arrangements completely most times. But this Producer bridged that gap with the soothing notes of the Sax. That is so cool.

Of course seeing the trending artiste, Falz, in the video made it for me too. He played his part quite well by wording the lyrics where Simi gives her narratives in a well-rehearsed performance and was able to bring to the screen his growing personality which has earned him a fan base. I first saw Falz onscreen a few weeks back in the ‘Hello Bae’ video and I was immediately struck by his elevation of his dead-pan affectation into a popular art form. I was the more pleasantly surprised when I discovered that Falz is the son of popular Lawyer, Femi Falana!

The song ‘Jamb Question’ reminds me a bit, in flow and rendition, of one of Mo’Cheddah’s hits, ‘ Dus Nambri’ but Simi gave it her all in her own way. I have been taking my time to scout for some lead characters in a musical movie which I intend to produce later in 2016 and I and my team had pencilled down singers, Chidinma and Mo’Cheddah on our shortlist. I’m adding Simi to that list too.

It’s a good break out by the young lady to the music scene and while I have my suspicions that the song might not be much of a monster hit on the club circuits because of the lopsided Nigerian youth kind of musical appreciation, it certainly would be a cool classic for years to come.

Well done, X3M Music.

-CHARLES NOVIA

http://www.charlesnoviadaily.com/simi-and-the-jamb-question/

Ok

That song is really hot!

I can't stop watching that video. And the guy,Falz is good with funny lyrics. I'm even guessing falz wrote the song for her. Another song I like is orente.

lyrically d song was a hit!!!

I love this song die!!!