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Of Emmerson and music for our politicians

Author: SEM Contributor

I may not be a Michael Jackson or Chris Brown or our very own Christo Wizzo but I like dancing. I always try to move my body to the left, to the right and to the left again especially when listening to songs like ‘Tutu Party’, ‘Borbor Pain’ and ‘Two foot arata’ among others done by Emmerson. The last time the organization I am working with invited him for a musical concert outside Sierra Leone, I nearly competed with him and his crew for stage moves though mine was done backstage.

And just like the previous songs mentioned, as you read this piece, I may just be dancing. The reason? Emmerson has released another song and though it may not be as danceable as ‘Tutu Party,’ I just can’t resist tapping my foot, raising my hands to the left and my head to the right.

I don’t need to be a ‘morriman’ to imagine that if there is one track that the SLPP partisans would want to play over and over again, the ‘yesterday betteh pass tiday,”I bet you, is that song, well packaged and delivered to them for their every day consumption. Two years may be a very long time but things have definitely changed in Sierra Leone. This time round, it is the APC’s turn to cry in disgust, grimace and even turn off their music sets when they hear Emmerson’s latest track but a song is a song and it must be danced and listened to. Do you want to dance to, “yesterday betteh pass tiday?”

Well finally, he has broken his silence. Instead of just ‘jawjawing’ like most of us would do in our ivory tower, he has once again allowed his lyrics to do the talking and depending on which political grouping you belong to, Emmerson Borbor Belleh Sugar Meresin Bockarie is trying to live up to his billing as a socio-political commentator .This paid him off during the days of the SLPP in power that when he launched his album at the jam-packed stadium amid appearing on stage on an ‘omolanke,’ and the mere utter of, “…. Na me so dem dae wait for cam start the party, wae ar arrive, all man arise,” was enough to abruptly end the show and people were ‘satisfied’. Few years back, this was not so. The stadium became a battle ground when thousands of fans who had thronged in to watch an Aki & Pawapaw concert realized that they had been ‘419ed’ and that the two Nigerian midgets were not even in the country.

But first, it was the rumour mill that was making the rounds. Those naysayers who claimed to know Emmerson more than his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bockarie, say though he was still in the studio working on his album, his yet to be released song which they say was going to create running stomachs for some of our friends in power had already been bought for several millions of Leones. They say the album which will never darken our dancehalls or radio sets had already been dumped at Bomeh.

If there was any truth to these claims, the continued silence of Emmerson whose songs like‘ Borbor Belleh‘ and ‘ Two foot arata” were also credited for playing no small a role in seeing the back of the SLPP from power in 2007 did not help matters.

Claims were that the APC having got wind that Emerson was going to muddy their image. So, they sent a highly placed emissary to him with ‘Ghana must go” bags of Leones to cut a deal on the entire cost of the album and at the end, a deal was struck. While Emerson was on his way to the bank, the claims continued, the emissary smiled his way back to State House to report about the gold bust. True or false?

However, if these had any iota of truth, then the release of the much anticipated song, “Yesterday betteh pass today ,” must have put a dent on the hopes of all those who believed that Emmerson’s days of releasing songs that appeal to the sufferings and feelings of the everyday man and woman in the country have all but gone Emmerson may not be a politician and definitely not with the opposition but in the absence of a viable one and while the SLPP has borrowed a leaf from the APC (then in the opposition) to engage in intra-party crisis instead of engaging in constructive national dialogue and putting the government on its toes, he has once again taken up the mantle of being an advocate for the voice of the voiceless. While his previous politically charged songs had appealed directly to the then APC in the opposition, Emerson’s latest hit single, I am sure is enough to make President Koroma grimace and his team very edgy. Berewa may not have danced to Borbor Belleh but he lived with it. Therefore, there is no reason why H.E and his Ministers should also not listen to the latest soundtrack in town and if possible, even dance to it.

Depending on which side you talk to, reactions to this single have been very mixed. There are others who say these are early days yet to pass verdict on a government that is yet to clock half of its five years mandate in office and for this, according to one, “he is trying to ingratiate himself with the opposition by playing to the gallery.” This argument is further buttressed by comments such as that of the global recession that is not only affecting Sierra Leone but the world over and that when he released his Borbor Belleh album; he waited after the SLPP had completed their first term in office.

In the same token, the other side of the political divide believes that the song’s title and the timing were very apt. They claim that the country is moving in the wrong direction and if nothing is done to send a warming signal to the government; we may just crash land and dump ourselves in the sea.

While the debate continues, listen to the song again. Like a preacher man, the otherwise poor man’s lawyer in his religious and frank talk starts off with reminding all of us that it was all of us who called for thy kingdom to come and for thy will to be done but alas ! It seems the call has not been heeded and if it continues to take this trend, there will be no alternative but for the ‘bomb to be dropped’.

Whatever you may say, musically, the song itself, in terms of arrangements is not the very best Emerson has produced. He could have done better but I sympathize with him. In my opinion, while his primary interest may be to make good cash from his music, he may also be genuinely upset that the masses are upset. He has a problem with the system and he wants people to know. But if I were to grade him, I will say there was less effort to be creative like he did with Tutu Party.

However, for him, he may have scored a point. People are much more concerned about the message and today, everybody is talking about “yesterday betteh pass tiday”. I have not stopped dancing. But the question is, is yesterday better than today? Maybe, just maybe, just like the controversial “Notice” and “De Notice Nor go right” songs, somebody else is in The Studio doing a counter, “me yone tiday betteh pass yesterday.” Can someone prove me right or wrong?

By Osman Benk Sankoh

Editor’s note: – The writer once edited Concord Times but he now resides out of the country.

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2 Comments on "Of Emmerson and music for our politicians"

yankay seisay on Fri, 30th Oct 2009 2:51 am

Tiday betteh pass yesterday becos we get hope. We nor fool lek Emersson we no watin they happen na the ole worl. so that song is for SLPP dance floor. The fowl has gone home to be roost.
Imagine if it was SLPP on power at this global financial times with there arrogance of know it all our people will be dying of internal stress. why Emerson nor can live nar Babylon leh he no watin dey happen. CHEAP POLITICS.

m.c. on Sat, 14th Nov 2009 11:06 pm

Emmerson has all right to his views; but today, we have light, Bumbuna has been commissioned, no gabage in the street of Freetown as before, a functioning city council, some major high way roads under construction or have been completed and a host of other development.