Who remembers D’banj?
Ok. Dumb question.
I remember D’banj. I know you do too.
I’m not talking about this koko garri drinking, agricultural farming, Cocoa na Chocolate singing, Dre beats wearing ‘Eja Nla’ who now goes by the alias ‘Kiniwun Funfun’. I’m referring to the Why Me singing, Tongolo crooning, harmonica blowing, Mo Gbono Feli grinding, kokolet mamalet and babylet chanting kokomaster.
D’banj is fun… or at least he used to be. Remember at the Thisday Music Festival sometime in 2006/07 when the Destiny’s Child graced the event? Kelly Rowland was feeling the n***a so much that she got up and grinding to “Do you like the koko” with our Ski’banj (like his Jamaican friends would call him). Now, that was some firebrand entertainer stuff. D’banj was and I’ll like to still believe that he is loved by many. Only that for some of us, our choices and reasons for sticking with him may have waned and withered.
When D’banj came on-board the afro pop scene, it was obvious how much he changed every darn thang. Was it new slangs that have formed a majority of our everyday local vocabulary? Or those suave dance steps – the kind you grind low with your right-arm elbow in-between your legs? Or perhaps the songs! Lord, the hits became too numerous to mention and with every new one churned out, we had yet another club/street anthem. D’banj was not only serving it hot, he was slinging it and killing it at the same time. While I choose to not overlook Don Jazzy’s ingenious talent in most (if not all) of his then music productions, D’banj was more like what (or who) you’d refer to as the live wire of the band – I’m talking about the Mo’Hits crew.
What about the petite Nollywood actress, Genevieve Nnaji? No controversy trailed her more like her rumoured affiliation with the kokomaster. That’s still a question interviewers make reference to whenever they get to sit with her. And it’s all thanks to this same D’banj. But what’s happened with that D’banj? Sadly, that D’banj is gone, and he’s been very well missed. I’m guessing change really is the only constant thing if not, he wouldn’t have evolved to becoming the global ambassador that he is today, which we’re all indeed very proud of… make no mistake about that.
All good things really do come to an end. I miss “the D’banj” and this time, D’banj agaghi abiala!
By Jim Donnett
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