Rather fittingly, Fiftykay’s effort draws from the infectious bounce familiar with the South African sound, but in a very Nigerian subversion of style.
By Emmanuel Esomnofu
Lagos’s narrative potential comes alive in the music of Nigerian artistes. Fueled by the city’s energy and its penchant for artistic expression, Lagos, and its historic name, Eko, have influenced numerous artists over the years. On the simply titled “EKO,” the musician Oluwakayode Iyiola, popularly known as Fiftykay, delivers a sonic tease which draws out peculiar qualities of the titular city.
As everyone knows, Eko brings out the groove in all of us, relying both on its denseness of diverse characters and the attendant possibilities of such gatherings. That sense of multiplicity comes up whether in street raves and jams, private birthday parties, an impromptu hangout by old friends, or a nightclub, which has been the setting of most Lagosian fun tales in recent years.
To this effect, Amapiano has been a worthy sonic conduit, with its hypervivid drums and notes naturally carrying these fun-sized motivations. Rather fittingly, Fiftykay’s effort draws from the infectious bounce familiar with the South African sound, but in a very Nigerian subversion of style, the drums are toned down, and the cartoon-evoking notes are amplified. That choice brings the song close to the plain of mara music, a Lagos-dominated style of street music.
But where mara has a fast-paced rhythm that’s impossible to miss, Fiftykay’s tempo is relaxed and paced according to the writing’s structure. As he progresses into his pledge of love, in the second verse the drums pick up, and somewhere in the middle of the record there’s a groovy head-bumping trumpet section which further enlivens the song.
Coming in at just under three minutes, “EKO” has an instrumental-focused vision that relegates Fiftykay’s voice to the background. Depending on the listener’s expectations, this can either be a disappointment or a prioritisation of certain aspects of musicality. I think his writing could have been better developed, but the instrumental also does a fine job of making one groove. In all, it’s an authentic ode to Lagos.