Flavour: Golibe

(By Charles Novia) - I have just watched over and over again on Youtube, the Best Music Video in Nigeria, and arguably continental on a larger scale, of 2014.

And this is no fluke. I spent hours watching it over and over for incisive areas to make notes and point out a few flaws but I could not find any. And I am very impressed.

Forget the eyebrow-raising story of Flavour’s new CD selling a million copies in Five days of its release. Forgive Flavour’s narcissistic  propensity to post half-nude pictures of himself regularly on the internet. What cannot be denied is the Young Man’s monstrous talent and his ability to push that big envelope with original compositions and well-produced visual interpretations.

After watching ‘Gollibe’, his new video, my undeniable respect for the soft-spoken Clarence Peters went a notch higher. Let mes share aspects of the video which impressed me no end.

‘Gollibe’ being a piano-themed composition, is melodious and heart-warming. On a normal day, hearing it on radio and on your gadgets without seeing the video, one might not attach much sentiments to the song. With a visual interpretation which sees Flavour pounding a Grand Piano in an village compound, the symbolism of Western influences and an authentic African identity is not lost with those few shots.

I like the fact that this video synchronised the African and universal appeal of Nollywood in telling its story. And that by itself, is a stroke of genius in marketing and relevance, well portrayed. And I love the visual narrative. A leisurely stroll by Flavour around the village, a stumble and a helping hand by a village damsel gives us a glimpse of what the denouement would look like. Borrowing from a subtle Cinderella-esque visual motif, Prince Flavour at the prodding of the King, played by a regal looking Pete Edochie, is to choose from a beevy of anxious and desperate ladies who do everything from catwalking to provocative pouting to get the attention of the Prince. But the Prince follows his heart and settles for Gollibe, played by former Beauty Queen, Anna Ebiere.

The Costumes were quite good too. And I liked the fact that the make-up artiste left the natural blotches on Anna’s face when she was the village damsel so we could appreciate the transformation when she became the Princess.

The Cinematography was excellent with purposeful interpretation of shots using the slow motion technique commendably. Clarence Peters is the Peak of the Pack in his field and I seem to have noticed that he’s at his best when his musicals have a linear story to tell and when an experienced Producer is attached to his brief. ‘Ada, Ada’, an earlier masterpiece by him comes to mind. As an aside, another commendable music video I have seen this year with good directorial interpretation but obviously on an average budget is ‘My Darling’by Tiwa Savage and I give the creative Kemi Adetiba a thumbs up for that too. I believe music videos are mini-movies unto themselves and it is heartwarming to watch the ones with nice story lines than the silly, stereotypical bum-shaking offerings which adorn the screens from Nigeria.

I have always opined that the music industry and Nollywood have to find a staple synergy for the growth of both sectors beyond red carpet events. And music videos such as ‘Gollibe’ enhances that opinion.

Two thumbs up to Flavour and his team for a job well done.

Source: Charles Novia, Charles Novia Daily