Music, they say, has no language boundary. It cuts across all borders and good music is good music any day. No matter the language it is sung in, you appreciate when the beats and rhythm tickle your fancy. You nod and dance to the music when you appreciate it, even if you don’t understand the lyrics of the song. This is not to say that the meaning of the lyrics don’t matter, in fact they matter because that is the message.
We listen and dance to music from all over the world even when we don’t understand the language of the lyrics. Every good music lover appreciates good music, not minding the genre or language but when you understand the language of the lyrics, you tend to appreciate it more.
Even though people play different genres in different parts of the world, there are particular genres or kinds of music that are acclaimed to a particular area or a particular people. People do music these days and infuse genres to come up with a unique form of music. Even at that, when you say Reggae, Calypso, Makosa, Highlife, Salsa, one can point to a particular area or people to say where it originates from.
In Nigeria, we have Afrobeat, Highlife, Juju, Ekpili, Fuji, Akpala and the likes, which one can point to an area of the country as those known for these genres. Though musicians play the other known genres of HipHop, Pop, Funk, Gospel, Reggae and a mix of genres, we can still say a particular genre is akin to a particular area or people.
Highlife music in Nigeria can be said to be in the domain of the Easterners of the Country. The early maestros of the Highlife Genre gave it the exposure. People like Osita Osadebe, Joe Nez, Celestine
Ukwu, Mudi Ibe, Paulson Kalu, Oliver de Coque, Oriental Brothers, laid the path. Then the Bright Chimezies came along to project it. The new generation came with their wand and touch on Highlife. With what Flavour and Phyno have done with Highlife as they gave it their bite to give it the fine flavor they reel out; the beat, rhythm and lyrics tell of what their music represents.
There is indeed a new kid on the block and a new form of Highlife Music has just been birthed. This is Highlife Music with the infusion of traditional and cultural afro-centric vibe. You will feel the vibe in the rendition of the song, the beats, the rhythm and the lyrics. This music takes its root from the Eastern part of Nigeria, just like its parent genre, Highlife Music. This genre could be said to be an offshoot of Highlife but with its uniqueness. The originators of this genre of music call it “AFROLIFE”. Just like we have AfroPop, AfroJuju, AfroGospel as music genres, we have AfroLife that has come to stay and make sway the vast space of music genres we have.
Tochukwu Ezeji, formerly known as “TBoy” and now “TCHAP0“, with the aliases TCH, Chap0 De Coque or Chap0 Kuti, with his “BME” crew introduced this new genre called “AfroLife”. The young man is quite vibrant and has his octopus-hands in many pies, venture wise. Besides entertainment, He is an IT entrepreneur & a Blockchain enthusiast. His venture into media & Entertainment started some time back, with his musical exploit including the single titled “WHINE” and “MONICA featuring Duncan Mighty“.
Tchap0 loves Highlife Music and is quick to promote it at any given opportunity. The Music Album giving credence to AfroLife is a nine-tracker I choose to call the “Tchap0” series, simply because every track except two has a title with the prefix Tchap0- as title of the song. You can purchase and listen to it on his website www.tchap0.com
The rendition of the song tells of the essence of the new genre, having the vibe that sets it apart from others. Be it the Love Song, the Folklore Tale, Social Life Song, Exhortation Song, and others, there is that afro touch of uniqueness .Every Nigerian song by a Nigerian artiste has it presented with the “Spirit of Nigeria” in the lyrics, the presentation and rendition of the song. Our songs are unique, no matter the genre.
This is why Tchap0 and his BME team presented this genre of music they call AfroLife. It is a new course they charted. You have to listen to the song to better understand AfroLife. More songs will be churned out with more awareness for people to know and understand what this new genre is all about. Tchap0 and Boat Island will produce more songs to establish and project AfroLife as a genre of its own and more so a form of music that is originated and much likely to be appreciated and found in Nigeria.
We welcome AfroLife aboard the ship of African Music Genres, to cruise on the ocean of music rendition. Kudos to Tchap0 and the BME crew for daring to be different and present us with a different form of, but exciting, music; that is called AFROLIFE, which has come to stay on the stage of musical experience.
Buy and listen to Tchap0’s Album titled AFROLIFE Vol.1 on www.tchap0.com
Written by Raymond Ugochukwu Emeka-Mbah exclusively for BOAT ISLAND ™?.
Artiste handle: @Tchap0
Management: @Billionmindsent
Images shot by @brownskingram
Styling by @Ibto_apparels
