Comments on naijablog: Abati - verb.

What Abati said surely is correct of the lack of q...

2009-06-30T13:39:26.116+01:00

What Abati said surely is correct of the lack of quality content of Nigerian Music. The language may seem wrong but the best for anyone to do is not to write back in defence but in action - go do something good guys.

What got me is the reverence for Flora Shaw's ...

2009-06-25T04:43:21.227+01:00

What got me is the reverence for Flora Shaw's "nigeria" as somehow pure or Pre-linguistically endowed with the true Nigerian essence as opposed to Naija, 9ja, etc that he claims to be corrupted.

That is what you call Kolo-mentality.

Dapxin - you were too slow. It said something to ...

2009-06-24T23:24:19.821+01:00

Dapxin - you were too slow. It said something to the effect of Abati being a word used for people who talk randomly without any reference to the truth, derived from Reuben Abati yada yada

what was that abati + wikipedia intro here? pran...

2009-06-24T23:17:53.462+01:00

what was that abati + wikipedia intro here?

pranks?

I am as bored of this topic now as the ori e o foka si ibe hip hop...

Having admired Abati's thoughtful and provocat...

2009-06-24T12:27:41.359+01:00

Having admired Abati's thoughtful and provocative commentries on national affairs, I take his article as inverted compliment.

He is masking a love for Nija's new young dynamic as criticism.

Either that or he is growing up to be a really grumpy old man.

If only Banky W could make his music as good as hi...

2009-06-24T11:08:09.916+01:00

If only Banky W could make his music as good as his debating!

I have to day I can't stand Nigerian Hip-Hop....it is so unoriginal and more boring than than the American Original.

Hip-Hop / Rap music in America has eaten itself with money and fame....whereas 20 years ago it was edgy, original and anti-establishment now it is almost all naked girls, diamonds and hummers.

Young Nigerians have more than those politically and socially aware rappers of America had to sing about...Sadly they have jumped straight on the bling and booty bandwagon.

They will have earned the right to be taken seriously when the careers have lasted more than a couple of years / albums.

Where is the alternative music scene in Nigeria?? i can't hear anything other than Naija / US Hip-Hop, Jesus songs and Asa on the radio....does anybody know?

No one can say Abati was talking nonsense entirely...

2009-06-24T08:01:57.018+01:00

No one can say Abati was talking nonsense entirely.
The fact remains that most of today's music is trash.

I'm sorry, but I am to only person that saw a ...

2009-06-24T06:08:59.958+01:00

I'm sorry, but I am to only person that saw a satirical tone to Abati's piece? Frankly, having since read Banky's (who happens to be a personal acquaintance) piece, I find his serious-minded reposte a tad bit over-the-top. It's all good though.

I dont understand why people cant be objective Mr ...

2009-06-24T03:12:28.263+01:00

I dont understand why people cant be objective Mr Abati is entitled to his own opinions...If he thinks the present day crop of Nigerian musicians suck he is very well within his right to think so. If the so called Nigerian musicians feel he is wrong, then by all means prove that you are as creative as your counterparts elsewhere instead of riding on the wings of forced fame. I'm not saying it is a crime to borrow from other successful artistes after all Isaac Newton said, If I have seen further, it is by sanding on the shoulders of giants.
hen again look at Rock today, 2 decades ago it was called Devil's music I am sure its opponents will beg o differ now.I hope Mr Abati's comments some how spark the creativity that I know is budding somewhere in the thick skulls of our Artistes but as for me, I am sticking to my Alternative Indie scene, Hip Hop was never my forte

Na baba nla nonsense Abati dey talk. Jero, make y...

2009-06-23T23:04:47.251+01:00

Na baba nla nonsense Abati dey talk.

Jero, make you post Banky's response now. Pixels no dey cost.

Hello Jeremy, I read both articles and decided to...

2009-06-23T22:39:36.068+01:00

Hello Jeremy,

I read both articles and decided to leave a comment on Banky W's blog.

Hello Banky W,

I must say your piece is rather well written and reasoned than Dr. Abati's diatribe.

It got to a point where I wondered whether I was reading about identity, a list of musicians, music culture or musicology.

In all, as one other writer said, Dr. Abati for all his journalistic acumen, he tends to give in to his bias rather that objective persuasion.

And though he is in my age group, his views in many ways have never been representative of our generation, rather they are isolated and devoid of structure, where he could have excellently written about 4 different issues, he conflated everything and ended up with tripe.

I am encouraged by your response and disappointment does not begin to describe my views about the unseemingly erudite Dr. Abati.

Regards,

Akin

yawn...

2009-06-23T19:29:11.354+01:00

yawn...

Having read Banky's response, the frustration ...

2009-06-23T19:05:05.776+01:00

Having read Banky's response, the frustration brought on me by reading Abati's article has mellowed.

While reading Abati's article I held my breathe and hoped it was some sort of satire, that it would be intelligent and grounded in common sense ( there are issues to critique about the emergent popular culture in Nigeria), but it disappointed me on all levels.

It just came off at someone shouting angry insults at a neighbor ( like 'ur mama dey crase, your grandpapa dey mad. It should not be taken too seriously

However I feel that it might have done a good thing in bringing this sort of argument to the mainstream, hopefully every fan of the artistes( which includes most Nigerians) would engage with these thoughts

Banky W's response post is too long to be acce...

2009-06-23T18:22:43.150+01:00

Banky W's response post is too long to be accepted as a comment. You can find it here: http://bankyw.blogspot.com/2009/06/my-response-to-recent-guardian.html

is this guy writing satire? I hope he is not serio...

2009-06-23T18:17:10.521+01:00

is this guy writing satire? I hope he is not serious.

would it be too much trouble to put up the banky w...

2009-06-23T18:11:07.503+01:00

would it be too much trouble to put up the banky w comment as a contrast to the abati article. I think it presents an interesting counterpoint to the article.

Banky W has posted a reply to Mr Abati's artic...

2009-06-23T16:10:01.783+01:00

Banky W has posted a reply to Mr Abati's article on his blog bankyw.blogspot.com which really sums my thoughts and i'm sure the thoughts of generation 'y' up.