Thread by @Ola_deinde

I am listening to Saidi Osupa’s new album, PERMUTATION, and I am worried about the very little recognition the artiste often gets for his brilliance/artistry. In the light of the frenzy generated by that @burnaboy-K1 duet, I reckon now that the issue isn’t wholly about Osupa.

2. It’s partly about Fuji as an indigenous African art.
Frankly, poverty of ambition is perhaps Fuji’s greatest albatross and it's evident not only in the artistes but in every aspect of the (Fuji) ecosystem. I keep my thoughts on this for now, at least. Back to Osupa.

3. I once wrote that he is quite outstanding as an artiste and could “earn a grammy”. Without doubt in contemporary Fuji circle, no one can compete with this musical god for the big prize. If indeed the Grammys were a recognition of excellence, then Osupa has history on his side.

4. Femi, Burna &KSA, all Nigeria-based artistes who have had mentions in the Grammys are excellent artistes in their various genres. Again, if the awards had soft spot for artistes who have done outstandingly well in the elevation of their indigenous culture through their arts..

5. ... as it appears with the Best Traditional World Music Category, Osupa stands out among his contemporaries. The artiste, frankly, is one excellent lyricist and encyclopedic Yoruba folklorist in whose hands the Yoruba culture and language have undergone beautiful elevation.

6. But there’s a caveat: Osupa may never earn a Grammy–––as grandiose as that ambition sounds in the first place. The Grammys, it appears, favour sound over ‘deep lyrics’, which is Osupa’s major strength. From Kuti to Sunny Ade to Sikiru Adepoju, there is a pattern that...

7. ...speaks to a subtle obsession with sound, apart from the artistes’ own impressive feats in pushing their art beyond their immediate geography.
I have always argued that even though Osupa’s brilliance isn’t debatable in the realm of lyrics–––deep, thoughtful, philosophical..

8. ...he never shows up when the discourse swings toward sound. If there is any Fuji artiste whose experimentation with sound may attract world attention, that artiste is K1. Yet in spite of his feats and clout and commendable innovation, K1 hasn’t had a mention in the Grammys.

9. The Grammys are not devoid of its own politics and It would be appropriate to put this in the context of the visibility many who had their works recognized enjoyed because they plied their trade abroad. From Kevin Olusola through Sade Adu to Seal and ultimately Sikiru Adepoju

10. ...the evidences seem incontrovertible. And due to the provincial nature of a number of indigenous Fuji artistes, it is doubtful if their art–––however excellent it appears–––would ever get noticed by a seemingly aloof Grammys Committee).

11. Now to bring it back home, and place the discourse on a (more) realistic pedestal, Saidi Osupa has not earned much recognition outside of his immediate Fuji circle, at least not in the manner you’d expect of an artiste with his kind of talent.

12. And this failure, curious as it seems, emanates not from the ‘crime’ that comes with the now clichéd accusation that his brand of Fuji is ‘too deep’, or, as many contemporary Fuji buffs are wont to say, ‘too esoteric’. Neither is this a verdict on the quality of his art.

13. For decades, Osupa’s closest rival, Pasuma, has done pretty well with his incursion into the mainstream. He’s featured in pop hits more than ALL Fuji artistes combined; showed up in Celebrity Face2; won the AMEN awards in its heyday; performed at major pop festivals around.

14. Yet when their outputs are placed on the slaughter slab, Osupa is by far a more talented songwriter/lyricist.
But because show-man Alabi Pasuma understands the pop zeitgeist,& performs better, he gets the recognition and visibility and, of course, enjoys the attention of...

15... the mainstream Nigerian audience while Osupa gets praised for his genius by housewives and artisans and the less lousy ‘thinking’ segment of the Fuji audience. Curiously, with a Polytechnic certificate obtained long before he picked up the microphone, Osupa remains one...

16. ...of the few acts who came into the industry armed with a degree–––among whom Adewale Ayuba stands out. The default thinking that education, or certificate, provides a sort of leverage has been shattered by Osupa. LOL.

17. Frankly, the truth's that despite his degree, Osupa lacks the phoney, affectedly dramatic ‘funki-ness’ of Pasuma; the arty gymnastics of Obesere in his heyday; the media-savvy nature & rich network of KWAM 1; and the practised, even if theatric, sophistication of an Ayuba.

18. All four have pretty good visibility outside of Fuji's provincial enclave. All of these, coupled with Osupa's somewhat rural PR/media management team, the awards and endorsement deals may not come as they should.

19. To be sure, Osupa's style is unique, just as his wisdom-laden lyrics are often well scripted; and so they carry with them the baggage of value, of depth, and so of complexity–––and because they are naturally steeped in culture and require some level of thinking to enjoy...

20. ...they become susceptible to being neglected at best, and rebuked at worst, by the average millennial whose preoccupation is parte after, er, parte. It is therefore safe to aver that because most corporate communication messages today are directed at the semi-thinking...

21. ... dance-obsessed, party-loving millennials, the genesis of Osupa’s frustration might not be puzzling.
But in all, there is a small consolation: in many ways, the road to the party, often, isn’t same as the path that leads to the pantheon.

22. And inside the pantheon of Fuji, this BIG DADDY knows that there are very few gods. The MASTER BLASTER who SCORES and delivered SHUFFLE SOLO as a HOT SHOT has earned RELIABILITY for himself amongst these UNBEATABLE gods, even without mainstream OVATION. 😄

23. But for TIME FACTOR, I'd write about this FUJI ICON all-day, NON STOP. I'd do that someday; that's my NEW RESOLUTION. B'cos this feat, this ENDORSEMENT as a PACE-SETTER, this attainment of immortality, of RESPECTABILITY, is the essence of art, the real IMPACT. 🙂