Through a tweet I gained interest in Caveman and this happened….
Igbo music has always been a personal favourite. It also has been on the receiving end of harmless jokes. They embody a distinctive twist in their sounds and tune , a unique reputation with a little fine tuning to differentiate chorus from a verse, familiar hippy chord progressions that’s would get anyone dancing embellished with bursts and spurts of chants at random but iconic moments.
That was then, this is now.
It has also undergone its own revolution and that narrative has changed for the better, wayy better. A radical transformation chaired by Phyno and others who have beautifully beaten language into rap, Flavour also gets his fair share of transcendental adjustments and improvements.
On to Cavemen..
I had seen the name pop once or twice on my tl in recent weeks but I paid no attention to them. In my head, I concluded they were an international band or group. In my head there was nothing Nigerian related or Igbo related. A random tweet probably made in response to unfair criticism about the genuineness and quality of the Igbo language in their crafts. I made mental note to listen to them when I could. A Friend who was a fan played a couple of songs which I can’t really remember however I started listening at the last song *Anita* and I paused for a minute from what I was involved in. He saw my reaction and put it on repeat.
There was definitely something natural,raw and familiar about it. It simply felt perfect.
“Anita” is a track off the 16 track album, Roots. Roots is a 2020 highlife album. The songs were written and produced by the duo-Kingley Okorie and Benjamin Davies. lady Donli was credited Executive producer. Prior to lady Donli, the duo were popularly known for their live performances. The album coasts through the ROOTS of the deep African and Igbo cultural heritage , deploying Highlife to tell their beautiful tales. It is quintessential for one to remember his roots and that’s what the cavemen did. Anita employs heavy instrumentals, local and international alike. The infusion of random snares and toms in the replication of some of the traditional sounds. In a nutshell the percussion was wildly rhythmic. The Strings and riff were ethereal. A new song but there was a sense of Familiarity in the chord and the slapping 5his may be due to the sounds being similar to the old pattern of Igbo music. The song is an embellishment of beautiful sounds, aesthetically pleasing to the ears.
“Anita” builds up on the budding legacy of romanticism in cavemen discography. They boast of other songs of this nature which draw inspiration from women. The song is garnished with romantic rhetorics as well as a burning desire for Anita. The masterpiece bears semblance to an ode from lovesick man. This song is delivered with conscious sifting through various pitches and tunes while retaining the originality of the rich Igbo culture. This on its own is no small fiat. The falsettos ad-libbing in Igbo just added to beauty of the song. The duo are not afraid to put their vocal range on display.
The last seconds of the song from 3.21 to the end of the song—I have no words for those seconds. It’s feels like a gymnast ending with a perfect Flourish.
Just ethereal and otherworldly.
