By Ado Magaji Mansur.
I understand the anger toward Rarara’s trending songs.
However, he is no different from other political singers. He’s just unlucky that his current political patrons are not on the side of the people. Other singers, too, wouldn’t hesitate to sing just as melodiously even if their own patrons were the oppressors.
Even Rarara once enjoyed a “lucky” spell, during which his songs were widely regarded as patriotic poetic, particularly those he composed in support Baba’s march to victory in 2015 and the wild celebration that followed it (e.g., Masu Gudu Su Gudu).
On another level, our singers are a reflection of us; Nigerians, especially those among us with cult-like followings. We all sing the praises of our favoured politicians, regardless of the harm their actions inflict on the country. We recently witnessed how some staunch supporters prematurely welcomed and celebrated the anticipated defection of their opposition leader to the very same “oppressive” party. Even those widely regarded as hardline comrades were not left out in deodorizing that move.
If the downtrodden masses who have always been at the receiving end of mis-governance can display such unflinching readiness to join a senseless exodus to a misruling party, why should we expect a praise singer with clear personal benefits to behave any differently?
Ado Magaji Mansur Writes From Kano Nigeria.
Rarara is merely an archetype who melodiously sings out the repressed bias many of us carry within.