Asa is by far the most successful alternative artist, out of Africa. And the hottest in diaspora. She’s not always in Lagos, but her songs sweep across the whole of Africa, and every time, she keeps wowing us.
Her songs carry that type of inspiration that no one else can bring to the table. Her voice and accent makes you think she ain’t Nigerian. But her lyrics which is a crisp of English and her dialect, Yoruba, are delivered hot. Even her aura carry inspiration. Her guitar notes don’t lack the same inspiration, too. And her live shows? Have you seen her perform? It’s usually 100%. But, apart from that, her songs are still interesting and good for the soul.
She has many many songs. Possibly hundreds of them. And many albums, many of which are Live Sessions. Of all her songs, these are seven that will forever be remembered by Nigerians. In alphabetical order;
1. AWE
Awe, awe, awe… Even the title, which is a pun on “Away”, shows how creative she is The song talks about a promiscuous man, who ran away after impregnating several girls. And it has Asa calling out to him from wherever he is. Waidi, Omo Sekinat, Omo Muinat. Nobody’s forgetting that soon.
2. BAMIDELE
Just one of her bunch of inspirational songs that didn’t let Nigerians rest, those days. This song alone questions the credibility of our songs, nowadays. Songs without storylines. Even alternative artists don’t have anything else but love to sing about. But here is Asa, she’s so perfect.
3. BIBANKE
Bibanke is also one of her most popular songs. One cool song that can lull you to sleep. You can even cry in your sleep. Though, not a commercial jam, it did well commercially, disturbing airwaves.
4. EYE ADABA
This particular track one of the most popular morning-themed song. Together with Beautiful Nubia’s Owuro Lojo. I remember my big cousin playing it Every morning. Especially on weekdays. It has that cool vibe that can kickstart your day. Asa got this right!
5. EYO
A song of hope and Encouragement. It can light up your mood, anytime anyday… One of her songs that has been sampled by many artists. She’s a G.O.A.T on her own lane.
6. FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN
One thing about Asa is her diversity. Fire On The Mountain is her “satiric” rendition. It talks about the killing of innocent souls, war, and shits happening in our world today. Pure truth in a song. There is fire on the mountain top, and no one is a running.
7. JAILER
On this, the songstress takes on the character of a prisoner, who has freedom of speech. Addressed to Mr. jailer (or warder), it’s an insightful song that holds an in-depth message.
Which other Asa song can’t you forget?