Review : D'banj and the lack of talent thereof

If he had auditioned for Project Fame or West African Idol, D’banj would have lost and his performance used as a skit for the TV commercial. Imagine him as he was several years ago: dressed like Fela but with a mouth organ rather than a saxophone and the famous Don Jazzy singing ‘Tongolo’ while Charlie Boy laughs hysterically or that so-called Ghanian singer saying ‘it’s not werking for me!’ with a shake of the head.

I saw D’banj perform years ago at Ife and it was obvious he had barely enough talent to be a success but I failed to see the connection he forged with the highly critical Ife students by stepping on to the stage blowing the school anthem on his mouth-organ. What D’banj lacks in talent, he makes up in diligence and study. D’banj never jokes with his appearance and considers himself a brand only the way P-Square do. Despite singing about the ‘koko’, ‘tongolo’ and black mambas, D’banj has never impregnated anyone neither does he show his face at every club. From his dressing to his abs and everything else about him, D’banj focuses 100% on making sure his fans enjoy every track he blesses, every concert he performs at without disappointing his corporate sponsors.

Is D’banj finished in Nigeria’s music industry or does he have more to offer? As someone who wrote him off many years ago, I can boldly say D’banj still has stuff to offer. He got it wrong with his single ‘Oyato’ though. The only problem with that song as I see it was the timing. This was his first post-Don Jazzy track and he obviously wasn’t thinking of the fans but some imaginary enemies. The song isn’t worse than ‘Olohun Maje’ or any of his other hits but it was more of the same stuff every other artiste ruling the airwaves now is dropping where we expected a definite statement that without Don Jazzy, he is still the kokomaster.

He should know that there are too many young boys out there singing what he introduced: untalented entertainment… Reminisce, Wizkid, Davido, Iyanya… you know the others.

What they don’t have though is the army of critics and fans that D’banj does, waiting for him to stun us into believing he can still stun us…then we’ll be stunned. D’banj is a brand already though, whether he creates any music henceforth or not. What the critics should not forget is that every album he has dropped has been a hit…a record he shares in pop, only with Psquare. What his fans should not forget is that he no longer has Don Jazzy.

Bien voir demain.
 - Culled From YNaija 
   Written By : Demola Rewaju