Mazi Njikoka Okolie I Friday, Sept.01, 2023
LAGOS, Nigeria -The world will no sooner than later be listening and dancing to a fresh reggae sound. This is packaged as a body of songs entitled “Inspiration” as an EP to be publicly presented in September.
Parading seven tracks, “Inspiration” is coming from a reggae music fan-turned artistes who has for decades pursued his dream despite social and family challenges that kept his dream from coming through.
In spite of impediments thrown up by building a family after initial efforts to release a reggae music album as a young man, Mazi Njikoka Okolie finally in 2023 unleashed his long tethered music project for the consumption of reggae music enthusiasts.
Ready for a public presentation cum launch slated for Sunday, September 17, 2023 at the Assembly Hall of Grailland, Iju, Lagos, “Inspiration” is a music project that the act designed to address the multi-faceted problem of Africa’s under-development and growth inhibition.
Okolie expressed regret over problems bedevilling Nigeria and Africa as a whole despite the abundant human and material resources in the land. He therefore elected to employ his music as a veritable avenue to address the unsettling discomfort occasioned by poverty, disease and penury confronting the people.
This is reflected in much of the cuts that make up the seven track affair as delivered in such tunes as “Had I Known”, “Too Much Talking”, “Motion” and “Zuba Nwagi” among others.
Okolie amply demonstrated his deep love for music when as a young boy in the 80’s he opened a music shop in Ikeja, Lagos. His favourite song was Bob Marley’s “Man To Man Is So Unjust”
Said Okolie: “I fell in love with Reggae music as a youth when I listened to Bob Marley’s song “Man to Man is unjust”.
I grew up to open a music shop in Ikeja Lagos in the 80s. My love for music grew more and pushed me into writing songs”.
Okolie inches his way into the recording studio to record his music demo in 1989 working with such notable artiste as late Majek Fashek played the lead guitar. He was however, not satisfied with the outcome of the work as it did not meet core reggae bent.
Recounted he: “In 1989 I recorded my first music demo with notable artiste like Majek Fashek, I played the lead guitar for that demo but I wasn’t satisfied with the outcome being a core Root Reggae man.
“In 2020, I went back to Steve Land Music School to brush up my songs which are so numerous. I selected seven songs and worked on them to come out with the album titled “Inspiration”.
“My aim is to inspire the African and black people to realise the great God’s blessings to them and take up their rightful position in the committee of nations”.
“Inspiration” can also be download from Audiomark.
