My take on Brume Igbako's Stranger.
If you are a lover of good music like myself, you will agree with me that Brume's single, Stranger is a classic.
Some weeks ago, I was going through my instagram's new story when I came across a beautiful, dark in complexioned lady seated behind a black piano at the seashore. I quickly unmute the volume and boom came this beautiful voice. My first thought was: this must be a black American lady with a silky voice different from a Nigerian Rhythm and Blues singer. Don't get me wrong, there are beautiful voices in the Nigerian musical space but for Brume, she stood out; an icon in a class of her own.
My next impulse was to have the song on my playlist and I went over to Tubidy for help. Viola! It was there! I quickly downloaded it and listened to it over again. I wanted her to know about the good job she has done. So, I sent her a direct message on Instagram and here is her response:
Hi Julius. Pleasure to meet you! Thank you so much for the kind words. Very nice of you to reach out, God bless you! 💕
I needed to give you this background so that you can agree with me that the song is worth the while. It is philosophical owing to the fact the humans, however old or young are all strangers on the earth and that no one is a repository of knowledge.
The song tells the story of a little girl on a quest for life's happiness and is at a crossroad on which way to take. The man she meets is as clueless about the road to take as herself despite being on the road for a long time. However, he points to the one who drew the map and who has inscribed it in every heart. It is now up to the individual to read the signs.
Direction is the lifebuoy of every dream. That is one of the focus of Brume's song. A directionless dream is headed for the rocks and that will be very disastrous, if not the end of the dream itself. For every dreamer, direction is key. Direction spells out the road to take, the pitfalls to avoid and the habits to maintain or discard.
The song is also a pointer to life's uncertainties. When you think you have gotten everything all figured out, then life plays you another card that throws you off balance. The way out will now be how best you can listen to the silence in your heart from where the answer to life's puzzles are found.
In another way, it is a quest by a new voice in the music world to understand the dynamics inherent in it. There is the fantastic vision about success but the reality of the way to the said success is like a box full of contradictions. Every good and successful singer today will tell you they have had their moments. The moment of doubt, inadequacies, matching shattering confidence to face squarely, mounting fear, pressures and uncertainties. But like every trail blazer, the road to success is a bed of stone like Asa puts it in one of her album's title.
The girl in the song is a symbol for anyone thirsty for success. You have to push and pull through difficult times before you can arrive at the hill of success.
It stands to reason therefore that you go look up the song, download it, digest it and come back to thank me later. This is not all that there is to the music. There are so much more. But in the meantime, let us savour the musical aura in this soothing piece of music.
I still remain yours truly,
Julius Topohozin.
