Shorts v. Trousers | Featured Artiste: Modele

*Quick shout-out to AdeOla F of JostWrite for the wake-up call to update my blog.  And of course a major shout-out to all the followers, commenters and visitors for putting up with my haphazard updates recently.  I am working on being more consistent.  Please bear with me.*

I had secondary school students in mind for this post.  Sometimes, I think school uniforms were designed to torture students.  But, of course, that isn't true.  What I want to know is who came up with the bright idea of making junior boys wear shorts and senior boys wear trousers?  For girls, the junior girls tend to wear blouses and pinafores, while the senior girls wear skirts and blouses.

Picture from HERE
I get the idea of distinguishing between those in junior secondary school and those in senior secondary school.  And don't let me get started on the caps/berets.  For those boys who (God forbid)  end up repeating JS3 and can't yet cross over to SS1, the whole world will know because they will end up wearing shorts for another year (Some of them don't send o! They will go and borrow trousers and pose for that one year sha).  I guess we should be thankful that they don't make you wear uniforms in university too, otherwise all those people with carryovers would be 'easily discoverable.'

But the law students would probably refute that argument because they have to wear black and white in university AND law school.  For those who decide to actually practice, the black and white trend doesn't end in school, and the wig and gown are added on for good measure.  And then, there's more uniform-wearing to look forward to post-graduation, thanks to NYSC.  Just the other day, I happened to watch an episode of Gilmore Girls  where one of the characters said that her on-going addiction to clothes stemmed from the restrictive and hideous school uniforms she had to wear in high school.  In other words, she is  now 'making up' for all those years of punishment.  Would you say that about yourself?  For me,  all I can say is that wearing uniforms saved me the trouble of worrying about "baffs" and "raining clothes" ... unitl I landed in UNILAG.  So, what about you: Did wearing uniforms in school in any way affect your fashion sense (or lack of it ... LOL!)  Please share!

Featured Artiste: Modele

Modele's debut album "Heart Cry" was one of the very first Nigerian albums I purchased on Real Player around 2006, which is when the album was released.

Modele / Twitter
My favorite track on that album was 'Adara' and the album itself introduced me to Modele's musical style which she describes as a "blend of Jazz and Soul with a touch of Reggae riding on traditional African rhythm."  But that was back in 2006.  Towards the end of 2011, Modele released a single titled "Elevation Song (That's the way the story goes)" produced by IBK Spaceshipboi, who also raps on this track.  Here's the Elevation Song for your listening pleasure:



THE REVIEW

Likes:  The beats are very catchy and you feel like you're on a roller coaster ride from beginning to the end.  The level of excitement is consistent throughout the song and you get a feel for Modele's strong vocals.  IBK's brief rap was okay, and frankly, the rap seemed to be a better match to the beats and structure of the song, than Modele's vocals.  The parts where the piano featured prominently in the foreground alongside Modele singing the verse were strong.  I would have preferred to hear more of the rap.  I keep referring to the beats because that is the strength of the song.  However, if you have listened to IBK's other song, Tongues, you can distinctly hear that the beats are VERY similar.  In fact, I would venture to say that this 'Elevation Song' is a different spin using those same beats as the foundation.  If you listen closely to both tracks, you'll see/hear what I mean.  However, since IBK produced BOTH tracks, I suppose he has the latitude to use his beats in whatever way he pleases.  Of course the lyrics match the title of the song and you can read them in full HERE.

Dislikes: I am being honest when I say this:  The beats do not sound like they were made with Modele in mind, and they do not suit her very well.  Modele's voice was drowned out in some parts by all the colorful dynamics going on in the background.  So, in my honest opinion, this song suits IBK (and I daresay, any other rapper) better than it suits Modele.  For the sake of experimenting and trying a different style of music, she should be commended.  But I would suggest that she sticks to her jazz style because that's where she really shines.

As always, more information on Modele follows:

Artiste's Stage Name:  Modele

Artiste's Real Name: Omodele Akintokun

Official Website:  http://www.modeleonline.com/

Connect with Modele: FaceBook, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube, Blogger
(Yup, she blogs too!)

Have a blessed weekend!

***Download ELEVATION SONG

All I will say again is 'you and your mind'. What made you think of this?

I'm glad you are back. It was weird to not have you pop up on my google reader. Do not do it again. lol. I don't believe I have a long lasting reaction to shorts or trousers, it feels like a distant memory, but maybe If i repeated, I would be forever scarred. However, my wonderful sculptured body was banging in my above knee lenght skirts...I miss that. lol

I like her voice...there is a tinge to it, but it is not a match for the song, the beat and everything that came with this track. It felt like a forced combination. Her voice is beautiful, but not 'elevated" in this track. My token.

Lol...... I don't think so, i dont think you can really build that much fashion culture in highschool. It felt good at the time though, I was a prefect in my senior year, so my uniform was different from those of my mate. 

I think like you said shorts v trousers are meant to distinguish between junior and senior students. I guess it may have something to do with our culture of 'respect'. But anyway it never influenced my dress sense whatever that means :-)

Oh my Oh my! Whoever invented 'White school uniforms' did not just try! Luckily for me, I started wearing trousers from JS1 but the only difference was in the sleeves. Seniors wore long-sleeves, juniors short. But the major torture came from the 'white'. I went to school in sparkling white and always came back in dazzling 'brown'.
AdeOla @ JostWrite 
But the weird/good part was I fell in love with white afterwards. White native, white singlet, white bedsheet, white shoe .LOL! Twas cool. (white shoe wasn't true o)

and I like Modele's song ni sha. Some Oh Oh o Oh o Oh *bobbing head up and down* WoooHooo!

Maybe it was cos of all the uniforms that I have no fashion sense? LOL...but most of my schoolmates are on top of their baffs. I don't mind uniforms, it's one less thing to worry about competing on and it makes students focus on studies.

Adara was also the song that introduced me to Modele back when I was still in Naija and I loved it. This Elevation song, I have to agree does not showcase her talents properly. But it's OK.

Yes o. I didnt have a dress sense until later in my life. lol. In fact, it was when I met my fiance that my dress sense started to change.

- LDP

Lmao. hmn, I kinda liked the uniform idea jere and i loved pinafores back then but then i rocked my short skirts with no slit. Thing is, even with the uniform, you could still jazz it up a little bit. House wears were also good enough for showing styles and boy, were girls creative #goodmemories

Toinlicious

Atilola:  I wish I knew too! It was a thought that eventually morphed into a blog post.  

AdeOla:  That makes two of us (on being glad to be back, that is).  I will try to be more consistent, ma! LOL! Thank God you did not have to repeat a class because it wouldn't have faded out of your memory so quickly.  Ah, the sculptured body again ... Here we go! You can still wear the above knee length skirts in different colors and patterns, Hallelujah! Err... That's good news, right?!

Phew! I was second-guessing myself at some point, but boy, am I glad you said what I had been thinking, i.e. her voice was not a good match for the song.  Yup, you confirmed it.  Thank thee ma'am!

9jaFoodie:  You were a prefect? I am trying to imagine you issuing orders to those junior girls (and boys?), but all I can see is you crafting an updated recipe for moi-moi ... Don't mind me jare! I didn't know prefects could have a different uniform from other students.  I am used to seeing them just wear badges to distinguish themselves.  Nope, there is not much latitude to build a fashion culture in secondary school.  I think that's one reason for the uniforms.  

Nnaija4Life:  Yes, they were meant to create that distinction, but I still wonder what it is about trousers that screams "I am a senior boy."  Maybe it could be the other way round.  Working with your suggestion of the 'culture of respect' might explain it though.  LOL @ not affecting your dress sense.  I think it would be less of an impact for a man than a woman.  Women's clothes tend to have more variations than men's clothes.  

Michael:  You went to KC, didn't you? The white school uniform palaver I observed all the time with my brother.  He faced the same white to brown dilemma everyday.  And of course, there's only so much bleach can do, abi?

I can't believe you're admitting that wearing white on white for 6 years or so made you fall in love with white.  Shhhh! Not so loud! The school authorities might think they actually did a good thing! LOL! White shoe? *looking to see what shoes Michael wore today*  At least, it beats dyeing your hair white too.  That would have been emmm ... unique? LOL!

So you actually like the song? Well, different strokes for different folks.  At least now you know about it :-) E ku igbadun!

Myne: Emm ... Maybe? LOL! So, competition and focusing on studies are your suggestions? True ... until the students go on holidays. Or prom comes. Or Awards night and all those other uniform-less school activities.  But you're right.  It's the stuff American high school movies depict too.

I was beginning to think I was the only one who had heard 'Adara.'  Thankfully, you have too, so you can appreciate what I was referring to in my review.  Adara is still my favorite song by Modele.  I prefer it to the Elevation song.  It is okay for the sake of trying out something new, but I believe that that jazz style is her forte.

Ha! Dudushewa has that magic touch, I see.  *shinning teeth*  Well, na so e suppose be.  Tiri gbosa for her: Gbosa, Gbosa, Gbosa! *Now picturing the BEFORE and AFTER pictures* ... Spontaneous laughter! 

Toinlicious:  What! You liked the uniforms ke, including the pinafores?  But wait o, how often do you wear pinafores nowadays?  Dat na anoda tory for anoda day.  You're sounding like AdeOla with the short skirt nostalgia. At least now you can rock it in different patterns too, ba? I am aware of (and also have good memories of) jazzing up housewears by sewing more figure flattering styles, but I wasn't aware of jazzing up uniforms sha.  Please enlighten me :-)

LOL! *Caught red-handed* You're too sharp for my liking :-( Hehe.

Better to be sharp than dull ... That's what I say. Hehe!

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