SONG REVIEW: Tolazee - Sise (Work)
Tolazee, who has been featured on this blog for his single, Bintin Laye, released a new single, earlier this year, titled Sise. It means "Work" in Yoruba, and the gist of the song, which is, work hard is embedded in the chorus:
Sise
Work
Ma se s'ole
Don't be lazy
Work
Ma se s'ole
Don't be lazy
After listening to this song, one thing should be clear: A lazy person cannot be friends with Tolazee.
*laughs*
Okay, not really. I'll let you listen first and then judge for yourself what Tolazee is saying.
THE REVIEW
Likes: There's a distinct reggae feel to this song, which hits you in the face right from the intro. I was nodding my head and swaying from the very beginning. The reggae feel works very well with the message and language mix chosen, i.e. English, Yoruba and a little pidgin.
What I particularly love about this song is that although Tolazee douses the lyrics with Yoruba proverbs and sayings, he also sings a good chunk in English. The effect is that non-Yoruba speakers, or basic Yoruba speakers like me who may not know the meaning of some of the Yoruba words, can get the gist of the song without very little effort. That way, the message is not lost to your listeners. I think Tolazee definitely gets that right.
There is a strong flow from the beginning to the end. His use of catchy rhymes shows his mastery of both languages i.e. English and Yoruba. For example:
The instrumentation also compliment the style of music chosen. There is a definite playfulness in the outro where he says "Sise" in a funny accent, but it does not deplete the amount of seriousness in the message.
Kudos to TJ Beenie, who produced this song.
What I particularly love about this song is that although Tolazee douses the lyrics with Yoruba proverbs and sayings, he also sings a good chunk in English. The effect is that non-Yoruba speakers, or basic Yoruba speakers like me who may not know the meaning of some of the Yoruba words, can get the gist of the song without very little effort. That way, the message is not lost to your listeners. I think Tolazee definitely gets that right.
There is a strong flow from the beginning to the end. His use of catchy rhymes shows his mastery of both languages i.e. English and Yoruba. For example:
There is dignity in labor
Atelowo eni ki i tan eni je, You can ask your neighbor
The instrumentation also compliment the style of music chosen. There is a definite playfulness in the outro where he says "Sise" in a funny accent, but it does not deplete the amount of seriousness in the message.
Kudos to TJ Beenie, who produced this song.
Dislikes: The songwriting needs a little work for the verses (not the chorus). Some of the lyrics seemed to be stretched too much over a few notes, but it was not enough to be a distraction.
Recommendations: Fine tune your songwriting on future projects.
More information on Tolazee
Artiste's Stage Name: Tolazee
Artiste's Real Name: Akintola Tolase Oladayo
Picture Source: Praiseworld Radio
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