Down Memory Lane: Obubadi – John Blaq

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MUSIC REVIEW  

KAMPALA - While trying to look up a track for this week’s Memory Lane segment, this particular track came to mind.

There is a line from this song that always stayed with me, a part where Blaq sings “You are the only one I give my body”, a line he sings with as much sass as an Olympic athlete.

The fun part? Blaq is a little man, and the last thing he should be bringing to attention is his body whether you are the only one he is giving it to or not.

But I digress.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=em3JbQXghD4

This is about a retrospective examination of his music, about five years later.

I will admit, I am one of those people who did not believe his approach to music, his style would have any longevity of any sort.

He certainly proved me wrong on that one (he just released a single called Style, with Pia Pounds).

This particular song was made popular because of the catchphrases that emerged from it, most of which I cannot even attempt to pronounce. I can pronounce one, though: bwoooy (I think).

John Blaq’s musical career has been, at the very least, intriguing. He did not make any attempt to sound conventional. He understood that he was capable of unusual vocals, and he grasped that approach with both hands.

And it worked because he had the willpower to channel the industry’s expectations to fit what he was capable of doing.

Obubadi was a dancehall anthem that understood it’s assignment: get people onto the dancefloor, and get them to understand that this is their song.

This was probably the greatest thing that John Blaq has been able to achieve: his music has been embraced by a diverse urban audience - it is almost instantly noticeable how widespread his audience can be.

He also embraced social media pretty early, and it embraced him back – his music was often featured on Instagram reels, and once that happened, he had a hold on the industry. Social media and music make inevitable bedfellows.