Ameh Comrade Godwin: The Madness of Marlains and the trend of nonsense in Nigeria

If you are a Marlian, stop reading because this is not what you may like to stomach.

I refrained from commenting on the madness called ‘Marlians’ currently trending in Nigeria, particularly on social media, but one incident has practically forced me out of my shell.

A family friend dashed into my inbox this evening to raise the alarm of how her barely-four-year-old boy refused to greet his daddy, who returned from a trip after two weeks. Reason? “Marlains don’t greet.”

“Comrade, See my pikin oo. im papa come house oo. Him no greet. His father asked, why didn’t u greet me? He said, “Marlians don’t greet.” Na some children wey him play wit for Ikorodu e learn dat one o. Say that’s how Marlians do,” she lamented amid frets.

I am not a fan of Nigeria’s current brand of music sub-genre called hip pop. Why? Because I don’t listen to claptrap. Give me reggae, give me country music, give me acappella and I am good to go.

I long lost interest in the nation’s secular music industry (especially hip pop) because they have since deviated from the real ideas of what music stands for.

I recall in one of my articles written in 2019 thus: “Once upon a time, before ‘banana and cassava’ began to fall on music lovers in Nigeria, the nation paraded singers whose lyrical contents contained didactic messages that addressed bad governance and moral decadence in the society.

“Before the advent of ‘a’ ‘Hennessey’, ‘Champagne’ and show-off of wealth in the nation’s music industry, music lovers were exposed to songs that taught moral lessons, tackled bad governance and exposed corrupt leaders.

“Today, the story is different. Most musicians in Nigeria worship sex, money, women and wealth with their lyrics.” Absolute lyrical nonsense. Sad!

Gone are the days of Fela-Anikulapo Kuti, the father of anti-corruption music crusader in Nigeria when music was soul food.

Gone are the days of African China, Ras Kimono, Eedris Abudukarim, Blackface Naija, Majek Fashek, Oritse Femi, Raymond King Gbaji who ignored ‘banana, cassava’ for societal change.

Today, what you hear is either a ‘Banana’ falling on you from nowhere, or you are forced to measure an imaginary ‘Cassava.’

“I get big cassava.” Who cares?

A young twerp is currently corrupting the nation’s airwaves with his lewd-baked kind of music.

He doesn’t make any sense. He sings rubbish, promotes masturbation, pornography and internet scam.

His name is Afeez Fashola, annoyingly known as Naira Marley. He’s the headliner of the Marlian fame.

Gosh! Have you listened to any of his songs? Yucky and wacky!

Mr. Fashola bulldozed his way into the music industry with his hit single entitled, ‘Isaa goal.” I must confess that song was a hit.

He also gained prominence following his arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for alleged internet scam in 2019.

He was a visitor in the Kirikiri Correctional Centre for a month.

I don’t want to dwell much on that because the matter is already in the court of law.

Naira Marley released ‘Issa Goal’ featuring Olamide and Lil Kesh towards the tail of 2017 as homage to the Super Eagles ahead of the 2018 World Cup in Russia and it was meant to serve as motivation for the players to go onto the field and score goals aplenty. ‘Lass lass’ The Super Eagles didn’t make it from the group stage at the mundial.

Before then, the vulgar singer had released some singles, which failed to pull through: they included, Gotta Dance (2015) Marry Juana (a distorted word of Marijuana –Indian hemp in 2014).

The young man has over 50 songs accompanied with different dance steps to his credit; but I bet you, none makes any sense.

Naira Marley, who has no connection or association with the famous Bob Marley family, upon his return from the high walls of Kirikiri prison released a single entitled ‘Soapy.’

‘Soapy’ was a follow-up to ‘Opotoyi’ – the single which was released while he was in EFCC custody.

Both singles were garnished with explicit and sensitive lyrics that triggered controversy and mixed reactions among music buffs.

In ‘Opotoyi’, Mr. Fashola addressed and adored an imaginary bum with lewd lyrics of sexual reverence.

While ‘Soapy’ is an anthem for masturbators. It came about with how boys use lotion or soap as lubrication to masturbate for sexual pleasure. Some believe the song was inspired by his prison experience; after all, there are no females in the prison yard he visited as the only solace for anyone who needed to ‘cum’ was masturbation – ‘Soapy.’

Today, the term Marlian has become a movement. A bad one for that matter. Children on the streets now parade themselves as Marlians. They chant it enthusiastically: “I am a Marlian, Marlians don’t fear any bagga.”

Marlian – a movement that adores tomfoolery.

The anthem on the streets these days is either “Marlians don’t go to school,” “Marlians don’t eat,” “Marlians don’t have their bath,” “Marlians don’t greet” (like the case of my friend’s son who refused to greet dad because he was told Marlians don’t greet.

Sadly, some elders have also been inducted into this Marlian Hall of Shame.

How did we get here?

Music is supposed to be a vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion but Naira Marley has turned it to a tool for depression and oppression.

Many children now believe Marlians don’t go to school,” “Marlians don’t greet,” “Marlians don’t have their bath,” and above all, “Marlians don’t die.”

This guy needs to be tamed before he crosses ogbanjire stream.