A tribute to my late Grandma “Olori Sarah Ayoola Erinle”
“OPOMULERO”
(THE BINDING FORCE)
If there’s one word that I believe sums up who MÀÁMI was, that is it.
In everything she did family was always the driving force and the love she had for us was never ending.
She had the perfect balance of scolding with one hand and pulling closer into her warm embrace with the other.
She made us all feel loved.
A woman so simple yet so complex.
A woman so stern yet so gentle.
A woman respected and adored by all
Your elegance was rivaled by none.
I’ll never forget you
starting your morning devotion with your fav song
“Aanu ni mo bere o baba,
aanu ni mo bere
Awijare ma ko oo
Aanu ni mo bere”
I’ll never forget you always saying “remember the Child of whom you are”
I’ll never forget how to cook white rice to perfection because of you.
I was looking forward to coming home to give you a hug and taking your photos, but God had his own plans.
Maami you’re the glue that held us together as a family for so long and I know that even now you’ll continue to keep watch over us from above as we carry on your legacy.
Rest Well grandma
Love
Ayomide
You’re now rocking with the SDC!, it’s the ShowDemCamp omo yes indeed!!
Palmwine music festival is a live music experience curated and headlined by the Rap duo of Tec & Ghost known as ShowDemCamp. It also boasts a start studded cast of artists whom they have featured on their legacy albums palmwine music 1,2,3. Look around the hall of the Clapham grand and I spot at least 10 of the biggest Afrobeats artists all working together at the final soundcheck before the doors open. Each of them contributing knowledge on how to make things better. It was beautiful to witness. Managers, tour managers, sound engineers, set designers and all crew involved putting finishing touches to produce an amazing show
Ghost to sound engineers: “ Can we try one with the house”.
I step outside and there’s a queue of fans at least a block long waiting to get in. Then the crowd gradually fills the hall of the sold out Clapham grand in London. Jollof, suya, chicken, small chops and of course palmwine was available for sale on location.
The hosts, DJ Niajaboy as well as opening acts; Tolu(DontJealousMe), Ebunyele, Shaesuniverse and Garey Godson brought the vibes to prep the crowd for the main acts to take stage.
The cavemen & David Nsikak take the stage and as expected, it’s straight electric. The fusion of the drums, bass & lead guitars, you just knew you were about to listen to some beautiful music. It was an absolute vibe, if I do say so myself.
A few mins later, the show headliners(SDC) take to stage and waste no time getting into it.
“You’re now rocking with the SDC, it’s the ShowThemCamp omo yes indeed”.
The first song of the night is performed with so much energy and charisma from the rap duo and this sets the stage for the rest of the night.
As the night went along, they were joined on stage by , Tems, BOJ, Wurld, Tomi Agape, Moelogo, Amaarae, Ladipoe, Tay Iwar, Nonso Amadi, Lojay, Ajebutter, Bellah, Twelve & Falz.
Performing hit after hit, the crowd never dulled for a moment. If the crowd was not getting serenaded by the voice of one of the performers, the live band was actively keeping spirits high with their instruments.
What an amazing experience it was to be in the presence of all that talent and greatness. Grateful for the opportunity to be able to document the event. I could perceive the love and the sense of responsibility to each other from the artists. Big shout out to ShowDemcamp their team for putting on such an amazing show.
-ayosama
Hey guys, Ayo here….I know you didn’t miss me. I didn’t miss you either so I guess we’re even.
Two of the biggest things I struggle with as an artist and as a person in general is consistency(or the lack of it) and being in a state of complacency. I know those are big words, so if you do not know their definitions, please look them up.
Complacency is a coin, It has two sides. I know people often attribute feeling complacent with being stagnant and not wanting more, but as much as that is true, complacency can also be viewed in a positive light. It can be viewed as stability, unwavering confidence in ones current level of talent and knowledge and satisfaction at that stage of life. You do not always have to be on the move, you do not need to always be thinking about the next step and going to the next stage. It is my strong believe that sometimes you just need to pause and enjoy your current state, enjoy that current situation or goal you worked hard to attain. Savor the moment. As an artist and a person I believe I have experienced both sides of this coin. The most important aspect of complacency is knowing on a personal level when to move and when to be still.
Consistency, my arch nemesis. Boy do I struggle with this a lot. It has always being difficult for me to incorporate consistency into my lifestyle, 2 seconds after starting something and I do not see a result, I just abandon it.For example, I send one or two emails to the right person(s) with regards to my career and instead of doing it consistently, I just wait another 6months to email the next person. I need to be more consistent, not just in my creative process but in my general lifestyle. This is because I strongly believe that to be successful and to yield favorable results in regards to anything you’re doing, consistency is a key factor that you cannot replace.
While my words in the above paragraph about my lack of consistency is very true, Between mid July & Mid August this year, I challenged my self to go take a walk within a 4mile radius of my neighborhood and photograph a house with a car in the drive way. In the past I’ve never really cared for my iPhone camera, but making these images (which I’ve shared through this post) with my iPhone(x) and edited on vsco, gave me new appreciation for it as an extension of my tools as an artist.
Well thats all I have to say for now, hopefully you can learn one or two things from this piece. I’ll try my best not to go on another three months hiatus before sharing my thoughts with y’all again. Also someone tell Tim Cook to send me the new iPhone. Also Hire me and tell your bosses and companies to hire me. I live in London now but I am willing to travel as long as expenses are covered. Thank you, God bless.
-ayosama
