The Cultural Significance Of Flavour

In the past 15 years, no artist has promoted Igbo culture with as much creativity and consistency as Chinedu Okoli, aka Flavour. It is truly remarkable how Flavour appears to have out-thought every artist of his generation in his sublime, if not visceral interpretation of the Igbo emotions; the Igbo pride, self-worth, sense of beauty and aesthetics, sense of community, work ethic, sense of wonder, understanding of the good life as well as faith in God. His songs reflect the full range of Igbo emotions, inching dangerously close to approximate the Igbo worldview.

Of course, there are occasional straining at the leash of good conduct; that hints at the artist’s desire to break away and say things that become his age. But he never fails to maintain a healthy balance; that sense of indebtedness to the moral dictates of his cultural milieu. And even when there is wandering away from the strings that anchor his art, Flavour often delivers his lyrical mission with a compelling mastery that makes it easy to look away at worst or accept it all as art, at best.

It is indeed fascinating to contemplate how Flavour’s art has redefined our cultural landscape in recent times; accompanying us through every milestone and every cultural crossroads. Of special interest is what happened when Governor Soludo marked his Anniversary about a year ago in Awka. Former governor Peter Obi had chosen to arrive at the venue right in the middle of Soludo’s address. Upon sighting the popular Labour Party candidate, the Deejay decided to play the devil’s advocate by slotting the song, “Game Changer (Dike). The crowd went wild when Flavour’s voice wafted through the big speakers, chanting: “The Emperor, the conqueror, the champion, the lion is here. Nzogbu nzogbu, enyimba enyi.” It was though the song was announcing the presence of greatness in an assembly of pretenders. Soludo’s voice was drowned in the loud euphoric cheers that greeted Obi, leaving him ruffled and struggling to regain some dignity. Time stood still for a moment. That is the power of music! Hardly do we fully understand nor appreciate it.

Interestingly, Flavour’s body of work covers almost everything. Just the other day, I was struck with awe while watching video clips of intercultural marriages involving some Igbo sons and their brides from other races. The deeply cultural ceremonies acquired a telling nuance with Flavour’s songs accompanying the brides as they filed out with the bridal train and as they performed the bridal dance. No Igbo artist has paid as much attention to the importance of music to marriage ceremonies as Flavour. His impact has been phenomenal in that regard and he continues to dominate wedding ceremonies with songs like ‘Ada –Ada,’ ‘Golibe,’ ‘Ololufe,’ ‘Woman King,’ ‘Good woman,’ ‘Show off,’ ‘Egwu ndi Oma,’ ‘Nwunye Odogwu’ and many more.

The Igbo admire courage, strength, valour and material success. Again, Flavour’s songs help us calibrate moments that call for celebration of these values. ‘Oringo,’ ‘Chimamanda,’ ‘Fearless,’ ‘Lion’s Den,’ ‘Big Baller,’ ‘To be a Man,’ ‘Umuigbo,’ ‘Ndi Ike,’ ‘Igbo Amaka’ and so many other memorable songs from his repertoire make celebrations of success a delightful experience.

Indeed, it is interesting how art easily transits from cheap entertainment to a memorable utilitarian experience, imbuing the society with a new sense of selfhood, needling us all to see ourselves, not from the tinted glasses of philosophy but from the rearview mirror of music that serves as a marker to specific experiences. If indeed life is benchmarked by experience, music heightens our experience of life in such a way that they become touchstones to memory.

Through his hugely successful music career, Flavour N’abania has provided many of these sonic prompts to memory that will last us a lifetime!

And that may be his unstated mission on earth!