The addictive surge of music
Ever been in a mood where all you needed was that soothing musical experience you had during your taxi ride? Or better still, when you visited a friend and the jam hit you and you begged to hear the song again, with a little brag from your friend, for always putting you on to the best tunes.
Or are you the friend with the best songs?
Think back to the surge you feel when you try to remember a song. Where you heard it from and the moment you listen to it, there’s a rush running through your skin, either because of the lyrics or the beats of the song. You then progress to get addicted to it for days and listen endlessly for days, mostly wrapped in your emotions, which highlights the music in your reality. Every time you are caught in this cycle of sparks for music, you are transported to a new experience.
For every sound, you are transported to a peculiar realm.
The medium for listening
Your interaction with the right tune begins with the channel through which you listen. When you listen to music with your earphones, it’s experiential. With the sounds in different ears, beeping from one end to the other, and you taking in those intentional sound effects that have been included. It could be the silent taekwondo sound in Chike’s “Running”, or the sound of a splash in Rema’s “Soundgasm“.
When you listen to music with a speaker, if the volume is set to the highest, you let the music consume you. Either drowning in the lyrics, or singing out loud to let the artiste know you understand them.
Every time you are entangled in this charade, you are transported to a new experience.
The transcendent power of music
If I could describe the realms I’m transported to with music, an example would be my experience whenever I listen to Tems’ “Higher”. There is a connection that seems genetic because the lyrics hit so close to home. I reflect on the memories of the Cavemen live show and how I kept telling everyone after the show that it had a spiritual vibe; their music is spiritual.
The experience is wholesome, and that’s why you hear listeners have a countdown for new releases from artists.
Where do you experience music at its best? Which artist takes you to a different realm?
The One-Stop Destination for an Experience in Africa
It’s an annual celebration in remembrance of Fela Anikulapo Kuti. Felabration is held yearly, on the week of Fela Kuti’s birthday. It is a time where different artists gather to perform and pay tribute and respect to Fela Kuti. The one-week-long event also features other activities like symposia around social and cultural issues, debates, and cultural exhibitions. The event brings people from all around the world to come appreciate the art of Afrobeat, African culture, and elements of music. It is held at the New Afrika Shrine and the Fela movement is heralded by different genres of music.