For some, Covid-19 has been as much a start as a stop.
While the pandemic severely halted the music industry, with concerts cancelled and albums delayed, it also offered artists a chance to take a breather from the road.
In the case of Nigerian Afropop star Baddy Oosha and producer P Jay, that pause proved unexpectedly inspiring.
Stuck in Oosha’s villa in Dubai during the national disinfection programme (P Jay was holidaying in the UAE from Nigeria at the time) they decided to use the six-week period to record some new tunes.
"There were no rules," Oosha tells The National. "We just went with the flow, whatever beats P Jay gave me I would just jump on and we would make something from it."
Creating club bangers during the pandemic
What resulted from this freewheeling experience is the September 30 EP. Released last week on the day of its namesake, the seven-song album is a vibrant sonic diary of their creative time spent indoors.
Melding Afropop with lashings of hip-hop, RnB and dancehall, the release is a club-ready collection that confirms Oosha’s standing as the next major talent to emerge out of Nigeria.
Since his debut single E'Semni in 2014, Ooshi has gone on to build a consistent body work that included pan-African club hits Timbalowo and Fo as well as appearing in Nollywood productions such as the 2017 action film Alakada Reloaded and the 2018 comedy The Ghost and the Tout – both available to stream on Netflix.
Joining him for the ride is P Jay, who remains his producer of choice. Oosha says the EP is as much a party record as a celebration of their friendship.
“He is like my little brother and he is very talented,” he says. “But I think what is important to note is that during this difficult time you can still work and create. When we started to realise that the pandemic is serious, some people were getting sad and depressed and we wanted to show that you can also do things with your life. You don’t just sit down and do nothing, everyone has got to do something.”
As a friend of Oosha's for nearly decade, P Jay knew the singer would use the downtime to create.
"That's the thing with Baddy, you never know what to expect," he tells The National from his home in Lagos. "He pushes you to keep going forward: you learn, get inspired and enjoy the experience at the same time".
The Nigerian way: career and adventure
While this is displayed throughout the eclectic September 30 and in particular the standout Party Hard, a track carried by a seductive groove and tropical Reggaeton melodies, that ambitious vision is best exemplified in Hustlers Anthem. With P Jay providing both the stuttering beats and crooned hook, Oosha delivers a rags-to-riches narrative that hints at his own journey from Nigeria to Dubai.
Born in Ogun State in southwestern Nigeria, he criss-crossed the globe in search of education and opportunity. Upon finishing high school, he travelled to the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur to obtain a business management degree.
From there he went on to the Jamaican capital Kingston, where he enrolled in music management and production courses. By the time he arrived in Dubai in 2014, he was a one-man company as he set up tours for some of Nigeria's biggest artists including Naira Marley and Skibii in addition to building his own reputation across the region as a solo artist of his own.
That’s a lot of work and air miles. Then again, Oosha says that it’s the Nigerian way to blend career with adventure.
"In Nigeria, we like feeling uncomfortable. This is what make us move and take the next step, you know what I am saying?" he says. "It's not about staying in the comfort zone of my family. No, it is about you going out and doing something with yourself and if you can, you bring your family with you. If you can't, then build something with what you have, then come back to your family as better person. It is in our blood to be hardworking."
Why Dubai could become the centre of the Afrobeat scene
It is in that spirit that Oosha is currently in Istanbul. With a new album to promote and the Turkish music scene receptive to Afropop, he is already planning a string of tours, both as headline act and promoter. He is adamant it is a temporary stay and that he will return to Dubai once the entertainment industry is back in full swing.
Oosha has no doubt the scene will once again thrive with Afropop music as a main driver.
“The music coming from Nigeria is only going to get better. It is already taking over the world and I feel that Dubai will be at the centre of that,” he says. “There is a great crowd here that are already appreciative of the music and the facilities are top of the range. Things will eventually return to normal and trust me, when it does, I will be more than ready.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
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TOURNAMENT INFO
2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Regional Qualifier
The top three teams progress to the Asia Qualifier
Thursday results
UAE beat Kuwait by 86 runs
Qatar beat Bahrain by five wickets
Saudi Arabia beat Maldives by 35 runs
Friday fixtures
10am, third-place playoff – Saudi Arabia v Kuwait
3pm, final – UAE v Qatar
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