DAVID RELEASES "NYAMBO" MUSIC VIDEO TODAY AT 7PM!!!

Song: Nyambo

Artist: David ft. K.B.G

Camera & Editing: Chippi Khonje (Urban Life)

Directed by: David Kalilani & Kelvin Gumbi 

"Exodus: The Preview" Promo Vid, 2012

Imagine…

As the fire crackles and the owls hoot in the cool night under the gold African moon, the children sit cross-legged and wide-eyed, waiting anxiously as agogo walks into the clearing. A dusty foot laid across another one, the children play with their fingers nervously as agogo breaks into a wide toothless grin and welcomes each of her grandchildren to the bon-fire. Agogo sits on a log as she tells a story she has told a hundred times before, each time feels like the first to the small children. She tells them a story of where they came from as a proud people, as a people with a heritage, a story to wonder the heart and marvel the mind, a story about “nyambo” or HIP-HOP music. Agogo heard this story from her grandmother who heard it from hers and so on. She tells them of their culture - the children call this “mwambo”. But mwambo can’t be simply communicated, it must be sung – the children call this “nyimbo”. Nyimbo cradles within it’s hands the proverbs - the children call this “miyambi”. Or at least that is the picture that I would like to paint in your mind when you think of this particular song. I am playing with your imagination for one reason: there is a music video to come with the song "Nyambo"!

Nyambo

                The first scene of the new music video could continue my story in the first paragraph perfectly but in a present day setting. David walks into a classroom as the pupils wait anxiously for him, very much the same way the children waited anxiously for agogo to walk into the clearing. The lesson is the same, a hundred years have passed but we as a people of musical culture and heritage have not changed. The setting may have changed from a clearing in a field to a classroom in town, but we still hold an oral tradition of passing down stories. I ask you: is that not what rap music is? Passing down stories by mouth! We do not sit around a bon-fire anymore, but we sit around brightly lit laptop screens, cell-phones or mp3 players. The teacher might not be agogo but it could be 2pac or 50cent, it could be David or Lecrae. However, even though the oral tradition has not changed, the culture has changed for the worse. For it is not in the culture of these “proud peoples” to enjoy nyambo that is offensive (sex, drugs, the love of money, greed, pride, murder, hate, anger etc), but it is in their culture to love that which they know is “washed in the blood that cleanses all things clean”, a.k.a the proverbs or miyambi: to love God, to honour their parents, to love their neighbors etc. Who is he that came and destroyed this wonderful music? But God is reconciling all things under one head, that head is Jesus Christ.

Verdict

                The independant rapper shows that he is above games and play-time by releasing his first video as a gospel artist. It’s been a year or more since we last saw a descent hip-hop gospel video. I can truly tell you that I am excited we are becoming more defined in our musical identity, assuming this work-ethic and creative value continues. The video is vibrant, that is, there are more than just a couple scenes to keep your attention. Scenes from The Unashamed Tour 2011 and the Spokesman Tour grace the video along with original footage. Furthermore, each scene is just as visually encapsulating as the last, and it keeps your eyes glued to the screen. Also, it has a “continuance” factor: you can watch it over and over without getting bored too quickly. The concept is well communicated from the scene in the classroom, to the scene with the teens in the comfort of their living-room being reached by the harmful nyimbo that threatens to corrupt them. The living-room scenes are the most potent because that is where many of us have adopted different ideologies and cultures that are anti-God. The actors in the video portray this reaction by watching music videos and then immediately afterwards, walking, talking and dressing the same way the musician on tv does. But I would like you to note that the classroom scene can serve as a direct opposite to the living-room shots. Figuratively speaking, the classroom is where the ideologies that were corrupted are fixed.

              I like the fact that they used a huge cast for the video; you can easily identify yourself as part and parcel of the society, almost like "oh,I could be that guy". However, women are not very active in our Malawian musical scene maybe becuase they feel left out. Even though I see some girls at the beginning of the video, there are very few (or none) after that. However, Nicki Minaj and Rihanna have done just as much to influence our ladies just as 2pac and 50cent have done in influencing our young men. Perhaps a scene with a couple girls turning the TV off during a Nicki Minaj music-video would have been an all-gender inclusive touch and communicated to the female audience that this includes them too. Perhaps more ladies could have potentially gravitated towards this video, but seeing as the video is pending release for atleast another 10 hours that is yet to be seen. The video is well shot and edited by Chippi Khonje and it is directed by the same two people that rap on the track, David and K.B.G, showing their versatility in talent. Personally, I like these two rappers collaborating with each other. There always seems to be alot of creativity exchanged between them as they both came up with the video concept. In the video, they play off each other well, complimenting each other in their individual and shared scenes.

               In an exclusive interview, David reveals his plans on releasing at least four more music videos during the course of the next 12 months. My hope is that he improves on his current above par form. Quality wise: it might not be as good on an international level on a comparison basis and the inclusion of footage from other sources, though relevant to the concept, means that at least 20% (which is not too much) of this video is transplanted. Do not get me wrong, the inclusion of the sources is relevant but I want all original footage. Bottom line: I LOVED THE VIDEO! The boys were professional and confident in-front of and behind the camera, this video is better than ANYTHING I have seen on MBCtv from either secular or gospel artists because it communicates a concept via the visuals: put your tv on mute and you will still understand what is being communicated. By default, I will award David more points if the music video debuts on MBCtv, and he should personally strive to achieve this goal as a stepping stone to getting more attention within Malawi.

This review has been published at 8:30am; please expect the release of the video via Youtube at 7pm the same day (Friday 2 November 2012). I urge: LETS GO VIRAL! WATCH THE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE, and SHARE IT. Plus, you heard it here first on Sharp Iron Review: EXODUS: THE PREVIEW IS SET TO BE RELEASED ON 16 NOVEMBER 2012!!! David also said in our exclusive interview that it will be possible for YOU to request which songs from Exodus: The Preview you would like to see as music videos!!! (do this via his facebook page, or fan page on facebook, or comment on this blog and you just might get to see your favorite song as a video). With this video to promo Exodus' impending release in just 2 weeks, how could you not get excited!