BY BEATRICE PORBENI
The End Sars Movement changed many Nigerians. The movement started as a protest against police brutality in Nigeria but evolved into a fight against various societal injustices. The movement gave Nigerians a reason to stand up for themselves and speak out. For some creatives like Wavy The Creator, it gave her a chance to be a part of something bigger than herself.x
Wavy The Creator had an unexpected entry into the music scene in the summer of 2017. She met Olamide, a popular Nigerian artist in Houston and became his videographer. The Nigerian-American artist was invited to Nigeria but had no idea that music would be her calling. Since then, she has worked to build her music presence but with the pandemic and End Sars taking center stage, there was a need to make her voice heard. She explained, “it gave me a new perspective on using my music to push out a positive message”.
The timing was perfect when Wavy The Creator was contacted by HUH, an evolving global experiment based in Toronto that brings creatives together from different parts of the world. The concept allows artists to merge their ideas by using a mood to depict a visual representation. The uniqueness of the platform is driven by different cultures coming together to create something new for a global audience.
Wavy The Creator was introduced to Tell Your Children (TYC), a Singapore-based creative studio last year. With animation and graphic design, the creatives created a song called This War, This World. The mood they chose for the song was Disquiet, a global message of distraught and hope, which many can relate to during the pandemic.
TYC team
The mood of the visual is peaceful. It starts with hues of blue and shapes depicting rain, accompanied by clips of Wavy The Creator singing. TYC talked about the inspiration behind the animated video and its connection to the lyrics. They said, “rain comes in a storm, but it also brings renewal”. The song talks about hope and a brighter future after the complex struggles in Nigeria.
While collaboration across cultures in music has been the norm for many years, it comes with many challenges. Frequently, western artists are accused of appropriation or minimizing and misinterpreting messages. In this instance, TYC was clear about the message inspired by Wavy The Creator’s lyrics. They also expressed concerns about handling the project with care because of the sensitive topic.
With Nigerians all over the world looking for ways to voice their opinions on the End Sars movement online, Wavy The Creator used this collaboration as a chance to express herself with support from creatives in Singapore. She also emphasized the importance of international collaboration for global exposure as it allows others to learn about the issues happening in Nigeria.
