SPOKEN WORD ALBUM REVIEW
Spoken Word Album: I AM
Spoken Word Artist: Andrew Patience
Producer: Oluwadrumma
Location: Jos, Nigeria,
Year of Publication: 2016
No of Tracks: 14
Duration: 55 minutes.
Reviewer: Adebote Seyifunmi (Lagos, Nigeria)
The spoken word poetry album, I AM should be of great interest to mind curious about Africa, her culture and arts. Those interested in unravelling life’s mystery would also be caught in a similar web. Personally, little is known of Andrew Patience, I wasn’t even ‘fortunate’ to meet her at the Abuja Literary Society slam, December 2016 event where I got the album from. However, without doubt, I have come to know an unselfish AP, one that shares my passion for radio broadcast. Patience has an impressionable media exposure which gifts her ease of persuasive communication (in clear English infused with Hausa and Yoruba, as seen in I AM). Her consciousness about societal issues reflects in her thoughts about integrity, security, relationship, education, children and politics.
I AM is the result of Andrew Patience’s rural African background, hard work through the years and deep thinking creativity. The album greets the listener with her briefest track, as AP in 1 minute gives tribute to “Annabel”, her mother, I suppose. The next is a blunt poem where a brave AP talks, no fulminate about “Africa’s Rape”. Similarly, track 3 reflects on the melancholy in AP as she bids Depression Goodbye or vice versa. I don’t know why I think, “I AM” (I mean the tenth track, not the album) could have more; I also frown at the smoothness of Yetunde’s opening verse in track 5 – “Dear Son”. She murdered the Yoruba language but the heart-cutting words and advice of AP to her unborn son creates a place to forgive that goof.
Some, like me, may not relate well with track 6 – “Maya Gave”, track 7 – “Without Words”, track 12 “Tales of Love” and track 13 – “Who Murdered Me?” (Hopefully, some other spoken word critics can clearly critique this). Track 11, “God?” to me, is more than just an argument, more than a conversation, it is mysterious and I AM not judging, same with the last track – “The (Honest) Conversation”.
The clarity of words balanced with professional use of instruments and effects leaves us ‘I AM’ – loaded, universal, deep and instructive with artistic use of verses in English, Yoruba and Hausa languages (and Igbo- just to be balanced). My preference in proper order, as a youth advocate, Track 9 – “Tomorrow Never Came” and track 8 “This Poem” as a patriot, one with sour taste for African literature.
Andrew Patience must have sought to first entertain her listener, but she carefully places that beside her motive of correcting social issues, properly informing and unburdening not only her mind, but that of a thousand others too. I AM is an unselfish album that partners with nine other creatives, videlicet; Mfon Abigail, Yetunde, Malvina, Edge Globador, NorthPriest, Decipher, Anchorman. Just like AP, I AM not done yet! You shouldn’t too, let’s be who we are meant to be, let’s be our real versions of I AM.
Reviewer
Adebote Oluwaseyifunmi, born 20th September in Lagos, Nigeria, is a youth advocate with national impact and a budding broadcast icon. He has presented & produced programs on Coal City 92.9 FM, Enugu, Solid 100.9 FM, Enugu, Rockcity 101.9 FM, Abeokuta and Radio Continental, Lagos. He has written to some of Nigeria’s most respected newspapers as a campus journalist especially; The Nations, Tribune, National Mirror, Punch, Hallmark Newspaper, Vanguard and News-Direct newspapers as well as online magazines across three continents