Greetings!
I've been wanting to write about this particular song, but I keep postponing. I really want to find full time to pour out my thoughts on this particular state.
First of all, I want to pay tribute to the Akwa Ibom Ayaiya crooner, Mish, who passed away earlier this year in February 2024. His death made us remember his hit track from 2011, which made all the Akwa Ibomites proud. Unfortunately, the song only stayed in the limelight for a short while before fading out of the trend.
The song, Akwa Ibom Ayaiya, was dedicated to Akwa Ibom State, located in the southern part of Nigeria. It was all about celebrating the state's goodness, from the beauty of the land to the food, language, and dance style. I have friends from Akwa Ibom, and @wongi tops the list. She never ceases to talk about her state whenever we have conversations, which makes me jealous of two things in particular.
I can't count how many times I've wished to spiritually tap electricity from that state, especially from the capital, Uyo, to my own place, because they have regular power supply. Wongi always boasts about their steady electricity, and I doubt she even owns a power bank to support her phone because their power supply is so reliable there.
Just this past Friday, my country's national football team, the Super Eagles of Nigeria, had a football match at Uyo Stadium in Akwa Ibom State, which is currently the finest stadium in the country. I wished I could have been in Akwa Ibom to watch the match live. It was only last Friday that I learned Wongi’s house is somewhat close to the stadium. Imagine that kind of sweet lifestyle, living near a stadium hosting a match like that. Unfortunately, this lady is not a football freak.
These are the two areas where I feel jealous of this state.
As for the other things they go ahead to hype themselves for, I think they are exaggerated, especially when it comes to their music and food.
Recently, there was a trend on social media about food, and you need to see how their only food was hyped and worshipped—Afang soup. Honestly, I haven’t tasted this food once, and I have a feeling it will likely be disappointing, just as I was disappointed with the Igbo's mostly hyped soup, Oha soup.
@humble, this is the Afang soup you once tasted. Its origin is from this particular state in Nigeria.
Music:
Should we even talk about their music? They have a very poor record in terms of contribution to the industry. This song, Akwa Ibom Ayaiya, was one of only two or three hits that put Akwa Ibom on the map musically, and unfortunately, the song faded out years before the songwriter passed away. The only artist who remains relevant is Iyanya, and though I feel like I should write him off, I still consider him valid because of his unique approach to music. He's the one who brought that distinct dance style into the popular Afrobeats world, which became a signature for his track Kukere. Oh my God! I love the remix of that track featuring D'banj.
Apart from these two, Akwa Ibom wouldn't have been known in music. Can anyone prove me wrong?
Another thing Akwa Ibomites are known for is being good in the "other room."
Oh yes, they claim to know how to cook, partly because one of them once held a Guinness World Record, but that was greatly influenced by many factors, including their prowess in the "other room."
Let me stop here😅
Thanks for reading.
Videos were taken from YouTube.