Reggae Blues

#MondayDoseOfInspiration

For the music lovers, they know the R&B genre of music means Rhythm and Blues but permit me to introduce you to another genre. It's called Reggae Blues.

Sometime last year when I first heard that popular Harrysong's song, Reggae Blues

"After the reggae play the blues..."

I couldn't help feeling like it was a very  silly song but like say dem cast spell on me, I found myself liking the song for the same reason I disliked it for; it's silliness but nevertheless feel good and irresistible danceable beat. Okay now this is a digression from the gist but felt like putting it out here. Hehehehe.

You know the common Wafi saying,

"No let dem use their reggae take spoil your blues"

A lot of us have been subconsciously allowing others to use their reggae to spoil our blues. When you allow others talk fear into you and discourage you from living your dreams because they think it's too big (in whose opinion by the way) for you to achieve or they probably know of some other people who have been trying to achieve same thing like you, to no avail. Maybe they are even the ones that have failed at that same thing you are trying to do and you go on to use that as yardstick, you have simply let them use their reggae to spoil your blues!

 

To buttress this point I'll share a story; my story as usual. A couple of years ago, we used to live in the suburbs of Lagos where there were really no place of fun and interest to take little children. That is if you like me, do not regard eateries as a fun place for children and that was all that was obtainable in the area with exception of a kiddies 'amusement' park. I'm sure the inverted comma says it all.

I was always frustrated to take the children to fun places outside the area. The traffic in and out of the area was a major discouraging factor and so at some point, I started thinking if there were other frustrated mothers like myself who just wanted somewhere to drop their kids while they ran a few errands or to have the much desired me time. I started to make my enquiries, research and consultations and feasibility studies to which I discovered that there were apparently, quite a number of people like me too. I now thought of asking a friend who I felt would know better, what she thought about it. I thought she would 'know better' because she owned a school (like seriously) and so might be able to share a few things about setting up a place (whether school as I was also thinking of after school services, or a fun place) for children forgetting that she did not leave in my part of town (she lived and worked on the Island). This actually matters because whether  we like it or not there is a difference in the psyche and general disposition of people who live on the mainland and those who stay on the Island. I know my Lagos peeps will catch my drift.

Her advice was therefore based on her knowledge at the time for which I do not blame her at all. However, she spoke like an authority on such matters and so by the time she was done analyzing and critiquing my business idea, all my efforts seemed like a sheer waste of time and unfortunately I was not wise enough to sift out the wheat from the chaff from all she said. Na so reggae take enter my blues. I abandoned the dream and never did it till we moved out. Imagine how depressed I was when I went back to the neighborhood and I saw something like what I had in mind.

Before you let anyone's reggae mix with your blues, make sure the person is a skilled deejay. I'll explain by stating the following:

- First off, answer for yourself the reason why you want to do whatever it is you want to do. That is, have a desperate why. This why keeps you focused and keeps the adrenaline pumping no matter what.

 

- Check out whoever is singing this reggae. What are their achievements and antecedents? Antecedents in terms of know how, career or business success and background. Are they talking from a position of constructive criticism or destructive criticism. Is their analysis that deep? Does it require you seeking out a second opinion? Do they point out only the problems without proffering any solution or another way to go about doing things?

 

- Work well on your blues genre such that even when the reggae tries to enter, it will be a complement. Like I said earlier, having done so much work on my research, I should not have swallowed everything my friend told me hook, line and sinker. I should have been able to sift through what she said and make use of what was useful. I guess because it was my first time venturing into a large project like that and then, I knew nothing about doing things in bits and afraid like I talked about here .

When you don't control what you listen to, you permit all sorts to settle in your mind which is why we are told to guard our hearts with all diligence. Think about this the next time you want to listen to other people's reggae while playing your blues.

I will like to hear from you and the 7th person to comment gets a freebie.
Hint: It's something sparkly, a spice of heaven, a collector's item. Go on and comment to find out what it is *wink*. Hahahahaha.

Have a magical Monday.