A Tale of Extremes

Love, Damini

This is the sixth studio album by Nigerian singer Burna Boy. It was released on 8th July, a week after I exposed the charity scam organization, Netiv Halev.

Being a super fan of Burna Boy, the album has been part of my get-ready and work playlist. However, I have some favourite tracks: It’s Plenty, Common Person and Science.

But this piece is not about any of those songs. It’s about Whiskey, another track on the album. If there’s one thing I must applaud Burna for, it’s his apt storytelling.

The 3rd verse sets the foundation for what I want to write about…

People dey wey dey pray for the rain, but e no fall.

Rain dey fall for another man place and e no stop.

E be like swimming pool for him house as e don flood.

All the things wey him get for his house many don lost.

Nothing tells this story better than my experience watching…

The News

I don’t like the news. My hate relationship with it started during the COVID after I read a quote that said…

The News is nothing but negative

But I couldn’t avoid it last week when I was spending time with my Dad in his room. The TV was tuned in to Al Jazeera and I was following story after story until I saw the stories that sparked my curiosity — stories that brought Burna’s verse to life.

North Mexico: Extreme Drought

This was the first story that caught my attention. According to the news, this is the worst drought that Mexico has experienced in the last 30 years.

Over there, you have to chase water. People stay in a queue all day…

The crops are drying up…

The animals are dying…

The farmers are praying for rain…

Immediately after reporting about a city lacking rainfall, guess the next story that was reported?

Sudan: Extreme Rainfall

You can imagine my shock when the news carried stories at both extremes — lack of rain and excess of rain.

In Sudan, people are being displaced from their homes…

Homes are being destroyed…

Farms are being covered…

At this point, I had a visual representation of what Burna described in that verse.

It also reminded me of the primary school rhyme…

Some have food but cannot eat

Some can eat but have not food

We have food and we can eat

Glory be to God on high

While I empathize with victims of these disasters. It's a reminder for me to be grateful at all times because these things are not predictable.

It is Mexico and Sudan today. It may be your place tomorrow. I mean, in Port Harcourt where I stay, black soot is a problem. It's just like Burna describes in the intro of Whiskey…

Port Harcourt resident, they are not breathing fresh air.

My people make una dey see am say, "Port Harcourt resident, they are not breathing fresh air".

So when you wake in the morning, you go cough. You go cough black soot.

In Lagos, Lekki always experiences bad flood that gets worse with each year. And many more instances.

As you read this, take some time to pray for the victims of disasters and spend more time to remain grateful.

Before you go, I want us to do a quick exercise on gratitude. Answer this question…

“What are you grateful for right now?”

Leave your answer in the comments!

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