Fola Amoo – “Jehovah Shamama” / “Bayethe Nkosi”

Fola Amoo – “Jehovah Shamama” / “Bayethe Nkosi” – Singles Review

A sixteen-minute long song is certainly a challenge to get people to listen to, but you have to admire the ambition of creating something so involved.  I mean, heck, you’ve probably heard EPs that are shorter than what you’ll find in Fola Amoo’s “Jehovah Shamama” – but don’t be intimidated by the length.  If you like your faith-based tunes, or you like cultural vibes – or you like both of those things and/or when they’re combined, I think you’ll dig the expression, soul, and sound that Amoo sings with.  Musically, this single is straight aces all the way – you can hear the professional touch and care that has been put into this song from performance to production, and if you’ve ever picked up an instrument yourself at some point in your life, believe me when I tell ya, you’ll certainly appreciate the sound of “Jehovah Shamama.”

Would it help if you were the religious type?  Probably, but I don’t think that’s necessarily required to enjoy listening to a song like “Jehovah Shamama.”  It couldn’t hurt – how about that?  Obviously the more of a faith-based background that you have, the more opportunity you’ll have to connect with the fundamental messages of what’s being communicated through Fola’s new single.  For someone that’s well outside of the religious community like I am personally, I still found plenty to enjoy about how a song like “Jehovah Shamama” was put together and performed.  Honestly, there’s a whole lot about this song that should genuinely leave you in awe.  Somewhere around the ten-minute mark, I looked up at the screen as I was streaming this single, somewhat bewildered by the fact that it was STILL GOING, and even more impressed with the fact that I wasn’t remotely bored.  That’s a definite testament to both the songwriting and the execution you’ll find at work here.  For context, I can’t even recall the last time I heard a song that would be over ten minutes long that wouldn’t have felt like it was repetitive, or just plain too much of one idea.  I’m mighty impressed by how much versatility there is in “Jehovah Shamama” and how a song of this magnitude can be pulled off with such consistency, focus, and great sound combined.  I mean, let’s be real here…to even record a song like “Jehovah Shamama” is a daring and daunting task – you’re practically asking everyone involved to play an entire set of music like you’ve been booked for a full concert, you know what I mean?  So to hear everything come out as entirely strong as it does from the music to the microphone is actually quite the treat to experience.  It’s certainly a moment to be proud of – if I was Fola Amoo, I’d be absolutely ecstatic about how this song came out in the end…the finished product sparkles and shines with their combined joy and commitment to their faith, and at the end of the day whether you’re religious or you’re not, you’ve gotta admire that.

While this particular version of the song has been fairly recently released, the history of Fola’s song “Jehovah Shamama” traces back even further, to what seems like at least three years ago from what I can see online.  In fact, if you’ve got the time, you should check out the short informational video she posted up about the song, where she’ll tell you about the meaning of “Jehovah Shamama,” which essentially translates to “God is there/God is present” according to what she had to say through her official posting.  It was actually really nice to see how Fola, aka Mrs. Folashade Amoo, connected with her work on a personal level…you can see she’s connected to her faith in an unbreakable way, and of course that’s all I’d ever hope for those out there that believe.  Is she going to convert people to religion with her efforts on “Jehovah Shamama?”  I’d probably be the last person to ask if I’m being truthful with ya, but I can’t imagine it’s impossible – the Lord works in mysterious ways, as they say.  All I can ever really tell you about is what sounds great – and I’d be the first to tell you that I really think Fola Amoo has a wonderfully natural & inspiring energy that translates brilliantly through her music.  Ultimately, I think we’d all be able to find a way to connect with the kind of sincere personality that she has in our own unique way, and if you like real character and culture combined in the music you listen to, then I certainly think you stand a great chance or really enjoying a song like “Jehovah Shamama,” even with it being as massive as it is.  Like…let’s be real here – you musicians out there, you know what a giant task it is to even create a song that’s two or three minutes long!  To think that Fola has gone on to create a cut that is at least five times that length, and pulled it off this exceptionally well…I mean…what else can be said?  You gotta figure that the Lord MUST be on her side if she can do that, right?  Not only is she clearly a highly talented singer herself, but she’s a genuine entertainer with the kind of relatable, down-to-earth qualities you want to cheer for.  She’s obviously surrounded by talent as well when you consider the quality of the instrumentation and musicianship alongside her, and even more when you take into account of what the production is like as well.  As in, what’s happening on the studio boards deserves a lot of credit for the end results as well, because “Jehovah Shamama,” simply sounds superb.

There’s a great lyric video of “Bayethe Nkosi” out there on the internet that you can watch from Fola’s channel, which once again highlights both the joy she feels in her faith and the sincerity that she sings about it with – I highly recommend you check that out.  For myself personally, I suppose I’d probably say there’s a little less of a broad-appeal in a track like “Bayethe Nkosi” if we’re talking about lyricism and all that…with less involved in the music, it’s a bit more reliant on finding its audience among the faith-based folks out there, know what I mean?  Don’t get me wrong, I think Fola does a great job, as does her featured guest TKEYZ as well – they’re clearly into the moment and what they’re singing about, and as a result of their pure enthusiasm and inspired performances, we get into it all along with’em.  All I’m saying is that in comparison to a tune like “Jehovah Shamama,” where there is something to listen to from the music to the microphone at all times, “Bayethe Nkosi” leans a lot more on the vocals & lyrics as the main star of the show, which ends up making the song itself a bit narrower in terms of its potential appeal.  Like, where you’ve got the instrumentation and musicianship of “Jehovah Shamama” playing almost like it’s an equal feature to complement Fola’s voice, when it comes to “Bayethe Nkosi,” it’s much more up to her and TKEYZ to lead the way and bring people in.  They’re more than capable of creating interest – no doubt about that at all – I’m just saying there’s a lot less backing them up in terms of the music itself on “Bayethe Nkosi.”  What we do hear from the guitar, keys, percussion, and bass – all that sounds good…like I said, don’t get my words twisted up – there’s just more space in a track like “Bayethe Nkosi,” I suppose that’s what I’m saying.  For those of us that were looking for the music to fill in the gaps to keep our interest fully engaged like we did on “Jehovah Shamama,” there’s just a bit less in the mix this time around to supply that – which puts more on the shoulders of Fola & TKEYZ to carry.  Being true professionals of the faith-based music community, they have no problem carrying that kind of weight – they know how to keep you entertained, and it’s really on large part of their passion being so truly genuine.  They love their God, and rightly so – I would again, only hope that any religious person would!  I consider the fact that they’re so willing to share that joy with others completely a good thing, even if I’m always going to be technically well outside of the faith-based community overall.  Like I tend to mention each time the subject comes up here, I was raised religiously, and I’ll always appreciate the values it taught me in terms of being respectful of others and doing the best I can to bring some joy to this world in what ways we can…so yeah…I still appreciate what Fola and TKEYZ are singing about, even if you’re not as likely to see me in church on a Sunday.  The real bottom line is that they’ve done both themselves, and their faith proud through the performance they’ve put into “Bayethe Nkosi” – you can feel the spirit surging between them, and their desire to pass that inspiration, love, and joy on to each and every one of you out there listening.  That’s admirable to say the very least!  They’re professional, they sound great together, and the mission they’re on to spread the gospel through the music they’re making is built on the purest intentions – I’ve got love & respect for them both, and their music as well.

Find out more about Fola Amoo from her official Facebook page at:  https://www.facebook.com/p/Fola-Amoo-100076013060805

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