Gabriel's Awesome 'Kokoro Ife' (Love Bug)

I usually don't do this on my blog but I think I'm going to start because I can't just ignore originality, creativity and good use of talent.

I've always seen Gabriel Afolayan as a fine young actor. The first time I ever saw him was on one of the series of Wale Adenuga's Super Story where he convincingly played a passionate lover boy of an older woman. His role there was so powerfully convincing that I marked him as a talent to watch out for.

And I wasn't disappointed.

Gabriel

In fact, if there was a Nigerian movie that had Gabriel featuring in it, I'm compelled to watch it. The guy definitely has his father's blood running strongly through him (His Dad was the late ace film maker Ade Afolayan aka 'Ade Love').

Now, we've seen as Nigerian actors and actresses dabbled into music and ended up disappointing us or just ended up making an azz out of themselves; something many of them shouldn't have gone anywhere near in the first place.

But Gabriel did not disappoint at all. His single titled 'Kokoro Ife' (Love Bug), is a beautiful soulful R&B love ballad rendered in both English and Yoruba (released sometime in April or March). From the song's lyrics one can deduce that it was carefully composed; it's rich and poetic. Gabriel renders the song in this soulful haunting voice that is reminiscent of originality akin to artistes like Asa and 9ice but still with its own identity. I never knew the dude had a voice that powerful.  




I also noticed that the song was sung all through in Gabriel's voice without the intrusion of the infamous auto-tuning effect that many 'fake' artistes use to hide the fact that they actually don't have good singing voice. This allowed the song to haunt its listeners strongly. Coming up with the tune for the song was no doubt real work because its not just linear singing; it plays out stretching out the melody creatively.

Even the video managed to capture the haunting nature of the song. Gabriel practically acted out the song in it; you could see his passionate lover boy skills at work in there.


Now I know that Dimeji Ajibola made a very good choice in starring him the recently premiered Nollywood musical thriller Hoodrush (This is a movie I might write about someday on this blog due to its attempt to explore something totally different in Nollywood)

I found my self playing the music repeatedly...and it's not easy to get me playing a song repeatedly!

This post is a tribute to Gabriel's originality. I'm proud of you man!


5 Screamer(s):

Atoke said...

I love the Gabriel too, the first time I saw him was in Tade Ogidan's Madam Dearest, that is one of the best yoruba movies, apart from Tunde Kelani's movies.

I sing Gabriel's song every time I hear it on radio.

Well done Afronut, my son is a few weeks older than your son! :-)

I just know he's a fine young man!!!!

My Mcdreamy in fact *love struck sighs*

Afronuts said...

@Atoke...I even forgot he appeared in those movies too though it was superstory that got me noticing the guy.Have you met my son? lol..you said that like you've met us in person. Yeah... Thanks for the comment!

@Fluffycutething...lol...I thought that's an engagement ring on ur finger already...Abi u want Gabriel too?

jhazmyn said...

I love his voice and the mellow nature of the song

i like him...he is wellspoken and I wonder he is often not featured in mainstream niaja movies..why??.

nice voice..