“What a feeling” didn’t get me the girl – Beautiful Nubia
Segun Akinlolu, popularly known as Beautiful Nubia, is a songwriter and the band leader of the Roots Renaissance Band; the leading folk and roots group in Nigeria.
On Wednesday, the prolific songwriter who hails from Oyo-State shared the story of his widely-beloved song “What a Feeling” with his fans on X.
“Today, how about I tell you the story of What A Feeling! Yes, the song that many of you have used (and are still using) to “set the mood” or whatever you call it these days. That song has led to many strong marriages and families, but also likely many broken promises and hearts. Some of the boys are bad, not my fault!
As you may be aware, it’s a song in 3 parts: there is the main Yoruba verse; then an English chorus; and finally a Yoruba bridge. They were all written at different times, many years apart! It began in 1984. Yes, 1984!
I was 15 going on 16 at the time. Of course, it involved a girl – a pretty, brainy girl. My high school mate. It was about her but also not…(hard to explain). I don’t know what she thought of me but in my head she was the one! So this day, we were hanging out at school.
I was feeling “the feeling” and this sweet melody floated into my soul: Ara e ba mi gbo’ro kan o… It was so beautiful, I sang it all evening to myself. I knew it would be a hit song. But I also knew it wasn’t finished.
Fast-forward to 1994, 10 years later, I’m a young vet doctor driving home after a hard day’s job and suddenly I start singing the song. When I reach the end, these English lines burst into my head and they just fit perfectly:
Oh what a feeling burning me all up… Couldn’t wait to get home to write them down. The whole thing sounded much better, but it still needed something. I didn’t fret, I knew it would come.
5 years later, as the world held its breath counting down 1999 – scared for what the new millennium might bring – love was on my mind and one day, as expected, the final part, that Yoruba bridge came to me:
Ngo ma ba e lo ni oh ah… Now the song felt complete. I sang it to anyone who’d listen, to my various girlfriends who didn’t seem affected by it enough to want to “cleave unto” me. Maybe you have to do more than sing to win a woman’s heart. Lesson learnt.
Three years later I took my band into the studio to record the Jangbalajugbu album. We had rehearsed all the 13 songs for many weeks & were super ready. When we finished laying down What A Feeling!, we came out to hear the playback.
It was magic, it was beautiful! We all knew we had a winner on our hands right there. That high school love interest of mine at the start of this story, the initial inspiration for the song? Yes, I played the song for her on guitar in 1998, long before we recorded it.
She didn’t seem much impressed. All I got was a gentle smile & a friendly hug. The song didn’t get me the girl. But I’m glad it works for you all.”
Although “What a Feeling” didn’t get Beautiful Nubia the girl, the beautiful love song has helped many Nigerian men; especially Yoruba men warm the hearts of their love interests.
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