The new Hiplife sensation to have joined the impeccable trade of music is Siddique Abubakah otherwise known as Old Sodja has arrived as the first born of the ace hiplife icon Castro D’ Destroyer. He was nurtured and groomed by him no wonder they have some similarity in their voices.
Talking to Weekly Fylla Old Sodja disclosed that his choice of seasoned artist on this debut album is to introduce him to big time showbiz as a singer and for a better exposure to enrich his singing capabilities and conventional rap style with traditional highlife choruses.
The songs on this album present Old Sodja as a unique hiplifer who want to go places with his talent. He sings about relationships in various situation and stage he find himself. No wonder he does well within the confined area of his jurisdiction. On one song you hear him singing indigenous highlife with Yaa Amponsah’s rhythm and beat, on another he launches into another dimension like rap in a manner that will attract the first timer to his songs to play over again.
One great asset of this album is the Castro’s factor. Like he said “we all started this way back in Takoradi so when I was able to break through I made it a point to assist those I started with especially the talented ones like Old Sodja who is like a brother to me. Watch out for Ras Kelly” he revealed. The theme of his songs is that of love and togetherness. He uses things that arise in our relationships to create or sing about it and at the wooing stage he normally indulges in the use of proverbs (one of his trade marks) and his ability to rhyme whiles singing is highly remarkable.
The album opens with ever-popular song of the moment Ade Dede (Sweet Things). It is in the mid tempo vein and slightly pick up the pace as the singing lines roll on…mafi wo ade dede, me ho woa na me bubu be.”(I have missed you, and if I see you I begin to rattle loosely…).
A purely sugar-quoted words and the women love to be pampered like that but when Okyeame Quame rolled in with, “..Ghana JZ mahyia me Beyouncy, me npe dede ono ni me fiancée…” was classic as Castro also join in to do his own thing with Sodja anchoring.
Brah is a highlife rendered in Yaa Amponsah’s rhythmic version. I think the singer decided to go “solo” in other to prove his critics that he can be his own man. The additional back ups by Yvonne otherwise known as She was a plus to the singer as she also complimented the effort by Old Sodja. I think it is a contributing factor to the catchy video, which is receiving good airplay.
He sings about forgiveness as he pleads with his lover to come back because he has missed her. Old Sodja uses a lot of proverbs to articulate his case, and one interesting thing he says is that a capon will definitely steps on its “child”, not with the intention of killing it… you dig it?
Another good song on the album is the one that he featured KK Fosu and Reggie Zippy, Yaa Boahenmaa. With the combination of good guitar and percussion works, the mid tempo song is a mixture of old and new lyrics which is common and catchy. In fact KK Fosu is a cross between the mid and fast tempo vein as he let go a smooth vocals to supplement the handy work of Appietus.
My Girl Friend is another good one from the repertoire of JQ with Castro doing his own thing with the Jama-Ryhthm and beat. In the song Old Sodja was surprised that his girlfriend who apparently not satisfied with him and decided to come back and seek for reconciliation but he said, “Something is making him laugh o…my girl friend want reconciliation…”
Whether true or imaginary get a copy and tell me what you heard. There are other good songs on the 9-track album, which will blow your mind. Tracks like Makoma, Odc, To Me Nyom and Obi Doba
Old Sodja need to be commended because as a young and new kid on the block he has done so well to captivate his listeners with such wonderful peace of work and he needs to be encouraged. His mastery of the Fante accent is a great asset to him taking his background as a Muslim did well to prove that he is a force to reckon with. Tom-Tom Music Production-UK produced the album and the cassette is out in your shops.
