Afro-dancehall music artiste, Patoranking, returns with a new track that captures the unfortunate death of a man identified as ‘Abobi.’
According to Pato’, Abobi is a victim of unforeseen circumstances in his community.
How did Abobi end up a victim? Patoranking narrates, “Soldier go, soldier come / Barrack no dey run / . . . / Na so them kill the innocent man / Innocent man get paddy man / Paddy man vex turn Taliban / Taliban run the whole town down.”
The picture painted by Patoranking depicts an insurgency that arose from a protest of the killing of an innocent man by military men which escalated to the deaths of several others, including Abobi.
Per Patoranking, Abobi’s death is a mystery, “Dem don kill Abobi eh (Don kill Abobi) / Na who kill Abobi? (Who kill Abobi?)”, he queries.
Now, Abobi’s death can be linked to three incidents: (1) fire, (2) civil riot, and (3) stampede.
Let us consider case (1) fire: “Rumuokoro don catch fire” caused by the killing of a man which transitions to case (2).
Case (2) points to civil riot: ”Last night I was walking on the road / When they shoot the man and shoot him tyre.” Patoranking speaks on the gruesome killing of a man in his car by soldiers (likely).
This killing infested unrest in the hearts of the civilians in that community, outraging them to engage in combat with the military, however, that did not end well for both party.
The singer painfully notes the climax of the event: “‘Nuff men dead under the sun.”
To the case (3) stampede: a show of unwarranted military force resulting in a civil riot is more than likely to cause helter-skelter in the community.
That unsettled rumbling might have caused a stampede resulting in the death of Abobi.
Patoranking’s narration continues: “From Rumola to Agidingbi / Everywhere just dey gidigidi / . . . / Mama sef dey gbimgbim / Papa sef dey gbimgbim.”
That unsettled rumbling might have caused a stampede resulting in the death of Abobi.
However Abobi might have died, it is clear his killing was untimely and undeserved.
Kel p handles the Afrobeat production of the 3-minute song.