Mixed reactions have continued to trail the performance of pop singer, Bukola Elemide, famously known as Asa, at the transitioning ceremony of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPC, last week. The artiste, who performed in the presence of President Muhammadu Buhari and other top government officials was deemed by many to have been discourteous in her conduct and the choice of song she chose to sing.
Asa reportedly mounted the stage without observing any protocols. She neither greeted the president and the audience nor acknowledged them. No exchange of pleasantries or any show of friendliness. As if that wasn’t cold enough, her choice of song must have felt like a sword through the heart of the president and other leaders of the country present at the occasion.
She sang her hit single ‘Fire on the Mountain’, possibly sending a message to the president that all is not well in the country. The song is a sorrowful one that paints the picture of a failed society.
The first and second stanza
of the song goes thus:
There is fire on the mountain
And nobody seems to be on the run
Oh, there is fire on the mountaintop
And no one is a-runnin’
I wake up in the mornin’
Tell you what I see on my TV screen
I see the blood of an innocent child
And everybody’s watchin’
Immediately a hush silence descended over the crowd. Not only did Asa appear grim in her lyrical delivery, she also looked mournful in the black dress she decided to wear to the stage.
While many have questioned her intention having been paid huge amount of money for her service, others have applauded her for the guts to lay bare the problems of the nation before the president in the full glare of the world.
Social media afterwards became a beehive of reactions.
@MayorOfUyo commented, ‘Asa dropped a bomb at the NNPC Summit and walked out without being arrested.By singing FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN before the president, she didn’t abuse anyone, she didn’t criticize anyone. She spoke directly to their consciences with a song.Legendary doings.’
@Drpenking says ‘Asa was invited to sing at the NNPC re-launch with Buhari in attendance. Guess the song she chose to sing? ‘There is fire on the mountain.’ No one can convince me that this was not on purpose. I saw what you did there, our lovely sister. God bless you for passing the message.’
DanielRegha reasons, ‘Asa should have turned down the offer to perform at the NNPC in the presence of the APC elites, whether or not she’s using her song to send a msg is besides the point; What she did defeats the purpose of EndSARS. You don’t call out bad leaders then dine with ’em when it’s convenient.’
