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JAMMING GIG AT JUMMY'S HIDE-OUT |
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Describe the atmosphere and live music at a local pub, restaurant, festival, church or temple, club night.... inspire other people to check it out!
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Venue: Jummy's Hide-Out, Africab Kitchen
Music: Nigerian/ Afro-beat
Location: 275 Neasden Lane, London NW10
Tel: 020 8452 0440
Reviewer: Oliver Oguntade
 ÌýÌýListen to a track by Dele Sosimi called Phaze 2 (What Next?) from the album Turbulent Times. (Eko Star Music 003)
Then six shady men took over the bar - the legendary bad boys' corner. They argued, shared beer and talked about the women. One man called another Miliki which translates as 'merriment'. Dele roused his group into another Fela classic: 'Fela jeisu ko saun-wo.' (Fela ate yam, he don't pay). The entire joint responded with a randier take on the tune - 'Fela took a prostitute, he wouldn't pay'. Dele replied with 'Woman hold Breasts'. This sexually-charged Fela number describes a female running down the street of Lagos holding on to her breasts. The tune ends, 'She doesn't hold the breast because it will fall off, but because of the beauty of the action of holding.' Then the lyrics are repeated in Lagos English, Yoruba and finally in a Ghanaian dialect - a very laddish tune!
A Nigerian woman explained the lyrics to her fair skinned West Indian friend. The women smiled as the men were clearly enjoying this celebration of female sexuality. In burst four black men, dressed in trendy African styles. 'They look good enough to eat,' the fair-skinned woman whispered to her friend.
Afro-beat, like calypso, employs sexually explicit and impromptu lyrics which play on the female anatomy and sultry sexuality to capture the audience. Dele joked with the audience as Justin, another instrumentalist joined the band. A lady said she enjoyed his performance. Dele asked if it had any thing to do with Justin's instrument which goes in-out, in-out, in-out. The tempos changed to a faster in-out beat and the audience roared.
Revellers of all races - Irish, British and Mediterranean - drift into Jummy's once the local late bars close. Among them enters Gerry, the tall Indian regular accompanied by his showy white lady, flaunting her long legs. To much hilarity, Gerry assumed his usual position in front of Dele and played the conductor. Then he danced yogic-style, contorting his hands around the bottles on the bar. Next in, two Irish men and their Irish dolls, looking lost and scared among the black faces. Already well-tanked, they braved the crowd and made their way to the bar.
Dele welcomed this crowd with another Fela tune, 'He miss road, oh yes . . . he miss road. Don't come my way'. The Irish couples paid homage to the band, bolstered by the sight of white guy, Linus, on stage. More announcements and Mr.B. locked the main entrance and turned the show into a 'lock in'. The neighbours have complained about us,' shouted Dele, 'they say too much noise and merriment. We come from the land of the free, where the bar is open as long as you've cash to spend. We'll live by their law but we can do a lock-in.'
Fela is part of the cultural pride of Nigeria, an African Bob Marley. A man at the bar took a small metal opener to a bottle and tapped out a slow Komkomo tune, in his own way, encouraged in African style by Dele. When it comes to music in Africa, everyone's invited to take part because it's a celebration of life, art, birth, death, harvest, God, grace - everything that is beautiful.
Dele's piano introduced 'Eyo', the tune that's at the heart of 'Eyo', the famous Lagos island masquerade of white. It's celebrated once every five years and pays homage to the gods of Yoruba-land. Fela's music is credited for incorporating Nigerian cult folk tunes like 'Eyo' and they're embedded deep in the psyche of the black diaspora world-wide.
The show rolled to an end with a Fela medley as Dele whispered in true Fela tradition. The audience called for more tunes. He whispered once more into his mic, 'Everybody say yeah . . . yeah . . . '
See also: Shrine at Cargo
Visit Dele Sosimi's website:
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Your reviews:
 'Jummy plays like a Lagos joint...'
  'not even the organiser, knows what's on the programme'
 'This is where you'll drink your post-demo pints...'
 '...break dancing, body popping, karate chopping...'
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