‘Oga Dey Chop’ - Sidney explains

Hiplife artiste, Sidney said sometime ago that he wants to be referred to more as Barima but anyone who has had ears for his music over the last few years would consent that a more appropriate name for him would be ‘Mr Controversy.’

Some controversy ensued recently over the origin of the chorus in the Africa Money song on his latest Barima Bii Ba album but the 31-year-old artiste wants the attention to be rather on the important message in the song.

“It is about corruption. Anytime you mention that word, most people think about politicians but the reference is not to them alone. There is always some ‘oga’ somewhere at home, in the church, workplace or community ‘chopping’ money. So corruption is present in every aspect of our lives.” Watch Video: Africa Money by Sidney feat Morris Babyface

Sidney started the Nananom hiplife group around 1997 but it disintegrated and he went solo, recording Tinana (2001), Apuskeleke (2002), Scent Noo (2003) and Obiaa Nye Obiaa (2005). Barima Bii Ba containing Africa Money and 11 other songs came out early this year.

“I didn’t have Ghana alone in mind when I was recording the song. I was talking about Africa in general that is why there is reference to Africa money and not Ghana money. It is all about how we can brigde the gap between the rich and the poor. We are endowed with so much natural resources yet our leaders still go out there to borrow money to develop the continent.”

Sidney says he is not very much given to singing about love. He rather prefers to bluntly tackle the little things in society that people are not comfortable talking about. That obviously includes scents.

His Scent Noo hit found favour with some politicians when it came out and Africa Money appears to be going down a similar route.

Sidney says he is not surprised people are reading all sorts of meaning into the Africa Money song, adding “that’s what they usually do to my songs. I have learnt to accept these situations as they come.”

Unlike Scent Noo which Sidney officially allowed a party to use as a campaign song, he has resolved this time not to officially give over African Money to any political party for its campaign in the December election no matter how much money is on the table.

“I made some money from releasing Scent Noo to a party but my fans got divided on that. I heard some people even refused to dance to it at a party because a particular party they did not belong to was using it to campaign.

There are people across the political divide now who are hustling and not happy with some ‘oga’ who is ‘chopping nyafu nyafu, fuka fuka’ somewhere. I simply want all who like the song to enjoy it no matter where they belong. I don’t want to be seen as being on this party or that party’s side.”

The song itself borrows heavily, in terms of rhythm, from Ivorian star, Jeff Bogolobogo’s Alhaji song. According to Sidney, he decided to sing in English and utilise Francophone rhythms as a way of getting the song patronised in French-speaking Africa as well.

Sidney stayed in Takoradi where Cote D’Ivoire, Mali, Benin and Nigeria teams and their supporters were hosted during the recent Cup of Africa Nations Ghana 2008 tournament.

Reactions of citizens from those countries to African Money convinced him that it is more convenient to start seeking stardom from home before looking to Europe and elsewhere.

“I believe if we want to go international, we must start from African countries. Feedback from Liberia, Sierra Leone, Benin, Cote D’Ivoire, Nigeria, Togo and other places in Africa where the African Money has been released indicate that people like the lyrics and the rhythm of the song. That makes me happy.”

Sidney has, however, not been happy about people whom he says are misinforming the public about how he came by the chorus in African Money. He said it was a joint effort by him and a young artiste called Kakalika and that collaboration is also featured on the Barima Bii Ba album.

“I decided to include my own rendition of it on the album and that is what has caught on. There’s much more to a song than just the chorus so I do not understand all the furore about ‘stealing’ somebody’s work,” Sidney stated.