Drizilik’s clarion call for all to Exodus
SIERRA LEONE, Freetown: “Our greatest enemy at times is our comfort zones, our complacency to move, and as a result, we frequently fail to achieve our full potentials, this is what ‘Exodus’ is all about,” Drizilik explains in this exclusive interview about his recent hit-making LP which was released on Wednesday 2Oth October, 2O21.
The title of the song is taken from Exodus, the second book of the Bible, a story about Moses summoned by Yahweh to deliver the Israelites from Egyptian bondage.
This biblical story was the inspiration for Bob Marley’s Exodus, and now Drizlik shows “renditions of three different eras.” The first was Moses’ need to move the Israelites away from the oppression they were experiencing; the second was Bob Marley’s cry to Exodus in his acclaimed hit song, at a time when blacks were being oppressed. Drizilik’s Exodus, however is a call for all to move mentally to unlock our potential.
The song is written with this premise in mind because it demonstrates that oppression is never eradicated.
“We all know the era we are living, where things aren’t easy for so many people, unfortunately so many people don’t have the answer. Some people don’t even know that the prison they are incarcerated in is not physical but mental. So this is a general message to all those looking for answers that at times you need to move mentally, see things differently and to move away from your comfort zone and seek new opportunities.,” Drizilik explains further.
The opening of the music video shows people running helter-skelter, but which leads them to Jericho in the end. “This visual artistry display depicts the calm; before the storm. At the beginning, the community is in peril. It gets to a point where I come along and tell them to move. So at the end, I am leading the people exiting Paradise resort in Nigeria where the video is shot.
“In a nutshell, the artistic message is that if you refuse to move, mentally and then physically, the hydrophobia in where you feel comfortable would never end.”
Drizlik goes on to say that Exodus is the result of a lot of careful observations.
“From the perspective of an entertainer who finds himself in a very chaotic industry, I realised that Sierra Leoneans aren’t where they should be. Surprisingly, most nations feel the same way, but the difference is that they are not complacent. New things are coming up every day and there are new levels you need to grow to. But the moment you feel comfortable, you are missing out on new things as we are living in a progressive world. If you fail to progress, it’s like swimming against the tides. So, yes, the theme is aptly used as a mirror to reflect the political landscape, the industry, the way we socialize and everything.”
He adds, “We need to change our mindset, do things differently in order to attain different result.”
Nudging his act to the next level, Drizlik moves from his conventional Afrobeats to Amapiano a hybrid of deep house, jazz and lounge music characterized by synths, airy pads and wide percussive basslines which originates from South Africa. The video is shot in Nigeria and directed by one of African’s best music video and creative directors- Dindu, while the lyrics are done in Krio. “The idea was to give diverse creative African elements so that the project will have a universal appeal, and that’s exactly what we’ve achieved.”
Adding further he notes, “the concept is to put into practice what you preach. I’m telling people to move from their comfort zones, so I need to take the lead by moving into something different. Hence I’m calling on all and sundry, whether you are a saint or a sinner, it’s time for Exodus.” OG/25/10/2021