While in office either as the US Chief of Joint Staff or later on as the US Secretary of state, Colin Powell had always radiated the conservative aura of the Army general that he was, but yesterday he let his hair down.
It was the closing day of the Africa Rising festival, a festival designed to promote the cultural heritage of modern Africa which had opened in Lagos, been to Johannesburg before closing off in the Albert Hall in London.
Among the artist feature was one of Nigeria’s hottest acts Olu Maintain and it was inevitable that he would give a rendition of his chart topping but very controversial hit – Yahooozee – which critics have claimed glamourises the life style of internet scammers or as they are colloquially known in Nigeria “Yahoo Yahoo boys”.
Well as controversial as it is, it is still a good song and Powell must have found the beat so infectious that he somehow found himself on stage in his single breasted suit bopping away to the tune and at one point actually singing some lyrics from the song.
Maybe it was the atmosphere or maybe it was the language barrier (Yahoozee is a sung in Yoruba and Nigerian Pidgin English), but the sight of Colin Powell singing about what he would do with the money got from “hammering” a scam victim must have been one to behold.
Well here it is
As featured in the UK Times
As for Yahoozee you can judge the song for yourself...