Money lands Mega 99 in trouble with bus conductor

At a time that Nigerian musicianss are breaking regional boundaries with impressive productions, even gospel singers cannot afford to remain on the same spot. Gospel juju act, Mega 99, seems to have realised this fact, as evident in the quality exuded by the video of his new album, Money.

Directed by Dare Saka, the video that hit the air about a month ago combines drama with music in a way that will appeal to many people from different tribes and races.

While pictures help in breaking barriers of the language in which a song is rendered, the artiste, whose real name is Abel Dosunmu, further universalises the work by subtitling the songs. It is a smart way of selling oneself beyond one’s immediate linguistic community.

The story of the video centres on an unemployed middle-age man – acted by Mega 99 himself – who passes through various ordeals while looking for succour in the form of a job and people that will smile on his destiny. He is victimised in offices where he struggles to get a job despite no-vacancy notices he would have seen outside.

He is seen eating raw bread in the street, while his wife and children also languish in hunger. One of the episodes brings to view what some passengers of the popular Mercedes 911, otherwise known as Molue, face when they fail to pay transport fares.

The conductor of a bus he boards during his search for solution removes his belt, leaving the wretched guy to hold his trousers with his hand.

But part of what makes the video exciting is the fact that the scenes of the protagonists’ ordeals are juxtaposed with those that depict the affluence he is dreaming of.

The cool but moving beat of the track, coupled with very artistic costume and dance steps, also contribute to the success of the video which the artiste himself describes as his best.

He says, “We took our time. We are also lucky to have worked with a director that has good ideas and insisted on a certain standard. At the end of the day, everyone is happy, including my fans who have been commending me.”

Perhaps the only low point in the video may be the fact that there ought to have been some close-up shots on the jobless man’s wife, as the emotions she brings out would have enriched the drama.

Although, as the title suggests, Money is a celebration of the power and beauty of money, the songs acknowledge the goodness of God, just as the artiste preaches that no condition is permanent while everyone should believe in change – for better.

Mega 99 also returns to the juju trademark when, in another segment of the album, pays a tribute to Lagos Country Club, praise-singing some of its leaders.