‘OSG’- On The Shoulders Of Giants Album: Tito Da.Fire Shares The Stories Behind Each Track To His Fans
In a couple of days, precisely Friday 23rd of September, 2022, the singer, composer, and lyricist, Tito Da.Fire will be introducing a new generation to his world of Global music with a touch of Afrobeats, and alternative, reggae and juju fusions through his intimate songwriting ability in his third album titled, “OSG” On The Shoulders Of Giants.
The talented artist shares the stories behind each song to the global audience.
Tito Da.Fire, who is known for his dexterity drew from his classically trained background to create a captivating symphony for all ages in the beautifully recorded 12-track album which is expected to drop on Friday.
In a track-by-track explanation, the music enthusiast takes his fans and listeners deep into his latest record with a concentrated breakdown of every song.
According to him, “This Album tells my compelling story of NIGHALI (Nigeria, Ghana, and Liberia) through Music. I coined that name as a metaphor for non-violent Pan-African liberation through Music, Cultural, and Economic Empowerment. It is themed around rising on “On the Shoulders Of Giants”, which is my rising through the Liberian Civil war, to Nigeria (my father’s birth Country) some went to Ghana, some went on to become wealthy, some like me, became one of the most Consistent Voices out of Nigeria, impacting over the past 25years, reaching million weekly. Importantly, the album reminds the culture that, while we all call out the oppressors, and their oppression, are we ourselves guilty of oppressing those around us?”
He continues, “That’s where “Elevation” comes in, that’s where the strength of the “African Woman”, comes to play. That’s where “Temple” speaks to our vanities, that’s how “I Come With Fire”, in the message, to put “Fire Inna Dancefloor, knowing that “One Day”, whether our birth was singly or under the drum rolls of “Abibeji” twins, nothing shall make us sing a “Breakup Anthem”, away from our dreams of victory and freedom, because we rest assured that our “Lifeguard” stands solidly, that no “Kokoro” can come close to “Me & U (winners)” in our generation, incited in spirit to move, positively, incited to the soles of our feet, to dance with the zest gathered from major thinkers who have left their marks, for us to rise – “On The Shoulders Of Giants – OSG!”
1. “African Woman”
‘“African Woman”, the first song off the album, with Bunmi Africa poetry, feels like Caramel toppings, and my son Ryan singing, is my kinda twilight, serenaded storytelling scene like I’m in “NTA Tales By Moonlight”. A honey-tongued tribute to where I came from, my mother, motherland, sisters, Africa, and beautiful and strong women globally, like Lupita Nyong’o, Queen mother Nana Yaa Asantewaa, Mother Victoria, Kamala Haris, Ngozi Chimamanda Adichie”, #AfricanWoman”.
2. “Elevation”
“The story of “Elevation” is about triumphs of the culture, of Afrobeats, about freedom from Neo-colonialism, it is also my call for peaceful revolution in “NIGHALI” (that’s Nigeria, Ghana, and Liberia, which are metaphors for non-violent Pan-African liberation) through Music and empowerment. We were wealthy, got broken by Civil wars, in Liberia, to Nigeria, Ghana, as Refugees, some of us became wealthy again…but while we all call out the oppressors, are we guilty of oppressing those around us? That’s where Elevation comes in, it incites the spirit to move, positively, incites your feet, to dance!”
3. “Kokoro”
“This song is the first single off OSG Album, it was my comeback from a break-up, from a hot breakfast, betrayal, and I’m saying “the ant or insect that eats the leaf, is on the leaf”. Kokoro is a warning, like a popular Nigerian slang called “Frenemies”, with me saying “your best friend could be your worst enemy, so shine your eyes” be street smart.”
4. “Lifeguard”
“You’re the angel God sent to me…when I was down you pull out of the waters, you’re my lifeguard”, those “Lifeguard” lyrics are very personal and spiritual to me, it’s me finding myself on a lone career and life ship at one time, and then connecting with Grammy winner Wouter Kellerman, just brought a timeless friendship, my love for South Africa grew with leaps, as we began to create timeless magic. After I produced “Lifeguard”, my producer Aizbag came to Lagos and we wrote the song. It is a symbol of our spiritual heritage with Jah, our Creator.
5. “Fire Inna Dancefloor”
“On this song, I drag you back onto the dance floor culture. I simply cannot drop a body of work where there aren’t tracks that demand you to shake your body, like fire on the dancefloor”, right in the middle range of the album.
6. “One Day”
‘“One day the sun will rise for your end, one day you go make am”. That’s a street anthem, it’s me saying, take it from me, you can make it, regardless of what society throws at your feet, cos I’ve walked that road. I remind you of giants like Fela, 2baba, Don Jazzy, and others who paved the way for Afrobeats to rise on the international stage and with it, the rise of the culture.”
7. “I Come With Fire”
“I’m roaring on this song, literally if you like. Over the 2-year period I recorded this album, I’ve got burnt in many ways, with waves of lofty highs and deep lows like “tears and blood” Fela” sang about, so what else is left to be afraid of? I had Producer Sharnor coming from Ajah, Marshall Bryant Mixing in LA, Aizbag coming from Owerri to Lagos, Olumix Mixing in Germany, Wouter sending in the flutes from Johannesburg, and Bill Hare in California Mastering, those were the highs of the album “let my burns turn to Gold, who Baba God don bless, nobody fit stop am”, is Tito Da.Fire speaking the truths of many, from a place of sincerity”.
8. “Breakup Anthem”
‘“Breakup Anthem starts with the soulful “It’s like me against the world, in this thing called love”. The song tells how hard it is, to not go through a dish of Breakup, or “breakfast” as it’s the common slang in West Africa. Plenty of times we feel we’re in the right, but the pain doesn’t care. Selma sings her heart out with me.”
9. “Abibeji”
‘“Abibeji” is a song about love, a song for walking down the aisle, it’s a lover singing to the love of his life. “my baby will give birth to twins¸ if God wills”. On the conceptualization of the song, I remember my grandfather who had a set of twins and how much of an impact it had on him, and so it struck with his family that twins are double blessings from God, which I tap into”.
10. “Temple”
“Temple hits you differently, like Bob Marley singing “Redemption Song”, or Buju Banton belting his heart on “Destiny” and Wyclef on Diallo”. This time I sang about Solomon, his vanities, and his way with women, and metaphorically to myself, cos I was named “Jedidiah” at birth, and that translates to “Solomon according to Biblical canon. I find myself levitating to the rhythm in this only reggae/soul ballad on the album. You should never forget that your body is a temple of the Highest God”.
11. “Me & U (Winners) feat. Selma & Ryan E. Peters”
“This song unearths a wealth of emotions from me, with Selma and my son. Some traditional households hoard love and praise, like hoarding fuel during scarcity. But I believe somebody needs to let you know that you’re a star, a winner, Somebody like me”.
12. “Nighali”
“This song re-echos how the album tells the compelling story of NIGHALI (Nigeria, Ghana, and Liberia) through Music. I coined that name as a metaphor for places my bloodline runs, having cultural significance to younger generations, to Nations. The music in the album calls for Global Empowering and Elevation through shared cultural knowledge and experiences gathered from major thinkers who have left their marks, for us to ride OSG (On The Shoulders Of Giants)”. This twelfth song on the album summarizes the message of Social Change, of freedom and of shared cultural knowledge that Tito Da.Fire stands for”.
