The Song 'If We Must Die', What's It About?

All right, so, I have a song "If We Must Die" that I have just recorded and I want to release now on Ditto Music. I wrote this song in 1987, March and I feel so honored privileged by God to be able to sing it after so many years. I can now better understand the philosophy behind the song and I can reach deep for the appropriate emotions to express the song. I worked on this song with Smyl Ufuomah Ebah, my newfound friend for quite a while now, about 3 years. I met him one night while I was driving a cab, night cab and we were chatting I found out he was a producer and though I was a cab driver he didn't doubt when I said I was a musician. That night a number of things happened that drew us close and we subsequently met in daytime afterwards. He was the accompanying guitarist in my song "Been long" on my YouTube Channel.

Therefore, about this song "If We Must Die", I've been asked what made me write the song. Well, the major thing I remember is that I was 24 when I wrote the song, and it registers something to me that at that age I had already come to a perception of life in that light that made me write the song. Life has given me many opportunities to experience it through a lot of stuff and  I really cannot say what exactly it was that opened the door to the song for me, still I guess it was a phase in my efforts to make my dreams happen, thanks to the country I live in. The song appears to have found its relevance in these times for what the whole world is going through right now. Speaking of the pandemic of coronavirus, the never ending attempt to entrench a new world order, racism highlighted in various places in spite of all the advancement made by  every member of the human race at this point in time, bad governance in many countries all over the world including mine, Nigeria. All of these make it so relevant a song that really, if we're going to die why do we cry, why not go all out and reach for the heights, why be afraid of anything? I mean, if you are saving your life you are not going to keep it, one day you are going to let go of it. Therefore, the song says through the years of our lives we continue to struggle to hold up our heads, you know and then life should be more interesting than just moving, struggling to live. And the end of it all is that through the years of our lives it will seem that all these struggles and days of worries and anxieties will be all that we have had and before you know it time keeps ticking, keeps moving, taking us home.

Many people died in this 2020 under mysterious circumstances blamed on the pandemic.
Those of us remaining we still work like we want to get back to the way things used to be, of course it can't be. Much to my pain, some people say of new normal as if it is in their hands to determine what new normal is to be. The Earth, the world, the elements have already determined what is normal. Those who think they ran the previous normal should not take it upon them to come and tell us what the new normal is. Seems the reality is that everybody is starting on ground zero, level zero and nobody can take it upon himself or herself to tell us that they know how to proceed better than others do. They want to lead the way; they want to herd the rest of us as before the collapse of the recent past system. Those who have run roughshod on humanity in the previous normal, people like those who had systems that we all used, they do not want to be satisfied with just having things go their way. They want now to be seeing themselves as Emperors and Lords of the human race by proposing to microchip everyone even in the brains. Unfortunately, it is a bad thing you, know. It is bad; a human being should not forget that bottom line he is still a human being no matter how well things have turned out for him or her. They should not arrogate to themselves status of being better than others are. Last time I checked I have not sold myself over to any other person, nor did I make such an offer to sell. Therefore, they are rich in their own pockets alone. If they see themselves as being too big to share this Earth with the rest of us as God naturally designed it, they should migrate to some other planets where they can be science freaks all they want. After all, their excesses in tampering with nature are what always cause problem for all of us God's contented humans.

 Therefore, "If We Must Die" is a song that says look, come on, let go of your restraints, fears, and conservatism; come on out, come out into the sun, breathe the fresh air, and take on life. I tell my kids, look I have found out in my life that when you step out, God steps out with you. On anything that you are bold enough to stand for, God will stand with you. However, if you are hiding in the shade, God will not be with you there. I know that the bold, God is excited about his people that are bold.

Therefore, ultimately we are all going to die, even if we are going to resurrect, we must die first. Come then let us live this life to the fullest, let us not let anybody who may want to make it his duty in life to put people down, let us not give them the joy of thinking they succeeded. Through it all, as we always say, let us stand.

 Let us make it, let us make it a glorious life for this too shall pass away!


Thanks.  My song, enjoy it and listen, go for it because you need it to run with in the days ahead. You need it to keep hoping, believing, and not allowing yourself to be beat down by situation of things.

 To life, let us make a toast!

#IfWeMustDie #WindieStorm #Ohimiri #CinderellaMoment

Joyful News by Windie-Storm Ohimiri

Here Comes the Nightfall again

Here Comes the Nightfall Again

Uh, it is nightfall yet again

And it feels calm like in a storm

Seven rain-less seasons came and went

Now the cattle and grains are all gone

Tomorrow another war will pointlessly break

Casting a shadow all over the earth

The young men now grow up with guns

While the women increasingly walk the streets

Oh, here comes the nightfall again

It is nightfall and we are yet to gain

Here comes the nightfall in the land

It looks to be for long bearing pain

The sages have all gone

The stories fully told

Sun from its height has fallen down

The counting is up!

Break down of order is here

As justice is sold to the guilty

See the entire mind evading the light

Oh, this darkness is deep as death!

(Courtesy Windie-Storm Songs).

(Picture courtesy Horror DNA)

Do Not Cry Yet For Majek!

@Jimi Disu updated listeners on the health situation of Majek Fashek on his Tuesday morning radio talk show of Lagos Talks FM 91.3. Over the weekend, Jimi had discovered via a YouTube post that Majek was not doing so well. He expressed sadness that the very gifted Majek Fashek missed making the one stroke, the next one strike that could have seen him stepping into the twin-shoes of iconic Bob Marley and Fela Anikulapo Kuti.

As one who met Majek in passing, I think that he has done very well for himself considering the stifling Nigerian operating environment. Majek escaped with dignity the strangulation of creativity and hope on his own terms. He beat Babylon and that is a huge accomplishment. Even though it now seems not to have lasted for long, he made it in the life he wanted to live. I agree with Bob Marley though that every man ultimately decides the destiny they want. Everywhere in the world, it is usually a person’s ability to manage success and the inner stamina that developed from all the stuff that life has thrown at us that enable us to survive the deception of success.

I met Majek Fashek back in time in their Jah Stix rehearsal kiosk on a dusty Ojota street. I don’t quite remember what took me there, but it must have been during my search for a place to record an A and R demo of my songs with at least a 4-piece band. At that time there was Majek himself, Black Rice, Amos McRoy and a Yoruba young man on keys who soon after I met them took off to Germany. They were hooked on Reggae while I wrote Soul. However, remember that musicians always evolve, so they can always hash-up any popular genre for a fee. I learnt that they had come down to Lagos from Benin. He later found himself in the favor of the late Chief G A D Tabansi playing A&R demos for his Tabansi Records at Oregun Road. I would say that it was from that close interaction that Majek was eventually able to please the shrewd old man with the Prisoner of Conscience album songs, the album that finally announced Majek to Nigeria and the world, without the Jah Stix brethren.

Chief Tabansi did not, on the other hand fulfill the contract his record company went into with me. My ears were full of tales of many works recorded by artistes that the man just would not let see the light of day. Therefore, after signing our recording deal, I requested him to promise to release my works. He said, ‘you want guarantees?’ I said I did. He told me bluntly that he did not give guarantees. We parted ways at that, even though we tried a number of times to work out something. It would now seem that the man and I were destined to never agree.

I would say that Majek made it well above the opportunities, which were available to a musician at that time, but you see it is not good for a musician to be alone, all alone. Especially when surrounded by the wrong people, one is still more alone then.

An admiring crowd is only useful for hyping, nothing else. If you mismanaged your affairs, they would soon be stoning you, they who not long ago thronged after you!

I was sad for Majek when I heard of his mother’s passing. One can only do so much, and go so far alone. I salute you my brother, Majek Fashek. I have come to know that we do not die in the way we perceive transition. When our body fails to continue to function to support our activities on this sphere our spirit flows back to its source.

If we can quickly find a means to revitalize Majek’s body to continue to support him his spirit will hang on for long yet. So, do not cry yet for Majek Fashek. Lets restore his body fast while we still can.  

Don't Take Your Love To Town

The Cross

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFRtc7H220U

My children Amara, Ebube and Nmeri having a good time singing my song The Cross with me.

'Been Long - Windie Storm