The Ambiguous Genius of “Dumebi”
When Rema’s “Dumebi” first graced our airwaves in 2019, no-one knew what he was saying. Some called it nonsense, some tagged it as “Indian”, others thought he was speaking some alien language. Bottom line is, no-one knew what he was saying-but they danced anyway. (In an interview with CNN five years later Rema would reveal that it was indeed gibberish with no meaning at all, but that’s not the point). The success of “Dumebi” represents the transcendent nature of Rema’s artistry, an instinctive command of melodies that do not need words to be understood. It is this perplexing, sometimes maddening genius that made Rema’s first single a global smash hit and has kept listeners in his thrall ever since.
The Rema EP-Rhapsodies of A Visionary
“Dumebi” served as the first single off the Rema EP, which expands on the newfangled Afrobeats prototype being pioneered by the Benin-bred prodigy. Rema’s self-titled debut record earned him his first #1 on the Nigerian Apple Music charts-the first of many. The intro track “Iron Man” -which ended up on Barack Obama’s Summer Playlist AND The Rolling Stone Best Songs list that year- boasted more of the mesmerizing and oftentimes inscrutable melodies that made the whole world stop and listen. “Why” took listeners back to more familiar territory, the emo trap sonics reminiscent of the viral car freestyles that propelled him into the limelight. The last song on the project “Corny“-produced by Ozedikus- is a dreamy Afrobeats track wrapped in silky vocal stylings.
While the melodies contained in this 4-track ensemble are often intricate and complex, the themes and lyrics are decidedly not, reflecting the unambiguous mind of a young teenage boy who loves superhero comics and girls. This delicate balance of seasoned ingenuity and disarming youthfulness was-and still is-the appeal of Rema.
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