Tovido crafts an aspirational record on “Goal”

By Esomnofu Emmanuel

Tovido allies with the central themes of Nigerian pop. It’s an artistic ethos that weaves itself viscerally into his music, manifesting in a way that nods to the classic ideals of the genre. One such theme is aspiration, which he taps into on the record “Goal”. A mid-tempo affair, it uses sport imagery to propel its message: the relentless spirit of hustle.

Finding parallels with the blistering pace of iconic Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, he promises to “run / until he [reaches his] goal”. A fine idealism, that idea is advanced by the groovy production, which calls upon colourful percussion and a striking note played on loop.

These sonic choices work to bring alive the sentiment. It’s a symbiotic one—when life pushes one against the wall, the most natural reaction is to fight back, but to do that one must first situate their minds in a serene state. They must summon some colour into their lives in order to counter the bleakness of potential defeat.

Likewise does Tovido paint a progressive image. Even though aspiration is the thematic focus, the associative mood is one of a victory already secured, giving the record a rounded feel-good edge it benefits from. When he mentions the several people that’s helped him get to the top—mostly family, friends and business partners—it’s a much-appreciated look back at the humane fabric of his life, which in any case cannot be separated from his push to attain more.

Born Anthony Matthew Unah, Tovido hails from Benue State and is of Idoma descent. He studied in Kaduna state and resided there for a while, attaining a multicultural competence that has shone through in his music. So far, he’s put out two EPs, namely Life of a SUPERBOI and You Must Know Tovido (YMKT). The lead record “Goal” features on the self-titled Tovido, an impressive collection of nine tracks.