Lumiegee’s “Yehba” Weaves Together Love, Groove, and Energy

By Emmanuel Daraloye

In Afrobeats and other similar genres, the term “Yehba” is a hype expression, especially in the Nigerian context. At times, it has a response, “Yebo.” This latter word is a Southern African word that specifically originates from Zulu, and it means “yes” in an affirmative way. In Africa generally, these words are immersed in the energy of the groove and ecstatic feelings. Lumiegee on “Yehba” drives onto the path of another context. Here, he lets out the depth of his love and even adds some pleas.

It starts with the sound of a saxophone, and accompanying it in this intro are the slashes of the hi-hats, the piano chords, and some ad-libs. At about the 0:29 mark, his line, “The way you dey rock e dey burst my head…” cuts in abruptly, and Lumigee starts to profess his feelings. The song, “Yehba,” a musical art under the Afro-fusion genre, is a single that does not just stay as an expression of love but also a test of Lumiegee’s musicality. His voice and energy match the lyrics of his mouth. The tempo is moderate, and his mood is not sombre, but his show of love is jovial, even while it shows how much he loves his lover.

Lumiegee, born Olumide D’Goke A.A., is a Nigerian but a UK-based artist who blends his sounds on this song, likewise his culture and specifically his language. “Omo toh shan toh set…” These Yoruba words with his pidgin, “Every other day na you…” are code-mixing. This is one of the techniques popularly used by African artists, especially in Nigeria. Lumiegee, with his vocals, hit notes at the right timing and also with style. However, he should have improved on his lyrics and given more words to his context of the coinage “Yehba” even while it is understandable that the song thrives on vibes. Also, he could work on his “Yehba Yehba Yehba… Ye” in the chorus. While those words are part of the plan, he should have added more lines to the chorus to complement his verses.

The song “Yehba” has a simple but creative production. The gentle intro and the blend of the instruments, like the leading sax with the chords, the shakers, and a type of African percussion, contribute to the song’s flow and also the Afrofusion space. The accompaniment of the bass at the 0:17 mark of the song and how it syncs well with other sounds, especially the kick at the 0:28 mark, shows the producer’s experience in music production. However, there could have been an addition to African percussion used and also made to sync with other sounds at volume level.

Lumiegee’s structure of the song makes it easy for his listeners to sing along, and remember, especially the rhythm and harmony in his chorus. He follows the intro-verse-chorus-verse-chorus pattern which is aided also by his simple choice of words, and rhymes. This pattern is simple but could have been changed at some intervals to avoid being boring. There could have been a bridge that employs more musical instruments or a total sway away from the rhythm to create some different kind of energy.

“Yehba” by Lumiegee is an addition to the Afrofusion genre. The track contributes to the culture with the infusion of the Yoruba language, Nigerian pidgin, African percussion, and styles. While he chooses a minimalistic pattern, he could add more African percussion to complement its style. His chorus portrays his vibes, but that repetition alone could have been added to, and likewise his structure, which could have some dynamic patterns to avoid being too monotonous. Lumiegee keeps evolving even with his decade in the industry.