More detailed description in story.
Abella Mobisson has been around boxing most of her life. Her father was a professional boxer turned boxing coach & owned a gym where she spent much of her pass time while growing up.
After the death of her father...
The band stops playing and the drum is hit one single time before it falls silent and dark again. That's the signal it's the end, but also the beginning. The audience knows what's about to happen when smoke creeps across the stage and the large screen goes red. The 20,000 people crowd of the sold out show shake the stadium from their screaming. This is Abella's second time performing for a crowd this big after Madison Square Garden. It also won't be her last throughout this tour..
Sons of Kemet which is a British jazz band begins playing the instrumental to the Chief's Daughter Intro on the Lotanna album. The four person group uses saxophone, clarinet, tuba, and two drummers to make their music which can be a mixture of jazz, Caribbean folk, and African music.
The fast African beat makes you feel like you're traveling through time with the soft yet powerful notes of two saxophones. The instrumental could be described as something played when being chased or even the entrance of someone royal. Adrenaline and anticipation.
It's the latter when Bèla is slowly being lifted into the middle of the stage. When her body's fully on the stage she raises one arm in the air with a fist and puts the other on her hip...
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If you thought the audience was loud before it's twice the volume as people scream. Some people are screaming so loud their throats hurt from the strain and some even cry. Anthony looks at his niece who stares at the stage with a twinkle in her eye.
There's a lot of young, Black girls just like Angel in the audience. Béla's demographic consisted of mostly women like her. Women who look at her as an inspiration and with admiration. Even though she doesn't want to be a role model because she makes mistakes, it's inevitable. She represents many women like her.
Abella stares at the sea of people taking it all in. It's still hitting her that she can even sell out legendary venues like this as headliner. This is her music, her art, her tour... The Naija to the World Tour.
Sons of Kemet starts playing again then the 20 piece band she recruited joins in creating an authentic live sound. She takes a deep breath raising the mic towards her mouth before singing.
The first line comes from the Igbo Landing, which was a mass suicide in 1803 by captive Igbo people. They refused to submit to slavery instead drowning themselves in a Georgia creek. The Igbo people were known for revolting and resisting slavery. This is what they sang as they walked into the creek.
She sings in Igbo then repeats it again in English..
Orimili Omambala bu anyi bia, Orimili Omambala ka anyi ga eji na
The water spirit brought us, the water spirit will take us home
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