Coming on the back of the success of his recently released album and first-of-its-kind art and music fusion experience The Evil Genius, Mr Eazi announces the exhilarating new video for fan-favorite Òròkórò featuring five-time Grammy Award winner and 2023 Polar Music Prize laureate Angélique Kidjo, and produced by Mr. Eazi’s longtime collaborator and fellow Grammy Award-winner Kel-P.
Recorded between Accra in Ghana, and Ouida in Kidjo’s home country Benin, and driven by lush guitar arrangements and percussion drums, Òròkórò is a glorious Afropop and global music offering that sees Mr. Eazi and Angélique Kidjo in a spiritual and grateful mood to kick off 2024, as they offer praises and thanksgiving to God emphatically. Relying on the emotiveness of their native Yoruba language, in which the song is largely performed, Mr Eazi and Angelique Kidjo masterfully encapsulate the essence of gratitude and divine blessings. As Mr. Eazi puts it about the song’s inspiration, “I can’t be quiet about what God has done for me, you can see the love God has shown me”.
For the captivating visuals for Òròkórò, Mr. Eazi and Angélique Kidjo have collaborated with filmmaker Thomas Leloup from French creative collective Minuit/Une to bring the track further to life. Filmed in the enchanting locales of Paris and Forêt de Fontainebleau, the video is a visual manifestation of a spiritual musical, seamlessly blending modernity with legacy. Offering a rich tapestry of spirituality and cultural heritage, the Òròkórò video intricately weaves a narrative of history and spirituality, drawing upon the aesthetics of West African traditional religion, and paying tribute to the significant historical site of Angélique Kidjo’s birthplace in Benin – a focal point for West African spiritual culture.
Mr Eazi has created a ceremonial spectacle for his Òròkórò video, reminiscent of a ritual, where music and dance intertwine in a profound celebration of heritage and artistry. The artistic direction is profoundly influenced by West African traditional religion and heavily references feminine warrior power. Throughout the video, Mr Eazi embodies a prophet sharing his message of thanksgiving, while Angélique Kidjo reigns as a queen symbolizing strength and resilience. The meticulous cinematography is a precise, painting-like composition that marries expressionism with a natural aesthetic. The result is a visually striking video that not only showcases the magnetism of Mr Eazi and Angélique Kidjo but also serves as a testament to the rich spiritual and cultural legacy of West Africa.