Esho Of Safari Fame Celebrates Love In New Movie

Abbey Esho, a member of the musical group, ‘Safari’ is set to release a Yoruba home video entitled Korede Ke just as ‘Safari’ has finished recording a new single. NFC recalls that after the chart-topping E go Better and Yapa, ‘Safari’ made up of Esho and Mike Nliam has been out of the limelight. However, this is about to change as the group prepares to release its latest single entitled I ’m in Love while Esho also concludes arrangement for the distribution of Korede Ke which shoot he completed last year. In a chat with NFC, Esho described the movie featuring the likes of Tunji Sotimirin, Femi Brainard, Gabriel Afolayan, Iya Awero, Soji Taiwo (Omo Banke), Jibola Oredola and some up and coming talented artistes as special. “Korede Ke is a project that I hold dear to my heart because it is an encompassing project. I mean it’s not just about movie, it’s also about music because I recorded an eight-track album for the movie. Right now, the single titled Pa! Pa! Pa! is on air,” Esho said. Esho, who was director/consultant for Alex Osifo’s Heart Strings, a soap which will also soon start showing on TV disclosed that the flick has a multiple theme with a lesson for every member of the society. Korede Ke actually tells the story of a young man called Korede who comes to Lagos from Osogbo to be a motor mechanic apprentice under Oga Braimoh. Close to Korede’s workshop is Hotel Paradise, a popular hang out for prostitutes, where Iyabo, a beautiful young girl works as hairdresser. Korede and his friends usually hangout at the hotel to smoke, drink and patronize the women. Korede, who however does not womanize. (He is in fact a virgin) but smokes and drinks, eventually meets Iyabo, who Madam Terror, proprietress of the hotel has been trying to force into prostitution aside her duties as an hairdresser in the hotel’s saloon. A raid on the hotel by policemen in which Korede and Iyabo are arrested later affords Korede the opportunity of telling Iyabo his feelings. Korede then tells Jamiu and his other friends about Iyabo but they start making jest of him, saying he will need ‘experience’ to date a girl like Iyabo. They tell him a way to get the ‘experience’ is to sleep with a decent prostitute at the hotel so that Iyabo won’t make jest of him when they get down to it. Korede agrees. Iyabo who has finally succumbed to Madam Terror’s threat to become a prostitute or be sacked, meanwhile, is told a decent man will be arranged for her on her first outing as a prostitute. Needless to say, Korede turns out to be the decent patron. What happens next? That, and more, is what is contained in the flick Esho says will be released late February or early March. On why he recorded an album with the movie, Esho said, "whether I like it or not, my first love is music. And I can’t imagine myself shooting a movie of this magnitude without music. I just felt there is a lot of room for music in the movie so I took the challenge. And it was quite challenging, very challenging. It’s a project I ’ve been on for almost seven months now. I know how much is involved, it’s not been easy. “Like I said, music is my first love and I think I would be doing myself and the movie a disservice if I refuse to record an album for the movie. So, it’s all part of the artistic expression that is me. I felt I needed to express myself in every way; as a director, musician and producer”. Interestingly, all the eight tracks of the album featuring musicians like Baba Dee, X-Project, Lizzy Berger and Chris Okoro, are in Yoruba. Why is this so? “The movie is Yoruba and although it is sub-titled, I believe music has no language. I ’m just out to express myself musically and I have no regret,” Esho said.