Jembe is admiring his stock of cassette tapes. He is a songwriter who also sings and plays the piano. In the daytime, he is a clerical officer at a government agency. At night he performs at the local night club.
His taste in music is for Jazz and Blues although he has an eclectic collection of music genres. A collection of eight years, including the ones he inherited from his dad, a former school teacher.
In preparation for his next gig this weekend, Jembe decides to listen to his favorite jazz album, "Give me Magic". He opens his wardrobe to reveal a six-feet high stash of tapes. He rapidly locates the desired one then scuttles to the cassette player to insert the tape. The player is the dual loader type. It can take two tapes at a time. It was a gift from his office when he was the employee of the month twice consecutively.
Jembe pushes the button to open the tape loader, slots the tape in then closes the jacket. He pushes the play button. The player motor spins but the something is not right. He pushes again. There is a few seconds of silence except for the sound of the tape rolling. The music starts with the bassline fading in. the bass melody continues then is articulately joined by percussions, cymbals, high hats, kicks. It's his favorite so he hums along while seated in the armchair next to his bed.
The rhythm guitar enters after about four repetitions of varying transitions of the bassline and the percussions. Mellifluous melody is now booming from his wooden speakers. Jembe hums along, tapping his feet in step with the drum kicks, his eyes bright with excitement and admiration of the beauty of the musical arrangement.
Suddenly, the speakers are silent. A squeezing, unpleasant noise is the next sound from the player. No more music but the tape keeps rolling. Jembe lets out a frustrated sigh. The player has wrinkled his tape, again. He hurries down to the player to stop it from playing the tape further before it snaps the tape.
Two weeks earlier, his Juju tape was snapped when a similar creasing of the tape occurred. That time he had friends over who were enjoying drinks with him and discussing his performance at the club on the previous night. Tade, one of the friends, suggested using sellotape to mend the broken tape. It worked but the music on the section was lost on both sides of the tape.
This time jembe successfully extricated the tape from the player unsnapped. He smooths out the tape then tries to continue playing it. After five brilliant tracks, he walks over to the player to turn the cassette around to side B and continue listening to the remaining five songs. While the third song on side B, "Little Wonder", is playing, the already familiar squeal and screeching of tape is heard from the player. On pulling out the cassette, the tape had snapped. "Oooh!" exclaims Jembe and hisses loudly.
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Omoy
Omoy
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