A personal perspective
On CriticallyspeaKing
by Ajayidami

Edaoto is a Yoruba noun that loosely translates to weird one, different kind or simply maverick. This is what Mr Agbeniyi is, he lays no claim to not being an outlier in the world of dread-locking wearing, guitar-wielding musicians. He has carefully cleared his path as a musician, carrying his influences around like the graffiti on his guitar with style, stark aplomb and effortless charisma.
Before he waxed a studio album, he had been gracing stages with his different kind of Afrobeat. His is an alloy of the big band orchestra laced with chirping of Yoruba folklore.

 His recipe is such that it seems Yoruba folklore was not initially part of the Afrobeat potpourri; he blends his seamlessly and makes it the rally point of his music. His music is sometimes conscious, often times rebellious, but at all times delightful. He has successfully stamped his insignia into his sound such that it is an abiding signature; perhaps this is why I find it needless for him to begin his album with a skit introducing himself as Edaoto—we knew that already!
The ingenious mature Afrobeat sound of Stand Up is next up; a wake up call for collaboration to fight the draconian arrangement that stifles our existence.

Afrobeat is successful when good music blends seamlessly with the message of rebellion, upheaval and a stirring of our collective social conscience. Edaoto and The Afrogenius Band achieves this most of the time.
The soft mushy issue of love is quite unusual in Afrobeat except one wants to use Lagbaja as a standard. Edaoto often writes love songs; might I just comment on his rather loose song-writing here which is reminiscent of Fela’s lyrical content—improvisation is the dominant language, but Edaoto typifies himself by deploring Yoruba as his lingua franca, that desire and assertion of an ethnic identity is rife in Edaoto’s consciousness. That said, Kajowapo is perhaps his most successful love song and the most unusual Afrobeat love song.
If rebellion and love are the first two tiers of Edaoto’s musical wardrobe, the last tier will be that of social advocacy. His music boils with societal issues and he finds an avenue in his lyrics to point out the salvation way like a moral compass. Listening to songs like Feni Foro and Maromikiri, one comes away with life lessons.
Edaoto’s music is a different and tasteful kind of Afrobeat that will travel beyond the scope of his expectation.