Skales Pays Homage to Nigerian Culture in the New “Jogo” Video
Afrobeats mainstay Skales wants his new visuals to reflect the power of music to unite.
Skales in the music video for “Jogo.”
The story of Afrobeats is incomplete without Skales. Making his entry into the scene before the 2010s, the Nigerian star has consistently offered high-octane music. It’s that ability to spot a unique rhythm that has kept Skales relevant in the game more than a decade after his initial blow.
On the singer’s latest single, “Jogo,” Skales parlays his experience with bops into an utterly enjoyable experience. Amidst chants from backing singers, Skales coasts on the wings of the good life, asking to be allowed to flex. It’s incredibly musical and bursting with local influences, however, the musician also reps his hip-hop roots, adapting a zesty flow mid-song that oscillates between singing and actual rapping.
Produced by Killertunes, whose own resume includes a lot of vibrant records, it’s a song that blends colorful percussion with swelling piano notes, undercharging Skales’ theme of living life to the fullest. It’s a message the singer has reiterated through his biggest songs, from “Shake Body” to the tracks on Healing Process, his introspective 2020 project.
The Stanz Visuals-directed video for “Jogo” ties into this overarching vision, a cultural effort that results in enthralling montages bursting with activity. Fusing aspects of Hausa and Yoruba culture, the Kaduna-born artist gives an artistic nod to the places that have raised him, a worthy son of their effervescence.
“Everyone knows the power of music to bring people together,” says the artist in a press statement, “and that’s what I want this video to do. I’m someone that has spent a significant portion of my life in the north of Nigeria and now I live in Lagos, so I have been exposed to these cultures and they’re very much a part of who I am as a person and an artist. It’s amazing to be able to pay homage like this and still pass the message of finding joy — that’s a very important part of why I make music.”
Watch the video for “Jogo” below.
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