MP3 DOWNLOAD: Dice Ailes – Towa. The humid Lagos air clung to me like a second skin, heavy and relentless. I was crammed into a danfo bus, the usual symphony of shouting conductors, blaring horns, and the rhythmic bump and grind of the engine a familiar background score. My phone battery was dying, clinging to the last sliver of life. Desperate for any distraction, I scrolled through my downloaded music, a mixed bag of afrobeats, alternative rock, and the occasional guilty pleasure pop song.
That’s when I saw “it—Dice Ailes—Towa.” Someone had recommended it to me weeks ago, and it had languished in my offline playlist ever since. “Why not?” I muttered to myself, tapping the play button with a sigh.
The opening chords washed over me, a smooth, almost velvety blend of sounds. It wasn’t the hard-hitting, high-energy afrobeats I was used to. This was different. There was a playful lightness to the melody, a hypnotic groove that slowly seeped into my bones.
Dice Ailes’ voice, when it came, was surprisingly gentle, yet confident. I didn’t understand a single word of Yoruba, but I felt the emotion in his voice, the yearning, the playful teasing. The music painted a picture in my mind: balmy nights, laughter echoing in the air, the intoxicating scent of suya grilling on the streets.
The danfo, usually a source of annoyance, faded into the background. The shouting conductor became a distant hum, and the blaring horns mere punctuation in the song’s rhythm. I closed my eyes, letting the music transport me.
I imagined myself on a rooftop, overlooking the glittering sprawl of Lagos at night. The air was cool, carrying the faint scent of the ocean. I was dancing, not with frantic energy but with a slow, sensual sway, lost in the moment, connected to the music, connected to the city.
The song built gradually, adding layers of sound, more complex rhythms, and a subtle undercurrent of percussion that made my feet tap involuntarily. The beat was infectious, impossible to resist. Even the grumpy woman next to me, usually scowling at everything, seemed to be tapping her foot subtly along.
As the song reached its peak, the energy in the bus seemed to shift. The air felt lighter, less oppressive. The noise faded, replaced by a collective, unspoken appreciation. For a few glorious minutes, we were all united by the music, by the shared experience of being transported away from the dusty roads and the relentless chaos.
Then, just as suddenly as it began, the song ended. I opened my eyes, blinking in the harsh sunlight. The danfo lurched forward, jolting me back to reality. The magic was gone, but the feeling lingered.
I pulled out my headphones, a small smile playing on my lips. “Towa.” It wasn’t just a song; it was a fleeting escape, a glimpse into a different world, a moment of peace in the heart of Lagos.
My phone battery finally gave up the ghost, plunging the screen into darkness. But it didn’t matter. I had “Towa” playing on repeat in my head, a reminder that even in the most chaotic of places, beauty and connection could be found, waiting to be discovered, one song at a time. From then on, Dice Ailes became the soundtrack to my Lagos experience, a constant reminder of that first magical ride in the danfo, transformed by the power of music.
Listen and enjoy Dice Ailes – Towa below!
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