Soul comfort during this Pandemic

Bob Marley - Three little Birds

This song is actually one of my favorite songs and it really has helped me over the last two months and dealing with this Pandemic away from home and far from my family. As an native from another land, it has been pretty hard coping with stress, anxiety, and mixed emotions that geared up under my sleeves every time I come across news in the media and as much as earlier it wasn't about my country, I was always worried because I knew some way the virus would have entered Liberia cause we are open to travel and tourism. One will think it is the fear of the COVID-19 resonating in my country, but actually it is because I feared the blow my country was going to be faced with. Fast forward, Liberia became one of the corona zones; my stress level went up. I couldn't get myself to think straight or about anything positive much. I couldn't get myself to picture where in this world I was for days. I smoked (excessively actually), tried watching movies, listening to podcasts, and looking up comedy skits but none of these actually worked. Reliantly, I went back to listening to music like usual but I kept skipping songs because apparently most of the songs on my playlist were not speaking to my soul at the moment. One morning, reliantly, I turned on my bluetooth, volume high to the point I wouldn't hear myself crying because for more than two weeks that was my life, started playing music as usual then suddenly “Three little birds” started playing. The song played while I was singing it in my head till it got to the chorus and I found myself singing it out loud. I felt good for that moment and wanted to continue feeling that way for the entire day so I put the song on repeat. The song played for like up to 7-8 times and I just couldn’t believe a song would put me in a better state considering how low I was. To be frank, I anticipated going back home and as such I felt I would have only been okay and myself again if I’d made it back home but then it didn’t happen and Bob Marley Three little birds became my safe place and best thing to listen to because he said “don’t worry, about a thing... because every little is going to be alright’. I have held to this line since that day and I am not going to worry because I know everything is going to be alright.

2. Salif Keita -Yamore

I grew up listening to Salif Keita, Myraim makeba, Nina Simone and Celine Dion and of all these people, Salif keita was my favorite because to me, he spoke about things I admired, things I heard that were rare and other artists wouldn't speak about like: Moussolu, Africa, Bemba, and Here. I am now far away from my family, I left my family for another adventure, I missed my family a lot and Salif Keita was the only person that reconnected me with my mom and siblings cause we’d listen to him every time and especially on Sundays.

When it was declared that my state was one of the Corona Zones in March, I got extremely scared; scared to the point I never thought I would be able to reunite with my family. Then my fear went away a little when I confirmed by my mom that I'll be coming back home. I was happy. Very happy. I was happy that if I am going to be fighting this pandemic, I'd be fighting it in the sight of my loved ones. I was excited that I will be seeing my siblings because this is the first time and the longest I have been away from them. I started counting days till March 22, the days became like the hours were twice as long as the regular time. Then came March 21 and with so much joy in my heart and hope that I was leaving the next day to go home. But guess what happened, I didn't make it back home. At the late hour of the 21, my transiting airport closed their airport and cancelled all flights, this I was not aware of. I woke up on the 22 of March 4:00 AM to catch a flight that was scheduled for 11:00 AM, I was anxious or maybe it was my anxiety. I got to the airport at 5:45 AM, approached the counter to do my check in and to my utmost surprise, I was told that all flights to my home had been canceled because the transiting airport had closed and cancelled all flights. I sat for more than 20 minutes and was completely out of words and holding back all emotions that will break me down in public. Came back home, frustrated, and maybe depressed. I called my mom, I knew she wouldn’t answer at that hour because we were ahead of them for 3hrs, called my little sister, same thing and then called one of my close friends, Tuzee. She was available. She stayed on the phone for more than an hour and just listened to me cry then suddenly, I fell asleep. I woke up wishing it was all a dream but on God it actually was my reality. Since I couldn’t get my mom and sisters and Tuzee was already asleep, I started listening to Salif Keita just to fool myself that I was home and again with my family. I found myself singing and dancing to Yamore like me, my mom, grandma and little sisters would do every Sunday morning when doing house chores. Suddenly, Yamore and Bob Marley (Three little Birds) became my national anthem.

3. Nasty C - Blister

In the midst of dealing with my anxiety, I found myself listening to this song and most days, I'd sing out the first verse like I was actually talking to God about what my situation was at the moment. Knowing me is knowing I love Nasty C a lot and his songs as well. But on the contrary of this, I’d only listen to him to enjoy good music and most times it is when I am in a good mood that I don’t want to leave. He’s not one of the people I'd listen to when I am down and most times for me, it is only listening to reggae or soul songs I'd run to feel alive again. The first verse on this is one of the most motivating and inspiring things anyone would need to connect their thoughts properly and also it puts you in a position where you will think you're actually communicating with your maker and as such, when listening to it, I did put myself in the position like I was the original singer of it and used it as a means to communicate with God even when I wasn’t actually praying. I’d sit on my bed and recite the first verse most times and slowly I got comfortable singing it and started writing down all my fears about the Pandemic, being stuck somewhere far away from home and family and my fear about how I was going to survive it all. I wrote down a lot of things. Things I never thought were my fear and put myself in the position where I thought I had so much power and strength even more than what nasty C was talking about when he sang this song. The song Blisters set me straight to the point I started being mad at myself for ever thinking I am weak and can’t go through this pandemic alone and by myself. This is one song I'd recommend for anyone with low spirit to listen to any day. It pushed me. It did and I am grateful that it really made it to my playlist of songs this 2020 even though it is an old song.

4. Nuchie Meek - Intro

Being a Liberian and an African, I relate to this song in so many ways both personal and for entertainment. The song depicts when Nuchie Meek was at one of his lowest and nobody did notice. I have been listening to Nuchie meek every time from March till date. The song intro to me is deep and reconnects me with my past, tells me about what my present situation is/was and gives all the insight I need to remain firm and strong and also that I can pull through anything with the right mindset and with positive words on my lips. Music really does help people a lot and this song “intro” by Nuchie meek is evident of such. I woke up many days not knowing what day it was. I woke up to eat many days but couldn't get myself to eat food I'd normally eat and even go for round two. I woke up many days thinking what it was that nobody noticed what it was that I was going through at the moment. I woke up wishing that someday, maybe someone close would notice what it was that I was dealing with but sadly, it never happened. Depression really is real and it is the saddest when you are so good at looking like you have it all together or the one that is always there to cheer other people up and making sure your friends are okay. I felt the pain of this artist as I was feeling mine. I listened to him sing as if he was my only friend and the only person that could understand what was going on with me. In as much as one may think it is just a song, it goes beyond that for me. It saves me from suicidal thoughts and commuting suicide; it is saving me from depression slowly by the day; it is helping with my anxiety and connecting me with my present situation. I have found comfort in every line in this song and as we all go through these times, I’d want everyone to listen to something, be it rap, pop, soul, reggae, afro pop and etc. also, check on your strong friends. Not many of them are okay and handling their thoughts well amid all that is happening.

5. Popcaan - Firm and Strong.

Popcan is not one of the people I know a lot of my friends would listen to but this man is definitely worth listening regardless of what mood one is in and especially this song “firm and Strong”. People do listen and interpret songs based on how one relates to it and for me it was exactly the same with this song. I listened to Firm and Strong every day. I know I am a strong person and I'll always tell my friends to be strong regardless of what the situation is that they are faced with at the moment and for me, this song was just what I needed to listen to in order to keep myself going. Even with the most uncertain thought, I told myself I was strong but most times I didn’t believe I was when I told myself I was. I started seeing my thoughts as my enemy. I stopped thinking I needed someone to talk to in order to feel okay. I prayed against my negative thoughts because in the song, popcaan said “in the midst of my enemy, Jah ya keep me firm and strong” and my thoughts were actually my enemy at that point. The thought of going back home was my enemy; the thought of thinking I am alone in a foreign country was my enemy; the thought of thinking I needed to be with my family was my enemy; the thought of thinking life was going to be difficult because of the locked down around the world was my enemy but above all, fear was my enemy.

I am more grateful to Davido for making a song with this man Popcaan. It was through his collaboration with Popcaan “Risky” I was able to discover someone this good and not just good but my taste of music good (reggae). Firm and Strong is a must listen to song for anyone that cannot get themselves to think about anything positive. I am “Firm and strong” at the moment because of “Firm and strong” by Popcaan. I wouldn’t have known something as my thoughts were my enemy had I not sit and listen to this song and interpret it in my own context. Thank you Popcaan. I am Grateful.