A Review Of Wazih’s Highly Anticipated Ep Titled Anotic

By Nkiacha Atemnkeng

Cameroonian singer-songwriter Wazih released his new EP, “Anotic” on May 11, 2019. (But isn’t that English word supposed to be anoetic?) Well, debate whether the letter “e” should be included in the word as “the EP naming style” or not by dem linguists.

The talented Strange Kings Music, Douala-based artist’s new project, “Anotic,” sounds quite eclectic and multifaceted all at once. It derives its ideas and mood from a diverse range of musical styles and the artist’s ability to sail across genres, though it only has six tracks (of course, it’s an EP). It is also the right shift (musically) from his debut LP, “Right Perspective”, which was released in 2016. But quite a number of loved ones have wondered if it was the right shift for Wazih personally and professionally.

With a Master’s degree in Economic Intelligence from the University of Yaoundé 2 (Soa), a career in finance was naturally expected, which he yielded to at first. Wazih sought employment at Union Bank of Cameroon (UBC) before the call of passion came knocking.

So he quit! To pursue a career in music, thus relegating academics to the bench for talent and to realize his dream. The result was his debut LP, “Right Perspective,” which catapulted him to fame and won him wide recognition both at home and abroad, including an AFRIMA award nomination in 2018.

The album also showcased Wazih’s vocal prowess and trademark as a singer who uses his rich alto bass voice, interjected by sashaying falsettos, an Afro soul/Jazz melancholic sound, coupled with a slightly albinic, cute boyish look. He reminds me of Prince a lot. The fresh prince of Strange Kings!

In “Anotic”, however, the artist experiments with fresh new sounds which are a little different from that Wazih who usually sells pain for gain on a track. It opens with the Method J-produced “Beautiful” a mid-tempo dance track with a salsa influence where two can tango.

Oh, and there’s an effect on the beat like a party thrower clicking cutlery on a glass of wine to quieten his/her noisy party invitees before his/her pep talk preceding a toast. Beautiful is a nice motivational tune that encourages women to embrace their natural beauty and strive to be the best version of themselves. The Blaise B-assisted “Ca Va Donner” is a good R&B record with a contribution from the Alpha Better Records man on a song with an Alpha Better Records feel.

“Call You” is a trademark soulful Wazih song which features Elisha K, multitasking as producer alongside Method J and as singer who also delivers the track’s very memorable opening verse. It is a mournful song about loss and suicide, as depicted in the video directed by Geraldrico Guevara. It is an early January 2019 release, though.

Elsewhere, the beat of “Ne Me Laisse Pas Tomber” is pure magic; somersaulting bell sounds, sharp, beautiful drums and fretting guitars which give the very groovy tune a feel of Sawa blues and bottle dance all at the same time.

The song boasts of the best instrumentation on the EP too. Plus, the English vocals, which are also meshed up with French and Douala by Chick Nick’s participation, add flavor to the Sawa romance mood of the record, which is my favorite.

“Fighter” is another very beautiful song about maintaining a fighting spirit and to keep on keeping on in life. It has a unique mid-tempo beat, graced by probably the best guitar composition in “Anotic”, which blends in cool loud horns too. It also features mellifluous, golden vocals by singer, LOR, which touched me deeply. The only song which just didn’t resonate with me in the EP is “Je Suis Fort”, which is below average.

However, “Anotic” is generally a very solid effort with lots of experimentation and variety that impressed me. A couple of the songs in it could comfortably make it into the repertoire of a new Wazih album, a venture which I’m sure the artist is now thinking about. It will be a piece of art that I would not miss out on.

About The Author:

Nkiacha Atemnkeng is a Cameroonian writer and music journalist. His work has been published in The Africa Report, Culture Trip, Bakwa, Saraba and Gyara Magazine. He is a Goethe Institut/Sylt Foundation writing residency fellow.

Find him on Twitter: @nkiacha