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Saturday, August 27, 2022

What "Gongo Aso" Means (information/comments and a 2012 video of Nigerian singer 9ice performing "Gongo Aso")



kennis music, Oct. 31, 2021
-snip-
Total number of views as of August 27, 2022 at 11:27 AM - 29,280

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series on the 2008 hit Nigerian record "Gongo Aso". 

This post showcases a YouTube video of 9ice performing "Gongo Aso". This post also presents definitions for the term "gongo aso" that I retrieved from various online sources.

My Editor's Note is included in this post. That note presents the lines from 9ice's "Gongo Aso"  that include the term "gongo aso". My Editor's Note also presents the line from Ghanaian singer's Camidoh's hit 2022 song "Sugarcane" that includes the term "gongo aso".

In addition my Editor's note presents my guesses about the different meanings of "gongo aso" in those two songs based on the information that I read online about that term. Additions and corrections are very welcome.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/08/2008-nigerian-afropop-song-gongo-aso-by.html for Part I of this pancocojams series. That post showcases a YouTube video of Nigerian singer 9ice's record "Gongo Aso" and presents information about 9ice.

The original lyrics for "Gongo Aso" are included in this post along with information and comments about that song.

The content of this post is presented for linguistics, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to 9ice for his musical legacy. Thanks to all those who were associated with that record and video. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post. 

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
This information is retrieved from various online sources. These sources may not agree about what "gongo aso" means.

It's likely that the meaning of the term "gongo aso" changed over time and/or that "gongo aso" means (meant) different things depending on who used it and when it was used.

Additions and corrections are welcome.

Gongo Aso in 9ice's song
9ice may have changed the meaning of "gongo aso" in his 2008 song, Here are the lines from that song which include the term "gongo aso". (These lyrics are repeated in that song.) 

Chorus
"Gongo aso, kutupu ahu, anywhere I deh now"

Verse #1
Gongo aso, you know am on fire no be beans talk
Gongo aso, you know eni foju ana woku ebora abolaso

Verse #2
Tin baje demi demi, aiye gbo oorun mo
Gongo aso

Verse 3
Gongo aso, otiso, ewo ile ewo enu oko
Gongo aso, otiso, see people on the floor
Gongo aso, otiso, my personality no matter at all
Gongo aso, otiso, all i want is catch some fun
Gongo aso, tin ba nsile
Gongo aso, if i buy bentley
Gongo aso, kilode
Gongo aso, eje kin jaiye mi

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There are no Yoruba to English Google translate results for any of these lyrics except for the term "kutupu ahu" = "I'm sorry". 

That probably means that those non English words are from Nigerian Pidgin English.

Disclaimer: I don't speak Yoruba or Nigerian Pidgin English. However, based on the article excerpt and comments defining "gongo aso" that are quoted in this pancocojams post below, I wonder if "gongo aso" in this song means something like "Listen Up!" ("Beat the drum to spread the word"/ "Let everyone know or "Let everybody hear this").

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"Gongo Aso" in the 2022 song "Sugarcane"
Ghanaian singer Camidoh's hit song "Sugarcane" includes the term "gongo aso": "Girl you never know say you're kongo* aso/Man dem suffer to find your love"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmidK8z4YzE

*I've also seen this word spelled "gongo" in the lyrics for Camidoh's song.

Based on the meanings of "gongo aso" tha were given in the nairaland.com discussion thread (that are found below) and based on that line in Camidoh's song, my guess is that "gongo aso" means something like "someone who people talk about" (someone who people have something good to say about/someone who attracts positive attention)

Additions and corrections are welcome.

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ARTICLE EXCERPT
From https://chatterbox.vivaldi.net/2008/06/18/gongo-aso/. June 18, 2008 by Chatterbox
"GONGO ASO

9ice

The latest Nigerian hit that is driving a lot of urban young people crazy around the world is GONGO ASO by 9ice. On YouTube there are several video versions and they are impressive too. In fact, if 9ice is not careful his fans may produce a better video a la YouTube. Methinks, 9ice should add subtitles to his video for the sake of crazy international fans who do not understand YORUBA language otherwise GONGO ASO…

What is the meaning of Gongo Aso? Normally, it is a phrase used when a person is angry to warn the enemy of future revenge but 9ice did not used it that way. He used it to prove his originality in the music industry and in support of the poor masses.

It was also used to support the ghetto youngsters in order to show how they intend to hit stardom if given the opportunity. Because of the initial meaning of GONGO ASO it was only normal for people to want to listen to the song and after hearing the powerful lyrics like ‘I’m a ghetto soldier, khaki no be leather’ and yarn for more.

His poetic message was charismatic and encouraging e.g.

Life is too short/
You Know ooo/
Nobody knows tomorrow/
Dance away your sorrow/
Do like no tomorrow.”…

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SELECTED COMMENTS

Numbers added for referencing purposes only.

From https://www.nairaland.com/190987/what-does-gongo-aso-mean
1. What does Gongo Aso mean? by shilling(f): 4:09pm On Nov 03, 2008

Ok, so this is quite embarassing. But, I've been hearing about 9ice and Gongo Aso but I never really bothered listening to the song. But, since he just won the MOBOS, I decided to download it. I love the beats and I love the beats and his energy, but what's he talking about? My pidgin isn't that good either so, I just want to know because I'm really loving that song but I'll just like to know what it means.

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2. Re: What does Gongo Aso mean? by kanayo74(m): 2:12pm On Nov 04, 2008
"what he is just trying to say in the song is that what ever he does people will talk or more relatiely the talking drum will talk and bring it to the hearing of people, that he is no more a secret and he is in the open now"

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3. What does Gongo Aso mean? by lurv: 5:16am On Dec 25, 2008
"Gongoso means "Something is about to happen"

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4. 
Re: What does Gongo Aso mean? by dayokanu(m): 8:28am On Dec 25, 2008
..."Gongo Aso means E go happen. Something big would happen"

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5. Re: What does Gongo Aso mean? by ak001: 12:11am On Dec 28, 2008
"Gongo aso means, when you achieve success

 in endeavour you will dance and you

 will let's everybody aware of you success

 so that everybody will rejoice with you

 Gongo means Drum

 Aso means you will ear beat of the drum"
-snip-
"ear" = probably a typo for the English word "hear"

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6. 
Re: What does Gongo Aso mean? by A40(m): 1:25am On Dec 28, 2008
"It means rolling out the drums for a successful event could also mean something suprising and unexpected"

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From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5u6eYq-UtA
Vusumuzi Mathumo-Githendu, 2017
"
what does gongo aso mean? what language is it? am from south africa"

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Reply
Jimmy Steeve, 2017
"
Vusumuzi Mathumo-Githendu something spectacular is going to happen when you hit a lotto in a simple term and the language is yoruba language from western Nigeria"

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Reply
Chris Oghenetega Maloney, 2019
"
Jimmy Steeve bebeloo u don reach lol 😆"

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This concludes Part II of this pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.,

Visitor comments are welcome.

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