Harmonize’s Sina makes you rethink your life’s choices

His new song 'Sina' speaks to the young through the life of Mr Nice. "Ujana ni majo ya moto yashaniuguza mimi nateketea," he sings. (Youth is like hot water, I have been burnt and lost.)

From 1999 to the early 2000s, Mr Nice was one of the most successful East African musicians. He was reportedly paid $ 4 000 per show. He soon lost everything after extravagant spending, mostly on women and on luxury. ‘Sina’, "to lack" in Swahili, is a song of regret and sadness: "Kama pesa nilipata nikadharau hadi wazazi, Nikakesha kula bata najisahau" (I despised my parents because I had plenty of money. I used to spend and party hard).

For emphasis, ‘Sina’ is repeated eight times in the chorus, and the story captures a man's fall to poverty. "Na kama dunia tambala langu lishatoboka, sina hata pa kulala nakesha kwa kimboka" (If the world is a rug then mine is torn. I do not have a place to sleep. I sleep along Kemboka street).

Towards the end, Harmonize gives his final advice as the word ‘pesa’ Swahili for ‘money’ is repeated ten times, establishing money as root of all evil. "Pesa mfano wa puto zina pepea starehe ndio sindano, chunga yasije majuto tena take care igeni mifano" (A baloon symbolizes money and luxury is the needle. To avoid regret learn from examples).

The video which was shot in Tanzania under WCB Wasafi Records is well choreographed, thus contributing to making the song a hit. It’s worth noting that the bongo star features Mr Nice in the video, an inclusion which brings the story into perspective making the story practical, realistic and entertaining all at once. When Mr Nice fell from glory many people made fun of him and his colleagues made satirical songs about his predicament. At the start of the video, three women are seen mocking the the man.

The story told by the video seems incomplete, as Mr Nice is later shown having a good time with friends after which he is left with nothing. In recent times Mr Nice has been trying to make a comeback in music with no success. Giving us a look into his probable future would have completed the story.

That said, the song has been well received. The artist's vocals, and the song's piano chords, and strings makes pressing the replay button easy.