At first glance, the Jailer singer may seem to be an average Afropop artist, but there are many layers to Bukola Elemide - commonly referred to as Aṣa. Even in the song Jailer, the political undertones are really hard to miss, as they are practically overtones Before getting into the political aspect of Aṣa, it’s imperative to see how her background has transformed her into the being she is today.
Her strict, traditional household was filled with many holes in the patchwork of their family structure; from her parent’s brewing separation to the lack of support for her musical aspirations, it wasn’t very harmonious. Not only was she prohibited from partaking in her Church’s choir due to her husky voice, but post enrolling in Peter King's Musical School in Badagry, her father stopped giving her allowance as punishment for not following the paved path of a medical practitioner or lawyer.
Though this may appear as a setback to most, Aṣa was able to turn this situation around in her favor by using her talent to earn money to survive and buy her first guitar at age 20. Though her father was not in support of her career choices, Aṣa attributes her love and fascination for music to him and his music taste. From the constant playing of musical curators like Bob Marley, Fela Kuti, and Sunny Ade, her musical style was cultivated. Furthermore, when her parents finally broke the knot is when Aṣa finally locked in, and got into more of the soulful aspect of music, dedicating a song to her mother.
When she finally released her album Aṣa/Asha in 2007, her fame skyrocketed leading her to be an opener for Beyonce, Akon, Snoop Dogg and to then performing her deluxe album on the international stage, and winning France’s Award for Best New Artist in 2008.
Going back to the musical curators who inspired her, Aṣa has always said her greatest influences would be Nigeria’s Fela Kuti and Jamaica’s Bob Marley, because of how they incorporated political advocacy into what they loved (similar to what Burna Boy’s Collateral Damage did), which is what most of her music, specifically from her 2007 album, is about. Though she doesn’t agree with their aggression, she does agree with their messages. In her song Fire on the Mountain, she talks about the demise of her nation and attributes that demise to Nigerian leaders, which caused an uproar on social media.
Outside of the musical realm, Aṣa has talked abundantly about the power of education as a medium of freedom, especially in the matter of equitable education for women. Wielding her talent, she has been able to give concerts in charity for female children’s education and to talk against matters of femicide in African communities and more.
