By Benjamin Njoku

51 years after it was first released in 1973, late Bola Johnson’s standalone single, “Lagos Sisi'” has hit the airwaves again.

The remix which features a budding singer, Reddemwurld was facilitated by Premier Records Limited, Nigeria’s oldest and biggest catalog owner. This is the first work to be released under the label after almost 10 years of going into oblivion.

According to the label’s CEO, Michael Odiong, “As part of a renewed drive to get back to the mainstream as a top record label in Nigeria, we are releasing a brand new single titled “Lagos Sisi” by Bola Johnson ft Reddemwurld, a young budding talent who’s a singer and producer. The remix was released on Vybez FM and on all Digital streaming platforms during the week.

The release is in conjunction with Little Lagos records, UK”. We are using this as a launch pad to many other things lined up for the year such as recreating songs from the catalog with newer sound and artists. This will surely be an exciting year for us as we are collaborating with some good hands that believe in us”.

The original ‘Lagos Sisi’ track was done by the late Bola Johnson, one of the originators of Afrobeat before the late icon, Fela popularized it. “Lagos Sisi” was released in 1973 by Phillips West Africa Records (now Premier Records Limited).The song talks about the strange things happening in Lagos. Young girls sell their bodies just to live a fake life. It also delves into the issue of employers of labor not being able to pay their employees but live a luxurious lifestyle to the detriment of the workers and the politicians breaking the rule of law and embezzling government funds with reckless abandonment.

Bola Johnson was a Nigerian bandleader and trumpeter who recorded in the ’60s and the ’70s. He started his career as a maraca player in Eric Akaeze’s band.