With the current state of the world, it’s no wonder that everyone yearns for a bit of peace in their everyday lives. Berlin-based Afropop songwriter and producer Mister Wawa channels this desire into an upbeat new single “Amina, Amina.”
Soft whispers of “Amina Amina peace” open the song like a prayer before lead vocals by Ggrande makes a gentle plea for “Amina” to come to him and cure his restlessness. The song likens “Amina” to a female lover as Mister Wawa sings of his desire for connection and wisdom.
“Can you hear me
Can you hear me
We need to be connected
Tell me something baby, oh my boo
Oh my
Help me baby with all your wisdom
Eehl
To understand most of the necessary things
All that joy you can bring”
A steady Afrobeat rhythm from Dedrey featuring a light undercurrent of drums and dashes of pop, electronica, and jazz elements compliments the song’s prayer-like mood. This creates an atmosphere that is sensual, relaxing, and reverent to the listener.
Of the song’s inspiration, Mister Wawa states, “After a strenuous day, which was overshadowed by a personal tragedy and the war in Ukraine coupled with concerns about world peace, I came home and felt only the need for a bit of rest and security. My smartphone beeped: A friend from Kenya wanted to thank me for my recovery wishes and wrote: AMINA (Swahili for Amen).”
In fact, the song’s multi-layered production and meaning are its strengths. Although Amina may seemingly appear to be a female lover to the casual listener, knowing that Amina means “Amen” in Swahili allows a greater appreciation for the song.
Mister Wawa explains the song’s intricate meaning, stating, “In order to give the name or term AMINA with its different meanings a lot of space and to direct the listener to the essentials, the verses were deliberately kept short and concise. This also gave more room for different levels of singing, the interpretations of AMINA.”
German music artist Mister Wawa aka Jens Bosecker is a songwriter, music and film producer and DJ. His main influences are the pop culture of the 80s and 90s as well as jazz music and African rhythms.
In the years prior to the pandemic, he organized countless concerts and directed two renowned jazz festivals featuring renowned artists such as Steve Coleman, Bill Evens, David Murray and Dave Holland.
During the pandemic, Mister Wawa began to work in the studio on his own original music. In 2022, his album Immortal was released.
