A review of Dhortune’s debut album ‘Ondo To The World’

By Emma Tallest

Four months after winning the 2020 Afrimusic contest, music act, Dhortune is finally out with his first musical product.

The nine tracks EP titled “Ondo To the World” run for 37 minutes with topical issues on Ondo Kingdom, Love, Mothers, and Merriment.

In a saturated Nigeria music industry, Dhortune has been able to stand out with his contemporary traditional tunes, fusing it whenever necessary, the end product has been avant grande. Appealing to the younger ones, while the older ones still have something to relate to.

Akiwon (Greetings) opened the project, an introduction to the project, and Ondo Kingdom, on this, Dhortune eulogize Ondo kingdom, citing its tribal marks, praying for the people. Akiwon was melodious, you might be tempted to get stuck with the repeat button, it was that good. An anthem for the Ekimoguns.

Ayami was one of the few old songs on this EP, released in 2017. A ballad, a well-written song with a lot of percussions, the drums, and piano got synchronized giving the song a perfect blend of Afrocentric sound, the singer tells a sequential story with his two verses. No doubt, he really loves the girl in question, not even abelejayan can come between them.

A wife later becomes mother, I presume this was what the singer meant with this next track “Yemi”, a tune which celebrates mother. The trumpet on this song was prominent, there was an interpolation of a line from one of late Orlando Owoh’s record.

Milegbe served two purposes on this project, it was a motivational and a party jam. You pick the one you relate to, the second coming of Trumpets ably assisted by piano, guitars, and talking drums.

Komaroll was tailored for the WhatsUp guys, a potential party song if well marketed, was the artiste rushing?

Oh baby sounds like a song produced during a jamming session, another one for the love gang.

With the loving, money stories, Dhortune has a word of caution for the listener, with a short introduction, he followed it up with the hook. Iyo was basically about the dangers of the good things of life. Money, Love has its own repercussion says Dhortune.

Yeah, we have another one for the Youth. Bamise is a prayerful and a self-appraisal song, you have to blow your trumpet they say, I think this was what Dhortune did on this. The beat is similar to Dotman’s Akube.

The artiste took it back to his city, Ondo Kingdom, preceded by talking drums, Dhortune heaped praises on Ondo. The song was a good way to end the journey to Ondo.

Right from the pre-releases, Dhortune knew what he wanted, he celebrated some prominent Ondo indigenes weeks before the EP was released, on this project, he brought to light what the Kingdom is made off.

The designer of the artwork was able to convey the message of the titular, Dhortune adorned “Alaari” with a cap and confidently sit on the chair, by mere looking at the artwork, you already have an impression of what the project would look like, the EP thrives on topical issues, it was well arranged but they were length, Nah, nine tracks were too much to call an EP, it could have been reduced to five or six considering the attention span of the prospective listeners . Most of these tracks were recorded live, I can feel this by the end product.

Ondo to the World is a good body of work which everybody would be able to relate to, there is something for you, yeah, it was that expansive.

Grade: B2

DOWNLOAD: ‘Ondo To The World’ by Dhortune