WanaWana aims to make poems accessible with album, “In Memory Of Forgetting”
Nigerian poet hosts listening party for sophomore poetry album at Rele Gallery

LAGOS, NIGERIA: On Sunday, August 27, Wana Udobang, popularly known as WanaWana, collaborated with Rele Gallery for an intimate listening of her sophomore poetry album, “In Memory of Forgetting”.

During the listening, WanaWana’s audience stayed in a trancelike quietness for over thirty minutes, as track after track interlaced to tell a story of personal struggles, brokenness and triumph. After the listening, Efe Paul Azino, founder of the Lagos Poetry Festival, facilitated a Q and A. In explaining her motivations for the album, WanaWana stated, “I want my work to be accessible … I am continually experimenting with new ways of making my work available to people who would not normally listen to poetry”. As for her creative approach to the album, Udobang explains, “I want connection . . . I don’t want just teach or preach, I want people to connect with the work in a very personal way for themselves”.


WanaWana might just be on her way to achieving her goal as one critic remarked, “… as a critic and [a listener], I couldn’t help but see the album for what it was - honest”. Other critics at the event noted the inventive use of music to guide the listener’s mood through the collection.

“In Memory of Forgetting” is a 10-track album made up of aesthetics including, music, wordplay, intonation and vocal variety. The album features Cat Mayel, renowned poet Titilope, as well as music by Femi Leye, Echo and Lanre ‘Sabre’ Oladimeji. The collection is an unapologetic introspective into the sharp, sometimes dark, corners of Udobang’s life, and a piercing mirror for the listener to see the same in theirs. At its heart, it is a seminal work by an artist who wants her listener to remember to turn the page and never go back.



The album is digitally available worldwide on iTunes, Google Play Music, Amazon and Deezer. Lagos residents can pick up a CD copy at Terra Kulture and Rele Gallery. It is also available at the Salamander Café in Abuja.

Download the album here: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/wanawana.



About Wana Udobang: Wana Udobang, popularly known as WanaWana, is a journalist, poet and filmmaker whose work probes women’s rights, social justice, personal narratives, culture and the arts. As a performance poet she has graced the stages of festivals across Africa.  Her first spoken word album, ‘Dirty Laundry’, was released in 2013. Her poems have been featured at the British Library’s Word, Symbol and Song exhibition. “In Memory of Forgetting” is her second spoken word poetry album.


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