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Yinka Olatunbosun

As he claws his way out of being an emerging artist to creating new rhythms from the familiar, Waji-Mh, born O. Jean Isekhure delivers his sultry vocals to create a deeply emotional song that adds to Nigeria’s canon of songs about mothers on his song, “Sweet Mama.” The rising Afrobeats singer-songwriter and R&B artist pays a heartfelt tribute to his mother in this song that has a stand-out quality of his three releases on streaming platforms.

This mid-tempo folk song relies heavily on the technique of call and response for its hook. A sung story of maternal love, Waji-Mh’s Sweet Mama trails Nigeria’s rich history of songs that celebrate motherhood. A case in point is Prince Nico Mbarga’s classic ‘Sweet Mother.” A track embedded in the nation’s consciousness, it became a cultural anthem- played at celebrations and funerals. Initially rejected by EMI records in 1974, Sweet Mother became one of the biggest songs in Africa upon its release in 1976 by Rogers All Stars. The song is considered a blueprint of sorts for new artists navigating the familiar to produce new songs and break into mainstream popularity.

In this music lineage is also Wizkid’s Mummy Mi, a celebratory dance track from his Ayo album. The song is dedicated to his mother’s invaluable contribution to his successful career, holding promises to spoil her with the best things in life. Let’s add to this list Asa’s introspective “So Beautiful,” which reflects on the relationship between mother and child.
Waji-Mh draws upon the same maternal love energy in Sweet Mama, articulating the message in two languages- English and the Edo language. The song naturally embodies his cultural roots whilst igniting collective memory in maternal love.

In Sweet Mama, released in November 2025, Waji-Mh gives a tribute to mothers in a reverential manner that shows appreciation for mothers’ place in their children’s lives. In the intro section, guitars come into play. The vocals are layered with a soft accompaniment- part of a mellow rhythm dominated by drums. A marked deviation from his songwriting trajectory, Sweet Mama appears as a product of an intentional songwriting that fuses intimacy, memory, and emotional clarity over chart-chasing moves.

Sweet Mama is markedly different from the usual folk homage with Waji-Mh’s infusion of his indigenous language as a cultural indicator. He opens with “Meh ghi setin mia mi iyemwen”, rendered in the Edo language of his heritage, which translates to “I will never forget my mother.” With emotions running deep into ancestral roots, the song hinges on storytelling through its verses.

The first verse opens with a blessing as both gratitude and prayer: “God bless the day you were born / God bless the day you brought me to life”. “Thank you for the plenty things you went through to give me a life,” has a conversational tone marked by a degree of informality that makes the gratitude heartfelt. It is essentially a son’s conversation with his mother. The call to “keep her good legacy” and “do those good things she loves to do” elevates the song into a lyrical signage on how to live out the qualities which have been imparted through maternal devotion.

Indeed, ‘Sweet Mama’ is both highly personal yet universal. Waji-Mh, by situating the song in his mother tongue, Edo language, creates a music experience that’s intimate and relatable, heightening its capacity for crystallising emotions. Away from mother’s groove, Waji-Mh’s Forever- sung in English and Pidgin English- allows the singer the luxury of romantic thoughts. Produced by J-Flex, it’s a song that works for weddings due to its love affirmations. With Waji-Mh, love is always in the air- somewhere.