Sunday, April 08, 2007

Just reminiscing with Youtube...

YouTube was founded by Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim in early 2005 and by the end of the following year it had created such a cultural phenomenon that it was named on the front of Time Magazine as the best creation of the year. Never since the launch of CNN in the early nineties has a media been able to bring into our homes such a wealth of information. Have you missed out on any events that everyone is talking about? The Zidane headbutt, Peter Crouch Robot dance, the Spiderman 3 trailer, Lakisha Jones on American idol? Check it out on Youtube. This is the Youtube generation.

For those of you who haven't discovered Youtube yet, you haven't completely missed out yet but I would compare it to missing the early days of Napster, you missed out dudes! Since they have been bought out by Google its not the same, as increasingly a lot of videos are being taken down for copyright infringements. Anyway all is not lost as there are still a lot of gems to be found. (Otherwise check out some of the pretenders to the Youtube throne who don't have big business strangling them yet - Broadcaster.com, ifilm, revver.com, vidiac.com etc)

Had a bad case of insomnia tonight and thought to check out Naija stuff on Youtube. And came across the compilations of Naija tv adverts from the 1980s below and boy they sure brought back memories.



Some of these jingles were just so cheesy. "Wise men bank with UBA and women too with UBA, start a savings account today with UBA, UBA". Now let me think I am a big man on the island looking for a bank, oh Wise men bank with UBA, must bank there too. As if.

"You need a tonic for that engine Fatigue... now I'm feeling better cause the doctor he gave me Super Visco static, the doctor he cured my Engine fatigue" - The Ad finished by stating "One litre ₦3.50" If thats not a sign of inflation I don't know what is. I wonder how much it is now...

Chief Zebudaya and Samanja "Are you are, If you are want a good detergent to be wash deep down cleaner, brighter and fresher, go to be purchase the new Elephant blue detergent". That really says it all doesn't it.




"Omo, Omo, Super Blue Omo washes brighter and it shows" 68 kobo. Patti Boulaye as the Lux girl, Bar 40 kobo, Close Up appeal 75 kobo? This stuff brings tears to my eyes. What can you buy for 75 kobo in Nigeria today? (Well I guess it was 20 years ago...)

Anyway the enterprising dudes who put these old ads up have a glossy website inollywood where they are selling some old Nigerian classic TV series such as Cock Crow at dawn (Uncle Gaga), Icheoku, Village Headmaster, Mirror in the Sun (Barbara Soky) etc I really hope the original actors are still getting a cut of the action. Does anyone else have any old Naija tv stuff still on VHS/Betamax? Mail me at kushxkush@yahoo.co.uk lets make some dosh LOL!

Heres a video on Family planning done by Sunny Ade and Onyeka Onwenu around the same time. Happy Easter folks!