Hello 237Showbees! Thanks for being such wonderful followers. We appreciate your support. From now on, we shall be carrying out music reviews every Thursdays. This Thursday, we shall begin the segment with Jovi’s Mad Love Hospital Bills which happens to be the last track off his last album 16 Wives. This review is based on facts and some personal opinions.

To begin with, we’ll love to touch the album as a whole before getting to the song itself.

– 16 Wives. In case you’ve forgotten, this happens to be one of the best selling albums on bandcamp.com in 2017. Why did Jovi name his album 16 Wives? Many will think it’s because he made 16 songs or because he’s just trying to affiliate it to King Bell (One of the Duala kings) who had 16 wives. Well that’s not the reason. The title 16 Wives alongside 16 songs of the album represents 16 women in the life or existence of the rapper. We don’t know exactly who they are but by ”women” we mean his female family members, girlfriends, daughter, etc they sum up the 16 Wives. Unfortunately for the rapper, 8 of the 16 wives are of late while the remaining 8 are alive and kicking.

Now let’s get into the music proper. First and foremost, the title, MadLove HospitalBills. This explains how Jovi lost the love of his life because of the hospital bills patients especially in Cameroon are often asked to submit before treatment can commence and carelessness from medical practitioners.

Peggy Bella is her name. According to Jovi, Peggy Bella was the true love of his life. The one woman he could do anything for. Hence the lines;

“ You’re the only one I ever loved // You’re all I think about // Na you go finally run me oh // My ndolo no di slack
Ndolo no fit ever jam // Telenovela dey wa back.”

After expressing his love for Peggy Bella and how he misses her, he goes ahead to tell us about his experience with Peggy Bella on her hospital bed.

”That Bill wey doctor talk’am, sometime that man go call’am // Na small money wey I hold’am I get for find way flop’am”

Here, Jovi complains about high hospital bills which before you are able to raise, you must have lost your patient. Things shouldn’t be this way. Asking for deposits before a dying patient is given first aid is a normal phenomenon in many hospitals. Deposit before commencing treatment. However, he still had to find ways to raise the money. It was 200.000CFA.

Running helter skelter struggling to raise the amount, on getting to the hospital, he was asked to buy all sorts of medicine. The hospital with deplorable conditions wasn’t conducive for Peggy Bella. Hence the lines;

”As I reach hospital // Only heat for inside room I beg say make them on fan // Make e face hear only sweat for e skin // Bed wet call we nurse make e change the bedsheets // Give medicine for chop // Give medicine for sleep // Buy medicine for digestion // Buy medicine for sleep”

He goes ahead to explain that when you find yourself in such a condition, everything the medical staff says, you are bound to do otherwise and whatever means you have to raise the money for treatment, you are forced to take no matter the conditions. This explains the lines;

Two kind medicine dey // Some one comot na India // Some other one just dey for mop lek dey grind na cassava // anyhow sef no be man get for survive // Fo’ di ground fo’ die cheap pass for remain alive … Pong thing them borrow dough promise for back’am back // I even leave my phone for side wey men them di sell shark.”

Unfortunately, after toiling hard to get these bills, Peggy Bella according to Jovi would have survive if not of the ”HospitalBills” from the doctors and belief of Jehovah Witness followers who are said don’t carry out blood transfusions so they blatantly refused as it was their daughter.

Jovi & Peggy who weren’t ready to be parents had to carry out an abortion. Unfortunately, they had no idea that Peggy was carrying twins. One of the foetus was aborted. That which wasn’t is what brought about all the complications because it started to decay inside her. Jehovah witness who denied her to carry out blood transfusion which was so much needed didn’t even propose a lasting solution alongside reluctance from doctors to commence some sort of surgery before he brings the ”Bills” is what led to her death.

Hence the lines; “They deny make e do blood transfusion // The men them want comot Dey no give we no solution // Doctor say we (Jovi & Peggy) want abort we no know say na twins // Move one, one remain rotten, they (Doctors would have saved her life if not asking deposits before treatments) for done move’am since.”

It is said that Jovi spent a year or two behind bars in New Bell Prison Douala after this incident. This is a sad story. One of the best songs on the album as well.

Tell us what you think about our first music review. Should we do more of this? Have you listened to the song?

Which song will you like us to review next week? Drop your comments. Don’t forget to share.

Victor Kange

(#NaTengiYesu)