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We were close to 100 individuals who thronged into the Silverbird Cinema hall on Friday 23rd of September 2017, to see Dance to my beat, a new flick produced by the beautiful Nollywood actress, Mary Lazarus and directed by Paul Igwe.
The film sets off with the right dose of humour from the beginning to the very end. As we stepped out of the cinema hall, someone said: “ I didn’t know when the movie ended, Nigerians will definitely love this movie”.
While the movie was being shown, the expression on the faces of individuals watching in the cinema clearly indicated that they were having a great time. Spontaneous claps and acclamation went off in the filled cinema hall.
I could hear the intermittent cackle of Nollywood actor, Fredrick Leonard who sat at my back. He couldn’t resist the laughter that emanated from the rib-cracking dialogue in Dance to my beat
The movie tells the story of a couple – Lamide and Raymond played by Mary Lazarus and Joseph Benjamin who in the quest to fit into societal pressures bought tons of Aso-ebi’s , owed money and lived a low quality of life
Sales of Aso-ebi now business venture
In Dance to my beat, Lamide and Raymond converted their wedding Aso-Ebi into a business opportunity selling it for an exorbitant price. The profit made from the sales enabled them moved into a highbrow part of town they couldn’t maintain. Many Nigerians spend stupidly and lavishly for their weddings, then when its time to provide for their homes, they become broke. This happened to Lamide and Raymond in the movie.
A lavish wedding is not a do or die affair
The culture of Nigerian weddings can be compared to no other. This can be seen the way Lamide pressured her friends into buying her Aso-ebi despite the reservations exhibited by some of them. There is a scene in Dance to my beat where, Lamide insisted that her wedding has to be the talk of the town, stressing that she wants the biggest wedding and desire people to keep talking about it. Even when Obas (Ushbebe ) suggested a low budget wedding, Raymond rejected the idea.
Undue pressure
Lamide put excessive pressure on her friends who complained about the cost of her Aso-ebi. They spent a ridiculous amount of money buying Aso ebi just to fit into the grand festivities . Rhoda(Kehinde Bankole) a friend of Lamide persuaded her to reduce the cost of her aso ebi, but she didn’t listen. In the end , Lami and Raymond were forced to dance to the beat of their friends, who also needed them to reciprocate by buying their own aso ebi. It was too late for them to refuse dancing to their beat.
In their article, The ethics of Aso-Ebi culture in Nigeria, Rose Ogbechie and Friday Osemenshan Anetor said: ”The cultures of Aso-ebi seem to have lost its original purpose. Instead of being a culture of solidarity, the culture has metamorphosed to serve as a medium of social strive, display of affluence, and discrimination against people, who are either unwilling or unable to buy Aso-ebi”.