Cobhams Asuquo’s ‘Ordinary People’ fails to totally connect

jonathan

January 8, 2015 2:29 PM

Cobhams picked the perfect emotional and faith-based song to interpret in visuals. But emotional visualisation needs to compel the heart, and ultimately rule it. This didn’t.

He’s a modern day genius, a maker of great music, an aesthete with a keen ‘eye’ for quality and desperate perfection, but in his first ever music video, Cobhams Asuquo offered a lot in spectacle, but not enough in emotion.

Ordinary People is a faith-based song calling out to our deeper parts, and inspiring us to connect with the good inside of us, and ultimately God. The video was shot by Eric Haviv, a proven film director of FUGO STUDIOS who stunned the world in 2011 at the Cannes Film Festival with his ‘Pray’ film.

Cobhams went for the best hand in the game, and his choice wasn’t a disappointment. Spectacle, spectacle, and er, more spectacle. Cobhams Asuquo got a video with the best of cinematography, exquisite shot angles, aesthetic locations, and all around beauty.

But a project that is characterised by an overwhelming abundance in beauty, is lacking in one basic ingredient: enthralling emotional connection.

We are gently ushered into a classic piano scene. Cobhams, well-suited, playing his best music-making instrument (the Grand Piano), and belting off the opening lines of the song. What we saw was class, elegance, beauty, finesse, and professionalism. The creative location was key in all of this. It had it all.

As the scenes begin to unfold, on the minute mark we are taken slowly into the lives of ordinary people doing the simple things in life that really matter. Then the pedestrian traffic around Cobhams gets a huge boost. The activity comes at the right time throwing dynamism into the mix. The only part that gets an injection of emotional pull is the scene at 3:34 mark, where a man shows generosity to a kid who offers a service of love. Others scenes attempt to add weight to it all, and some of it does the job.

But not enough.

You get the feeling that something more was lacking. Was it a scene of tears, or sorrow? Was it one of fear and ultimate triumph? It is just lacking!

And that’s the only part of the video that has more to be left. But it’s amazing how all the other parts become a credit to both Cobhams and Eric Haviv. This video is a first for the talented singer, songwriter, producer, creative man, and for a debut, it never gets better than this.

jonathan