THE JOURNEY
A music video for Nigerian artist AKOGUN / Ismaheel Ibraheem's THE JOURNEY, filmed outside his home at the CARA di Mineo reception center, in Mineo, Sicily.
Once the largest migrant reception centre in Europe – housing at its 2014 peak over 4,000 people – the CARA finally closed its doors on July 2, 2019.
Its disappearance was a part of a systematic dismantling of the migrant reception system by then Italian deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini which left thousands without a home and onto the streets, Ismaheel included.
THE JOURNEY is a message from Ismaheel to his brothers and sisters contemplating their own journey to Europe. It is a song about the suffering and death he encountered on his way to Europe and the difficult realities of statelessness, unemployment and homelessness that many face upon arrival.
LYRICS
(CHORUS)
Eh… Eh… Plenty money they here sooo.
Follow me
Say you know the journey?
You know the journey?
Eh… Eh… You know the journey oh?
You know the journey oooh?
Eh! .. Eh! .. Oh Lord!
Oh Lord! ooh! My God ooh! .
Oh nooo.
Eh! .. Eh! ..Oh lord! Oh lord!
Ooh my God! Ooh nooo. Eh! ..Eh! ..
This life is a journey ooh.
This life is journey ooh.
This life is journey oooh.
This journey,
This life is Journey oooh.
This life is journey oooh.
This life is journey oooh.
It’s not easy.
(First verse)
OK Europe no easy
When we are in Nigeria we always want to busy
Be for we enter Europe self it is no easy
There is many soul lost without no reason
See dead body in the desert and Mediterranean sea
We manage enter Europe
Self-documents no release
If I think about all this ting’ I always pitying
Oh “nooo” even this life is not easy!!
(CHORUS)
I say you know the journey?
You know the journey?
Eh! Eh! You know the journey?
You know the journey ooh…
Eh. Oh lord Oh lord ooh!.
My god oooh…
Oh noo… Eh… Eh…
Oh lord! Oh lord ooh!
My god oooh…
Oh nooo…
Eh! Eh! This life is journey oooh…
This life is journey oooh…
This life is journey oooh…
This journey, this life is journey oooh…
this life is journey oooh…
This life is journey oooh…
It is no Easy.
(Second verse)
If there is no condition we cannot leave our home
We run an enter Italy Europe no won’t to hold
Oh lord have your mercy all of us we are hustling how to make money
Some are doing begging
Some are doing farmers
Some people that there rugged there turn to drug dealer
Most of our ladies self there tun to single mother
Oh noo…
Oh lord!
We’re tired
(CHORUS:)
You know the journey?
You know the journey?
Eh! Eh! I say you know the journey?
You know the journey oooh…
Eh! Eh! Oh lord!
Oh lord. ooh!
My God oooh…
Oh nooo…
Eh! Eh! Oh lord!
Oh lord ooh!
My God oooh…
(Final verse)
Stand for me oooh…
Anywere when I go ooh…
Fresh joy of water give me drink oooh…
You’re the one I knooow oh…
Oh nooo…
Eh! Eh! This life is a journey oooh…
This life is journey oooh…
This life is journey oooh…
This journey, this life is journey oooh…
This life is a journey oooh…
This life is journey oooh…
It Is no Easy.
AKOGUN
Eh! Eh!
Plenty money they here so oooh…
THIS IS YOUR BOY Ismaheel Ibraheem