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But
Lagos-based rock musician Bianca Okorocha, known as “Clayrocksu,"
wants people to pause and feel loved as Valentine's Day
approaches.
She is taking her music offstage and onto the streets of the
city, crooning love songs to random commuters and handing them
single-stem roses.
Their faces, first shocked at the encounter, give way to a broad
smile as she pulls the strings of her guitar, twanging to James
Blunt’s “You are Beautiful.”
“I am a musician, and we just thought it was a special and nice
thing to do for people,” Clayrocksu told The Associated Press.
“Especially in this time and climate where everything is kind of
difficult and all you hear on the news is bad news.”
Since Nigerian President Bola Tinubu came to power in 2023, he
has undertaken major economic reforms, including the removal of
a decades-old fuel subsidy program. The government said the
changes would save costs and boost investment, but they have
resulted in one of the West African nation’s worst cost of
living crises in a generation.
The country’s deadly security crisis has also worsened the fate
of millions, limiting access to farmland in the
conflict-battered north, which in turn resulted in a surge in
the prices of goods elsewhere, including in the economic hub of
Lagos.
But amid the tough times, people like Clayrocksu are bringing
joy and color to many across the vibrant city in this season of
love.
Barbara Lulu, a Lagos resident, who got serenaded by Clayrocksu
and her partner, was going about her day stressed until the rock
team showed up.
“First off, this was a very shocking moment for me, because I
never expected it. It just kind of happened, and all I can say
is yay!” she said.
In a city where Valentine’s Day is usually focused on lovers,
Clayrocksu said that she wants to change that perception and
bring roses to many others.
“People think that Valentine’s Day is only about romantic
gestures, only boyfriend and girlfriend, husband and wife,” she
said. “But Valentine is really just about sharing love.”
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