Legendary highlife musician, Sir Victor Uwaifo has recounted his experience with a mermaid he met at a Lagos beach in 1966.
In an interview on Channels TV, the renowned guitarist revealed that he was a graphics designer at that time, working with NTA.
Uwaifo, 80, said it was a custom for him to visit the beach after his office hours on each working day.
“I was working with NTS at the time, the national TV station which is now known as NTA. And usually, after close of work, it was a culture for me to visit the beach just to seek inspiration. And there was this particular evening I was at the beach after I had close from work. Although, I stayed a bit later…” he said.
Revealing how he saw the mermaid, Uwaifo continued: “The wave was becoming very restless, and each time, I will move backward, but the wave was advancing in my direction. I was wondering what was happening, then at a distance, I looked towards my right, then I saw a glittering figure that was silverish and shining. I thought it was a dream, I was still swimming, and before I knew it, I saw her (the mermaid) in front of me… I screamed!”
Explaining that it was the encounter that inspired Mammy Water, his hit single that year, Uwaifo said: “Having seen her, I transposed into the guitar boy voice I heard, and I started playing… it was that lyrics I carried to the studio for recording the following day and it turned an instant hit. She was standing right in front of me while playing the guitar. It was after she floated away that I took off.”
