Dorime: Slang that fuels Nigeria’s nightlife craze, triggers lavish spending

A few years ago, a new “ballers” soundtrack began to gain traction, a choral rendition of the song Ameno by the French new-age music collective ERA. The harmonious hymn-like song blared throughout clubs in Nigeria, becoming an anthem for the big-money spenders. This marked the beginning of the “dorime” craze in Nigeria.

It was only a matter of time before dorime, the most predominant line in the song, picked up major momentum within and outside Nigeria. So, why is the word quite popular? Why is the dorime song a club banger in the country?

Table of Content hide 1Dorime meaning 2Dorime song 3Who sang Dorime? 4Why Dorime is a club anthem in Nigeria 5Conclusion

Dorime meaning

The song referred to as dorime by the Nigerian public is named Ameno and it was originally released in 1996 by ERA (Enminential Rythmn of the Ancestors), the new-age music project of French musician and composer, Éric Lévi. New-age music is a type of music that is designed to provide artistic inspiration, relaxation, and optimism. Listeners utilise it for yoga, massage, and meditation. It is primarily sung in a hymnal style.

Ameno by ERA was sung in pseudo-Latin, meaning it sounds like Latin but is deliberately devoid of any exact meaning. It starts with a soft, gentle sound, and then builds up to a powerful chorus. The lyrics hold several poetic elements and references, while the theme is that of both strength and spirituality.

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Regardless of what the song’s literal translation depicts, Nigerians appear to care less, putting it to use to suit their party culture. Not only did the Nigerian public give the song a new name (dorime), they added a new meaning to the song entirely. It went from being a solemn song intended to induce euphoric trance-like feelings and calmness to an anthem of the expensive liquor-buying party rockers in Nigeria.

Dorime song

The dorime record (Ameno) grew bigger in Nigeria as a result of the internet and social media meme culture. It started as a viral sound and visual clip on several social media platforms, predominantly on TikTok. The viral sound stemmed from the original Ameno song recorded in 1996 and re-released in 1998. It was originally written by the French composer, Eric Lévi.

The song found immense success in Europe in the late 1990s and early 2000s, scoring chart certifications in France, Belgium, Sweden, Switzerland, Poland and Latin America. It also had several versions, remixes and parodies released, including the popular remix by Dj Quicksilver in the year 2000 and a techno mix version by Italian DJ, Roberto Molinaro in 2005.

As the South African Amapiano music genre began gaining traction in Nigeria in 2021, Nigerian rapper and hype man, Bright Goya, popularly known as Goya Menor, made the song in vogue once more as he did a cover of it. In collaboration with Ghanaian music producer Neckunez, Menor released a remix of the song entitled: Ameno Amapiano Remix.

The Ameno Amapiano Remix sampled the original song’s soundtrack and infused it into electrifying Amapiano-styled instrumentation along with a delivery of catchy rap lines by Goya Menor. Following its release, the record did not gain much attention initially until it went viral in Uganda and several dancers began making dance routine videos to the song on TikTok, where it was featured in over half a million videos at that time. It was only a matter of time before it took over the airwaves and became a worldwide hit, birthing the famous slang: “You want to bam bam.”

Currently, the term ‘dorime’ has come to supplant the song’s original name (Ameno) amongst the Nigerian community. Dorime as slang is now being used to denote rich spending at Nigerian nightclubs. It defines the act of lavish spending in itself.

Who sang Dorime?

Currently, there are several versions of the Dorime song, some of which have found great success. However, all the versions stemmed from the original song, which was performed by the French new-age music collective, ERA, in 1996. ERA was created by Eric Leví, a French new-age artist. The famous vocals of the song were performed by Guy Protheroe and Harriet Jay.

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Why Dorime is a club anthem in Nigeria

As earlier stated, Dorime (Ameno) has become a club banger because it is associated with excessive spending, particularly at clubs.

In the Nigerian nightclub culture, ushering in expensive liquor requires songs that depict melancholy to be played as the bottle service is being rendered. The trays used in conveying these expensive drinks are termed ‘caskets’, hence the reason for the melancholic music. It is a concept that appeals to Nigerian partygoers. It is also a sales technique used to give guests the feeling of VIP status, with exclusive seating and access to drinks that are not available to the general public.

Dorime (Ameno) has an unforgettable melody, which is utilised by party rockers in Nigeria. The Ameno Amapiano Remix marked the start of the song’s popularity as the tune found its way into the country’s internet meme culture.

Following the song’s release and massive acceptance, dorime became an increasingly popular word. Nightclubs imbibed it into their selection of a must-play record. Whenever the song comes on during parties, it created so much nostalgia and happiness in everyone around due to its catchy instrumentation. The song became a club anthem within and outside Nigeria.

The social networking site, TikTok, played a major role in the success of the Dorime songs – both the original version and the Amapiano remix – and further launched the creators of the remix into stardom.

The Amapiano version was so successful to the point of scoring the number one position in various music charts across multiple countries. The track peaked at number one in Jamaica, Uganda, Ghana, Kenya, Zambia, South Africa, Thailand, Nigeria and Sweden. The artist himself had stated that if he was to promote the song using his finances, it would not have gotten to the height it attained.

Conclusion

Creativity is a beautiful thing. Who would have thought that a party rocking song coined out of an old solemn hymn-like tune would create a new slang, as well as a name and meaning to the original song?

Goya Menor’s Ameno Amapiano Remix has been an incredible success story. Its meteoric rise to fame is a testament to the power of social media platforms like TikTok and its potential for propelling a song to the top of the music charts. The song further championed the already viral Amapiano genre, with its catchy melodies and unique rhythms.

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