“They say you sweet like shuga….oh eh
I hear you taste like honey….oh eh
Baby somebody’s calling….oh eh
Baby don’t leave me hanging….oh eh
Ah baby you sweet like shuga o….oh eh..”
Starts the intro song for the amazing show SHUGA! If anything, I was really excited to own my own entertainment column on ReviewNaija because of Shuga. ‘Anywho’, with season 3 completed, this is a quick commentary on this awesome show and the impact it is having on the average African Youth.
For those who have never heard of Shuga, it is an award winning MTV Base drama on sex and relationships designed to combat ignorance and misinformation about HIV within African youth. It is currently on its fourth season, which is based in Lagos, Nigeria.
Trust me this show is AMAZING!! I always say “it’s like Gossip Girl for African kids” except there is a more in-depth lesson on sexuality and AIDS. It’s funny how Nigeria has the second largest population of HIV patients yet we walk around like it doesn’t exist. Shuga teaches us to be sexually responsible.
One thing I noticed in the show is that sex isn’t demonized rather it is embraced and people are urged to embrace their sexuality. This is something I particularly like because sex is human and beautiful. There should be no shame in it only responsibility. In the show we watch scenes where sexual partners remind each other to use protection and often we are shown the consequences of sex without protection.
The story line is witty and shows the life of a couple of Nigerian students on campus pursing their dreams in LAGOS. Each character reminds me of someone I could easily know and (I just have to say it) I love Sophie! I feel like if she was real she could easily be my main!!! I can just see us laughing and gisting about guys and random stuff.
Overall, I would say Shuga season 3 is a wonderful African show with good acting and very good cinematography. The panning, lights, story line and more all work well to create a different and inspiring story of the African experience. So much so that, this show is causing people to rethink and create causes that help HIV patients.
Why don’t you check it out (if you haven’t ) and tell me what you think!
NB – This review was updated on 10/30/2014
Hmm… sounds very interesting can’t wait to watch it.
This show!!!!.. Tbh, this review is just a tip of the iceberg. Before I started watching this show, HIV and Aids wasn’t something I took very seriously, I was always like what are the chances that someone in my circle has HIV/AIDS. But guys, seriously, it is very high. Shuga just justifies the saying, ‘Aids no dey show for face’ … Lol. Let me not spoil the show for you, if you haven’t watched it just do so ASAP.
A very interesting and animated review. A friend told me about the show and I had to finish the first season after seeing the first episode. What intrigues me most is how easy it is to relate to the characters and the dialogue. It really drives home the complacency of an entire community in addressing the reality that is HIV/ AIDs in Nigeria. The story details how ones life can change in an instant and shows the frailty of our humanity. The show also addresses overlooked issues like violence against married women and the male chauvinistic society we still live in. The messages in this show resonates more with me than any awareness programme I’ve ever seen and it’s production has given me a very different perspective on Nigerian Television.
Finally, I agree with the author on sexuality being embraced in the show as I believe the hypocrisy is part of our problems. We can’t control what we do but we can choose to protect ourselves.