Lee Ada’Eze: What Bisa Kdei’s “Grandpa Me Nie” feature on “Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey” Means to Me

When I was younger, I watched so many Christmas movies. We called them ‘Christmas Specials’. I’m not sure if it’s because Christmas wasn’t fun for me or because I had the time. Home Alone, Problem Child – I would list them all but I didn’t really keep their titles in mind. I can only recall the popular ones I watched several times.

Back then, they were the closest I had to having a fun Christmas. I watched them over and over, soaking in the magical moments, the happily ever afters, and all the excitement as I fantasized about my own Merry Christmas. Then I would go into my room to explore my imagination, and oh! they always took me to the wildest and most beautiful places. But they were always foreign.

Every day, I learn new things about myself, and over the years, I’ve discovered that I love it best when I’m home. People think it’s weird that I want to remain in Nigeria or any other African country no matter how much I make. I’ll definitely tour the world and own properties abroad, but when all is said and done, I’ll always remember the road that leads me home.

As I’ve grown, I’ve had other things to do with my time, or maybe I got used to my not-so-fun Christmas, but Christmas movies just weren’t cutting it anymore. Either way, I haven’t seen one in over 15 years, and I almost forgot the thrill I got from watching ‘Christmas Specials.’ Perhaps, I got too original for the foreign fantasies I got from the ones I watched? I’m not sure what it is, but I felt that thrill again today.

I watched a Christmas movie and the nostalgia that came with it was out of this world. At first, it was just normal. I was trying to watch the movie while finishing something up. I was typing so my attention was divided. Plus it’s a musical and I’m not a mushy person, so I lost interest every time they burst into a song.

I was facedown for most of the first hour, rewinding to catch up. I just knew the movie involved an inventor whose hope got stolen from him and his inventor granddaughter who was trying to restore it. One minute he’s stone-faced, and the next they’re throwing snowballs. I know I heard their laughter, but then the rising instrumentals caught my attention immediately. It felt too familiar to have come from the movie and that’s when I looked up and noticed that the subtitle read, “Grandpa Me Nie by Bisa Kdei playing.”

When I heard his voice, I had instant goosebumps. I dropped my laptop and rested my chin on my hand. Nothing could have distracted me. My smile widened when the little girls started busting some popular Ghanaian moves. It felt so good. Before you ask, I’m not Ghanaian. But I lived in Ghana for a while, so it’s home away from home. I smiled all through the less than 2 minutes the song played for. I felt like calling everyone together so I could play that part again. What am I saying? I replayed it twice before I continued the film. Haha!

I felt like watching it all over again, but then, I had other things to do with my time. So at the end of the film, I went back to play it once more and I just had to record it so I could play it over and over again when I felt like it – just like old times. The thrill, the glow in my eyes, my fantasies and wild imagination — they all came gushing and I was going to burst with excitement. I felt that magic again and this time, it didn’t feel foreign.

Yes, I know the movie title and no, it’s not just because it’s currently No 5 on Netflix: Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, directed by David E. Talbert.

Enjoy the less than two minutes upon which this story is based.?

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Photo Credit: Bisakdei/Instagram