Based on his transcriptions and translations of the music of the most talented of Yoruba musicians, Michael Banjo has brought to life the thoughts and the idiosyncrasies of Yoruba society of southwest Nigeria. His unique volume of poems has never before been done by another writer. He brings alive music in a way never before encountered by anyone who's enjoyed those languid and urgent stirrings of African music and wondered what the words mean. The Jewels of the Yoruba Song sits comfortably where literary creativity meets the enjoyment of Africa's traditional music. The poems are not just literary gems. They also track key historical events. The poem 'Tribute to General Murtala Muhammed', inspired by Yusuf Olatunji's 1976 album following the abortive military coup d'etat stands out. The Jewels are a rich in philosophical outpourings and social commentary. Get inside the minds of these great musicians and it will be obvious why Michael Banjo's Jewels of the Yoruba Song is one the best literary works of 2017.