‘Why I left Lagos for my village’ - BRIGHT CHIMEZIE

BRIGHT CHIMEZIE

You cannot talk about Nigerian music without mentioning Bright Chimezie. The Ziggima Music exponent was a veritable musical force in the 1980s and 1990s. During that period, he lived in Lagos and was very visible in entertainment circles because of the vintage position Lagos occupies.

Ziggima was a complete Afro-centric movement that transcended music. It preached it's philosophy of the African and Bright Chimezie fully portrayed this in his music, dressing and lifestyle.Here, he explained that the need for inculcating this belief into his family and which also led to his relocation to the East in 2003.

Still handsome and amiable, Okoro Junior, as Bright is fondly called, was at the Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos on Monday, May 24, to show his support for the Tony Okoroji-led Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), which just got the backing of the Federal Government of Nigeria to operate as the sole Collective Management Organization (CMO) for music and sound recordings in the country. He sat down with me after everyone had left for this exclusive interview...

Where have you been, what has been happening?

For seven years now, I have not been in Lagos. I used to be a Lagos-based artist, but I have not been in Lagos for seven years and it was a tactical Zigimatical withdrawal. I have my reasons for that and after I have achieved my aim, I decided to come back and that is why you have seen me.

What were you doing in that seven years?

I still maintain my 16-piece brand. I still maintain my family; I still play, I still release music. The only thing was that I did a little bit of withdrawal from Lagos.

Where did you go to?

I have been in my village, Ekeoba in Umuahia, all this while. I have been taking off from Umuahia to all parts of the world to do my Zigima thing.

Why?

What actually happened was that by 2003, I wanted my family to see where I come from and to get to know it as their first home. Apart from being a good musician, I am also a good family man. I was raising my family here in Lagos and it got to the point that they couldn't even speak my language and I am a cultural ambassador and my family does not even know where I come from. I was going from Lagos to the East and other places for shows. So, Lagos was going to become their first home and I said no, this should be corrected and I couldn't just leave my wife to go and do it alone. The story would have been that (launches into pidgin English) Okoro Junior carry him wife go dump for village come dey for Lagos dey touch small small girls.

So, I relocated to have a kind of balance. That's just the reason and I needed the whole concentration in the whole world or any story about it. By 2003, I quietly left Lagos for my village and I thank God, the kids now know where I come from and speak my language fluently. It was a well planned move and I think I have executed it beautifully. I had mapped out ten years for this particular programme and this is the seventh year of it. Everything has worked out beautifully and I am gradually showing my face in Lagos again. I will also gradually begin to bring back my family to Lagos.

Tell us about your family, please.

I have five children. My first two sons are a set of twins and they are 19 years old this year. They will be going into the university this year, because when we went home, they had to start afresh inorder to catch up with the environment. Their names are Chukwuemeka and Kelechi. My third child is Chukwudi, fourth is Chinemeze and fifth is Chidinma, my only daughter. She would be seven this year, speaks Igbo fluently and knows about her daddy's people and where he comes from. My wife's name is Chinyere Oyiridiya Chimezie and we have been married for about 20 years now.

What does she do?

Presently, she is looking after me and my family and that's a big job for any woman. She has contributed a lot to my success and achievements. There's no way I could have handled all this without her.

How did your family take the relocation back to the village at first?

Initially, it wasn't very easy, but home is home and blood is thicker than water. So, spiritually, they felt a sense of belonging. I was there and their mother was there, so it wasn't so difficult again. They managed, made new friends and acclimatized.

When you relocated to Umuahia, was it the town or did you go straight back to your village?

I am from Umuahia town. My village is within three kilometers of the main town, so we are still within Umuahia urban. So, if I had gone home and still stayed inside the township area, it would have been like I was still in Lagos.

When you got back home and stayed, didn't your people wonder if you had retired early?

I am a cultural ambassador. Even while I was in Lagos here, most of my shows were still in the village. I am not alien to the village because I have always visited. Moreover, I was working for myself and I could situate Zigima at any place and still power sounds. So, what's retirement? People were coming to book me for shows right there in the village. My latest album was recorded in the east. It is entitled, Because of English. I don't know if my people were going to ask if I had retired. But by the time they saw my truck load of musical instruments, my 36-seater bus, my wife and children, they knew I was home. But we were still rehearsing every other Thursday and I was taking off for shows to anywhere in the world and coming back. There was nothing more to ask.
Maybe they would have asked questions if I had gone to stay idle. Exactly the same way I lived here in Omole Estate, Lagos is how I am living at home. Also, there is ease of communication now. I could reach anybody from anywhere. So, being in the village didn't stop me from doing anything. For seven years, I was at home, I have been recording from home with my band. You know Zigima music is not something you do with the computer and since my band is with me at home, I have been able to record. So far so good, but the only thing is that Lagos is the Centre of Excellence and every other person is here and the moment they don't see you, there will be questions.

But I stand here to tell you that I am still the same Okoro Junior. If I had ventured into any other kind of business, you people would have been the first to know. I still have my 16-piece band, I still play shows and I still release music. Zigima music is evergreen and it is not something you release in bulk. It takes me years to release my music and when they come out, they are hits. I don't do praise singing in my music. Zigima is unique, people that love it love it and people that don't, stay away from it. People that like my dressing, physique and natural philosophy buy it and people that don't, don't come close. I thank God that in the seven years I have been away from Lagos, I have achieved my aims and I have been successful in my endeavours and I am going to gradually start getting back to Lagos.

You are going to be 50 this year, for many of these years, have you been a musician and how much has music rewarded you?

I have been into music for more than 30 years now. I can't measure how much music has done for me with specific parameters. I don't believe in materialism. I have good health. I have a family that I am very proud of, I have a powerful reputation to maintain. When people pick up my music, apart from picking fun, they also pick up natural philosophy and knowledge. There's no reward that is greater than that. If you want to judge me by my wealth, you are making a mistake. I know some people that started before me and those that I started before who rushed things and things are not that rosy for them anymore.

Your dress code, do you ever wear western culture?

I have never put on a suit on this body. The last time I did it was in 2001 when they wanted me to act in one film and it took them days to convince me to put that thing on my body. My fabrics are only African. I don't spend anything on suits, jeans or any foreign materials. I live my life naturally and happily. I am very comfortable in my skin.

When did this African philosophy come to you?

I was born and bred in the village. I grew up with the image of a beautiful African village in my mind. There were tales by moonlight, moon dances, folk tales and so on. I was active up reading African authors like Chinua Achebe, Cyprain Ekwensi and Elechi Amadi. I read about how the white man came here and desecrated our culture and I started picking interest on African things and ideology. That was how the Afro-centrism flared up and everything I did brought up the exclamation, “Ah, Okoro man,” from people. They meant it to be derogatory at first but I liked it and picked it up. That was how Okoro Junior came about.

My name is not Okoro, my name is Bright Chimezie Ironmuo. In Lagos, people will call me Omo Okoro, so I asked them to also add Junior to it. That was in the 1970s.

When did you come to Lagos?

The first time I entered Lagos was in 1974. I was still a student in the east then. I was here on holidays. From then till the late 70s, I was visiting Lagos on holidays. Then, by 1979, when I finished my secondary school education, I relocated to Lagos permanently. I played with a lot of bands and in clubs before I joined the Customs and Excise Dance Band and became the assistant band leader and the lead vocalist. I was here when my first album, Respect Africa, which launched me into limelight, came in 1985. Then, I resigned from the band on August 17, 1985 and formed my band, The Ziggima Movement.

The next thing I did was to relocate to the east and from there, I was coming to Lagos to power shows. By 1990, I came back into Lagos. I stayed here, got married here and started having children here in Lagos.

By 2001, 2002, my kids were becoming grown and I realized that being in this environment, they would soon start taking Lagos as their first home. I wanted them to know where I come from and how do I achieve that? I brought out my script and the ten-year plan to take my family back home for them to know their roots and not get lost in Lagos.

What's the next stage of your script?

I won't tell you. That's my game and I am playing it out to the fullest, pre-empting me would only scatter it.

How much education did you get in schools and where and how did you acquire the rest?

I had my primary and secondary school education in good schools. I never attended any university, but I have been lucky to mix up with intelligent people. Most of them have influenced me. My profession as a musician has also helped me because I travel a lot. Inwardly, I think I have depth and all these have woven themselves around me and helped define my person.

What do you think about your music at this time?

If my music was not accepted, I think I would have gone into oblivion. I still have my band and people still patronize me and call me for shows. In the east now, there is one guy that plays my kind of music. His name is Eje and if he plays here, you will think it is me.

Being so passionate about African culture, what do you think of other Africans who do not have great regards for it?

The African culture is not adequately represented, but what can one do. I believe God intentionally created me African. Gave me the Igbo language, gave me Ogbono soup and garri and other African delicacies. All I have to do is embrace them and take things to a particular height. I have a God given opportunity and I don't joke with it. I don't know about other people and I don't want to worry about them.

BRIGHT WITH HIS BAND MEMBERS

SKUKI: IN THE BEGINNING AND NOW

                                        

The brothers, Skuki, Tumininu (Vavavoom) and Atewologun Laolu-Ogunniyi (Peeshaun) are the newest toast of the Nigerian music industry. Their hit single, “Banger”, has just won them the highly coveted Next Rated award, plus a brand new Kia Optima and a Blackberry curve at the recently held MTN-sponsored Hip Hop World Awards 2010. Their full album, also entitled B.A.N.G.E.R, has just been released on the streets and suddenly people can't get enough of the duo. I sat with them for a chat at the office of Kiss Group, their management company, owned by the amiable Howie T and Dipo Abdul, to trace their musical development up until this time. What comes forth is the story of a disciplined family which made sure they received the necessary university education before they could be allowed to pursue their musical passions. Below are the details. Enjoy…

You just won the Next Rated at the Hip Hop World Awards with the accompanying car prize, were you ever expecting it?

We weren't expecting to win and we weren't looking at losing either. All we know was that the people we were nominated against are some of the best new talents in the country at the moment. It was a very competitive category and it was a big shock to us when we clinched it. But we had been working and campaigning for it. Once we knew we were nominated, all the shows we had both in and outside Lagos, we practically begged our audiences to please vote for us; we explained to them what it meant to us and they supported us.

You guys started music about ten years ago, why did it take this long for you to break even?

First, we are from Ibadan and everybody knows that Lagos is the actual entertainment capital of the country. Our first album, an eight-track album, was packaged to be released on December 26, 2001, but our parents noticed that we were beginning to take music serious. They asked us to put everything on hold.

All along, they had let us do music as a hobby, but at the time we wanted to release the album, we were also about writing JAMB, so they made us stop the music so that we could concentrate on our studies. And we didn't write that JAMB once. That's where the long gap came from. When we finally succeeded, we had to separate as Peeshaun was admitted to study at the University of Ibadan and Vavavoom went for Geography at the University of Lagos. Now, we have both graduated and the music is back.

How did you guys manage while in school?

It was very tough. Our university days was when the Nigerian music industry transformed the most. We were monitoring the goings on in the industry. We were skipping classes for studio sessions; we were travelling out of town for shows and those were responsible for us having a few carryovers during our school days. But we thank God that we still came out graduates with good grades.

Have you guys served?

Vavavoom: I am presently serving in Abeokuta.

Peeshaun: I have not served yet. I still have to go to Law School first. That would come sometime before our second album or anytime. I have a break because we want to get this music hustle fully on its feet before I can do that. The first album is just out and we are still promoting it. The music is doing well, so I have to wait till the buzz of the album dies down a little before I can go.

I think I have achieved the hardest part of it by becoming a Law graduate. That was what my mom feared most, that we could become dropouts. So, the Law thing is now like a plan B, that if the music thing stops working at a point, then I can pick up Law again.

Having got to this stage now, do you think all the efforts and carryovers are worth it?

Vavavoom: Yes, all the sacrifice is worth it. I was in UNILAG and having to stay away from school most times because the music really took my time. But I am glad I scaled through. We spent the normal years for our courses in school.

How long did it take you to put the album together?

The oldest song on the album is the last track entitled, “You”. It was recorded in May 2006. But in between that and our first album in 2006 and now, we have been recording.We record a song and before we could release it, it would become outdated and we will do another one and so on.

How many are you in the family?

Peeshaun: We are from a family of seven. There are five children and we are the last two. Vavavoom is my immediate elder brother. They used to regard us as twins. We got into trouble and also got rewards together. We also fought a lot while we were young. Our eldest brother, Jolaolu, also had an inclination for entertainment, but being the first born, he couldn't easily pursue it, but we being the last, they were a bit lenient on us and allowed us to flow. Also our elder ones had our back and always helped us through.

When did you guys find out you were going to be musicians?

We have been very good friends since childhood, but there was no time we knew we were going to do music. But when we were younger, we used to steal play. We used to mime MC Hammer and he used to be very upset about it. Things went on like that before we started getting our own songs ourselves and complemented each other a lot on it.

Now that you guys have broken even in your music, how does the family take it?

The day my mom got our certificates in her hands, she virtually told us to do what we want. She really believes in one doing what he or she enjoys most, but she never fails to tell you to face reality. That's also where our dad comes in, he is a realist. They made us understand that the Nigerian music industry is massively populated and only a few up-coming acts make it from among the larger number of people that get in. They supported us with their prayers and now we have won a brand new car and the music is paying the bills gradually, they are excited. They are really proud of us and right now my mom sees us as heroes. We have always been her babies, but now she sees us as babies that really stuck to what they wanted to do.

Now that everyone is happy with you, what are your next moves?

Now that we are sort of officially the next big thing in Nigeria, there are a lot of expectations and the spotlight is on us, so we are definitely not going to dull that position. Now that the album is out, it would be a wonderful thing for fans to go out there to pick their copies and checkout for themselves if we are really going to be up to it. Any show they see Skuki performing, we are definitely going to make sure we entertain and live up to expectations. Tours are also coming up, both overseas and local and another video is coming from Skuki next month and it is going to be betther than the “Banger” video.

Why didn't DJ Zeez show in the video of Banger since he featured on the song?

He had a delay in processing his visa and we were already in South Africa waiting for him and our resources were rapidly running down. We were even looking for garri in South Africa before DJ Zeez gave us the go-ahead to shoot the video and we thank God it came out fine.

Let's talk more on the album.

There are 12 tracks on the album and there are five producers: ID Cabasa produced “Rosie” on track 5, DJ Zeez produced “Banger”, Puffy T produced two tracks while Meka E, produced one and Nay Palm produced about 50 percent of the album. The title of the album is B.A.N.G.E.R and it stands for Building Africa's New Generation through Entertainment and Recreation.

What would you want to say to your fans out there?

If not for technology, we would have found it hard to reach out to them. We have been trying our best to let them know how we feel and we want them to know that we appreciate all they have done for us. I just want them to know that they are the ones that made us believe in ourselves. The award is dedicated to them.

Was there anytime that you contemplated quitting music?

Peeshaun: Yes. In 2005, I actually quit and Vavavoom said he would do it alone. My grades were quite bad in school and my brother even recorded a song alone, but he wasn't happy about it. Then, after about a year, my grades bounced back and I was able to rejoin him. That was about the only time we had a little hitch in the course of our career up until this point.

BANGER LYRICS

Intro: PEESHAUN x12

CHORUS:

Ma yin e ni banger (chei),

Ma yin e ni banger (chei),
Ma yin e ni banger (chei),

Ma yin e ni banger (aaah),

Ma yin e ni banger,

Ma yin e ni banger,

Ma yin e ni banger ,

I blow you banger!

Everybody say peeshaun,

Peeshaun, peeshaun (skuki)

Peeshaun,peeshaun,

Peeshaun (skuki),

Peeshaun, peeshaun, peeshaun,

Peeshaun,peeshaun, peeshaun

VERSE 1:

Any show I go take u higher,

Cos I don dey make d cheddah

Anywhere baby any weather,

Skuki is taking over.

Olomoge cool temper

Look at me u go know who better,

Take a cruise in my range rover,

Then we ride like a jange-rover.

I dey flow like d river niger,

Number 1 u can call me master

Anybody here remember,

Say me I like to fire (peeshaun).

If u miss ur road and u start

To dey try to show..

I go take u down, cos u know

Say Skuki don blow.

CHORUS x1

VERSE 2:

Igimu jina sori, opa eyin o

Oyato si henessy (henessy),

Men I be number 1,

Wan tun gbo mi ni Serrialeone,

Sippin on Dom perignon

Rock ur body to d break of dawn.

Because they like me,

All d girls they fly on top of me,

U come dey eye me,

Everywhere u go them know skuki,

So I say Hanlele, hanlele,

Hanlele, hanlele, hanlele,hanlele,

Hanlele, hanlele, hanlele,

Hanlele, hanlele, hanlele,

Hanlele, hanlele.

CHORUS x1

VERSE 3:

Who be actor, who be boss,

Wa je ka soro, wa je ka fo,

Becos u fine o, u come dey po,

Take am easy, omo no be sooo.

Omo to ba bere sini le mi,

Moma shako,

To ba tun wa wa mi wanu le mi,

Moma demo,

D.J Zeez, na me be this,

Skuki, so fun wan,

Make them feel beat o.

CHORUS x1

Hanlele, hanlele,

Hanlele, hanlele, hanlele,hanlele,

Hanlele, hanlele, hanlele,

Hanlele, hanlele, hanlele,

Hanlele, hanlele.

Outro:

Skuki! Skuki! Aaaah, Skuki!

Another DJ Zeez production.

Daphella!

Hanlele, hanlele, hanlele

Hanlele, hanlele. PEESHAUN

IGE LAUNCHES THE EVOLUTION

DUPE IGE-KACHI

This lady would be readily remembered with MTN PROJECT FAME. She is one the FACULTY members of the show. But that’s not all she is about. Mrs. Dupe Ige Kachi is one of the top Classical and Gospel singers in the country.

On Monday, May 31, 2010, she launched her album, THE EVOLUTION, at the Lagoon Restaurant, Victoria Island, Lagos. A host of friends and fellow musicians were on hand to support her. Some of them she had featured on the album and some were even her protégés. Lara George, Olufunmi, Yinka Davies, Madonna and a young exciting Gospel rapper, Provabs, who brought in a lot of energy and force to the proceedings of the evening, were all there while a choir and an orchestra were also there to back them up live. Madonna, her protégé, a contestant on last year’s MTN PROJECT FAME WEST AFRICA SEASON 2, rendered one of her compositions and Ben Ogbeiwi who was a fellow FACULTY member on PROJECT FAME acted as the MC of the event.

Ige who was beautifully pregnant and her friends took guests, among who were her husband and manager, Mr. Duka Kachi, parents, Ven. and Mrs. S.B Akinola, Sammie Okposo and Pastor Ituah Ighodalor who presided over the launch proper through a memorable evening of live music and enchanting performances.

MADONNA

PASTOR ITUAH IGHODALOR(left)

The album, THE EVOLUTION, has 15 tracks. It contains collaborations with Different Stones, Provabs, Fytt, Samklef and O’ Cube. Production was by Kayode Omotade, Sunny Nweke, Sammie Okposo, Samklef and Cobhams Asuquo. It was mixed by Bouqui’s elder brother, Jide Afolayan aka Mix Master J. Above were some faces at the event.

‘The challenges of bringing MTV Base to Africa’ - ALEX OKOSI

ALEX OKOSI

Alex Okosi is one of the numerous Nigerians doing the country proud on the international scene. He started working with MTV in New York in 1998, and by 2007, after successfully establishing them in Africa, he became the Senior Vice President and Managing Director of MTV Networks in Africa. All this had happened before his 32nd birthday.

Also within that period, MTV Base, the urban Pan-African 24-hour music channel, was launched in 2005. Since then, they have become the leading music channel in Africa and have influenced the rapid improvement in African music videos as well as exposed and brought African artists with their international counterparts. They recently celebrated their fifth anniversary at a well-attended event in Lagos.

The MTV Music Awards (MAMA) has also been introduced and creativity and quality in African music videos have been adequately rewarded. The third edition of the awards would also hold this year, after the two previous editions have held in Nigeria and Kenya, respectively.

Alex is from Anambra State. He went to the U.S as a kid and had his education there. His high school was at Phillip Exeter Academy. He went on to study Business and Economics at St. Michael's University. He didn't complete his MBA because of the MTV Africa project, which he still pursues with a passion.

I had this conversation with him at Sofitel Hotel, Ikoyi, Lagos some weeks back…

In the five years that MTV Base has been in Africa, how much of its objectives have been achieved?

The first objectives were to build a music TV business which has never been done before. People were doing music channels before then, but to build one that was Pan-African was something new. We have done that. We also wanted to build a platform that was encompassing of the entire African continent and not just a part of Africa; a platform that would project the contemporary sounds of the entire continent, and we have done that.

We also wanted to extend our brand to make sure that we touch people on the ground by doing a lot of events; we wanted to create a community of artists across Africa; we also wanted to package a show that celebrates African talents and showcase them to the rest of the world and we have done that.

There was a lot of work that we set out to do and we have done those. However, there are still much more things that we want to do and the second five years of our existence is what we are in now and we are concentrating on building even a bigger business in Nigeria.

We are going to create more content, events, lifestyle, and extend our brand beyond just TV. We would introduce some of the other brands we have to the Nigerian audience. There's Nickelodeon, our kids channel, which is about the biggest in the world. We are bringing it to Nigeria. We would provide options for parents and children to play and interact in a safe and interesting way.

Do you intend to help develop some more indigenous forms of music through MTV Base?

MTV Base is an urbanized contemporary channel. It does not mean that we would not air the music of someone singing in indigenous languages, we have been doing that. But we are focused on contemporary African and international youth culture. We like to champion artists that are original, no matter the language they are singing with. They have to be people who are talking or singing about things we can relate to in our own way. We are a champion of good music. If you have a good video, we will promote you and if you have an audience, we will connect you to them. Being indigenous should be more reflective in the creativity of one's art.

The NBC has tried so much to clamp down on indecencies in our music. How much has MTV Base assisted in this in their programmes?

We try to make sure that what we air on MTV free-to-air stations are decent because we are aware that younger people watch the channels and we need to put out decent images. There are some things you can air on free-to-air TV in other parts of the world that you can't air in Nigeria and we know this. So, we do our best to conform with the rules and regulations applicable in the various countries and places we operate in.

Are there times you seek to promote the creativity evident in a work as against its content?

The key way through which we approach an issue is that we want to promote creativity, but we also want to influence creativity that is progressive. We communicate this to the artists from time to time, as much as possible. We encourage them to play to their strength and also focus on their strength. They should remain authentic. But at the same time, you cannot allow them the freedom to make their choices. We have always reflected our preference and support for creativity in our awards.

How much do you think MTV Base has contributed to the development of African musical videos?

Without trying to blow our own trumpet, I think you should ask the artists. Before we arrived, the musical choices on TV were quite limited. We have impacted tremendously on the industry. When we started, the music video culture in Nigeria was the worst, but now Nigerians are winning more of the awards. We were on ground and we have succeeded in raising the standard of our music videos. We have got Nigerian musicians to be globally recognized.

Are there efforts to get at par with international standards as regards rewarding artists and paying them royalties for their works?

That's always the effort. The challenges with Nigeria is that there is no Collecting Rights Society; the industry is not generating enough cash. There are no advertisers paying for their products to be shown within a music video. MTV Base is a platform, a business and in a broadcast business, it is advertising that sustains you. When Nigeria gets a Collecting Rights Society, we would get to that. Even the biggest artists in the U.S are no longer waiting for their royalty cheques because music videos are no longer played that much in the U.S because there's no stickness to it. The internet has also come up and many videos could be watched online for free.

Coming to the MTV Base Africa Music Awards, what is the idea behind rating African artists side by side their foreign ones when it comes to the awards?

We didn't invent hip hop, but we have hip hop artists in Nigeria and we also listen to both local and international hip-hop artists in Nigeria. So, our hip hop artists should be competing against the other artists we listen to. For the awards to be an authentic show, it should have some kind of international appeal. Remember that some African artists have actually won European awards. It is just on three categories that we include foreign artists on the awards and this is because we felt it would be nice to have African artists stand side by side and compete with their international counterparts. The winners are still determined by voting and most times, the results are quite close.

As a Nigerian who is basically an ambassador, because you do most of your work outside, how do you see the country?

Some of the things that make me incredibly happy and proud to be Nigerian is that we are very resilient people, we work hard. In the international community, people would always want to single out Nigerians for fraud and other negatives vices, but I always tell them that we are the best at whatever we put our hands to. If you want the best doctors in America, some of them would be Nigerians. If you want the best engineers, some of them would be Nigerians, and yes, some of the best fraudsters could also be Nigerians. But the reality is that we are very talented and motivated people. I am very proud to be a Nigerian and I always make sure people know that. I have a green passport, but I am happy about it. People can't ignore us outside, but I would like to see young Nigerians take more active part in the development of our country and also showing that they have a voice in changing the country.

Over 50 percent of Nigerians are youths below 25 years, but how many of them are in places of political power where they can help shape and influence their future?

Not much changes can take place in this country where the same people remain in places of political power all the time. It has to be young Nigerians that should be in place to actually change things, because we are much close to what's happening on the ground. I love seeing Nigeria and Nigerians successful because we are hardworking people and we deserve to be successful.

What were some of the challenges you faced in bringing MTV to Africa?

First, was convincing MTV to invest and come to Africa. The rest of the world doesn't believe in a TV business in Africa, so convincing MTV to do that was a very tough challenge. When we succeeded in doing that, there was still the challenge of trying to make profit, create content that sell, create campaigns that would succeed and so on.

How do you intend to use your position to help develop Nigeria?

I think my position is to find a way to engage young people through our brand and get them to believe that they can have a material impact in the development of the country. Music is a very powerful medium and we have been able to create stars and celebrities in it. So, the challenge is now to galvanize them and make them positive influences on others. I also need to use my experience in business to educate, mentor and nurture others through the various channels at my disposal.

Nigeria is 50 this year and this is an opportunity to bring the country together and also let the world know that we are united. We need to let the world know that we are a great people and that we care about each other.

Trace your progression through the ranks at MTV for us.

I have been on MTV since I started working in 1998. I first worked in New York, before moving to Los Angeles; then I moved to our international strategy office in London where we explored how we could extend the brand to other parts of the world. That was when I started working on a business plan to bring MTV to Africa.

When did the idea of MTV Africa come to you?

I got the idea in 2001 while I was still in our L.A office and I first had a conversation with our CEO at the time about it. Then, one day, I was in my office when my boss introduced me to a guy who had the same idea with me. We later talked about it at length and the rest is now history. What I know is that if I had not been hardworking and dedicated, I might not have had that opportunity. In 2005, we launched the channel and we are five years old this year.

Any chance of slowing down to get married soon?

Yes, I will definitely get married. I like marriage and I will soon do that. But that would only be to be right woman. I will marry when the right woman comes.

HIP HOP WORLD AWARDS 2010 WINNERS

the HEADIE

The 2010 edition of what has grown to become a constant in the Nigerian musical and entertainment calendar, THE HIP HOP WORLD AWARDS, held on Saturday, May 29, 2010 at the new Exhibition Hall of the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

It was a generally successfull outing and apart from a few regular hitches and glitches, guests, nominees and the general public had a very enjoyable show. The MO HITS crew were the highest winners of the evening as Wande Coal carted home five out of the 18 competitive categories of the awards and Don Jazzy got the Producer of the Year. New kids on the block, SKUKI, a group of two brothers, Peeshaun and Vavavoom won the highly rated NEXT RATED and drove home the brand new KIA OPTIMA. MTN, the headline sponsors of the event presented a BLACKBERRY CURVE to every category. So Wande Coal got five new BLACKBERRYs.

The organisers of the event, Ayo Animashaun's SMOOTH PROMOTIONS, experiemented in some areas. There was no official host or usherrettes at the show. Presenters carried the reported 21 Carat Gold plaque (HEADIE) themselves and some of them loudly complained about the enormous weight of the beautiful piece. The event also started very late - 11:10pm, a massive three hours past the advertised time of 8pm and ended at about 3am the next day. I believe the issue of time should be seriously addressed in all events in this country so that we can expunge the demons of African, Nigerian or whatever time.

Some very spectacular and memorable perfomances were recorded by Obiwon, Wande Coal and General Pype who drove in with a Tricycle (Keke). Here are the winners. Pictures will follow soon.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

MUSHIN 2 MO’HITS
Artiste: WANDE COAL
Producer(s): Don Jazzy
Record Label: Mo’Hits Records

ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
WANDE COAL

SONG OF THE YEAR
“YORI YORI”
Artist: BRACKET
Album: Least Expected
Producer: Dekumzy
Record Label: Ape Planet


RECORDING OF THE YEAR
“HEAVEN PLEASE”
Artist – Timi Dakolo
Producer – Cobhams Asuquo

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
DON JAZZY
Album/Song Title – “Banana”, “U Bad”
Artist – Wande Coal

BEST MUSIC VIDEO (AWARD GOES TO DIRECTOR)
CLARENCE PETERS
Video – “Finest”
Artist – Knight House Ft. Sauce Kid & Teeto

BEST R ‘N’ B SINGLE
“STRONG TING”
Artist – Banky W
Producer – Cobhams Asuquo

BEST POP SINGLE
"U BAD”
Artist – Wande Coal
Producer – Don Jazzy

BEST R ‘N’ B/ POP ALBUM
MUSHIN 2 MO’HITS
Artist- Wande Coal
Producer - Don Jazzy

BEST RAP SINGLE
“SAMPLE Remix”
Artists – Terry Tha Rapman Ft. Stereo Man & Pherowshuz
Producer – Pherowshuz

BEST RAP ALBUM
CEO
Artist – Dagrin
Producers – Sossick, T-Frizzle, Dokta Frabz, Sarz
Record Label - Missofunyin Entertainment

LYRICIST ON THE ROLL
MODENINE
Song – Bad Man
Album – Da Vinci Mode
Record Label – Red Eye Music

BEST COLLABO
“KOKOROKO”
Artists – Kefee Ft. Timaya
Producer – K Solo

BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (MALE)
DARE ART ALADE
Song Title - “NO STARS”
Producer- Cobhams

BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (FEMALE)
LARA GEORGE
Song Title - “KEEPER OF MY DREAMS”
Producer – Wole Oni

BEST STREET HOP
“FREE MADNESS Pt. 2”
Artist– Terry G

NEXT RATED
SKUKI
Song Title – “BANGER”

HIPHOP WORLD REVELATION OF THE YEAR
WANDE COAL

HALL OF FAME
FEMI AKINTUNDE JOHNSON
FEMI LASODE

ACTOR, MIKE EZURUONYE'S TRADITIONAL WEDDING CEREMONY

On Saturday, May 22, 2010, the people of Umuchioma in Umuduru, Isiala Mbano LGA, Imo State witnessed one of the most exciting days of the year. Nollywood A-List actor, Mike Ezuruonye was joined in traditional matrimony with his Canada-based lover, Nkechi Nnorom. His colleagues in the entertainment industry thronged the place to witness the event. Here are pictures as taken by ENCOMIUM MAGAZINE's Photo journalist, Godwin Onyemaechi.

with INI EDO

with Desmond Elliot

Mike and his mom

Mike and his brothers

CHIOMA CHUKWUKA AND UCHE JOMBO

INI EDO

MERCY JOHNSON terrorized the kids

even while sitting

even this too

THE SENGE MENGE FAMILY WITH JULIUS AGWU

Meet the Usherettes

CHOOSE A BIKE

MORE OPTIONS

DAGRIN’S DEATH: A MUSIC REPORTERS PERSPECTIVE

DAGRIN

I had this conversation with Timaya a few days after DaGrin’s death.

Timaya: See as everybody no happy say DaGrin die and even all of una wey be pressmen follow dey vex say DaGrin die. I no know say una like us like this o! (He laughs).

Me: You been expect say we go happy?

Timaya: I know say una for happy if to say na me die.

Me: Why you go talk like that?

Timaya: With all the things wey una dey write about me una no go happy say make I die?

That got me thinking. Why would Timaya think such? Is there anybody that would take pleasure in the death of a fellow human being? And would any music reporter in Nigeria be happy that any of the musicians in the country at the moment, who have successfully evolved this genre of entertainment into a lucrative and respectable business venture, exit abruptly without completing his or her part in the industry? Who would be happy that a young man in his prime should die so suddenly and whose fault is it that Timaya should think like this?

One of the universal truths of journalism is that every paper or magazine is out to sell or promote a cause and if you won’t help in doing these, they won’t write about you. Timaya had earlier portrayed the image of a careless, carefree, no-respecter-of-persons kind of guy when he successfully entered the Nigerian music industry. He only spoke his mind or whatever he found in it and gave anyone that came close a dose of his conceited self. So while his music attracted him fans, his person repulsed them as he confused his lyrical militant persona with his person.

But would you blame him? Just checkout his background: He is one of the numerous children in a poor family from a highly wronged zone of the country; had very limited education and suddenly coming into instant wealth and fame. Who was there to control and direct him? He had everything he wanted and could do as he liked but he survived. He survived that dangerous period of initial wealth and fame and even when he is not on top of the music chain, he is still a very relevant Nigerian musician and has the chance of always reclaiming top spot depending on his subsequent musical outputs.

That being a given, we go back to DaGrin. Frenzy (Emmanuel Okafor), the producer of his now much talked about track, “If I Die,” took it further when he said that: “Most of us (musicians) are from the streets and our talents come from there. We are not all from well organized homes and if you take away the street in us, you also kill the talent. The white man knows this that’s why when he gets talented footballers from this part of the world, they watch over them carefully. We mostly don’t have that system here.” He went on to blame DaGrin’s management for not looking after him very well.

DaGrin was from the streets. You could hear this in his songs and his beautiful video for his single, “Pon Pon Pon,” and his life also reflected this. He is one of nine children. His father is a music records retailer and equipment hirer. His mother is a petty trader. He quit education after secondary school and everyone knows that the computer school is largely a skill acquisition centre rather that a formal school. He has struggled in the industry releasing his debut album, STILL ON THE MATTER, in 2006 without any commercial success but he stayed the course and when people termed him local, he stayed focused and now that his name is spreading like staphylococcus; just as his first whiff of success blew, he was whipped away by it. Who in this world would be happy at that?

Others had survived. 2face survived. When they weren’t shooting or robbing him, he was busy getting people’s daughters pregnant and today he has five children and counting. But he has survived. He is still there today and we happily call him 2baba and are expectantly waiting for his next album. Wande Coal survived it. In 2008, when the folks at the Hip Hop World Awards gave him a car, he immediately went on rampage and almost killed himself. But for the grace of God we would have been left without a young man of his unique vocal talent. Today, his management never lets him out of their sight and no matter what he smokes or drinks or who he sleeps with; we still have him with us and are eagerly awaiting his next album. Durella was literally placed under house arrest by TC Records, his parent record label, because immediately after he won the $50, 000 at the MTV Base/ Zain Advance Warning in 2006, he went haywire. He began “Shayoing” everywhere according to his hit track “Shayo” until his management recognized the dangers and placed an outing embargo on him. He now drinks at home and is almost ready with his next album. Terry G the Intellectual Madman was also a big case. He was at the club every weekend and enmeshed in one controversy or the other (he is still in most of them) when he first saw money. But he has survived and we are happily writing him into maturity and he will one day be a very strong reference point in the development of contemporary Nigerian musical sounds. We don’t really want to go far back, but while Majek Fashek is now a ghost of his “Rainmaking” self, he is still alive and still bears his name.

This is DaGrin’s turn to shine. The streets, the majority shareholders of the Nigerian musical Stock
 Market are feeling him. His language was low but epic and his rhyme scheme in Yoruba would standout in any language of the world. He has just joined the A-List of Nigerian musicians. No big show takes place in the country now without his name among the headliners. But his stay was very short, hence the amount of grief at his death.

The music reporter in this era would feel no little grief in losing such a talent a DaGrin’s. This is a period when the music bug has bitten all (both young and old) and we are at crossroads trying to sift the wheat from the chaff among the rough music mass presented us in Nigeria. There are so many musical nonentities on the scene that we should have no business writing about so when we lose a genuine musical subject, we are sad. We grieve because we have lost someone we would rather write about than so many other pretenders scattered all over the Nigerian musical terrain.

As mentioned earlier, all publications are out to sell or attract readers and customers. To this we write about people that other people would love to read about and when you only portray yourself in the negative light while in the public eye, we have no other choice than to embellish and make you juicier to our readers. If you are in the public eye and carry yourself honourably, we shall promote you but if you make a fool of yourself, we shall only present you in more attractive motley.

POSTSCRIPT: As music has become a respectable and lucrative profession in Nigeria, our music stars should control themselves. If not, you will only have a big black carnival escort you home and in the process, give we music and entertainment reporters sleepless nights as against a lifetime of wealth, fame and popularity. We are not happy when a good musician dies or sends away his wife and young son anytime near the weekend because by then, we would have submitted all our columns and stories and on our way to a weekend of fun only for our various editors to call us back to the office to write a befitting farewell to your marriage or musical careers. All those managing a musician should look to them and those who don’t have managers should go find one. Every musician should be careful about what he or she does and should always take their fans and the reporters who write about them into consideration in whatever they do.

MUMA GEE OUT WITH “THE WOMAN IN QUESTION”

MUMA GEE

After an impressive outing at this year’s inaugural edition of the GULDER ULTIMATE SEARCH CELEBRITY SHOWDOWN, Afrotastic singer, Muma Gee, has immediately returned to her musical career. She had completed work on her album, THE WOMAN IN QUESTION and even held a launch for it at the NITESHIFT COLISEUM, Ikeja, Lagos, before embarking on the once-in-a lifetime experience of the Celebrity GULDER ULTIMATE SEARCH.

On Monday, May 3, 2010, after she was officially evicted from the show, she instructed her marketer, IYKE DE DON, to start pushing out units of her new album, her third, THE WOMAN IN QUESTION into the market. Each unit, beautifully packaged in a yellow CD jacket, contains an 18-track audio CD and a five-track Video CD. Some of the songs are “Accra Boy” featuring VIP of Ghana, “Girl Power” featuring Frenzy and also produced by him, “Joli” which Terry G produced and also featured in, “Scream” was produced by Cobhams Asuquo and “African Woman” is a collabo with Batman Samini of Ghana.

The album is actively themed to reflect the African Woman and her position in both the lives of her family and the society. It comes out under Muma Gee’s own label, MGEE RECORDS. Muma Gee would also embark on a local and African tour tagged, THE WOMAN

KENNIS MUSIC: THE PAST, THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE, BY KENNY OGUNGBE

KENNY OGUNGBE

Kenny Ogungbe is the front man of Kennis Music and Primetime Africa. They have contributed a lot to the development of the present Nigerian Music Industry.  I spent some hours with him recently. Excerpts...

THE BEGINNING

Getting to talk to Kennis Music boss, Keke Ogungbe, was never a big problem because he always made himself accessible to people. So, on the Tuesday, March 9, 2010, realizing that this year's edition of the Kennis Music Easter Fiesta was almost with us, I paid him a visit at their office inside Magodo GRA, Ikeja, Lagos.

Jaywon was about rounding off the shoot of the video of his song, “Gbon Gbon”, and Keke and his long time partner, D-One, were going to make a comeo appearance in it for the intro part. So, we waited while DJ Tee got that out of the way and then proceeded upstairs to his office to talk there.

It was only natural that we go back to the beginning. This led to the story of his return from the United States and the unquantifiable contributions of his brother-in-law, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi to his life.

He was working as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), the Nigerian equivalent of ICAN in California, USA when Dokpesi invited him to come back to Nigeria and test the waters.

“He told me to come to Nigeria for a couple of weeks and see what is happening and if I didn't like it, I was free to go back. I thought he was joking,” he said with a smile. “So, I said send me a ticket!” The next morning I got a telegram asking me to collect my first class KLM Airlines ticket at the nearest collection point to me.” At that time, 1991 or 1992 (Keke wasn't sure), Dokpesi, had just got married to his sister and he had never ridden first class before. When he landed at the airport, Dokpesi swept him off his feet by coming to meet him at the airport in a brand new black Mercedes 560 SEL. “He told me, welcome to your father's land, I just want to make sure you are okay.”

Dokpesi further gave him a car and set him up in a new house in Ajao Estate, Lagos (Keke still lives in Ajao till today).

POLITICS

Keke didn't return to the US. Dokpesi then ventured into politics and Keke became his campaign manager. Their first port of call was Dokpesi for Senate, where Dokpesi was NRC's flagbearer in Edo Senatorial District under General Ibrahim Babangida's Option A4. “I stayed for about nine months,” Keke said and we worked so hard and campaigned through all the local governments from Okpekpe to Owan East in that area and West, Akoko Edo, Etsako East, North, West and Central, but we lost. We lost to Lagoke of the SDP who went on to become the Deputy Senate President. Dokpesi had previously worked as Bamanga Tukur's campaign manager. They called me “Head checker” then because every penny went through me. If you don't get my approval, you don't get a penny. That was how much trust he had in me.”

It was after Dokpesi's failed senatorial bid that they went for Dokpesi for President, still under the NRC. They passed through the ward, local government and council till the NRC National Convention where Alhaji Ibrahim Tofa eventually emerged victorious.

KENNIS MUSIC

After the loss, Daar Communications followed and up came Kennis Music. This is their 12th anniversary and part of the celebrations would be the forthcoming Kennis Music Annual Easter Fiesta. But before talking more about that, we got talking about the numerous artists who have passed through Kennis Music.

Keke listed as many as he could remember and there were names like Kunle Ajayi, their first artist, Tony Tetuila, Remedies, Onyeka Onwenu, Kenny Saint Brown (his sister), Kingsley Ike, Mike Aremu, Paul I.K Dairo, Lagbaja, Wale Thompson, 2Face Idibia, Essence, KC Presh, Sound Sultan, Olu Maintain and Baba Dee. The present ones are KSB and Essence, plus Eedris Abdulkareem who is returning, then Star Quest winners, Diamonds and The Pulse, then comedian Gbenga Adeyinka's returnee brother, Femi and Jaywon who was discovered at last year's Kennis Music Easter Fiesta and Keke is very excited about the young man's prospects. “We met him at the beach version of last year's fiesta at Kuramo and between that time and now, he has become a household name in the Nigerian music industry. He won an award as the best new artist before even releasing his album. Nobody on our record has ever won that award at that stage. His album is also doing very well in the market.

“Till date, 2010, Kennis Music has released about 57 albums and all these albums were produced, recorded, released, marketed and promoted by us,” Keke boasted.

“That's why we are one of the biggest in Africa. We release an average of five albums per year and this year we have already released KSB's Turn Around, we would be releasing Essence's Essentially Essence, which contains collabo with Timaya. The Pulse's album is ready, Eedris Abdulakareem's album, Unfinished Business is ready and we are even trying to reduce the number of tracks on it. Once those ones are out, we will move over to Femi Adeyinka to bring the albums released by Kennis Music to around 70. So, tell me if we have not tried?

KENNY AND D-ONE

“We don't need to say that we will revolutionize the music industry anymore. Just visit the various hotspots of Lagos and see if you will not hear us.”

KEKE, THE UPCOMING ARTIST

When Eedris first released his single, “Calabar Girl,” many were confused when he said he featured Keke Ogungbe. But make no mistake about it, Keke is really very serious about making a showing as an artist.

“I am an upcoming artist and many would have seen me in the video. I listen to producers and they tell me when to raise my voice or reduce my tone. I listen and I've got my album coming out soon.”

ARTIST/LABEL RELATIONSHIP

Except for the seven current artists on the Kennis Music imprint, every other person has left and we asked him about this.

“Most of the artists I work with are not known when I work with them, that's why they work with me. Because by the time they do that, they will be known. Right now, I'm pushing Jaywon. Last year, he was not known and even before him was Kelly Hansome who was also not known until we started pushing his song.

“Even his song itself was controversial, but we just felt it was a feel-good song while some people over celebrated it. I have no regrets. Nobody knows these people when we start up with them and nobody talks about the contributions we make to the lives and careers of these people, but when they start selling one million records, they suddenly become big and Kennis becomes the one cheating them. They don't remember when Kennis was spending their money and facilities on them and all of a sudden you would hear them wanting to leave. Here, we try not to join issues with anybody because we know what we want. When we work with you, our job is to take you from nowhere and put you at the number one spot.

“We have always done that and will keep doing that. The minute you decide not to work with us anymore, we cannot force you to stay. For every artist that wants to leave, we have impacted on his life, because when he came, he was not there and by the time he is leaving, someone else would come up for us to take to the number one spot again. No artist reigns forever.”

The only exceptions in this instance are The Remedies who broke up and still stayed with Kennis Music individually and most recently, Kelly Hansome. Looking at Keke's demeanour when talking about the young, you'll notice disappointment.

Here was a young man he brought back into the country, released his songs, housed him, shot his videos and what he gets in the end is unwanted publicity as a result of the young man's actions.

Kelly has a contract to release three albums under Kennis Music, only one has been done and Kenny categorically stated that Kelly Hansome can never release any album anywhere in the world without first settling with Kennis Music. “If anybody wants to sign, he must talk to Kennis Music. Any other record label that does not want to lose money or their fingers to be burnt, should call Kennis Music. My lawyers have not worked in a long time and I've been paying yearly retainership and they are ready to work this year to make sure that our rights are not trampled upon.”

THE RETURN OF EEDRIS ABDULKAREEM

The former superstar has gone back to his roots, Kennis Music, in a bid to resuscitate his career and Keke is also excited about him. “He is coming with his usual danceable conscious lyrics. He always grows on people. I know him and I know his music and I can push Eedris,” he said assuredly.

When asked about Eedris' background and his volatile record, he explained that Eedris is one of the best Nigerians because he speaks his mind. He's straightforward and much older now with a family.”

THE 2010 KENNIS MUSIC EASTER FIESTA

It will be used to also celebrate Kennis Music's 12th anniversary. It will be live on AIT, BEN TV (UK), Raypower and on the web. It is a talent discovery look out and since Jaywon, who was discovered last year has done very well, they are on the look out for a female version. Any female that can work the crowd, would come on board the Kennis Music ship. This year's edition would be held at the Lagos Oriental Hotel on Good Friday, April 2, 2010.

The best of Nigerian musicians as well as upcoming ones would be on parade. This led to the issue of live and CD performances in Nigeria and Keke had this to say about it. “Nigerians should wake up to the reality that the way music is done now is different from the way it was done in the past and would be different from how it would be performed in future. Those that believe in live band performance should not put down those that perform with CDs. Hip hop is based on CD performances. Many artists can't afford to keep a band and yet, that is why they keep CDs and most even have performance CDs. Anybody out there saying that they don't know what they are doing is ignorant.

“Most artists are willing to keep bands and would do that when they got the money to maintain a band
“At the Kennis Music Easter Fiesta this year, we would be using the CD and the band together. We have the Kennis Music band which is the fusion of The Pulse and Diamonds. They will combine with our in house DJ, Vinnie, to provide sounds at Oriental Hotel. But at the beach, which is a party zone, the job would be done with the CD. This is my own view and anybody can like it or hate it,” he concluded.