Diiference Ent. signee, ATM drops new singles

Newly-signed to Difference Entertainment, ATM (Ogungbe Taiwo) is one of the five new acts signed to the label where Sean Tizzle also calls home. ATM is a graduate of Mass Communication from Lagos State Polytechnic and he started doing music professionally in 2011 as a member of a group. He has just dropped two new songs titled ‘Jubadi’ and ‘Konami‘ and both songs were produced by the award winning producer and label exectutive, D’tunes....

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How I overcome discouragement as a gospel singer - Taiwo Oladoye

For those who have heard her songs and seen her perform, Taiwo Oladoye is the next big thing to emerge from the gospel music scene nay the Nigerian music industry. Since the singer from Ogun State released her album, Shake up the Heavens last year December, her music career has been on the rise. The album hit track, No Be Me Na God, am afro pop single has serenaded listeners of good music who also want to dance. With four award nominations Taiwo’s rise as a singer has been slow and steady having learnt the ropes of being a musician and guided by God, Ever smiling and passionate about what she does, the mother of two speaks to us about her music career, family and other sundry issues.       

 


How has it been as a professional singer?
It has been encouraging and exciting. I started singing professionally a couple of years ago.

What price did you pay to get to where you are?
Well it's a lot of sacrifice especially in terms of time, financially, physically, psychologically all that as it is with anything of value to you, you make up your mind to put in your best, in all that is needed and trust God to bless your efforts.

What comments have you received from your fans or listeners of your songs that made you shed a tear or got you so emotional?
One vivid instance amongst many others was a reference made by a friend (who was one of my senior colleagues in school), to a time when I was under pressure way back in school and I felt like giving up. He shared my testimony online, giving glory to God for His faithfulness all through that period, for not allowing me to give up; instead He chose to take me to greater heights. God is indeed faithful!

Don't you get discouraged seeing the secular artistes make more money, get endorsement deals and live wealthy as against the gospel artistes?
Yes it can be discouraging, but it is better to remain focused on your dream, follow God's leading as you pay the price and trust God to bring the best out of every situation for you.

Can you sing hip hop?
Yes, I can. It is just a style, one of the many forms through which you express your musical idea. The 4th track of my debut album 'No be me, Na God' has elements of hip hop in it.

What major difference is it being a professional singer or when you were just an 'amateur' singer?
As a professional singer, you no longer limit yourself to singing just for the fun of it or as a hobby. As a professional singer, you sing with the mindset of achieving set objectives, your message, and acceptability to and by your audience, values and all of these without taking away the excitement and fun.

As a singer what influenced your music?
Primarily, my thoughts about God, happenings to and around me, music and others influence my songs.

What was your happiest moment so far?
Outside of my salvation, it is each time I achieve a set goal.

Who are your role models in the gospel music genre?
Cece Winans, Yolanda Adams, Vicki Yohe, Shirley Ceasar and talking of secular artiste, Whitney Houston is it.

You have a sonorous voice backed up with an alluring personality, how did you hone it?
I give God all the glory for that, nothing of my own making I can assure you.

How have you been able to cope with juggling going to perform, keeping the home front and as a career woman?
Primarily, it is by the grace and faithfulness of God made manifest via my husband's unflinching love & support. I've also enjoyed the support of family members, friends, colleagues, mentors etc.

What is your perception of the gospel music scene?
The Gospel music scene is growing in leaps and bounds. There are however enormous challenges chief of which is financial support. There is also need for an equal playing field on media. Music is a profession for many the same way accountancy is. For instance, the same way all accounting graduates, regardless of religious inclinations, are allowed to take ICAN exams and excel, music should also enjoy equal airplay, regardless of religious inclinations. That way, the competition is fair, leading to stronger growth and developments in the music industry generally. Gospel Music should not only be played on Sundays.

Do you think gospel music artistes are underrated? 
Well, in our society today, I am not aware of established rules on the basis of which artistes are judged. However, the tendency of being subjective is quite prevalent in the industry. This results in tougher circumstances for Gospel Artistes than the secular ones. I desire to see all the stakeholders ensuring that everyone gets a level playing field and evaluation process.

How will you handle fame as it comes along the way?
I will handle it by the grace and wisdom of God through whom it came in the first instance. I am also sure of getting a lot of support from my Husband, our Spiritual Leaders and Mentors

How was your growing up life?
(Smiling) I had a very strict and godly upbringing. And being the first-born (together with my Twin), a lot of maturity was required of us so we could also be good role models for our younger ones. It was fun though. I recall times of childhood pranks with my siblings, especially the boys. As a matter of fact, I took a lot of my tomboyish nature having mainly grown up in between the combo of my Dad and my brothers.

What is style to you?
Style to me is a form or format of expression of your ideas. They give you room to explore your creative abilities, as much as you can.

As a married woman and musician, how do you cope with your male fans and admirers?
Well I try to be polite and acknowledge them as much as possible. But when they become difficult, I pass the baton to my Husband. But I thank God such occasions have been rare.

Does being a born-again artiste impact more on your music than being a secular artiste?
Yes, that is actually the foundation, that's where the messages come from. Remember, you can only give what you have.

How is it living with a man who is also a musician?
For me, it is an asset, a very important one indeed because it strengthens our resolve to see us succeed. Secondly, I've learnt a lot from it. My husband's input and support is a pillar that I always seek to lean on.

Don't get bored sometimes just talking about music and all that?
Well, we don't just talk about music; we talk about everything so I'm not bored.

How did you meet your husband?
I met him in the choir. We are both members of the Faith Tabernacle Choir, of the Living Faith Church (aka Winners Chapel), Ota, Nigeria.

What are your dreams for the future?
The fulfillment of everything God has revealed to us so far and the many more to come.

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Why Ibadan artistes find it hard to 'blow' - Stakeholders speak

 

 

By Rotimi Ige

Oyo State, when it comes to entertainment, is quite unique. Ibadan, the state capital, is easily the most vibrant town in the state due to its large population, location, nearness to Lagos, among other factors. And so, over the years, Ibadan metamorphosed into a metropolis and its residents demanded more means of relaxation. Thereafter, hotels, bars and parks began to spring up. Now, gone are the days when Ibadan streets would be deserted by 8:00 p.m.

Since 2008, the state witnessed an upsurge in the establishment of club houses thus creating a buzzing night life for the city. Today, there are numerous clubs, pubs, bars and merriment centres scattered around the city; in fact, on Ring Road, between challenge and 110 bus stop, there are about six clubs on that dual carriageway street alone.  

With the changed mindset of fun seekers, the entertainment landscaped changed and the demand merry makers grew, thus giving indigenous artistes a platform to thrive like their Lagos counterparts. And so, artistes like Jayru, T Eyes, Skuki, Wale Waves, among others became the progenitors of its budding hip hop music industry and created a pathway for others to follow. Jayru, arguably, was the best selling Ibadan act then; Channel O nomination, a song featuring Wizkid and a large fan base in Ibadan. However, perhaps, because of his resolve not to move to Lagos, the entertainment capital, his popularity across Nigeria dwindled significantly.

His Lagos friends and colleagues, whom he had beaten to award nominations back then, are now the A-list artistes raking in millions from shows, endorsements and record deals in present day. The reason is not farfetched; Ibadan, till date, despite its nearness to Lagos and economic growth, remains a struggling city in the entertainment landscape.

Despite the large number of corporate organizations in Ibadan, not much concern is given to its budding entertainment industry. For most brands, whenever they require ambassadors to promote their businesses, the ‘Lagos’ artistes remain the first choice. Even record labels hardly look past Lagos, a situation, which, according to entertainment stakeholders, calls for concern.

Surprisingly, from research carried out by Friday Treat, it was discovered that many artiste who are now big names in Lagos once lived or schooled in the ancient and who, till date, are blazing the trail in their chosen endeavours. Wizkid, Skales, Skuki, 9ice (Ogbomosho), El Phlex, Sean Tizzle, Lafup (Comedian), Olawale (Project fame winner), Adetoun (Project fame runner-up), Oyinkansade (Project fame alumni and Vivace records artiste) are a few examples. However, sadly, all of these acts, save a few, have moved to Lagos for one reason or the other. So, the question remains, “What is wrong with Ibadan?”

Mobola Odubote, an on-air-personality in one of the popular radio stations in Ibadan, opined that the general perception that entertainment investors had about the state was that they could not reap much benefits from it. “Record labels, companies and other investors are afraid of risk, but they are wrong. There are a lot of talents with huge fan base in Ibadan. I believe that every city has its own popular faces and that our popular artistes for instance, should be used when brands want to sell their products it won’t be a bad idea to use our local Ibadan artistes as brand ambassadors. Only then can our local industry thrive and our artistes better off. When people complain that the Ibadan artistes have good songs but not many videos, the complainers forget that its costs a lot to shoot quality videos and get them on satellite and local television networks”, she said.

Tony Rowland-Awobode a.k.a Don T, a stakeholder in the Ibadan entertainment industry, in his reaction also supported Mobola. Said he, “If only people know how much it costs to record a good song, master it, get radio stations to play it, shoot videos etc, then they would understand that our artistes are really trying. I know of artistes who have invested millions in promoting just one song just to ensure that it becomes a hit. In a case whereby an artiste has good songs but lacks financial power to promote it effectively and he is not fortunate to live in Lagos, how does he survive. This is the case in Ibadan. We have a few good acts that are as good as the Wizkids, Davidos, Olamides etc but have little or no platforms or support to achieve their potentials. Let me also add that we need the government’s support also. As grants are being given to Nollywood, a structure should also be carved out for musicians in various states”.

Friday Treat also discovered that many of the clubs in and around Ibadan usually engaged many of the popular acts to promote their events but stakeholders claim that it was not enough to help the artistes make enough money to look good as well as promote their songs.

Wale Agbaje, another stakeholder stressed that though the ‘Lagos’ artistes understood the music business better because of exposure, he added that it was time that indigenous companies and brands considered talents outside Lagos.

“I have worked with many of Ibadan’s finest artistes and they have really good stuff. The missing link are the big platforms and endorsements that artistes in Lagos enjoy. We hope to see our artistes also drive cars, get signed to labels and shoot good videos. In fact, you’ll be surprised to find out how good these guys really are when they are given a level playing field.

A respondent, who works with one of the beer brands in Ibadan and pleaded anonymity, said that the reason why most corporate endorsements for entertainers usually happened in Lagos was because most corporate headquarters are always located there.

“Most corporate decisions are mostly taken in Lagos. Even when we have events, we have to report to Lagos. This is why we are sometimes handicapped. But Ibadan is opening up with more investors coming in. Let us hope that they begin to use some of the most popular artistes to popularize their brands”, he said.

According to findings, it seems some brands are beginning to take note of the importance of some of the Ibadan talents as Filmhouse Cinemas in Samonda, Ibadan, recently revealed its intention to use Fabulous Pizzy, who is one of the most popular acts in the city, as one of its ambassadors for an upcoming campaign. When contacted, the manager of the Samonda cinema declined to reveal if there was any monetary inclination attached.

As the city continues to experience a boom in its economic sector, entertainment stakeholders hope that the corporate and government entities would extend some incentives to the industry so that a partnership may be forged for prosperity on all sides.

Many artistes disgrace themselves trying to sing live - Femi Odewole

Femi Odewole is a band owner (the Guitar Band) and is very popular in party circles. He recently decided to do mainstream pop music and recently released his debut single ‘Unlimited Ariya’. He told ROTIMI IGE about his reasons for re-branding, among other issues.

How has the journey been so far as a band owner?

Well, I thank God for all he has done. It has been a case of slow, steady and extremely interesting because we have had a mix of good and bad times. Having a band requires a lot of effort, inquiry and a lot of investment in order to be a success. Compulsorily, you need to sound very well so as to attain a certain height as a band. 

You are a popular musician among party and concert events, why did you decide to form a band and not pursue a solo career.

 Forming a band is attaining the highest point in music. Forming a band makes one understand music better as it is a better learning platform. Bringing vocalists and instrumentalists to make pleasing music is not easy but when done efficiently, makes the band stand out. Whether you are a solo artiste or a band artiste, at some point, you will have to go out and perform as a band to entertain people. Right now, show producers now demand more by insisting that artistes come with a live band. Now, you see most solo artistes rushing to assemble bands so that they can command better attention. Not many of them succeed on a live stage because they are used to computerised music.

Now you are releasing a single ‘Unlimited Ariya' today, a solo performance? Why?

Yes, I am releasing ‘Unlimited Ariya’ today to buttress my platform as a band owner. Over the years, Femi Odewole and the Guitar band has performed in over 4,000 events. Making a single is just to explore another phase of showbiz and of course, with the band. 

You featured Fabulous Pizzy, a mainstream pop artiste on the song. Why?

The choice of Fabulous pizzy was easy to make because he is one of the few pop artistes that can also play convieniently with a live band and he understands the different genres of music. I was able to connect with him because he was easy to work with and he delivered his lines excellently.

What do you hope to achieve with this song?

I want the song to be an evergreen song and to be in the first choice the song lists of birthday parties etc. It is a party song that has a groovy tune, surely people will like the song.

Should fans expect more songs that are hip hop/ mainstream in the future?

Yes, after this, we plan to release another wedding song and before the end of the year, the fans should expect a good album with videos. 

Many band artistes, for example, Pasuma, are trying to cross over and do hip hop songs, why is this? Isn't your band lucrative enough?

Having a band is a lucrative business and you tend to make a lot of money, nevertheless, releasing a single, for any kind of musician, is a natural thing since it is an act of making music. Pasuma, for example, has made a head way in the Fuji industry before he crossed over to do hip hop, this is a very rare move as it requires a lot of creativity. To me, Pasuma is a form of encouragement to upcoming artists and I give kudos to him.

The name of your new single is titled 'Unlimited Ariya'. What was the inspiration behind the song?

My live performances at events as a band, over the years, had unique occurences. If you dissect the hooks and choruses in ‘Unlimited Ariya’ very well, you would realise some aspects of music like highlife, calypso, juju etc and all refined differently into a single. 

What/who are your earliest influences growing up?

I have many mentors but the ones that influenced me the most were Fela, Lagbaja, Beautiful Nubia, and Gbenga Adenoma.

What kind of music are you generally known for?

I actually do cross over music because I fuse all genres but people know me more for Highlife and Calypso.

You are also one of the few people in Oyo State who has amassed expensive sound instruments. Why did you decide to invest in sound?

To own a live band, you need very good sound to be able to perform well and connect with the audience. One also tends to meet a lot of people in the line of business. You can make business out of it by supplying sound for contracts, concerts, political campaigns and rallies. So, when I pulled funds together, I was able to invest heavily and acquire quality equipment and today, I am making money.

Which events has your sound outfit ‎catered to?

To name a few, my sound outreach has catered for ‘Fuji to bam’, a corporate Fuji concert sponsored by a Beer company, stadium concerts and different political rallies.

What other projects are you into? 

LED screens supplies, event consulting and strategising showbiz. 

The entertainment industry in Oyo State is big but yet to thrive. As a stakeholder in its budding industry, why is this happening?

As far as I am concerned, artistes in Ibadan are as good as any in the world but the platform on which they currently operate is not the best compared to for example, Lagos. We need more people to invest in our local artistes in Oyo State. All the companies have their head offices situated in Lagos and so in most things they do, they use Lagos-based artistes and most media people that promote artistes are also based in Lagos. Nevertheless, Ibadan is coming up very fast and that is why we are doing so much to build and invest on our platform. 

How do you relax?

Most times, I relax in my home but sometimes, I travel out of the country.

Most memorable musical experience?

There are so many memorable experiences but the one I cannot forget is the MTN night at Ibadan Polo Club.

What would you have been if not a musician? 

I may have become an engineer, working on an oil rig as I am a Chemical Engineering graduate from the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH).