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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).