… The only Mr. Johnson (… is bubbling, ‘ko ma’ bubble …. )
By Charles Okogene
(contributor)
In the beginning …
Before I signed on with Sony Music, it was CBS then, I had released five albums on a local label. It was the nudging of some my friends, especially those that do not speak and understand Yoruba and desire to move on higher, that made me and my manager, Sheriff and other to search for a new ground and Sony Music caught our fancy especially after what the company did with Shina Peters when he released Ace. They never really appreciated my music then. They kept saying that I play ‘ngbati, ngbati’ music that does not appeal to University students and I do not play in campuses like like musicians like Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.That I do not play at Havana University of Ibadan; then Sheriff, he has started working with me then as my manager, Mr. Lekan Ishola, all of them got thinking and immediately Shina Peters released Ace in 1989 or thereabout and it was all over the place. I then told Sheriff that we must approach CBS, that I will no longer wait for them to come to me. That was how Sheriff went there and started negotiating for a contract for me because as my manager, we always discuss as brother and friend. That was how they came to meet me at my house in Ketu and they introduced Mr. Laolu Akins to me as my producer; before I have never heard of such word or worked with a producer. Mr. Laolu then asked me what do I want, how do I want the music to sound so on and I told him that I want to release an album whose songs will be all over the place. He now said that the best thing for us is to write our songs in English and Yoruba so that we can appeal to non Yoruba listeners or lovers of Fuji music, I related everything to my band, managers because when I do things I carry everybody along because as they say, a tree can never make a forest.
Albums without producer
So those my previous five albums had no producer because until Mr. Akins was introduced to me, I never heard of the word producer or worked with one. I did everything myself, rehearsal and we just go to the studio. In fact I was Mr. Do it All. It is only the marketer that we take the album to to market. It is only the likes LAK Adeniran of DECCA that we take the songs to engineering and mixing. And it is a great privilege for Adeniran to handle your works.
After Laolu produced ‘Bubble’ was it all over the place?
Yes na. Again, he advised that we change from slow to fast tempo beats, Akins is one of Nigeria’s best drummer. He advised that we make our brand of music danceable, upgrade the rhythm so we can penetrate the campuses and that was what we did with Bubble and it blew. One of the songs goes like this, ‘ listen attentively… ‘ and I won an award at the Nigeria Music Awards. You know NMA was like Grammy. I became the first and only Fuji musician that won artiste of the year. Kollington before then won the best Fuji musician award, I think with Kasabubu or Lakukulala the previous year. It was a lot of work by a lot of people. Laolu, Ayuba, Sheriff Aderounmu, who was my manager then, the band. You know I carry people along and Mr. Laolu is very good in production.
Then why did you part ways with Laolu and Sony Music?
Let me answer you this way; you know it is my Yoruba people that says ’20 kids cannot play for 20 years. ‘ So it was a mutual separation and I still respect uncle Laolu for what he has upstairs.
As at now, are you still in music?
Na wa o Charles, are you still current? If you are still current, you will not ask this question. It means you are no longer current be that o.
After winning Artistes of the Year Award, which no Fuji musician has ever won, why did you relocate to America?
What happened is in 1992, we went on a musical tour and of African nations. 1993 we were in Jamaica and came back after three months . 1993 we were in London and came back. 1995 was when I left Nigeria to America with all my band boys to go and perform. Before we left Nigeria I had released an album calling on Nigeria government to release MKO Abiola and all political detainees that were incarcerated over the 1993 election; and that the should give Abiola chance to rule. While in America, somebody called me from Abuja to tell me that I am in the wanted list of Abacha and that I should not come back o. That I better remain where I am. I came back to Nigeria immediately Abacha died.
( cuts in) So right now you are still actively in music?
Yes o because that is the only thing I know how to do best.
Some of us know that then you ranking shoulder to shoulder with Sir Shina Peters; to some of us, you were the king of Fuji having won Artiste of the Year Award. You were the best dancer on stage. The question is where did you get the skill from. You had a choreographer?
You see, when I came in 1998, I did a Benson and Hedges Concert; that was the first show I did when I came back and after, I won KORA Awards in South Africa. After then I released ‘Ijo Fuji’ that won about 10 awards in Nigeria so I surprise yo are asking if I am still in music or in Nigeria. It means you are not in Nigeria too. The ‘Coloba, Coloba’ song that is doing well all over the world was released in Nigeria recently.
Like I told you before I thought you released them while abroad? After all you went to America with your band so it will not be hard for you to assemble them and release an album.
You are. While in America in performed at the 60th anniversary of the United Nations and because a lot of people see me do high profile shows abroad, they think I live. I am here in Nigeria, I only go and come. My family is over there. As I am talking to you now, by March I am off again to perform in America, Australia and China. That is my job.
Now to the question where did you get the dancing skill from? Nobody dances like you in Fuji music.
When we released ‘Bubble’ and it was accepted all over Nigeria and people were looking for the promotional video and they were saying ‘ o bubble’ and asking how do they dance to it and so Sony Music officials sat down with us to conceptualise the dancing steps. Again, I never heard of a cherogrpher. So at the end of the day, I got myself a mirror and so when it gets to where I said, ‘it is my desire to move higher’ I will do one style and ask people around me if it is good. When it gets to ‘ It is bubbling’ I will do another style while my boys kept recording it in video camera for me to play back. That was how it went and immediately the video came out, they rushed it. That was what gave rise to the dance steps you see me display on stage.
In your early days you had venues (at DEBASCO and Isaac John) where you performed weekly, do still have such now?
What happen now is that we are extremely busy; we are fully booked every week, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays so right now we do not have time but at the same time, we are thinking of bringing back that good olds of DEBASCO and our show at Isaac John Ikeja GRA. You know not everybody are invited to those parties we perform in or can attend the concerts we are featured in but we are trying to do something about a venue where we can perform for our fan, at least, once a month. We will do something.
Which one is your latest album now?
Right now, what I have is a single. The one you can call album is ‘Ise Oluwa.’ If you go to Utube you will get it.
there so so much controversy in the house of Fuji, is your fans nudging you to descend into the area?
You know me are now making money from social media by creating content of what is true or not. There are so many idle hands that are profiting from social media. All Fuji acts are my pals and I do not beef anybody. Where you not the one that told me right now that you listing to one of my songs where I was singing praising Pasuma, K1, Osupa and co.? So why would I beef them? I do not know what you mean by controversy. Tomorrow now if they see you coming out of here, they will ‘Ayuba refused to welcome Charles Okogene.’
So what is you relationship with your fellow Fuji musicians?
There are all my friends . I am in talking terms with all of them. Whenever we ran into each other we pump hands.
How did the artist of the year of NMA award affected your music and your person?
I cannot lie to you when I won it, I said to myself, ” this is big o” but to me, it was like they were telling to do more; to go back to work. That was how I saw it. It showed that my brand of Fuji has been accepted, has been recognised.
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