Posted by samuel olatunji on
The grandmaster of juju, Sir Shina Peters (SSP) has no doubt had more than his fair share of bitter controversy. Little wonder the 48 year-old musician admitted he is, perhaps the most controversial musician after the late Abami Eda, Fela Anikulapo Kuti.
The grandmaster of juju, Sir Shina Peters (SSP) has no doubt had more than his fair share of bitter controversy. Little wonder the 48 year-old musician admitted he is, perhaps the most controversial musician after the late Abami Eda, Fela Anikulapo Kuti. 'Let me tell you the gospel truth, after Fela, I'm yet to see any artiste that is as controversial as Shina Peters". But today, old things appear to have passed away as he believes he is a changed person, a new ‘improved' Shina. And that there is no controversy, strong enough to cost him his destiny.
'You see, God always manages my crisis for me. But let me tell you the gospel truth, Shina is now more serious than ever, that is what I want to call the rebirth of Shina".
Born as Oluwashina Akanbi Peters, his passion for music started at the tender age of eight in a church. There, he taught himself to play the guitar and organ, eventually mastering them. And this has made him to label himself a self-made man. 'I don't tell anybody I'm a university graduate. What I am today is because of seriousness and focus. Once you have the two, the rest will follow, the artiste who claimed to have no educational background said.
SSP who has been silent for a while, added that the silence was not without a reason. 'You don't just go to studio for going sake. When I waxed Ace, the atmosphere was conducive. We were in dancing mood, you could go out and come back to your home at anytime, the economy was not in shambles. But during the years that I mellowed down, things were not the same. Or how will people who are still struggling to eat their three square meals a day have money to buy albums, or do you dance with empty stomach?, he asked.
Now, the man who gave juju music a facelift is planning a big comeback with his upcoming album which would be released by Kennis Music. When I noticed improvement, I went to the studio for my project and I looked around, there was no company that met my expectation except Kennis Music, so I went to them. They are the best in the country as of today, he said. He also claimed to have known Kenny Ogungbe's family since 1974 and believes this was the time that God wanted them to work together.
Shina Peters also believes that a singer is different from an artiste, and that most people who parade themselves as musicians are nothing but singers. According to Shina who said he plays virtually all instruments save for wind instruments, 'A musician must be able to play one to three instruments".
The Shinamania, exponent believes he as only able to make something out of music ahead of some of his contemporaries because of focus and planning. And such focus flowed from his love for the profession not because of money and glamour.
'I love what I am going to release. It is a super-bang album on the music label of Kennis Music called Payback Time."
According to him the choice of Payback is because he wants to thank God who has been very good to him and appreciate people who stood by him. 'I'm closer to my God than ever before, that is why I tagged my up-coming album Payback Time. In all sincerity, God has been very good to me. I want to thank God."
The artiste recently returned from the South African headquarters of Channel O where a formal introduction was conducted by Kennis Music. He is optimistic that his up-coming album would play on the channel
All entreaties to make him talk about the women in his life yielded no fruits. 'Like I told you earlier I am now a different person, I don't want people to start reading about my marital lives or about women in my life on the pages of newspapers. I just want to talk about my career. I am now a more focused person," he declared. The interview was concluded with these words to his teeming fans: 'It took a lot to be where I am today, so I am not letting go yet. I am not burnt out. I am still relevant."