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Friday Igwe a.k.a. Baba Fryo is a reporter delight any day. In this interview he granted our correspondent, Baba spoke on his new album, his relationship with female fans and how he was embarrassed by a female fan who once pestered him with love advances.
Friday Igwe a.k.a. Baba Fryo is a reporter delight any day. In this interview he granted our correspondent, Baba spoke on his new album, his relationship with female fans and how he was embarrassed by a female fan who once pestered him with love advances.
What's been happening to you and why has your much hyped new album not in the market?
I think that question is better answered by my record company, Ojeys'. I have played my role in the new album, the rest of the job especially in the area of releasing it into the market is in the hands of my record company as I said earlier.
How many years contract did you sign Ojeys'?
The contract is for three years and it covers recording marketing and promotion of all the albums that would be release within the period covered by the contract.
Would you want to share contents of the contract?
No, I wouldn't want to do that, but I can assure that I am happy with terms of the contract. The contract is good my sister, I no go lie.
I am really enjoying it.
Is the Mercedes Benz car gift from the owner of Ojeys' part of the contract?
First let me begin by thanking the proprietor of Ojeys' music for his kind gesture. It shows that the man is really ready to make good his promise to reposition the music industry and also the future of the Nigerian musician. As for the gift its certainly not part of my signed contract.
Why did you leave your last recording company and as at the time you left how copies of your work were sold?
You see when I signed contract with my former record company I was full of hope that things would change. Along the line I came to realize that the record company was not really what they made me believe.
I discovered that they were only into films or to be more explicit, they were just retailers of VCDs, tapes and home video tapes.
In the area of music production they had no laid out marketing strategies and promotional abilities and so I had to seek another deal when my contract with them expired.
And since I ‘m not in the habit of regretting certain decisions of mine, I would say I am happy I left.
How have you been surviving these that you had no album in the market?
Well, by God's grace I've been surviving. If the ordinary birds that fly in the air survive without any visible means of livelihood then why won't man survive?
With the name I have made, I'm able to survive because people still love me and love my style. They have for so many years waited patiently waited for this new album of mine and by the grace of God I won't disappoint them.
Now lets talk about your new album, how many tracks are contained in it?
The full album contains eleven tracks.
How long did it take to finish the recording?
The initial lay down, voice and stuff took about six months but the mixing was completed in Ghana.
Was the recording company responsible for the entire recording process?
Yes. We started the job together from the scratch because when he met me the first time he said he wanted to record me, he wants me to be one of the artiste on his label.
After the details of the contract had been spelt out, we started the job from the scratch, from demo to master.
Now lets get real personal Baba Fryo, is there a madam somewhere?
Yes, there is.
How did you meet her?
Well, I met her through a friend.
Was it at a party or at a show?
Neither.
So how and where did you meet?
Just through a friend.
How many children do you have ?
I don't count my children.
It must have been a tough fight between madam and other girlfriends before she emerged victorious?
Well, you know now. There was.
You know it is what you want that you'll get so the competition was tough but at the end she triumphed.
How long have you been married?
About six years now.
How do you cope with your numerous female fans?
Well, I take them as my fans and friends you know. And I relate to them the way I would with other people, nothing special.
How many of them have your telephone number?
A few.
Do you call them?
Yes.
Can you remember any embarrassing moment involving you and any of your female fans?
Old girl e plenty and I wouldn't know which one I have to talk about.
Share just one
Like one who called me from the University of Ibadan and said she would like to go to bed with me. It was really embarrassing because I never met her before and the first time she is calling she wants to go to bed with me.
How did you handle it?
I did nothing.
You didn't caution her or something?
No.
So what do you say to your fans?
I love them and I will always give them the best.
Freewindz premiere's new video
As the music industry continues to grow in leaps and bounds so
also are new artists thriving to make it to the top.
Freewindz a group of talented musicians whose free flow music caught the attention of the president of Myke Records, Mr. Myke Ikoku is set to take the big leap forward.
Their much talked about musical video is set to hit the airwaves.
The which was signed on to the record label in an elaborate ceremony is noted for their entertainment and this explained why Nigerian Breweries the organiser of the annual Star Trek Concert could not resist having the group perform in most of the cities their shows held.
The musical video which feature the prettiest faces in the entertainment industry has an arresting story line no music lover would wish to miss.
According to sources the ‘video is one that is bound to win the next Amen best produced musical video'.
The video Who is that girl, directed and sponsored by Myke Records is one of the four shot for the group as part of promotion for their new 10 track album titled Bedroom Fever.
Some of the tracks contained in the album include, World Peace, Mama Papa and Ewoo.s.
Project fix Nigeria: One man's drive for a new Nigeria
His house is painted in the colour of the national flag which
is green and white. He cares not about what people may think about him. The only thing that bothers him is the unpatriotic attitude of the average Nigerian who believes only in what the country can offer.
He is determined to change all that. The idea is to use music to reawaken the spirit of patriotism. To instill in Nigerians the attitude of think of what you can do for your country and not what your country can do for you as Americans were told in the 1960s by the late JFK.
And the man behind this idea in Nigeria, is Olusegun Kowontan Jnr. Under the banner of Project Nigeria Fix (PFN), he has taken it upon himself to once again drum it into Nigerians that the task of re-building their nation is a task that must be supported by everybody. And to do this effectively, he has identified music, as the only potent vehicle that can carry the message to its target audience.
To this end, PFN, he said has composed and finished the recording of a song, God Bless Nigeria, with which he intends to spread the message that Nigeria will rise again, to all corners of the nation. Recorded in five different versions (if you like call it remixes), English, Pidgin, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, with a promise to further break it down to other ethnic minority languages, the song will be presented to corporate Nigeria at a ceremony tagged. "Nigerian Ambassador Dinner Nite: night of culture", at which all those who have done the nation proud will be celebrated.
After the Nigerian Ambassadors Dinner Nite, which Kowontan said will hold in Lagos and meant to carry corporate world and players along in the envisaged new Nigeria, the concert aspect will kick-off in November/December.
At the concerts which will criss-cross 774 local government headquarters in Nigeria, God Bless Nigeria, will feature prominently. From local government it will move to state capitals before drawing the curtain in Abuja.
Explaining the need for such reorientation campaign, Kowontan, an indigene of Kogi State, said that no other person but Nigerians are in a better position to turn the country around for the better. "Not the government, not the Western nations.
Not the industrialised world. Only Nigerians can change Nigeria and for us to do that, we have to change our attitude and perception of the country first. "And music is the best medium to use to achieve that; it happened in Korea with folk song.
It will work in Nigeria with God Bless Nigeria," he said sounding very optimistic. "Interestingly" he said, "God Bless Nigeria song was recorded with fresh voices.
No professional was involved and that shows the incredible talent we have got. All we need is to tap them".
Kowontan who denied any government sponsorship in the project but would not mind their endorsement, said that the idea is to make Nigerians think Nigeria, act Nigeria, buy Nigeria at all times. He frowned at the situation where you Nigerians are ready to dance to any foreign music, wear foreign dresses, eat foreign foods at the expense of made in Nigeria.
‘This is the time for us to be proud of Nigerians; let's dance our dance, eat our food, wear our clothes. This is what we want to achieve. This is the message we want to put across.
And we are going to use music to do that in the best languages our people understand. Nigeria just must rise again.
She must take her place in the comity of nations as the most populous black nation. We just have to change," he said.
Kenny ST Brown turns video director
Multi-talented gospel artiste, Kenny Saint Brown, is setting sights on becoming Africa's most preferred female music-video director.
Her decision to direct videos aside from the desire to establish a creative authority on that field of music is that most of the video directors we have now "have been used to directing male artiste videos, which most of the times do not pay detailed attentions on esthetics. They don't pick the feminine alluring details the female artistes' video recording requires. They don't know them,".
The feminine alluring details according to Kenny include the kind of light used for a particular make-up, the kind of make-up that matches a particular costume, the kind of costume that matches a particular hair-do, the hair-do that moves to a particular wind-direction, and an eye-angle that the director picks, which have to make the video "take you in and wrap you up."
Already, the video (Why?) of new female hip-hop sensation, Beesoye, a video that is currently making waves is one of her recent works.
She is also behind the cameras for Essence's ‘coming out,' and ‘Like Dat" and she partly directed ‘African Prince.'
Other of her yet to be released works are the videos of traditional musicians-- the Orgbormeh Sisters', "Yegeyege,' ‘Notin can' and ‘Ebenwere Jesu.'
As a matter of fact, Beesoye is one of the talents discovered at the last KSB records talent hunt show. She was the first runner up in the female singles category. While the Orgbormeh Sisters were first runners up at group categories. They were promised a year and an album for coming second and the promises are being fulfilled.
The many troubles of Charly Boy
The first time some members of the National Executive Council of apex musicians body gathered in Lagos last month, the president of PMAN, Mr. Charles Oputa simply labeled them renegades who could not hurt a fly, let alone his administration.
He may have been right after all, the officers had been summoned to Lagos by the ‘suspended general secretary' of the union, Idowu Blessing.
And when the ‘illegal' NEC members amongst other decisions declared the suspension of Idowu by the
Charly Boy led executive as illegal, the Oguta, Imo State born musician who also doubles as spokesperson
for Okadas may have smiled thumped his chest and probably uttered a line from one of those Onitsha
literature books to one of his numerous henchmen ‘not for me, not for my men'.
To show he is in charge of things, he quickly organised his own NEC meeting and inviting the same persons who had attended the ‘renegade' meeting organised by Idowu Blessing. He may have been confident that he could sway the house to his support after all he had done it before and could do it again.
He probably muttered under his breath what he boldly told Nigerians on Channels T.V. yeye people.
Soon the delegates began to arrive and check into hotels and the punk king began his moves.
At 2am he was said to have held a crucial meeting with some of the delegates and at the end of the small talk, he probably left for his Gbagada home happy that he had the musicians as usual in his pocket.
That was his first mistake because as soon as he left, some of the delegates began their own meeting.
Their decisions we gathered soon manifested when the meeting scheduled at the musicians secretariate began earnestly at 3pm.
The first shock that the punk king got source told Showtime, was when some of the same bunch of renegades pulled the carpet from under their president's feet when they ordered his henchmen, T-Mac, Engineer Duruke, Terry Alumona, Maliki Showman, amongst others out of the meeting venue.
"You are not NEC members, the shelled shocked intruders were allegedly told".
If the PMAN president thought it was over, he was
soon to receive more from the renegades. He was told in clear terms that he had no powers to suspend ‘their' general secretary and despite his insistence he couldn't work with the Ondo State born administrator, he was ordered to pay the guy his backlog of salaries.
To compound Charly Boy's problem, he was allegedly manhandled by his deputy Admiral Dele after he was said to have launched an unprovoked attack against the juju musician. When tempers came down, he was said to have apologised to the house for his unruly behaviour. But all these happened after he have been given a date in November to organise the musicians' national delegate conference and election.
The members whom sources said expressed shock at the wasteful spending of the association could not however deliberate on the finances of the association, as the meeting which began at 3pm lasted till 6am.
Charly Boy Showtime allegedly fled the meeting at 3am when the antagonism from the NEC members became unbearable.
Few days after the rough encounter, the punk king was on Channels T.V. calling musicains names and accusing them of not being capable of thinking on their own.
Hmm.... case of monkey dey slep iyanga come wake you would say. We'll keep you posted as more events unfold.
Opa Wiilliams set for comedy awards
Opa Williams is a happy man. So happy is
with success story of his A Nite of Thousand Laugh that he rolled out the drums to celebrate with friends colleagues and journalists, the ten years of his pet project
As the crowd gathered in response at the Suru-Lere based Ojez Restaurant, Opa Williams dropped yet another big one from his stable the 1st National Comedy Awards holding on September 18, 2005 at the Muson Centre.
As told Showtime the 1st Nigerian Comedy Awards is packaged to reward and acknowledge the efforts of Nigeria humour merchant within a specific period.
Opa says it is to highlight comedy as a profession, award comedian, create a forum for assemblage of comedian both old and new and most of all raise the standards of the fast risnig profession.
To the rewarded are fifteen categories including comedian of the year, Best comedian Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, Best music comedian, stand up, radio, TV most of all, there is the founding father award amongst other categories.
An advisory board including Longely Evru, Soni Irabor, Seye Kehinde, Jahman Anikulapo, Peter Igho has been set up while the planning and execution crew are already at work.
Unuaks goes down memory lane
By Sam Eyoboka
TONY Ranks Unuaks is a rookie who is determined to re-enact the good old days of reggae icon, late Bob Marley who had used that genre to address some very serious social dislocations in our today's society.
This young lad has nothing against the rave of the moment, hippop, R&B or rap made very popular by our American brothers but he believes that music is African and one does not have to borrow the American flavour of succeed.
According to him, the music scene in Nigeria and indeed Africa, is big enough to accommodate all the different shades of upcoming musicians who are doing wonderfully well to project the African culture to the outside world.
"But for music and perhaps sports, most of the nation's youths may have taken to other negative vices to protest government's inability to develop Nigeria's future leaders," he said, pointing out that that was the origin of reggae music in the Caribbean.
Speaking in an interview, Unuaks, who started his music career in the choir, is currently working on his debut, said he chose the reggae or what some would rather call dance hall, because it is easier to relate to as the message is unique.
He said his romance with dance hall is informed by the monumental success achieved by the unbeatable icon of the reggae music, Bob Marley who did for music what Muhammad Ali and Pele did for world sports.
The upcoming reggae artiste also expressed concern about the activities of pirates in the country, urging the Federal Government to urgently come to the aid of musician and other copyright owners by protecting their rights for the growth of the entertainment industry.
He also called on the organised private sector to support Nigerian artistes and comedians, some of whom need just a little financial push to get to the next level.
According to Unuaks, that industry has been the source of foreign exchange for several nations and Nigeria can boost her economy by protecting the rights of musicians, writers, performing artistes and such like.
The album will feature a track in honour of all mothers who work tirelessly to raise the African child against all odds and at least two gospel tracks in the reggae genre. Unuaks revealed that his 7-track album produced by Foster Zeeno with tracks like Song 4 Mama, Corruption, Djaitobuko, Spirit Come Down, Hail Jesus, Bad Mind and a re-mix of Song 4 Mama may soon hit the airwaves very soon.
On why it took him so long to release the album, he said he had done his demo long time ago but there was no sponsor but "we are determined to release this album since people know that we have a message and we cannot afford to disappoint our teeming fans."
According to him, the single, Song 4 Mama is currently enjoying good air-play in several FM stations across the country.