12/02/2021
As requested by some, here is the full text of the interview published today in the Sunday Tribune. Enjoy!
Q: You are in the news lately following your take on the current situation of the country and the forthcoming general elections. What prompted that?
A: A true artist must speak to the people in every way possible - to educate, inspire, advice and guide. I am just doing my job as a true artist when I speak out.
Q: How did you feel about the reaction it generated from your fans?
A: The strong reaction shows that there are many people out there who are tired of how things are being done in this country, who realize that these 4-year cycles of elections are just a charade and will remain so until we engage with ourselves in a way that is honest and truly democratic. The reaction also shows that a large mass of our more enlightened folks may be close to being ready to play their roles in ensuring that we save ourselves from this endless, and aimless national drift, retardation and the deeply-entrenched culture of corruption.
Q: Is it true you are angry with the government of the day and some past leaders, as some have suggested?
A: I am not angry with anyone. I am not happy about the mess we have created in this country and the many millions of lives we have wasted through lack of vision and application of simple intelligence and wisdom. We are all to blame for the failure of this society and the retardation of our country. Things will not change until people of goodwill and high principles decide that they've had enough of leaving things in the hands of mediocre minds parading as leaders. I am only trying to move us faster in that direction.
Q: You seem to be the only artiste that is taking the lead in fostering the folk and roots music in the industry. How has it been?
A: I gave "folk and roots" as a label to my music to enable classification by people to whom such is important. But my music is more than folk and roots, it is the rhythm of life and contains everything any human being needs to connect with his or her humanity - to feel whole, clear-minded, calm, energized, emboldened, positive, etc., depending on his or her immediate and long-term needs. My music is not made with a focus on making money or garnering fame, it is made with the purest of intentions, to bless and enrich the listener and the world with clarity and joy. My path has been strewn with difficulties and continues to be tough, but those who have been chosen for a high purpose don't lament, they just get on with it.
Q: Aside being a popular folk musician, you diversified in becoming an author of several books in less than two years. How were you able to achieve this?
A: Writing and publishing is not a new thing for me. I have always been a writer of many things - poetry, fiction, drama, essays, etc. I have also always been involved in journalism as a reporter, writer, editor, etc. Not in a newspaper like Tribune, of course, but at a high quality level. Several of my writings were published in the Tribune in the 90s. My first article to be published was in the defunct Daily Sketch in 1984. I have worked professionally as a researcher, technical writer and such. "Citadel Blues", my book of fiction, is not really that new - it was written in 1991, first published in 2004 and republished in 2017. The really new books are "Sounds of Joy" (my autobiography), "Book of Songs" (a compendium of 188 songs released as Beautiful Nubia from 1997 to 2018, including interesting tidbits and anecdotes about the songs) and "A WordMerchant's LogBook" (my fourth book of poetry). I was able to achieve this by spending many months writing, re-writing, editing and so on and on.
Q: Don't you feel concern that despite all your efforts in using your music to preach morals, advocating for a sane society and a corrupt-free nation, things get worse. Why?
A: That's totally normal, any astute student of history would tell you so. What it took a whole year to build can be destroyed in a day and then it might take more than a decade or longer to restore things back to the old glory. Our society has been going down this path of corruption and self-destruction for many years now. It began as a slow slide but we are now in free-fall but, thankfully, many people are awakening to the impending danger. My music has been there since 1997, playing non-stop, almost an album every year - full of guidance, warning, solutions, truth - and it won't stop until we start to see those changes creep back into society. How much of my music do you hear on radio these days? We give them every new release as it comes out but no, they won't play it, because they don't like what it says. However, no human power can keep a force of nature down forever; somehow, our music keeps finding its way to the people. Irrespective of what anyone does to keep our true destiny as a people chained to pain and suffering, we will eventually break free of those shackles and emerge into a new dawn of rebirth and renewal. I am not concerned about the slowness of the process; that's totally normal. Change will come to us when the people are ready. Soon, I hope. In the meantime, our music keeps shedding light on the path to personal and national redemption. Take that path when you're ready, at least for the sake of the children and generations unborn.
Q: Has this in any way discouraged your burning spirit?
A: I am a person who sees further than most; I see things from many dimensions; I don't only see the present chaos and mess; I see what led to it; I see how it came to be; I see how it can be reversed; I see how differently things could be for us as a people - even in only 20 years - if we raise a new generation of upstanding, principled and positive-minded citizens. The children and youth give me hope all the time. I take my message to them at schools, I share it with them on social media, they respond enthusiastically, they respond with joy. I encourage them, they encourage me. I see the future through their eyes, I paint it for them in beautiful words and mellifluous melodies, I send them good energy for their upliftment, to make them ready for the task ahead. We will take back this country from those who have destroyed it over several decades; we will free our people of the yoke of greed and selfishness and build a new land where everyone has a sense of belonging - a country that caters to every citizen irrespective of ethnicity, social class, religion, gender or language. It is a long-term project, my music has set the pace, the message is slowly reaching the critical mass that you need for social change. It is coming - true change; it is coming - true progress. Whether you can see it or not, whether you want or not, it is coming. I am very sure and confident.
Q: Your name, Beautiful Nubia and style of music has made your brand of music unique, but taking a deep look into your philosophy, it seems you are being isolated in the industry. How will you react to this?
A: I don't feel isolated at all. The path I have taken is bestrewn with difficulties; it is not every artist who wants to go that way and I don't blame them. It is a good thing to stand out, isn't it?
Q: Could one say that this development could be responsible for you not getting the deserved honour in the industry and even endorsement from corporate bodies?
A: I don't play music for honour from the industry, neither do I do it for endorsement from businesses. You seem to be mixing things up, you're trying to put hawks and doves in the same coop. There is a difference between performers, entertainers, music business people and people like me. I am a fiercely independent artist who likes to go his own way and do things as he sees fit. I am beholden to no one, no one owns me or my voice. I speak and sing what I like, what I am inspired to say. I owe no allegiance to the government, any corporate body or a powerful patron. I am my own man, self-made, my thoughts are not soiled by greed and selfishness, my words and songs are sent forth in purity, with honesty of purpose and are intended for societal growth and development. I didn't choose this path, it chose me, I am doing what I feel I was sent to do. For me, the art is supreme, business or making money is always secondary. I have risen beyond the desire or need for material wealth and personal comfort.
Q: How would you evaluate the acceptability of your work in relation to the proceeds?
A: Well, a lot of people love our music, many of them would go to extreme lengths to acquire and pay well for the music. But there are also many who just want the music for free or for peanuts. The days of selling CDs for 100 Naira are over. People must be ready to pay what is appropriate for good music. Bubble gum pop music that is made for momentary entertainment can be free, but our kind of music demands respect and must be paid for. I always say I have made some money from music but I have never made a profit. In fact, I am always behind, which is a shame but totally expected. If you go down the path I have taken with my kind of music, if you make my kind of choices, then you cannot expect to be the wealthiest musician in the land. I don't consider myself a poor person though - my mind is rich, my works are rich, they will still be here making people happy and strong even after I am long gone.
Q: You must have encountered several reasons to get rid of your locks, but it has remain part of your brand. For how long have you been keeping it and why?
A: I left my hair to its own devices in 2000 after many years of battling in futility to keep it under control. Over 18 years now and my hair and me are happy and at peace with each other.
Q: Some have classified you as a traditionalist, how true is this?
A: I don't know what "traditionalist" is supposed mean. However, if you are asking if I am someone who believes we must take a cue from our good, time-tested African traditions, then maybe the answer is yes. I believe that for Africa to make any progress in the present world order, we must raise our children and upcoming generations to be perfect amalgams of traditional wisdom and modern knowledge. We must sieve the best from our age-old and proven traditional ways of knowing - especially the value system - and merge them with new global trends, to create something totally original and identifiable, distinctly African and modern. The cure to our many ills is as much in the past as it is in the present. Traditional wisdom tells us, "You cannot be happy if your neighbour is not at peace and you cannot be at peace if your neighbour is not happy" and "You are only rich as the poorest person in your community". Go figure that out.
Q: All your works are philosophical and evergreen. How do you draw inspiration?
A: I can't really tell you more than that I was born with a gift and I have honed it to the high level you are experiencing now. I have refused to waver or be blown off-course by the needs of my tummy or my eyes. I am inspired by this gift, and I believe I will continue to be artistically fertile and productive as long as I stay true to the talent.
Q: Owing to the fact that you have a close relationship with some music legends, what is your take on how the industry lacks provision to duly celebrate and even remember them while alive?
A: In the new Nigeria or whatever emerges after our rebirth, we will go back to our traditional understanding of what elders mean to society. Those who have been there and done that, whose experiences continue to be a guide, whose errors and glories we can learn from, those who have given of themselves to enrich our communities must be taken care of and celebrated by the society in their old age. I have tried to do my bit, bringing some of these legends back on the pedestal of recognition, I have arranged concerts and festivals, using my limited funds to create a platform for young artists to showcase their gifts and to celebrate the elders. I wish I had the means to do more, but one must operate within one's limit or else you will destroy your fabric of calm. Artists are a blessing to society. It is a sin to commit them to ignominy, neglect and societal rejection in their old age.
Q: Would you encourage any of your children to inherit your gifts as a musician, instrumentalist and author, so as to keep the genre of music alive?
A: I encourage my children to be whatever they are meant to be and not to be swayed by my achievements or fame. They will follow their own paths, and if that includes music, that's fine. The music will stay alive irrespective; good art never dies.
