About Me

Let me start by introducing my self, I am a musician who started playing in school with Chris okotie as a drummer. I also inspired majek fashek with my jimi Hendrix guitar playing. My last album osawonder is on I tunes and other internet based sales agents. I am also a member of NARAS (National Academy of the recording arts and sciences) New York chapter. We (12,000 members) organize the Grammy awards.

My contribution to this debate is more solution based that that of a critic. I respect all forms of arts (my company organizes a yearly bronze festival in Benin City where I am based, and I am backed by GTBank, NPDC, Partnership investment).

Let’s start from the role of government in charting a course for his artist. Should radio stations not have a weekly playlist where the artists are graduated from 20 times play to one? This is the only way royalties can be computed and payed to artist. It is an issue that is not being addressed by all stake holders.

Diana Ross was largely instrumental to th¬e Michael Jackson success. The musician in this environment is on his own. Fela nurtured his children, who else¬?i lived in kalakuta before dede ever went there. The invasion of kalakuta happened a few minutes after my departure to Benin at the closure of Festac 1977. Name them, Sunny ade, Rex Lawson, Ebenezer Obey, Victor uwaifo, oliver d coque, Sunny okosun, where are the artist they helped?thoseo f them alive should please let us know
.I have trained about 400 students, one of them, franchise currently enjoys success in Benin, Silver can testify to this. Where are the EMI, afrodisia, the odion iruojes, laolu akins lemy Jackson, Jake solo, please stand up and be counted. These institutions and individuals set the pace that evolved into legends like fela, okotie, shina peters, majek. When they see something in you, they look for you and do something about it. The media must rejuvenate itself collectively and individually. He who lives in a glass house must not throw stones. A star is made by the media. who ever they project is the bitter bill the public will swallow. Do they do this without compromise? The article by the great writer Abati, might as well open a can of worms.

The evolution of music is a natural phenomenon, no one can shape it. When fela was cultivating the afro beat seeds, he was ignored. He played free at empty venues, while the gate paying venues of the Hikkers (pat fin, Jake solo) were packed full. Felas association with the Black Panther made him sing about the masses, “jeun ku o ku” was a product of that association. The rest now is history. Bob Marley heard the music of the Beatles and started personalizing all his songs. My cousin Ola sapara (majeks senior brother) is a dean of a department in a New York college. I once resided in his abode on king’s highway, Brooklyn, New York. He woke up one morning and as usual, had coffee and went straight to his books. He said “do Nigerian musicians go to their instruments and practice daily and write thought provoking songs?” I only starred at him in dismay. On my way back from a show two nights ago, Michael Jacksons first solo hit “Ben” was played don radio, I broke down and wept. the song Ben was dedicated to a rat. The clash, the British punk rock group did not know the name of their prime minister, because they are in the studios or shows at night and sleep all day. Please abati, we need a body headed by you to set a code of conduct of playability for radio stations playlist. The body will decide how much artist will get each time his\ her music will be played. Decide what format each station must adopt e.g., High live, hip hop, Afro beat, reggae etc. Please abati, it is time for action. If we complain about watery lyrics, Lets have song writing workshops. If we complain about lack of artists, Lets approach the embassies to help us set up music schools. I have one of such proposals lying on my shelf, directed to the French cultural centre. I can forward it to you. The fact that you used your writing skills to expose a much neglected pact of our economy, which employees more people than the federal government, is commendable. The same body headed by you will also organize a conference to tackle piracy. We must hear from the so called pirates. After all, do the real record companies ever declare the real sales to artists? Abati, please please please.


Eno Louis Enobakhare
Afro Jazz rock master
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