SONGWRITING FOR OTHERS IS NOT CHEATING

Two days ago, after breakfast, I heard my eight-year-old son singing in the sitting room. He enjoys singing my songs and the songs of other singers and songwriters and he does so everywhere; bathroom, kitchen, etc. He has a lovely voice too. 

He and his elder brothers listen to my songs after I compose them. They make their comments and I edit the melody or lyrics if necessary before I hit the recording studio. They are my cheerleaders.

The following conversation ensued between us;

ME: My baby, you love singing so much. Would you like to be a professional singer in the future?

SON: No, mommy. Have you forgotten about the things that I want to do?

ME: Certainly not. You want to become a footballer and a robotic engineer. Right?

SON: Yes, that is right.

ME: You can still squeeze in singing or drop one of these careers along the line. That will not be difficult since you already play the piano and the drums. You never know.

SON: Even if I decide to sing, I do not know how to compose songs like you.

ME: I can write your songs for you.

SON: No, that would be cheating. A singer is supposed to sing and write his or her songs too.

ME: No, it is not compulsory for a singer to also write his songs. It is called music publishing. In fact, some popular singers do not write any of their songs and some songwriters have terrible voices. Some songwriters who write only the lyrics of a song (lyricists) may not be able to provide a melody for their words (composers).

SON: No, mommy. I do not agree with you.

ME: So, if a singer is supposed to do everything, will you also produce your own songs; play your own piano, guitar, drums, etc at the same time?

SON: (Silence).

So, I got him there.

In practice, many international singers do not write their own songs. Many great songs are not written by the people who performed these music.

The likes of Rihanna and Elton John of this world are simply not gifted with the art of songwriting. Albeit, Elton John creates melodies from the lyrics of Bernie Taupin, his lyricist. Thus, Elton John is a joint copyright owner with Bernie in the songs that Elton performs. (Lyrics + Melody = Song).

This simply means that poets (lyricists) can have their poetry converted into songs by working together with a melody creator (composer) and make extra cash for a lifetime.

Whitney Houston never wrote any of her songs. Beyonce collaborates with other songwriters. She has never written one song by herself.

The likes of R. Kelly, Chris Brown and DJ Irawo *winks* can write for themselves and for other singers. Thank God for our multiple talents.

The late Michael Jackson wrote 99% of his songs too. His children are now swimming in billions of dollars from royalties made from all over the world.

Do I need to tell you that Fela Anikulapo Kuti's children are basking still basking in millions courtesy of their father's self written music from all over the world?

This is the beauty of music publishing.

Independent music artists or their independent record labels seek songs from music publishers. Major record labels like Sony Music have their own publishing company.

It is only in Nigeria that a Nigerian singer will want to write his or her own music by force even if he or she is poor at it. 

Even if he or she gets songs from a songwriter or music publisher, the singer will want to buy off the song instead of licensing it and will want the songwriter to be hush-hush about the song so that Nigerians can say about the singer, “Oh wow! What a wonderful singer and songwriter he/she is!”

Songs like Yolo performed by Seyi Shay, Nackam performed by Yemi Alade, Ferrari performed by Yemi Alade, Sade performed by Davido, Applaudise and Gift performed by Iyanya were all written by a Nigerian songwriter who does not sing professionally. His name is Ikemefunna Nwanbonye.

Gobe and Aye performed by Davido were written by Password and Runtown respectively.

In music, there is no such thing as 'too many cooks spoil the broth'. The more, the merrier. 

Simply involve your intellectual property lawyer and music publisher (if you care to hire me) in your deal to avoid future roforofo.

In advanced countries, about five to seven people can write just one song and the song will become a hit, generating millions in performance fees, blanket licensing, mechanical licensing, performance licensing, synchronization fees, general and specific royalties.

We should begin to collaborate more and follow due process in the Nigerian music industry for its further growth and development.

TEN SUCCESSFUL NIGERIAN MUSICIANS WITHOUT A UNIVERSITY DEGREE

In Nigeria and generally all over the world, a university degree is not a prerequisite for a successful music career.

A higher education is only sufficient but not adequate for success in this life.

If you are unable to pass the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination to secure a place in a federal or state or private university, you ought to be able to get into a federal or state polytechnic or college of education or other private tertiary institution to study music. 

Did you read me clearly? You should study music and not any other course.

My bone of contention is with what you intend to study in this higher institution.

If you intend to be a full time professional musician and you are studying mechanical engineering or accounting or any other course different from music at the higher institution then you must be a joker. You should switch your course now!

You should take a cue from the late musician, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, who changed his mind from studying medicine to studying music at the university and it paid off for him.

Peradventure you get a great record deal offer while studying for your degree or diploma or certificate course, take it. Grab it with both hands! 

If you cannot combine school with the requirements of a busy musician life, drop out of school and forge ahead with your music career because you might never get that opportunity again. This is because the younger you are, the faster it is to become a successful musician. If you wait till you finish school, the world will forget you. Musicians need the world to remember them in order to succeed in their music career.

If you intend to become a music business professional such as a music manager, tour manager, record label executive, entertainment accountant, music publisher, etc, you should study courses like accounting or entrepreneurship or business administration. After your degree, you should get a diploma in music.

If you want to become an entertainment or music lawyer, you should study law and then get a  diploma in music.

If you want to become a music journalist, study media or communication and language arts or mass communication or journalism, etc and then get a diploma in music afterwards.


Study a course at the higher institution for the purpose of using it to work or enhance your career and not just for the purpose of merely having a university or diploma or certificate.

The following musicians knew what they wanted and they went for it even without a degree or diploma or a certificate in music.

THE VETERANS

1. Chief Ebenezer Obey

He was born on April 3, 1942 as Ebenezer Remilekun Aremu Olasupo Obey-Fabiyi in Idogo, Nigeria and is nicknamed the "Chief Commander".

He is a songwriter, singer and guitarist.

He began his professional career in the mid-1950s after moving to Lagos. 

After tutelage under Fatai Rolling-Dollar's band, he formed a band called The International Brothers in 1964, playing highlife–jùjú fusion. The band later metamorphosed into Inter-Reformers in the early-1970s, with a long list of Juju album hits on the West African Decca musical label.


Obey began experimenting with Yoruba percussion style and expanding on the band by adding more drum kits, guitars and talking drums. 

Obey's musical strengths lie in weaving intricate Yoruba axioms into dance-floor compositions. 

As is the characteristic of Nigerian Yoruba social-circle music, the Inter-Reformers band excel in praise-singing for rich Nigerian socialites and business tycoons. 

His music is laced with Christian spiritual themes. 


2. King Sunny Ade

Chief Sunday Adeniyi Adegeye MFR was born on September 22,1946. 

He is a Nigerian jùjú singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. 

He is regarded as one of the first African pop musicians to gain international success and has been called one of the most influential musicians of all time.

Adé left grammar school in Ondo City under the pretense of schooling at the University of Lagos. It was in Lagos that his mercurial musical career began.

3. General Kollington

Kollington Ayinla ranks alongside his friend and late competitor, Ayinde Barrister, as the two most important artists to dominate Fuji music from its inception in the 1970s through to the 1990s by which time it had grown to become one of the most popular dance genres in Nigeria. 

Anyila Kolawole was born in 1953 in Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria. Between the mid-70s and late 80s, Kollington ranked with Barrister as the leading star of Nigerian fuji music - like apala and waka, a Muslim-dominated relation of juju, retaining that style’s vocal and percussion ingredients but abandoning its use of electric guitars in order to obtain a more traditional, roots-based sound. 

He began recording for Nigerian EMI in 1974 and in 1978 achieved a pronounced but temporary lead over Barrister when his introduction of the powerful bata drum (fuji had until that time relied almost exclusively on talking or ‘squeeze’, drums) caught the imagination of record buyers.

Ayinla and Ayinde were soldiers who resigned from the Nigerian army to pursue their music career.

He is songwriter, singer and saxophonist.

Although, one regret that General Ayinla Kollington has is that he does not have a university education Albeit, he was still successful without it and he can still go back to school if he truly desires a university education. There is no excuse for a lack of education.

He remains my best fuji musician of all time.


4. Sir Shina Peters

Born Oluwashina Akanbi Peters in Ogun State, Nigeria, Peters' career in music began at a young age when he played with friends under the handle, Olushina and His Twelve Fantastic Brothers.

While playing with his friends, he taught himself how to play the piano and later joined Ebenezer Obey's band. 

Thereafter, he left Obey's band and joined General Prince Adekunle's band as a guitar player. Adekunle's band played in Lagos hotels such as Western Hotel, Palm Beach Hotel and Executive Hotel. 

When Adekunle was ill, Peters sometimes acted as the lead singer. He left Adekunle to form Shina Adewale, a band with juju maestro Segun Adewale. However, the duo soon split. 

Shina Peters, after releasing many albums with Segun Adewale through the 1980s, went on to form his own band, Sir Shina Peters & His International Stars.

THE UNDER 45s

5. Wizkid

Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun was born on the 16th of July, 1990. 

He is a songwriter, singer and the CEO of Starboy Entertainment.

He dropped out of Lead City University, Oyo state to focus on his music career.

6. 9ice

Alexander Abolore Adegbola Adigun Alapomeji was born on the 17th of January, 1980. 

He attended Abule Okuta primary school and CMS Grammar School. 

He is a songwriter, singer and the CEO of Alapomeji Ancestral Records.

He dropped out of his law course at the Lagos State University to focus on his music career.

7. Olamide

Olamide Adedeji was born on the 15th of March, 1989. 

He is a songwriter, rapper, singer and the CEO of YBNL Nation.



He dropped out of Tai Solarin University of Education because his father could no longer the tuition fees.

8. Dbanj

Oladapo Daniel Oyebanjo was born on June 9, 1980. 

He is a songwriter, singer, rapper, harmonicist and the CEO of C.R.E.A.M.

He dropped out of his mechanical engineering course when he was in 300 level.

9. Don Jazzy

Michael Collins Ajere was born on the 26th of November, 1982. 

He is a record producer, singer, songwriter and the CEO of Mavin Records.

He dropped out of the Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma in his first year.

10. 2Baba

Innocent Ujah Idibia was born on the 18th of September, 1975. 

He is a singer, songwriter, record producer, serial entrepreneur, philanthropist, humanitarian and activist.

Innocent Ujah Idibia dropped out of the Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu to pursue his music career.

HOW THE CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) HAS AFFECTED MUSICIANS GLOBALLY

The coronavirus is believed to have emanated from the bat and the pangolin.

A team of Chinese researchers suspect the pangolin of transmitting the novel coronavirus to humans in the Chinese city of Wuhan; the epicenter of the pandemic that has rocked the world.

The pangolin meat is bought from Gabon. Before  now, the Chinese ate Pangolin meat and used its scale in the production of their medicine but since the outbreak of the virus, the sales of pangolin meat in Gabon has nosedived. It is needless to say that the Gabon meat sellers have lost their most valuable customers.

The symptoms of the coronavirus include;

• Cough
• Fever
• Sore throat
• Tiredness
• Difficulty in breathing

It is not surprising to me that the coronavirus began in China because those mongoloids eat anything under the sun. They eat cats, dogs, rats and I guess vultures too. I gave up on them when I watched a documentary on television where some Chinese kept a cockroach farm. They reared cockroaches and ate them as food! I do not patronize Chinese restaurants. I could never.

Their gluttony has put the world in a mess and it has severely affected us; the musicians.

Several musicians have had to cancel or postpone their music concerts and tours within and outside Nigeria because of the outbreak of the coronavirus.

Foreign musicians like John Legend, Bono, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Pink, John Mayer, Keith Urban, etc have had to postpone their passions which will ultimately cost them a fortune.

Nigerian musicians like Asa, Femi Kuti and Beautiful Nubia have had to postpone their source of daily bread too. Singer Davido is not left out of this ordeal.

Asa ran away from the coronovirus in Europe to Lagos. Hopefully, her music concerts in Lagos and Abuja, on Saturday April 11 and Easter Monday April 13 respectively will go on as planned.

John Legend and Asa have devised a means of performing from the comfort of their homes to their fans via online videos.  I cannot say for sure if they get paid for their performances.

I look forward to researchers getting the cure and vaccines for this disease just as it has been found for the ebola virus.

I have also had to postpone my music concerts until further notice but I should able to resume the recording of my songs for my debut album, My Freedom, in April.

Two musicians have also been pronounced dead as a result of the coronavirus. 

The singer of soukous from Congo-Brazzaville Aurlus Mabélé, passed away this Thursday, March 19th in Paris region following the coronavirus. He was 67 years old.

Marcelo Peralta, an Argentine saxophonist renowned for his innovative approach to the avant-garde and South American musical traditions, died March 10 at a hospital in Madrid, Spain. He was six days past his 59th birthday.

As musicians, the stage is our playground. The world is our territory. We need to resume play without restrictions.

VICTOR OLAIYA DIES

Bimbo Esho, the Managing Director of Evergreen Music Company Limited, announced on her Facebook wall;

"Breaking News !! 

The Death of the Doyen of Highlife music in Nigeria

The entire music world wish(es) to announce the death of a Legend of Highlife music one of the last man standing, the last of the original Dr. Victor Abimbola Olaiya OON..

'This incident happened at Luth hospital Lagos State at exactly 12 noon today, Wednesday 12th of February, 2020.

We pray that the Doyen of highlife music find(s) repose with the creator while wishing the family and entire music community the fortitude to bear this irreplaceable loss.

'... to my name sake, Abimbola Olaiya, I will miss your contribution to HIGHLIFE MUSIC. 

'Dr Victor Abimbola Olaiya was 89 years of age on December 31st, 2019."

The “Baby Jowo” crooner retired from his musical career in 2017 and had some hit tracks like “Omopupa”; “Jemila”; “So fun mi”; “Tina Meta”; “Pambotoriboto”; “Aigana”; “Odale Ore”; “Mo Fe Muyan”; “Opataritius”; “Omolanke”, amongst others.

ARE YOU CALLED OR UNCALLED FOR GOSPEL MUSIC?

In Nigeria, there are two main categories of music and they are; gospel music and secular music. 

Some other set of people call their kind of music, inspirational.

I have discovered that before a musician sets out to create music for the public, he or she first decides whether to do gospel or secular music.

In my opinion, gospel music is not a class of music that a musician decides to choose. He or she must be led by the Holy Spirit to spread the gospel with his or her songs.

Some musicians simply compose music and because it consists of heavenly words like Olorun, Jehovah, Jesus, Father, etc, they categorize themselves as gospel musicians.

Some gospel musicians' way of life is a far cry from the songs that they minister. I am not their judge. It is simply my observation.

It is compulsory for gospel musicians to be born-again Christians before and during their music career. You must work with the Holy Spirit to save souls, praise and worship God.

If you are a full-time gospel musician, there will be times that you will run into problems of lack of finance but God will provide for you because He has called you to do this work and He will provide for your every need.

Those that are testing the gospel music waters for money will get frustrated and probably change to the secular genre of music because they have not gotten the wealth they seek from gospel music. 

For those who are into gospel music for the money, Frank Edwards has a few words of advice for you.

According to Frank Edwards in his interview with the Punch newspapers, I quote;

“Gospel music is a ministry and not an industry.

‘If you are a gospel minister, you have to know you are in a ministry. If you are in it for the money, you may be disappointed…. It is not that you will not make money in the long run but that is not the focus. The focus is to preach the gospel of Christ through your music. When your focus is to first do something that would sell, you would lose focus. If you want to do it for the business, then try secular music.

‘You need to be called to be a gospel artist because you would have to endure when the money is not forthcoming and you have to wait on the Lord and learn to use your faith. You would even be popular and you would still be climbing bikes.”

Secular music artists may also decide to write and perform gospel music at some point in their career. They should not be castigated for doing this because asides from being secular artists, they are also Christians and would love to worship God via their songwriting, singing and instrument playing skills and go back to their secular music afterwards.

For example, I intend to include my songs that edify God into my second album; ten songs in all. You may call it gospel music but I am neither a gospel musician nor a secular musician. I am not even an inspirational musician. I simply do great music.

With my second album, I just want to praise God as a human being and my fans and new converts may decide to worship and praise Him along with me.

R. Kelly wrote and sang gospel songs like YOU SAVED ME and THE STORM IS OVER. He also wrote I LOOK TO YOU for Whitney Houston and a few more gospel songs.

While singers like Simi are switching from gospel music to secular music, rappers like Kanye West, after serenading Lucifer in a lot of his previous songs, have switched to gospel music.

Kanye has two gospel music albums titled JESUS IS KING and JESUS IS BORN. From the great songs in these albums, it seems to me that Kanye West has converted to gospel music completely. Great!

Do what you will.

Jesus loves you anyway!

MARLIANS, WISE UP!

tvcnews.tv

Wikipedia

Below is what a lady tweeted about Naira Marley;

I guess that her outburst originated from a post by a Marlian and from the corresponding comment from another Marlian on that post as shown below;

Nairaland.com

....and most likely this....

informationng.com

In my opinion, education is important for any art creator. 

Education is how you protect your rights with respect to the business and legal sides of your art and craft.

If you are not enlightened, how will you know that you are being cheated by your manager and other members of your team?

How will you understand your music or acting contract?

How will you become an international musician if you are not educated?

Alongside your music, you will also be answering interview questions on radio, television, events and online platforms. 

Your fans will want to know how intelligent and eloquent you are asides from your art.

How will you communicate effectively in round table discussions as a musician?

Many musicians went back to the classroom to acquire an education after an inferiority complex set in for them during the course of their music careers.

Examples of these musicians and actors are; Saheed Osupa, KWAM 1, Odunlade Adekola, etc.

Musicians like Salawa Abeni hired private tutors to teach them how to read and write.

Certainly, their efforts have helped their careers tremendously.

So, while listening to the music of your favourite musicians, be guided. Do not let them mislead you whilst they seek for attention and catch their trips.

Certainly, Naira Marley's four children and probably his two wives will attend the best schools in the United Kingdom while you stick around in Nigeria sucking up to a misleading Marlian fantasy.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ENGLISH LITERATURE AND LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

English literature is the literature written by the British showcasing the English lifestyle and culture.

This type of literary work is written in English language which is the mother tongue or native dialect of these people.

The works written by the English people cover the three genres of literature: Prose, Drama and Poetry.

For example, Yoruba literature will cover stories about the Yoruba history, stories about Sango, Oya, Sopona, Esu, how Oduduwa became the Yoruba leader, etc.

Literature in English, on the other hand, is the literary work that covers all regions or countries of the world, written in the English language.

The literature in this category are: Yoruba literature, Igbo literature, Canadian literature, American literature, African literature, Australian literature, Asian literature, etc.

For example, literature in Yoruba can cover stories about other ethnic groups or countries, such as stories about the British or French, written in the Yoruba language.

Another example is if I decide to write the Biafra story in the Yoruba language.

For example, to the Igbos, the Biafra story will be called Igbo literature while the same Biafra story to the Yorubas will be literature in Yoruba.