KSA….People do all sorts of evil to attack artistes on stage |
“From the first one, Alaanu ni Oluwa (1967) to the most
recent, Divine Shield (2005) I have made a total of
111 albums. Sometimes when people ask me
how many albums I have, I tell them to look at my face and add one to the two
marks there! In my music, I encourage
people to appeciate God. For over 25
years, side one of all my albums contain songs that praised God. The other side is where I sing songs for
leisure, relaxation and enjoyment. As
much as possible, my songs address the ills in the society.
recent, Divine Shield (2005) I have made a total of
111 albums. Sometimes when people ask me
how many albums I have, I tell them to look at my face and add one to the two
marks there! In my music, I encourage
people to appeciate God. For over 25
years, side one of all my albums contain songs that praised God. The other side is where I sing songs for
leisure, relaxation and enjoyment. As
much as possible, my songs address the ills in the society.
In my music, I urge people to do good no matter what. When Nigeria was under pressure under General
Sani Abacha, for instance, I gathered some friends in the music
industry and we recorded, The Way Forward. Tension was high
in the land at that time and when we released the record, the magic happened
but with the help of God, Telemi and others.
Sani Abacha, for instance, I gathered some friends in the music
industry and we recorded, The Way Forward. Tension was high
in the land at that time and when we released the record, the magic happened
but with the help of God, Telemi and others.
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“Not
too long ago, somebody was spraying me when I stepped on a box close to a
standing fan. The electricity shock sent
my microphone out of my hand while I fell flat on the ground. The man who was
spraying also fell from the shock. But
the audience thought it was a style until they saw my face squeezed in pain”
KSA with Colleagues, late Fatai Rolling Dollars & Ebenezer Obey; says ‘Musicians are equally endangered species in the hand of fans’ |
How
I get inspiration for my songs…
Composing of music comes to me in different ways. I have people who give me songs. I compose myself and a lot of them I compose
on the spot. Some I compose in the
studio. Instant songs can come even on
stage. A line of chorus can start off a
composition. My door is always open for
new songs to come in and for other people to bring songs to me.
on the spot. Some I compose in the
studio. Instant songs can come even on
stage. A line of chorus can start off a
composition. My door is always open for
new songs to come in and for other people to bring songs to me.
Power
of generational ability…
of generational ability…
Many of those I’m playing for now, I played for their fathers
when they were born – some on their eight day naming ceremony. Today I’m
playing for them on their wedding ceremony or for their new born babies. I don’t know what made it so. All I know is that when the demand for you
comes like that, you must always see it as a sign to thank God and do your
best.
when they were born – some on their eight day naming ceremony. Today I’m
playing for them on their wedding ceremony or for their new born babies. I don’t know what made it so. All I know is that when the demand for you
comes like that, you must always see it as a sign to thank God and do your
best.
How
I lost loyalty twice…
I lost loyalty twice…
It has not always been smooth sailing for me. Twice, for instance, my band broke up and I
had to start all over again. The first
break-up was in 1971 shortly after we returned from England. The band members gave me a condition on the
sharing of proceeds from the band – 10 percent for me while the band gets 90%.
I said okay, if that is the case, let’s do it for six months as long as they
would be giving me money for the Area Boys whenever and
wherever the band wanted to play and there was trouble. Unfortunately, they did not listen to
me. Instead, they said we owned the band
together and should break up. When I
asked how, they said we should sell the instruments, the band and
everything. So we packed all the things
and put in the custody of our patron, Chief Tunde Oshodi in Idi-Oro.
Then I went back to England a month
after and bought instruments both new and fairly used. When I came back, I did not tell
anybody. Later, I called everybody and
said, whoever wants to play with me, should come as I now had new
instruments. But of the 12 about eight
of them came and I took five. We played
together till 1985.
had to start all over again. The first
break-up was in 1971 shortly after we returned from England. The band members gave me a condition on the
sharing of proceeds from the band – 10 percent for me while the band gets 90%.
I said okay, if that is the case, let’s do it for six months as long as they
would be giving me money for the Area Boys whenever and
wherever the band wanted to play and there was trouble. Unfortunately, they did not listen to
me. Instead, they said we owned the band
together and should break up. When I
asked how, they said we should sell the instruments, the band and
everything. So we packed all the things
and put in the custody of our patron, Chief Tunde Oshodi in Idi-Oro.
Then I went back to England a month
after and bought instruments both new and fairly used. When I came back, I did not tell
anybody. Later, I called everybody and
said, whoever wants to play with me, should come as I now had new
instruments. But of the 12 about eight
of them came and I took five. We played
together till 1985.
KSA with some Patrons |
Breaking
& rebuilding the house…
& rebuilding the house…
In 1985, another problem arose. This time was when we went to
Japan for a jazz festival sponsored
by Panasonic. And because we were given a lot of tickets
(35 instead of 30), I saw it as an opportunity to accommodate more people. My
sin to them was that I also took along my brother who was then selling
electronics in Benin, and only wanted
to check the market there. The rumour
spread that the band had been given 200 video and TV sets which my brother
actually came to collect. They even said to me, “give us 100 and take the remaining 100”. I thought they were joking but found out that
they meant it. All my explanations fell
on deaf ears until I showed them a copy of the agreement, receipts and
everything. All are blackmail.
Japan for a jazz festival sponsored
by Panasonic. And because we were given a lot of tickets
(35 instead of 30), I saw it as an opportunity to accommodate more people. My
sin to them was that I also took along my brother who was then selling
electronics in Benin, and only wanted
to check the market there. The rumour
spread that the band had been given 200 video and TV sets which my brother
actually came to collect. They even said to me, “give us 100 and take the remaining 100”. I thought they were joking but found out that
they meant it. All my explanations fell
on deaf ears until I showed them a copy of the agreement, receipts and
everything. All are blackmail.
They did not also agree with me to use part of our proceeds
to repair the instruments that was dropped for us in England by Nigeria Airways. Even when I said on our stop over in England that we should carry up the
equipment so that it would be charged on everybody and not on me alone as I did
not have enough money to pay for it, they refused, saying they want to stay in England for sometime and do some
shopping. I said, “why are you people talking to me like that? Well, my dear brothers, consider the band
broken”. The instrument till date is
still in London. And half of the members of the band stayed
back in London doing nothing.
to repair the instruments that was dropped for us in England by Nigeria Airways. Even when I said on our stop over in England that we should carry up the
equipment so that it would be charged on everybody and not on me alone as I did
not have enough money to pay for it, they refused, saying they want to stay in England for sometime and do some
shopping. I said, “why are you people talking to me like that? Well, my dear brothers, consider the band
broken”. The instrument till date is
still in London. And half of the members of the band stayed
back in London doing nothing.
When I got back to Nigeria I had to send the news to the
press that I had disbanded my band as I did not want to face any court
action. I had to buy a new set of
musical instruments. The manufacturers came
from England to install it
themselves. For four, five months I did
not do any show. I said to myself that
it was time to re-build and re-focus my band.
And the night the band played with only a few old members, everybody was
surprised. It was a new band and the
audience just loved it…
press that I had disbanded my band as I did not want to face any court
action. I had to buy a new set of
musical instruments. The manufacturers came
from England to install it
themselves. For four, five months I did
not do any show. I said to myself that
it was time to re-build and re-focus my band.
And the night the band played with only a few old members, everybody was
surprised. It was a new band and the
audience just loved it…
How
people use Juju
on artistes…
people use Juju
on artistes…
Now, what about the risks that one had had to face in the
course of dishing music to music lovers?
Let’s take spraying of money which everybody believes makes us
happy. I remember one day that somebody
was spraying me, I opened my eyes and at that moment the currency went straight
inside my right eye. I was in pains and
water kept coming out of my eye.
Sometimes it was like there was a fly inside it. It took a whole one and a half years before
healing took place.
course of dishing music to music lovers?
Let’s take spraying of money which everybody believes makes us
happy. I remember one day that somebody
was spraying me, I opened my eyes and at that moment the currency went straight
inside my right eye. I was in pains and
water kept coming out of my eye.
Sometimes it was like there was a fly inside it. It took a whole one and a half years before
healing took place.
Not too long ago, somebody was spraying me when I stepped on
a box close to a standing fan. The
electricity shock sent my microphone out of my hand while I fell flat on the
ground. The man who was spraying also fell from the shock. But the audience thought it was a style until
they saw my face squeezed in pain. What
of the incident that happened to me at Railway Recreation Club at one of
their end of year dances? It was
midnight and I wanted to sing my usual song to herald the New Year, Baba
Modupe.
a box close to a standing fan. The
electricity shock sent my microphone out of my hand while I fell flat on the
ground. The man who was spraying also fell from the shock. But the audience thought it was a style until
they saw my face squeezed in pain. What
of the incident that happened to me at Railway Recreation Club at one of
their end of year dances? It was
midnight and I wanted to sing my usual song to herald the New Year, Baba
Modupe.
The only thing I remember seeing was like a flash light which
was really live electricity on my guitar!
I flew from that spot to the other end of the stage. I was lucky that the guitar fell off my hand,
what a day to remember?.
was really live electricity on my guitar!
I flew from that spot to the other end of the stage. I was lucky that the guitar fell off my hand,
what a day to remember?.
Once, the plane we were in suddenly went down from 37000
feet to 27000 feet on our way to New
York City in America. All I remember saying was, “God
please save my soul”. That was
about the 100th time we would be flying wihtin America on that tour. All
the air hostesses were crying like babies.
Since then, I don’t fly within America. Anytime we landed there, we take a bus. Even
if it takes 24 hours to get to our destination, I don’t mind…
feet to 27000 feet on our way to New
York City in America. All I remember saying was, “God
please save my soul”. That was
about the 100th time we would be flying wihtin America on that tour. All
the air hostesses were crying like babies.
Since then, I don’t fly within America. Anytime we landed there, we take a bus. Even
if it takes 24 hours to get to our destination, I don’t mind…
(Excerpts
from the book; KSA: My Life, My Music by
King Sunny Ade. Read ‘The humiliation that made me to buy a Rolls
Royce’ tomorrow on this blog)
from the book; KSA: My Life, My Music by
King Sunny Ade. Read ‘The humiliation that made me to buy a Rolls
Royce’ tomorrow on this blog)