Between the 60s and 80s, Blackman Akeeb Kareem’s music ruled the airwaves. Suddenly, the tempo slurred and the music maestro disappeared. For 35 years, he sojourned in Europe. Last week, he reappeared on stage at Ikeja, the Lagos State capital, to the surprise of his fans. In this encounter with the exponent of Ameboism and Ololufe, Edozie Udeze takes him down memory lane; why he disappeared, his experience as a soldier, how he was called to become a pastor and more.
I was usually accompanied with an enigmatic razzmatazz, typical of an entertainer who knew his onions. Even though he has not lost most of those charismatic qualities that made him an outstanding musician, entertainer, songwriter, poet, and singer, Blackman Akeeb Kareem has metamorphosed into an elegant and seasoned musician whose international acclaim has gone beyond the confines of Nigeria.
He still maintains his traditional salutation of raising his left hand as soon he mounts the stage. He also has not lost his traditional style of swinging with profusion to curry for audience acclaim once he handles his favourite instrument, the guitar, on stage. Akeeb Kareem still bestrides the stage as if he is in his prime. His stage craft and mastery of renditions show him as a man who will not retire or relent so soon. At 69 years of age, he says his love for music is about to blossom to its very limitless height.
“I love to sing to put my fans in the right mood to sing and follow me all the way to the stage. When I make them sing along, it makes me bring out the best on stage.” So says this apostle and creator of Ameboism and Ololufe tracks that ruled the entertainment scene in Nigeria in the 70s and 80s.
Kareem left the shores of Nigeria in 1984, only to be reunited with his folks and fans penultimate weekend for the first time in 35 years. He told The Nation that he was here to honour an invitation by Segun Akinlolu, aka Beautiful Nubia, to perform at his Ikeja, Lagos, hang-out with other old generation musicians and to also attend the 80th birthday ceremony of his mother-in-law. Kareem could not help but tell his own story the genesis of why and how he left Nigeria to seek greener pastures in Europe. It is a story he said has been haunting and disturbing him for too long; yet he needed to take that prompt decision when he did in order to save himself and his musical career.
“Oh yes, part of what made me leave even when my musical career was at its peak, so to say, is the same thing that is happening to you and I in Nigeria today.” He began.
“In this nation, we do not recognise people who are doing great works in their different fields of human endeavour. Be it journalism, be it music or engineering; even if you go to the university and get the best degree, and you do not know somebody somewhere, they will not listen to you. When it comes to employment, they’d rather employ the person who knows the man at the top. At times, they’ll even employ the person who is not qualified or who is not as good as you are. They will put the person there and you who are better qualified will be roaming about without a job.
“After many years of rolling out series of records and chart-busting albums, recorded with the EMI, every sale of your works, they would send it to you. You’d know how much you’ve made. When I began to record with Decca, it was the same thing. All my records could be played all over the world and my popularity grew. Then I joined the Performing Rights of Great Britain. So, every of my record invaded the world and I was happy. I was also getting my cheques sent straight to me right here in Nigeria from England.
“Now after many years, a Nigerian recording studio came to me and said, ‘Ah, why are you recording with Oyibo and all that? And you are our own child? This is not fair; come do business with us.’ They said they wanted me to join them so that together, we would move this country forward. Oh, yes, I cannot mention the name of the company. No, I cannot. Yet one of my best records titled Ameboism (oh Amebo o, make you shut up your mouth). And in that same record I did it in Ghana language. I wanted to give it an international colouration and acceptance. I sang it in Ashanti language (Suddenly, he begins to sing).
“The song was also done in Yoruba and it was a hit, a big hit indeed. That was the biggest moment in my musical career with my own fellow Nigerian who owned a recording studio. It got to a point that those who used to call me Blackman Akeeb Kareem began to call me Baba Amebo. This was so because it was a hit. Then I waited to get letters from the recording studio, but none came. So instead of Amebo to shut her mouth, they shut my mouth up for me. At the end of the day, I went to the recording company, complaining about the shoddy treatment I was getting from them. Both EMI and Decca did me well. Now, what is the problem with you not releasing my money to me?
“Now, you know what they said to me? That Amebo did not sell. I said, ‘Ah, Amebo shut up your mouth did not sell?’ I said, oh, this is a country that you won’t progress in your life, in your career, in your profession; you need to relocate. Even if you go to Cotonou, it is still better for you because they are more honest and trustworthy. There, business is business and people take you for what you are. That was in 1984, the year I decided to leave this country. The opportunity came during the 1984 Olympics. I went there to watch Lionel Ritchie of America perform. He is one artist I love so much. From there, I got an invitation for my band to come and play there. It was a golden opportunity for me indeed.
“This was in Paris in 1984 where I was billed to perform. I have only sat in a hotel; I hadn’t even started performing when fans began to scream with wild jubilation. Ha! I screamed, what is happening? Then I got a recording company that recorded me the same year in 1984. The record went straight to the top 10 in France in 1984. Of course all of us knew that music is an international language, most times it does not have language barrier. Whether you sing in Igbo or Hausa, once the melody is good, you are accepted; it will sell. Thereafter, I called my wife and said to her, ‘My dear, if it takes you long to come and meet me in this country called France, I will marry another woman before you come.’ This was so; because I made up my mind I would not come back to Nigeria to ply my trade. Then when the record went straight to the top 10, I sent a ticket to her immediately because money was no longer a problem. You see!
“Yes, she met me in France in 1984 and life continued for two years. From that day, I sat down and decided that Europe would be my home. So for 25 years, I did not come home. What I am saying now, you are also experiencing it or are you not? If you do not know the right person, they will be promoting him and not you. Now, how do you live like that or survive in your profession? Then I got to Europe and in 1986, I crossed over to Britain. In Britain, they accept you for who you are. In whatever you do, so long as you do it well, they will promote you and make you achieve your best.
“That was why I left the country for Europe. However, home is still home whether you are in America or Britain. But let them fix this country. When you come back home now, what do you get? The same old story. It is even worse now as you can see.”
Even then, why did you return home now to be a part of this August show at the Eni-obanke put in place by Beautiful Nubia? We asked.
“Oh, my mother-in-law has just turned 80 years and we needed to be home to join in the celebration. You all have been to Europe. It is not that it is full of roses and wine, but at least if you know what you are doing and you are focused, you will be respected. Oh yes, I have not done many albums; I have only done 16 (laughs). What you have done is more than mine because you write everyday as a journalist.”
But how did he become an Evangelist? What was the lure that led him into becoming a Christian?
“Oh that? It is a long story. It was in February 1997, after being a Muslim for 51 years. I was made to pray with a pastor friend. I said what prayer, when I am here for business? He was talking about Jesus but I said I am here for business. I said oh, I don’t want to pray. But we started to pray nonetheless. Then after a while, I closed my eyes and joined him in the prayer. At a point, I began to laugh; I couldn’t stop, yet I did not open my eyes. I was so confused because I never drank or smoked; now how come I was laughing like that?
“Suddenly, without opening my eyes, I saw the doves in their beautiful epitome. I heard a voice in the midst of those doves speaking to me the way I am speaking to you now. He said, ‘My son, you’ll leave what you are doing. You don’t sing in hotels again, you don’t sing to praise human beings again. I will give you peace of mind; I will give you joy and happiness beyond human comprehension. And that was exactly 51 years of being a Muslim. That day, it was the Lord’s voice speaking to me, saying, I will give you three things peace of mind, joy and happiness. He did not promise me money, because I don’t know where some preachers get the notion that He must be God of riches, and my God is not a poor God; when you come to Jesus all your problems will be solved. Jesus did not promise us that. So the voice told me that if I should do that I should work in ministries. But then the ministry I knew then were the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Aviation and so on. I didn’t know there was Ministry for God. Do not form a Church; do not form a Church, the voice repeated thrice.”
Now known as Michael Akeeb Kareem, he narrates how God then told him that He has enough churches in the world to praise Him. “Oh, God went on: my people have enough churches in the world to praise and honour me. This was on the 17th of February, 1997 and that day when I got home, I told my wife what happened. Ah, how can Jesus speak to Akeeb Kareem; how can He? Then when I knocked the door and my wife opened the door. Oh, she had been faithful to me and I didn’t know that she had been praying behind me to become a Christian and for Jesus to touch me.
“Immediately she saw me, she exclaimed ‘Oh dear, your face is wearing a new look. Where are you coming from? There is peace all over you, dear!’ Then I went in and I told her the story and the first thing my wife said was: “It was Jesus, darling, and my wife of over twenty years could not be wrong, you see! From that day on I have been having this full ministry, where I sing and praise God. Indeed, that has been my whole life; a whole life devoted to the worship and service of the Almighty God.”
Today, Blackman operates Akeeb Kareem Media Ministries in London, where he preaches through music about courage in the powers of the Almighty Jesus. Courage is the weapon to face the trials and problems and fears of failure, witches, wizards and haunting dreams.
“He also taught me how to love my enemies, forgive them and pray for my persecutors. From that moment too, the unnecessary love for worldly and self-imposed physical debts disappeared; because the desire for material things of the world in order to please and show off to others are no longer fashionable to me at all. And I, now, by His grace, do not live in the past; no more restless, foolish, sad-filled years, caused mainly by living in fear or uncertain future. For my future is now very and truly safe in my Lord and saviour’s gracious hands.
“Now, if you leave your professional band in Europe to play this sort of music, the voice must be God’s. And since then, if Jesus calls you; if He really loves you, he said all other things shall be added unto you. As soon as you do that, the things you did before, you would stop doing them automatically. And you will not beg to eat or to survive.”
Kareem, who began his musical career in 1966, delved a bit into his life as a soldier during the Nigerian civil war, where he fought as a volunteer.
“Even then I served in the army here,” he confessed. “That was in 1967 at the outbreak of the Nigerian/Biafran war. May be today somebody somewhere is collecting my retirement money or whatever that I am entitled to. I started singing since the 1960s but when the war came, I joined to keep Nigeria one. After that, I came back and in 1974, I released my first album. I started singing with King Kenny Stones. Then Orlando Julius came from Ibadan and met us here in Lagos. Then there were people like Chris Ajilo, all of us played in Lagos when music was music.
“In 1968, Orlando Julius invited me to Ibadan also to play when I did my first recording. Then when the war ended, I left the army and continued with my music. Yes, I am home now because I met Beautiful Nubia in Canada and he mentioned this show. It is a good thing to be here to see how your numerous fans still rout for you. So when we met, we performed together in Canada last year and it was indeed fun. I have not performed in Nigeria for 35 years and so this moment is momentous for me. It is a joy to see this sort of crowd who still love to see me on stage. This is why I have to sing some of the old tunes to bring people back into the groove.”
And truly, as soon as he mounted the stage, the crowd screamed for him to give them some of his old stuffs. It was the singing of Ameboism that brought people to the dance floor. Most of the women, young and old, who had stayed glued to their seats, now went wild with the groove. Kareem did not disappoint, as his quaint voice rose deep into the foyers of the night. He sang and danced together with Beautiful Nubia and Chris Ajilo, all of whom were delighted to be reunited with him after 35 years in the Diaspora.