In 2004, gospel and cross-over musician Busola Oke achieved fame with her song, ‘Eleyele’, which she even got named after. Married with two kids, Busola who is set to release a double album on her birthday later in July, talks about her music and her personal life in this interview with JOE AGBRO JR. Excerpts
AFTER your hit song, Eleyele, you’ve somehow disappeared from the radar. What’s been happening?
Actually, I was around. After Eleyele, I released Asoro Ma Tase. After some years down, I released Alabarin, Aseyori, My Love. All these were all hits. But the main reason why you’ve not been seeing me constantly was that I relocated to London. I’ve been living in London with my husband and kids.
Since when have you been in London?
I’ve been in London since 2003 before I came to limelight in 2004. But I’ve been getting a lot of messages from my friends and fans, saying, ‘why are you staying there? It’s affecting your career. Nobody is hearing from you.’ Though, I’ve been releasing albums but I’ve not been doing follow-up because I’m not around. But now, I’m back and better.
When did you come back?
I came back finally last year, though I’ve been around since 2010, I’ve been going, coming, going, coming, London, America. But I’m back finally. I’ll just be going for visits. And I’m going to release my new album this month on my birthday, July 23.
What’s the title of the album and what’s it all about?
It’s titled Ogo Tuntun, meaning ‘New Glory.’ And it’s a full gospel album. It’s a double album though. I have full album which is a cross-over album and I have a full gospel album, Agogo Igbeyawo (Wedding Bells). So, I’m releasing two albums on my birthday. That’s my birthday gift.
And how old would you be on that day?
I’m going to be an adult. (Laughs)
But you’ve always said you’re not a gospel artiste, how come you say you’re releasing a gospel album?
I’m a gospel artiste. I’m a cross-over artiste. I’m the two. But the general name I can give for my kind of music is inspirational songs. I love worship songs. But at the same time, I won’t forget my moral songs.
There are some people that are fans of my moral songs and they love my cross-over music like the Wedding Song, like the song I sang in Eleyele album, Ile Olorogun and Ma Ba Won Kegbe. So, those are educative songs and I love doing that. I don’t want to ever bring them together because of the respect I have for God. That’s why I’m putting the cross-over project aside and putting the gospel in one place.
What’s the status of your record label, Royal Water?
Royal Water started in 2014 and I have two artistes already. I have Segun Royal. He sings juju gospel. And I have Kolade. He sings hip hop and he’s going to release his new video very soon on Christmas day. I love releasing my projects on special days.
How do you manage your schedule as an artiste with motherhood?
It’s been very interesting. See, if I don’t do all these things, I will fall sick because I’m used to being busy. I grew up with my grandmother and I’m always very busy. She used to sell food then. We woke up very early by 4pm, put beans on the fire, we sell ewa aganyi (mashed beans) and bread and yam and dodo. I’m also a professional caterer. So, it’s in my DNA. Coping with the motherhood thing, the wife thing, everything, that has been so easy. It goes smoothly every day.
You’re on the plus side. Do you embark on any type of fitness regime?
Yes. I use to be very slim when I was in secondary school and university. So, I started eating but I didn’t grow big until I had my first boy in 2006. Then, I started growing bigger, bigger, bigger. But people are now complaining that I’m big, ‘that you have to slim down.’ Now, I just enrolled for gym, exercise. Last year, I was bigger but now I think I’m getting round to it. I’m growing slimmer now. When I was big, I was using size 22, now, I’m back to size 18. And I want to go back to size 12.
What is your favourite food?
My favourite food is Ewa aganyin (mashed beans) and dodo. If you give me, you can kidnap me. You don’t need Evans to kidnap me.
How do you unwind?
I watch films. I love American films because I learn so much from it and they are very real. I love dancing. Atimes, I use dancing as exercise. I can dance for like three, four hours. And I love writing scripts, songs.
You’re a beautiful and being in limelight brings male admirers. How do you manage them?
That doesn’t bother me because I don’t have issues with anybody, people’s assumption or desires. So when people approach me and try to make advances, I just laugh. I don’t take life too serious so I just play about it, laugh about it. No is no, yes is yes.
Two years ago, you said there were cracks in your marriage and your husband not being comfortable with you. How are things now?
That wasn’t two years ago. That was in 2010. It’s just like what I just said. It’s a natural thing for men to feel intimidated when men make advances at you and when people always talk about you. And the rumour mongers, they say a lot of things that are not true at all. And you know, when rumour starts spreading, it depends on the ear that is listening to it and the personality of the person that is taking the rumour. When you’re too agitated, acting so furious about a rumour, it means it is real. If you just laugh it out and just ignore it, it means you don’t care because you’re sure of yourself (that) you didn’t do it.
Are you together now?
No, my husband doesn’t stay in Nigeria. But I travel a lot. He does too. He just left. And I travel a lot too.
So you really don’t miss each other?
Of course, that is obvious. Why would you miss somebody too much when you’re seeing the person almost every time.
What are some of your fond memories?
When I was recording Eleyele, with Bayowa (Gbenga Adewusi) at Eko Reel Mix, that was really really fun. We were also rehearsing for Asoro Ma Tase at the same time. So there was this time that my producer, Julie King, was like, ‘Okay, let’s rehearse, let’s rehearse. So, we were all just playing, we were not serious. We were just recording. So there were a lot of songs that we didn’t plan to sing.
We were just singing it because we were rehearsing. So, after doing everything, we said, ‘okay, rehearsal over.’ And Bayowa just came and said ‘Hello Busola, recording ti mo fe la ti se yen’ (Hello Busola, this is the recording that I want).’ I was like, ‘ah, that was rehearsal, that was rehearsal’ and everybody was laughing. And he (Bayowa) just said, ‘that is the recording. There is no rehearsal.’ What we just recorded is what he wants. I was like, ‘oh my God, I should have sang like this, I would have done better.’
So in the same session you recorded Eleyele and Asoro Ma Tase, you thought it was a rehearsal?
Yes. I believe that it was ordained for it to be like that. It was fun. Everybody was laughing.
But the song Eleyele became a hit
Yes. That’s because it was ordained like that.
How about memories you wish to forget?
Like the time I recorded tribute to Gbenga Adeboye. Adeboye was very close to me before he died. When we were in the studio, each time I take a line, I cry. At a time everybody was crying, we couldn’t record. We now left the studio, went outside to freshen up. And Bayowa just said, ‘when would you stop crying? Get back inside and let’s record. It was really painful. I couldn’t believe Adeboye was gone. He actually sponsored my second album, Ayanmo. I can never forget that. But it’s okay, I don’t ever want to remember that again.
