Bez held an intimate star-studded listening party recently. The rock artiste speaks to DUPE AYINLA-OLASUNKANMI on the story behind his new album, which is coming out in November, four years after ‘Super Sun’.
COMING out after four years since your last album, what is it like for you?
Four years after, when we wanted to go ahead with this new album, I wanted something African. For me, I needed to create more African sounds and to this effect, I had to travel down to my home town, with my crew. That was where we listened to guys who played music with raw instruments made from local materials.
Along the line, we also met with a percussionist who also works with Beyonce, so we felt privileged having her on the album.
What inspired your kind of music?
Fela Kuti inspired my career by using all sounds to create music. The horns and backing vocals are inspired by Fela. In this new album, creating soft rock, we were able to get one Hausa song done – which is one thing I have always wanted to do since I started my music.
Who did you work with on the album?
I collaborated with Simi, on the track of ‘Breathe’, when I started the album in 2013. I wanted a trust feeling, so we had a camp out where we were working on the songs. A lot of people wanted to be on the song, but she, I can’t really say, she had something going for her, which made her end up creating the song. The song ‘Breathe’ reminded me of the song ‘Endless Love’ by Diana Ross, while growing up.
What inspired the name of the album Gbagyi Child?
When we started working on the album, we needed direction, so we went to our home town, Gbagyi. We are not Hausa, but we speak Hausa; so people refer to us as Hausas. My sister has a company, Gbagyi Entertainment. I wanted to use the name for a project then, but I didn’t want it to be like I stole the name. So it is a name that is generated from my home. It is the reflection of our heritage.
Do you get tempted to do club songs, too, which is common among Nigerian artistes?
We have a difficult market, there is always that temptation, but there is always market for what we do. The question is, how do you stay afloat? The music I do is not hungry man kind of music. Then the question of where does a great singer want to tour. Those are the questions I asked myself; so I wanted an international tour and I am doing good. That is all I can say.
You have to be brave; you put up your songs on the internet and it is all over. I didn’t believe I could play on those stages I have been on.
I was scared. I remember when the first album was to be released, some guys and I were in the studio when power went off.
So everyone went out to buy food, but I sat back in the studio and started to think I was in total doubt about the sound about to be released. Cobhams came in and asked what was bothering me, and when I told him, he said to me, ‘people are going to love or hate what you do. It all depends on whether you believe in yourself or not. The thing is that there are some people who never get satisfied with what you do, even if you make the most commercial song in the world.”
I told him back in 2009 that I believed I could be number one and he told me it was that belief that would take me far. And since then, I have had that stuck in me.
And it has got us somewhere and we can’t but have greater expectations.
Where do you see your career taking you?
There is so much we can do with music, and lots of people can get rewards from music, through royalty.
But you look shy for this kind of job.
Yes, I am a very shy person. And when I started as a musician, performing in front of people was tough. I had to deal with stage fright and had to worry about whether I was good enough. Eventually, I went for a show in Texas in the US, on a particular day, and after watching a fantastic performance on stage, I was ‘fired’ up and during our time on stage, my band and I blew the crowd. And from then on, I overcame the weakness of being shy.
The song ‘The Stupid Song’, did you envisage that it will become a hit?
The day I formed that song was a very interesting episode for me because an artiste came into the studio and told my producer, Cohbams Asuquo, that he wanted a ‘stupid song’ because Nigerians like stupid songs. Cobhams was trying to give him one idea and he kept saying ‘that one na ‘oyinbo’. ‘So Cobhams then said we should try to put a few funny songs together and that was how the song came about.
You have been with Cobhams for a while now, how would you describe your experience with him?
It’s been very interesting. Sometimes it gets frustrating. It’s actually like the curse of a genius because I think he is a genius. When he thinks about a tune, he can keep on thinking about it, adding spice till the next day; you can create a sound and keep on creating till next year. Once Cobhams thinks about a song or when he hears the song, he would sleep over it, get more ideas till it’s perfect and I think that’s the best and most creative way to do music, unlike some artistes who just want a run off thing. It’s been amazing working with him because he has great ideas.
Why did you decide to settle down early?
I was ready; my father got married when he was 25, and my mum was 18. My mum still looks very young that you would not believe she is my mum when you meet her.
I just thought about it and asked myself what I was waiting for. I’m a homely person because I don’t go out clubbing or popping champagne. So, I wasn’t thinking that my fun times were going to be over, and when I found someone who I loved, I knew I was ready.
What lessons has being married taught you so far?
Before marriage, you think of yourself alone, you don’t consider anything before you spend money. Now, I can’t just do things on my own. You are a head of a family now. You make decisions together, and you get conscious of your partner’s opinion before you do anything.
It’s a very interesting process planning a future with someone, though it gets frustrating sometimes. It’s all together very beautiful.
Marriage has taught me patience; it’s just about how you can add value to the next person. That’s the only way you can get loved in return. You need to give something to get loved in return.
About a year ago I got married. Most of the songs when I talk about women, it’s her, and nobody else. The song ‘Eternity’, one of the songs on the new album, is very sexy. It is a different sound. I played around the name of a lady I used to chase back then, but never accepted.
