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Tag: Dapo Oyebanjo

  • Minister condoles with D’banj over son’s death

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has condoled with star musician, D’banj,  and his wife on the tragic loss of their son, Daniel.

    In a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday, the minister said although words could never  be enough to console them, they should take solace in the outpouring of sympathy from Nigerians.

    Read Also: D’banj’s only child dies

    ”My prayers and kindest thoughts are with you and your family at this trying time.

    “May God give you the strength and the comfort that will see you through,” he said.

    Dapo Oyebanjo, popularly known as  D’banj and wife Lineo Kilgrow’s one-year-old son reportedly drowned at a pool in the singer’s residence in Ikoyi, Lagos, on  Sunday afternoon.

    NAN

  • D’banj admonishes young Nigerians

    Over time, pop artiste, Dapo Oyebanjo, better known as D’banj, has established himself as a voice for young people in Nigeria. As serial investor, he established a platform which showcases talented musicians called Creative, Reality, Entertainment, Arts and Music (CREAM).

    As a follow up, the artiste has set up a platform for talented actors to showcase their scripts for sponsorship which he said would be launched May 1. He made the disclosure at the 2018 Nigerian Entertainment Conference held at the Landmark Event Centre, Lagos.

    According to the ‘Koko Master’, a random selection would be done monthly and CREAM would be responsible for all the finances to ensure the most interesting ones were selected for production.

    He however urged budding entertainers to adopt an attitude of humility. In his views, popularity does not necessarily translate to wealth.

    “You can be popular and not have money. In fact, being popular does not guarantee anything; it only guarantees that they’ll call you. Please, you have to remain humble and also have a game plan. And once you do that, go at it and don’t let anybody tell you no,” he said.

    Airing his opinion on the topic, ‘Understanding Trends and Emerging Markets’ , D’banj stated that although the digital media in Nigeria is off to a good start, there is still a lot to be done, especially as regards capacity building. Using his experience as an example, he said that less than two years after the launch of his digital music platform, CREAM, it has grown to over two million subscribers.

    “In December last year, we shot a video for an artiste whom I’ve never met and today, as a result of that, he has been signed on to Sony Music. That is the power of new media. I don’t have to see you. Just go to the platform, upload your music and if your head follow you, dem go sign you,” he said.

  • D’banj doles out millions of naira as CREAM clocks one

    D’banj doles out millions of naira as CREAM clocks one

    IT was a successful entrepreneur that met with the press on Wednesday, outside of his personal musical accomplishment.

    Dapo Oyebanjo, otherwise called D’banj, oozes benevolence, grinning from ear to ear, ready to dole out millions of naira at the Renaissance Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, last Wednesday, as the next set of beneficiaries await their rewards for participating in the Creative Reality Entertainment Arts Music (CREAM).

    It was the one year anniversary event of CREAM, his innovative digital talent hunt platform, in partnership with MTN.

    His excitement is understandable. Not only is he succeeding in the project that has boycotted the usual ‘godfatherism’ chain and lifted the talents of several youths across the country, who may not have the opportunity of being heard, D’banj took a loan of N50 million from the Bank of Industry, and paid back in less than one year. This was a record-setting feat to the DFI among other beneficiaries of its creative industry fund scheme.

    D’banj said he conceived the CREAM idea because “I was being inundated right, left and centre by people who wanted to ‘blow’. It was a time too that I wanted to reach out to those talents in Ogbomoso, Langtang and everywhere else who could not come to Lagos to achieve their dreams but have the talent and passion to do music.” He added, “I wanted a platform that can help find creative talent from anywhere in Africa and give them a fair chance of making their creative dreams come true, from the comfort of their homes.”

    CREAM, thus, started with a mission to offer a veritable platform for uncut musical talents across the country to have their songs recorded and released, shoot musical videos for deserving up and comers and help unknowns secure collaboration with established acts. At the outset in September 2016, there were only a few hundreds of tentative subscribers on the platform.

    By July 2017, D’banj sensationally revealed that the CREAM platform had grown into a staggering 2million subscriber base and is now worth an estimated $100million. While the first set of beneficiaries on the platform were Rayce, TK Swag, MKJ, Leke Benson and Legend Courage, the lives of many other subscribers have altered dramatically with cash prizes ranging from N50, 000 to N1million during the monthly draws.

    He also used the occasion of the anniversary to dispel insinuations that CREAM is a scam. “I have a great team of judges and A n R which includes Godwin Tom and Harrysongs, Ice Prince, Wande Coal, to help mentor the artistes we are bringing on board. So, it’s not a lottery platform, the lottery part of it is just an added incentive. The winners are usually chosen by judges so even if I help the artistes shoot a video, they still need to make money, look good and move around, and for those who have already received their money, they know it is not a scam.”

    Speaking on the challenge of the initiative, he said the widespread distrust in the country makes some winners doubt even their own winnings.

    “Some people have been registering on the CREAM platform and winning prizes ranging from a million naira to N50, 000, but I noticed that whenever we call the artistes to inform them of winning huge amounts of money, they become scared and don’t bother coming to claim their prizes, it is understandable because of the present situation of the country. They think it is a scam, they think it’s unreal, but I am here to tell you that it is not a scam, I have invited them here for you to see.”

  • Glo Evergreen Series: KSA, D’banj,Yemi Sax excite Lagos elite

    Glo Evergreen Series: KSA, D’banj,Yemi Sax excite Lagos elite

    Beyond the typical Friday night fun, the much-publicised Glo Evergreen Series, at the weekend, delivered an elitist gig, befitting of the young and old. The show held at the prestigious Intercontinental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    It was an evening of class, as Juju maestro, King Sunny Ade (KSA), Dapo Oyebanjo a.k.a D’banj and Nigeria’s foremost saxophonist, Yemi Sax took turns, in enthralling sessions of music that cuts across generations. Expectedly, the show raved about the classics of Juju music from the repertoire of KSA, whose art, the concert set out to celebrate.

    At 67, the King of World Beat, as KSA is princely called, literarily shook the venue, as he rendered energetic performance that portrayed a never-say-die spirit.

    Although the concert started behind schedule, the master guitarist stormed the stage at 9:28 p.m., amid thunderous rhythms. This was followed by a swift assemblage of choreographers, whose boogies, hops and skips took the tempo a notch higher. That way, the ceremony kicked off in earnest.

    Typical of most traditional musicians, KSA’s voice rose with obeisance, as he sang: Me le se, kemi ma sai yin baba logo, ke mi ma shai jijo ope… off the album, Divine Shield.

    A skilled performer, the artiste led his band through a dramatic show, with rising and falling cadence, smooth fading of beats and lyrics, and a dramatic snapping of the fingers to create an amazing sound. To this, the crowd responded with loud applause.

    Sporting a green Kaftan with glitzy embroidery, KSA displayed dexterity on the guitar, even has he sang the most patronising song of the evening; ‘Call Me, That’s My Number’, one of the earliest promos for Glo mobile, sponsors of the concert.

    Anchored by ace comedian, Gbenga Adeyinka, whose jokes gave pep to the evening, KSA held everybody spellbound, with popular thanksgiving song, such as Mafowo Yin e Logo, Great To Serve The Lord, and I Have a Very Big God among others, before striking the cord of nostalgia, by gliding into songs of the ‘70s and ‘80s.

    Yemi Sax mounted the stage during dinner. As usual, classic tunes from his saxophone serenaded fun seekers during the show’s interval.

    Highpoint of the show was the duet by KSA and D’banj. The latter climbed the stage with his youthful vigour, but it was obvious he chose to start with language songs –Perhaps too, songs that are popular across the age divide. He kicked off with Olurun Maje, followed by Mobolowo Won, a hit from his first album, titled: No Long Thing. It was the song that best portrays his skill with the harmonica. It was at this point that KSA joined the Kokomaster, as he is fondly called, in a remix of the connotative song; Mo Bo Lowo Won, meant to celebrate escape from imaginary enemies.

    Though Chief Mike Adenuga, Chairman of Globacom was conspicuously absent at the concert, notable celebrities, including Richard Mofe-Damijo, Commissioner of Culture in Delta State, actor and TV producer Teju Babyface, filmmaker Ola Balogun, and Sammy Okposo were among guests at the show.