ALABA DON PAY

Piracy is every artiste nightmare; it is simply defined as man’s most inhuman behaviour towards his fellow man. It has been compared to murder because it’s a form of stealing ones livelihood. Pirates are believed to reap what they did not sow and it is major crime in developed world. Government and private organisations are fighting hard to protect rights of its artiste. Piracy is globally condemned across Europe and a lot of European countries have signed treaties to fight piracy within and across there boarders.

In Nigeria, piracy is been tackled in different ways and it’s hard to differentiate between marketers and pirates. Recently, people that call the shots in entertainment industry and artiste of vast genre came together in Lagos and took part in a big rally to show their grievances towards the pirates, and they also asked the government to help them in combating piracy by shutting Alaba international market in Lagos which is regarded as the hub of pirates. Alaba was described as the pirates haven and closing it down will be the only way of minimizing or even eradicating piracy in Nigeria. The rally anchored in National theatre Iganmu where every body present at the occasion poured their minds about the negative impact of piracy in the industry and to the artiste personally. They generally concluded that closing down Alaba international market in Lagos is the government major contribution to war against pirates. Events in the music industry lately have made it difficult to differentiate between marketers and pirates. A look at the back page of CD jackets shows that majority if not all the marketers are located in Alaba International market and all CD jackets boldly print the marketers name and address. A visit to the market will show you that all the CD production, printing, packaging and distribution are all done there. Listening to lyrics of the ever-increasing young artiste and “waka pass” musicians in Nigeria will further confirm Alaba’s role in the music industry, it also shows its importance in their emergence as superstars. The slang “ALABA DON PAY” or “ALABA GO PAY” is every upcoming artiste anthem and the mentality is that; Alaba accepting your music is the key to success. It is no news that new artistes sell their works to Alaba producers/marketers for peanuts hoping the marketers will push their work across the country, which will in turn give them fame and will bring endorsements and opportunity to stare in concerts with good incentives organised by multinational companies. Timaya is an example and various artistes if not all did this when debuting. These same artistes now come around and call the same marketers pirates. It is also observed that the quality of packaging of the finished works makes it difficult for consumers to differentiate between pirated copy and original ones. I bought 9ice’s Gongo Aso album for 60 Naira when it came out, it was 20 Naira higher than a fake empty CD and 60naira short an original empty CD. I got it from the only person I know that sells Music CD in my area and I don’t think there was any medium stated by 9ice and his recording label /marketer to we fans regarding where to get an original copy, or is it another case like that of Timaya’s? It is a know fact that our artiste don’t make money from record sales and they are not even trying to change these development, they rather prefer to sell their works to Alaba marketers hoping to noticed in the process and the marketers who sees the business as a gamble will always be reluctant in investing in the works and always walk away short changing the naïve artiste. I don’t support pirates and I totally condemn piracy in all form, I believe the war against pirate is not honestly fought and I don’t see young artiste supporting the act. Old musicians who are protecting their royalties fight the war with more sincerity compared to the new generation artiste who just want publicity not album sales. The lack of good record deals and laziness of new breed marketers gave the ever-busy Alaba boys the upper hand, the unprofessional attitude of the artiste is the reason why Alaba will always smile to the bank while the artiste work hard on stage to make ends meet. In developed countries like the United Kingdom, U.S.A, artistes are more concerned about high record sales that determine the fortune and fame of the artiste. The Alaba marketers are inexperience and are in the business to make money, their distribution network is fast and unaccountable, Street hawkers and peddlers are used to move the CD’s around Lagos and beyond thus empowering the street boys to duplicate the CD’s and rake in money for themselves. The Alaba marketers produce certain number of the bought works and quickly push it to the market hoping to make profit quickly before the street boys take control, the street boys on their own part buys a little amount from the marketers and duplicate in large numbers to make their own gain. The Alaba marketers don’t complain about piracy because once an artiste sells them his work they simply make several copies and push it out once and will only print additional copies if the album is in high demand, but the street boys are always their to supply the needed additional copies. The artiste now cries foul when they see their CD’s flooding the market without getting any payment. There seems not to exist of any agreement on the number of CDs to be produced and the artistes entire work belongs to the Almighty Alaba music Mogul not pirate, who solely has the right to produce the works anytime and any quantity he/she wants regardless of the artiste consent. My view about the fight against piracy should not be misunderstood, am not writing this piece to support the work of pirates and am not an Alaba marketer neither do I own a recording label, but my observation about the fight against piracy in Nigeria is that we are fighting a faceless war. The man purpose of the fight is to preserve and protect the work of our talented artiste, but the question is; are the artistes helping themselves? And what is the marketer’s role in the fight. Have been buying CD’s for more than 20 years and I cant say of a particular CD I bought from a registered or legally accredited marketer, all I know is that I can get any recently released work through my car window in the streets of Lagos and Nigeria at large. Kenins Music is the only record label I know that advertises the works of its recording artistes and promotes them efficiently on radio and TV, but I don’t know how their works are been distributed, their promo don’t state the music outlets and stores that sell their works and thus we are back to the boys in “go-slow” who are ever ready to even sell an unreleased work of artiste. The unavailability of record stores is another step backward in checking the menace of piracy in our country, if record stores can spring up like call centres and barbing/hairdressing saloon their will no problem of distribution and we consumers can buy genuine works of artistes from such outlets in our areas.

Finally, I want PMAN and other music governing bodies and artistes themselves to learn from their partners in Nollywood who used Idumota has the hub for production, marketing and distribution their works. The filmmakers and the Idumota marketers are enjoying a pirate free business because the would-be pirates themselves do the bulk of moving the work around the country. Nollywood doesn’t complain about piracy because the marketers are very involved in the film production and sometimes even sponsors the entire film production and will in turn protect their investment. The Nollywood marketers to promote works deploy various avenues and one is on TV as it is been observed on our local TVs week in week out. Marketer’s sponsor’s programmes that advertise their ready works and also state the date, name and marketers address where the works can be bought. This moves provides a cover for protecting their investment and it very accountable and beneficial to the filmmakers as well. If Alaba is integrated as a legal avenue for music distribution in Nigeria and legal agreement exists between Alaba marketers and music producers we will make a meaningful success in fight against piracy. New artistes should desist from selling their works to Alaba marketers and record labels should create enough awareness about their artistes work and proper efficient distribution networks should be put in place to ease distribution of finished works. ”ALABA DON PAY” is a rhyme that should be abolished; the mentality should be washed away because the peanut Alaba pays will not give the best value for any artiste’s works. We have to do things like professionals if we want to get the best out of anything and qualified hands should be allowed to handle artistes work not an electronic merchant turned music marketer in Alaba. If ALABA PAID you, be sure you will work extra hard on stage to make it to stardom, but if we the consumers paid you, you are a superstar.

TALENT "HAUNT" SHOWS

The current crave for talent hunt shows in Nigeria is really alarming, every cooperate body and individual are all into talent hunt shows. Musicians themselves are even very well involved in organising talent hunt shows. Our local television stations are smiling to the bank judging by the number of talent hunt shows been aired every day across the country, its a good money making sector for the stations and they even shift their news broadcast further back to accommodate the talent hunt show which equally is viewers delight. The idea of the talent shows is to search and empower a newly discovered talented musician. Different methods are devised in selecting the winner by different talent hunt show organiser, but the goal is to discover a real talented individual among the rest and make him/her a superstar. But the question on everybody’s mouth is that are these talent hunt shows really producing real talents? And is it only the TV stations that are making profit from these programmes? And what is in it for the organisers? Modern talent hunt show originated form America and the American idol is the world leading and biggest talent hunt show in the world. It parades a well-experienced panel of judges consisting of Grammy/platinum award artistes, music business mogul and world acclaimed music producers. The programme over the years has produced talented musicians, platinum selling artiste and Grammy award nominees and winners. Jennifer Hudson is a product of American Idol and she has gotten a Grammy nomination and she’s a platinum selling artiste. The European version is the X-factor produced by one of the judges of American Idol Simon Cowell who is a music mogul recently called upon by the British Prime minister to produce a single to raise money for HAITI. X-factor has produced talented British artiste like Alex burke who has turned into international superstar after her exploit in the music talent hunt show.
The origin of Commercial Talent hunt show is Nigeria and the number of talent hunt show on TV makes you wonder how profitable this shows are to the organisers, and how profitable the shows are to the young boys and girls that scramble to appear on the shows. The real intention is to help and promote poor talented individuals by getting them a good record deal and rewarding them with monetary incentives to improved their social status and improve their standard of leaving so as not to waste their God given talents. The gain of the organisers I believe is in the record deal they sign with the artiste, which should be fees for promoting the artiste as it is done in other record label world wide. But the Nigeria factor has turned talent hunt show the other way round. The primary subject of the programme is the fee obtained from selling of forms to intending new stars, thousands of forms are sold across the country bringing in a very good figure and all what the intending superstars get in return is few seconds in front of the unqualified judges. The initial talent hunt show in Nigeria produced KCPRESH who until now are still struggling in the musical scene though they are said to be wealthy without selling high number of Cds. The duo are not in the music mainstream musically and what do you expect of the outcome of a group that were signed by the recording label owned by two of the panel of judges that screened them. The MTN project fame is the best-organised talent hunt show across the Continent and it is also a very profit-making avenue for the telecom giant, they make loads of money through viewer’s text messages which is the only medium 150million Nigerians can participate on the show. The products of the programme has not been too impressive with Omawunmi in slight exemption, other past winners are not visible musically though the telecom company is trying to keep them close in there various social events they are just not musically ready. The first flaw in talent hunt show in Nigeria is the money-oriented status of the shows, majority of the multinational companies and artiste engage in the programme to extort intending fame seekers who part with the all they have to obtain forms to participate in the show, telecom companies are partnered to extort the viewers in form of text messages sent to participate in the show and other companies fall over each other to get advert slot on the shows that is aired all across the country and even seen in close neighbouring countries. The biggest insult is given to the fame seekers by the composition of judges on the programme, and some of these intending judges are far better in music than the judges. All talent hunt show organisers commercialised the programme to the aspect of the judge’s compilation. The MTN project fame is the biggest and is sure to pay the judges more than other mushroom talent shows. The composition of these panel is commercially oriented and this explain why Joke Silva and Kwame who both are not relevant in music world, though the latter used to be a disc jockey it still does not allow him to judge a good entertainer. I am not familiar with the other woman, but I think Ty mix is the only right person on the board. I was also surprised when I saw Dede Mabiaku on board of judges of West African idol and I wondered is he a musician? This is someone that cannot release an instrumental single not to talk of a song since the death of his mentor over a decade ago. Should Dede be evaluating an artiste when he himself needs evaluation. Another talent hunt show organised by a certain Niger Delta artiste bankrolled by Delta state government is another show of shame and extortion. How can comedians like Bovi and others be judges to evaluate young talents? . Nollywood artiste are now judging musicians, people that will sent out of their churches if they intend to lead praises are now world acclaimed music scouts. Artiste like Olu Maintain, Konga, Durella, Rugged man, and so many lucky artistes we have now would never have made it if they had gone to such talent shows. There is no single product of Talent hunt show that has surpassed the fame and talent of self discovered Terry G, opportunist like Dede and others would have discouraged him. Many of our artistes enjoy good airplay time on radio stations due to what they have to give the disc jockeys on duty and thus they force their non-melodious music on us, music videos are been shot all over the world with the best equipment you can think of but our artiste are just riding on the economy crunch to impose their slang and revolutionary song on our youth. The likes of Sunny Ade and Obey got their music lessons from those they met in the scene and it applies to Orlando Owoh, Shina Peters and other legends in Nigeria music scene. Majority of the artiste we have now are using their financial power to gain popularity their pairs and listeners. Majority of them will never see fame if they were judged by well experienced panel of judges, or imagine can one of the best of Nigerian Musician compete with greenhorns on X-factor or American Idol. Am sure an artiste like Tony Tetuila or Konga will never make it past the auditioning stage. Or do you believe a serious music scout will invest in Olu Maintain’s singing style? . At least Omawunmi had to go out with a music scout/producer to attain little stardom after been a runner in African largest regional talent hunt. We cannot produce a single music star if the same mentality is implored in talent hunt shows, the idea of making money from contestants rather than carefully and professionally scouting for genuine talented individuals will further destroy the music scene and will greatly discourage the intending stars. Nothing good can come from talent hunt shows that parade the likes of Dede, Julius Agu, RMD, Stella Damasus, Saint Obi, Joke Silva, Jide kosoko and host of Nollywood actors. The regulators of programmes shown on TV and those that sanctions programmes that are deceptive to viewers should intervene and save the innocent contestants ripped off by these misleading talent hunters. Stop insulting intending stars and stop toying with their career by laughing, drinking and mocking behind the high table of inexperience you people sit on in the mushroom talent shows across the country.

PROUDLY NAIJA

Music industry in Nigeria kicked off on a very discouraging note, but has recently witnessed its best years. Last decade has been a very profiting one for Nigerian artiste, their talents and hard work were rewarded with good financial rewards. Musicians are now well paid for shows and are getting good deals from marketers and record labels. Our artistes are internationally recognized and they are the toast of the continent. Nigeria musicians dominate award recipients in various music awards organized in Africa and outside Africa. The hard work of home based musicians has paved the way for foreign based to be easily re-admitted into our local scene. The success and general acceptance of Nigerian based musicians prompted the exodus of young artiste in Diaspora into the country. Artistes like 2face Idibia, Olu maintain, Terry G, Biggiano, Ajasa, 9ice, Eldee and several other artiste made the Music industry easy for foreign based artiste like Dbanj, Banky W, Source Kid, Naeto c, Asa, Ikechukwu and several returnee to penetrate. The returnee artiste never went through the pain of walking round Lagos state looking for marketers like their home based counterpart did. They never had the problem of looking for sponsors to back their videos like 9ice had to use his WASC money to shoot his first video “little money”. Most of the returnee artistes are well backed up with lots of cash, they are either supported by their rich family of promoted by rich record labels which they own or owned by a fellow foreign returnee label owners like them. The influx of foreign based Nigerian musicians is on the rise as it is a fact that a Nigerian can only succeed as an artiste at home and nowhere else. The returnee artistes brought a new concept into the scene. Musician now gain recognition by flaunting their wealth, you need to live big to attract big deals. Big and sophisticated cars is the order of the day, our artistes can compete toe to toe with foreign artiste when it comes to cars, blings(very expensive diamond jewelries),and are fast catching up in the aspect of accommodation. A lucrative endorsement deal is every artistes goal in the entertainment, and they come with a very fat pay package. The foreign based or returnee artistes are the ones smiling to the bank with proceeds from such deals. The multinational companies and entertainment companies that present these deals are more comfortable working with the returnee artistes compared to the home made ones. Artiste like Terry G, Dagrin ,Cleva J, Ajasa, Essence rarely feature in any company’s brand endorsement compared to likes of Dbanj, Banky W, Naeto C and others.
Some home grown artiste has caved niche for themselves and can compete very strongly with artiste returning from wherever or based anywhere in the world. Artiste like Psquare, 2face, Face, Wande Coal,9ice have shown us that if you do good music anywhere in the world you would be heard worldwide. These artistes have used their local talent and content to gain international fame, they are the big and the authentic players in the growth of the music industry that the so called returnees are taking advantage of. The returnee artiste on their on part gave Nigerian music industry the anticipated good production and they geared up the home made artiste to raise their standard. The returnee artiste brought about the improvement in recorded music and they change the face of music videos in Nigeria. The music video shot in Nigeria are now international standard and they are aired all over the world in various media houses. The returnee artistes have made significant impact in the music scene, they have set a very high standard for home artiste and newcomers to try and attain. These standards have positively changed the reception and acceptance of locally made music. A disc jockey can entertain an audience for several hours without playing a foreign song, this can be attested to if you pay a visit to clubs in and around Lagos where our artiste’s songs are rendered all through the night. In a nut shell lets say both returnee and home made artiste are both major players in the increasing growth of the music scene. But we give special preference to the home made boys that suffered in the Lagos sun looking for record deals and all those that sold their possessions to shot music videos, to you all, you are the true hero’s of Nigerian music.
The bothering issue now is the recent hostility shown our home made artiste by these returnee artistes. I listened to some tracts by certain artiste questioning the mode of dressing and originality of the jewelries worn by home made artistes. Terry G’s claim as the “king of swag” and Mr bling bling has been queried by Source kid who labeled Terry G as faker and debunked his claims as king of swag. Another artiste in his track said Terry G dresses like a rainbow and says rubbish. I wonder if Terry G is more colourful than the world cherished soulja boy and lil Wayne, and those that said he says rubbish are still fans of Busta Rhymes, lil Wayne , Gucci mane whose lyrics are nothing better than Terry G’s. Wande coal has been called a Malu by another returnee artiste who maybe felt is been dwarfed by the home boys success in the music world. I guess if u physical attribute Wande coal to Malu then what are you going to call our idols Biggie and Fat Joe. I guess it’s more of jealousy or envy rather than principle. The Terry G’s , 9ICE ,Ajasa and other home made artistes are the foundation of the vibrant music industry, they should be given their due respect and not be rebelled against by the bunch of rich kid artiste who came into music for popularity. A recent celebrity basket ball event in Abuja sponsored by a leading distillery company was meant to feature musicians from across the country, but the attendance showed that we have A-list and fringe artiste. The street knows what it wants and we the audience will always give kudos to the boys that came from the streets of Iju Agege, Okoko, Mile 2, Ajegunle and other sub-urb to rock our radios and parties in Lekki, Aja, Vi, Ikoyi. Without you nobody will be here