GT The Guitarman is a musician who has won respect, not just as a singer, but also as an instrumentalist in this age, where computerization has taken over, rendering many Nigerian musicians lacking in depth as they no longer play instruments manually. In this interview, OSEYIZA OOGBODO speaks with GT The Guitarman on sundry issues. Excerpts:
What have you been doing lately?
I’m taking a break off music for a while. Inasmuch as I may still do a few events, I feel that it’s necessary that I get the whole thing right in terms of the right level of investment and all that. That’s it for me, musically. I’ve been taking time off for like, forever. I just feel like I’ll rather just get it right than keep fooling myself. A whole lot of people do not understand the music industry. Now, it’s more like a show of money, somehow. When was the last time you heard someone break out from Ajegunle? I mean, those days when music was the getaway for the ghetto child, you know. But now, it’s more like show of all the rich men, they’ve packed all their children into music. For people like us, we have to go back to the drawing board and see how we can still contribute, because, you know, the talent is still there.
Do you feel that your inability to be signed on to a major record label is responsible for this?
Well, we do not have a major record label in Nigeria today.
I’m trying to see what business that I can put money into, that won’t make me a slave to someone, which is the most important thing. I don’t want to tell my children tomorrow about how I was once a musician and I wasn’t able to achieve anything, you know, giving them funny excuses and all that. This is a time that I can do business and venture into other things that are not necessarily music
You used to be signed on to Storm Records and you were all over the place. So, is your not being with one now part of the issues?
Well, there’s no record label in Nigeria, that’s the first thing that I’ll say. Even while I was on Storm Records, I mean, it gets to a point where you’ll want more. There’s a whole lot of issues that the fans are not privy to. You know that only people who are in the picture would understand what is going on. You ask yourself what happened to Brymo and Chocolate City. What happened to, you know, the list goes on. But the question is, where is Storm Records? That’s the thing. Why GT has been silent is because there is no proper investment, and for me, as a person, I tell myself, if the proper investment is not there, there’s no way I’m going to do it, you know. If what you’re trying to bring to the table, what you’re trying to, okay, you want to take certain percentage of the revenue accruing to me, and at the end of the day, you’re not going to do it right, then there’s no way I’m going to do it. You know, I’d rather just take the time out and say, ok, let me do other things. I’ll help myself up like all these omo baba olowos. So, that’s what I’m trying to do now. I’m trying to see what business that I can put money into, that won’t make me a slave to someone, which is the most important thing. I don’t want to tell my children tomorrow about how I was once a musician and I wasn’t able to achieve anything, you know, giving them funny excuses and all that. This is a time that I can do business and venture into other things that are not necessarily music. Most musicians are like beggars, somehow.
Considering your years of experience in the music industry, and the way the industry is right now, some have been saying it all along that it’s not developing, others insist it is. From what you just said, I feel the industry is not developing. What’s your own opinion?
Well, there’s a whole lot that we can thank God for, because, I mean, it’s not the way it used to be. Though the structure is still not there, there are a lot of people making money from the industry. I mean, there’s a rule and there are exceptions. For every 1,000 failed musicians out there, you’ll still find like ten Olamides, Davidos and the likes who, regardless of all odds, have been able to make something out of their craft. We all know what PR costs. And not just PR, effective PR. We know what it costs to shoot a video, what it costs to record songs with the likes of Cobhams. So, the music industry itself has a way of strangling people. Yeah, it has a way of strangling artistes. But then, for any industry to exist, there has to be proper investment. You can’t just say because you’re talented, you expect the whole world to fall at your feet, it’s not possible. There’s a place for the investors and there’s a place for the artistes. But all we’ve been clamouring for is a situation whereby there’s proper remuneration for effortsmof the artistes from the PMAN angle to the COSON, to the royalty that is supposed to accrue to us and a whole lot of other things. There are just a whole lot of issues that need to be worked on. But then, hopefully we’ll get there. But I’m loving the new set of guys that are striving and putting their blood, sweat and tears into getting people entertained.
There’s something you said earlier, which is very pertinent. Artistes walk out on their record deals, right?
Yeah.
Who do we actually blame, because when they do so, it discourages people from investing in the industry? Is it the artistes, who discourage investors because they’ll eventually betray them, or is it the investors, who betray the artistes? What’s the actual scenario?
I feel that we all need to be blamed. The blame can be shared. It can go round. You know, the artist who wouldn’t read his contract properly, to the record label who wouldn’t do their due diligence properly and know how to promote an artiste effectively to get the necessary returns. To the government that wouldn’t even look our way and see the industry as a gold mine. To the press who would collect huge fees to promote the artiste. So, the blame can go round. The most important thing is that we need a structure in this industry.
