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Tuface |
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This time around, it is going to be a big
thing. But you know that this stuff takes a
lot of money. It takes a lot of contact. So
far, I have been in contact with people who
can make things happen. This time around we
are going to join forces and do something
wonderful. Femi's was an exceptional case.
He was under a big Label in France. Such big
Labels don't just do minor gigs. That
explains why his show is always top class
shows. It is not just for Nigerian people
alone. Do you have any plan to sign under a
bigger label? Yes, I hope to. But I am not
going to force any body or sell my
self-cheap. I am just walking in the right
direction. I have had a couple of contracts
sent to me but they were all slave
contracts. I am not ready for that. There is
a ranging controversy about the type of
music you play.
But most music analysts are of the opinion
that you are a reggae musician. How do
respond to that? There is definitely reggae
in my music. Reggae is the main force behind
my music. But I don't do strictly reggae. I
blend it with some R&B. To be frank with
you, some times I don't know where to place
my genre of music. I don't want to be boxed
into one category. But if you want to ask me
the kind of music I deeply prefer, it is
reggae music. At what point in your life did
you decide to become a musician? I have not
dreamt of anything else in my life. I have
always dreamt of being a musician. But it
was in 1997 that I made up my mind to follow
it up as a career. But before then, I was
just doing it for fun.
The distribution network in the country is
so weak. How has that affected the sales of
your album? It has affected it. The system
is too messed up that most things don't
work. We don't have any official record
stores where you can go and buy authentic
CDs. So what we have are people hawking
whatever they have. What you then see is a
mixture of fakes and originals. The
copyright laws are weak. People who are
supposed to pay for the use of entertainment
material don't pay anything. Your song will
be number one for 10 weeks but you don't get
anything for it. The reason it is number one
for a long time is because people demand for
it. It is just the system. It is upside down
right now. That is why we don't get what we
are supposed to get. Most Nigerian musicians
claim that they have not made money from
record sales.
According to them, they make money only from
shows. Is the same thing applicable to you?
I have made a reasonable amount of money
from record sales. But it is not up to what
I am supposed to make if the system was
right. In Nigerian standard, I have made a
reasonable amount of money. Really, it is
from gigs that I make most of my money. Are
you married? I am not married. I have
started settling down on my own. The woman
will come at the right time. Let me just
keep the house in order. But you have a
child? I have two kids from two different
women. Are you living with your children?
No.
They are living with their mums. So are you
planning to settle down with any of them?
Who knows? We don't hate ourselves. I can't
say for sure. Tell me a little bit about
your spiritual life? From my music, you can
tell that I am a very spiritual person. I
communicate with my God a lot. I am not a
Church going person. Are you a Catholic? I
am a Catholic because my parents are
Catholic. I was born into a Catholic home.
You strike me as a very humble person, where
did you pick that from? I think it is in me.
Maybe, it has got to do with the way my
parents brought me up.
The sheer beauty of Tu-Face's voice is such
that it seems almost blasphemous to question
whether he is a good musician. He is a
sophisticated singer that sings with ease.
There is elegance in his deceptively
easy-sounding melodic style. His two albums
have been well received. African Queen was a
truly memorable debut. In this his latest
effort, it is obvious, he has matured a lot.
One will not fail to notice the
observational lyrics.
Some of his numbers are truly world music,
in that they abide by no musical strictures
and boundaries. But there is something
gripping and disturbing about him in equal
measure. Yes, his songs may have conscious
echoes of the music greats but his miming
habit has the capacity to mar his career. He
has reached a stage in his career, where he
has to take live-performances seriously. For
him to have a place alongside the greats, he
has to always play with his band. As a fan
of his, I am aware of his shortcomings.
And it is a well known fact that criticism
has a texture of love. In this candid
interview, Tu-Face spoke in his unusually
humble style. How come you mime in most
concerts? Why do you shy away from live
band? Most times in Nigeria, organizers of
shows favour CD play back. I have done a
couple of shows with live band. It is always
lively. I guess it is the promoters. They
always favour CD performances. Femi Kuti is
about the only person in Nigeria that is
into big shows abroad. What plans do you
have to be on the same platform? Right now
there is a plan on the line for me to do a
tour of Europe and America.
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