Like many a Nigerian musician, Mike Aremu started music in the church. Though born in Kaduna, he grew up in Minna Niger State. The founder of the Sax Appeal concert revealed to Assistant Life Editor, TERH AGBEDEH, among other things, the artiste for the fifth edition of the event.
Sax Appeal is still annual, right?
It was meant to be an annual event, but we have missed a few years. I think the first one was 2009 and then this is the fifth edition. So I would say we have missed three years between 2003 and now. We did 2009, 2010, 2011, then 2014 and now this one 2016.
Is this because you have to bring a headliner from abroad?
Usually it is funding and as soon as we finish one, we are already working for another. It is quite an expensive event and so I would go broke and go work on myself, try and pay debts and then come back.
Whenever you say it is happening at Eko Hotels…
(Cuts in) Funny enough, this is the second time it is happening at Eko Hotels. The first and second Sax Appeal were at the Muson Centre, and then the third at Eko Hotels. The fourth one was in Abuja at Transcorp Hilton and this one is going to be at Eko Hotels.
Do these venues give you any consideration?
This year, in a way, Eko Hotels has done so well to a point where we can actually call them part of the sponsors. They have given us very ‘fantastically’ (pun intended) huge discount (laughter). A major discount, to be honest.
Sax Appeal is a known brand; the moment you mention it, one expects everyone to line up behind it. Is it because you are marketing it yourself?
This time, I am working with a lot of other people. It is not as if I have not tried to work with people in the past. For instance, I get people to invest in Sax Appeal and I have the responsibility to meet up with my commitments. And when you are noticing that people are slack, and you are thinking, I signed these documents, I get into town. So that is what happens most of the time. Most of the time, at the last minute, it comes back to three people. That is myself, some gentleman called Femi Dahunsi – we call him Fado, Shaddie (Ayoola Sadare of Inspiro Productions) and my graphic artist. Of course, you have some nice people who are also helping out.
Is that what happens to most concerts in Nigeria?
No, some concerts have funding. I have never really had a major sponsor that will give N20 million for sponsorship from one company. Most of them would buy a table, but I am talking about sponsorship; like putting weight behind the project.
After this edition, do you plan to get corporate Nigeria on board?
We always do. After one show, we would start pitching for the next one. We send proposals, (but) nothing happens. There are always excuses. We have delivered, but that hasn’t deterred our pursuit for excellence. We could do a lot more if we had it easier.
When was the last time you did an album?
In 2013, which I am still promoting. The album is called Coat of Many Colours. I don’t think I have promoted it enough. So that is what I am working on. There are 16 songs on that album.
A double album, right?
Yes. I did a video recently for ‘Vow’, one of the songs on the album and somebody said, “wow, that is your new album, can I get it?” So, it just shows me that I have not done much promotion. Everything has changed. In the past, you were signed to a label, they looked after all of that. But now there are many songs that it is even harder for broadcasters to know. A lot of people have to buy their way, ‘sort’ people, to get air play. I can’t stand that; it is really painful.
What is your survival strategy?
Some of us are very fortunate to do a lot of gigs because of live performances. So, I mean, my first album was 1999. That was the official launch of myself as an artiste. I have done just four albums; Dance, No Shaking, Unveil and then Coat of Many Colours. When I did my first and second albums, I had it easy.
You don’t seem to do a lot of what Kenny G does – jazzing up a popular song?
I have done a lot of that.
Not recently.
When I started, because it was a case of not being sure about the kind of music I was playing, I started off with gospel and hence it was easier to pick tunes that people already knew. But as a creative person, I want to create my kind of music, I want to explore my own gift, to express the uniqueness that I have in my composition, in my interpretation about life, about things happening, about my beliefs, about my faith. I can’t achieve that by playing somebody else’s song. Songs in my latest album, Coat of Many Colours, are majorly my own compositions that mean a lot more to me because they are personal experiences and I have more conviction about them.
Have you decided who is coming for Sax Appeal 5?
It is next month, so I have. This is the first time I am making it official because the concert contracts are signed and we are ready to go. It is India Arie. I was hooked on bringing somebody else – she is also a very huge American with almost the same kind of music. But I have noticed that I have gotten more resonance from mentioning India Arie. Honestly, I was so scared that Nigerians may find it a bit extreme. But most ladies are like, I’ll work for free. I know I am making the right decision. They are so excited. And because of her story, where at some point she had about…
Eight Grammy nominations for her very first album, Acoustic Soul, and she didn’t win any.
So, that emotion, and a lot of people know a lot of her songs. We are excited.
She sells a lot of ideology, has a lot of philosophy in her music. How exactly are you going to blend these perspectives when you work together since yours is more of gospel?
Music is universal. I have researched on her as well. I have noticed some kind of consistency and in a way, and I believe there is nothing contrary to my own belief that she has. Some people just don’t build their faith into what they are doing, but they have what they believe in, so I think there is nothing in the contrary, so far that I know. But at the end of the day, what we are celebrating is jazz. People can profess something and be something else. There are many gospel artistes, but there is nothing gospel about them. The only thing gospel about them is their music. So, I will not judge people by anything. People have rights for everything. What we are selling is Sax Appeal, which, for me, is what I do. How do I put it? You know I am not tied to a gospel event because it is not, but I bring what I have to the table. My music is what I have got and it is about making people happy; it is inspirational. That is what I bring to that table. India Arie can bring whatever she has. She has good music. She has influenced people. Her music has lifted people regardless of where (they come from). In Nigeria, we are quick to box people into a corner.
Who else is coming?
I am going to have Timi Dakolo and Praiz. Not too many people, so that you can enjoy the artistes and enjoy my music. We are going to have at least a 60-minute set or more.
When is it taking place?
June 26.
What influenced you to do jazz?
I started music as long as I can remember from the North in a white garment church in Minna, Niger State. I was born in Kaduna, but grew up in Minna. That is where I started music. I played the flute, the keyboard, drums, the guitar, talking drum, trumpet. Then I picked up the saxophone, which eventually became my major instrument.
If saxophone is your major instrument, does it mean you go back to the others?
Major means, sax is what I am doing right now.
So you don’t go back?
It is those things that made me, developed me. They are considered in my compositions.
Do you have any grouse with popular music the way it is in Nigeria?
I don’t. I am actually excited about it because over a decade ago, we were hooked on foreign music. Now, it is our music. If you go anywhere now, you hear more of Nigerian music than any other. I think it is a major improvement, a major occurrence that has changed the face of entertainment. So it is in Nollywood. Everything has changed and people are looking inward. In fact, some brands are more interested in Nigerian artistes.
Why is it that when it comes to jazz, they look the other way?
Most of these brands are into numbers and they believe the more fan base an artiste has, the more he can push their own brand. So they cling to that, rather than other companies who look at what the artiste stands for.
The jury is still out on that. Fela has a huge following, but they also have this problem of getting sponsorship for ‘Felabration’, except for ‘Fela On Broadway’ where companies were falling over each other to sponsor. And that wasn’t even Fela in the true sense of it. So, there must be something else.
Fela’s music was really not popular with everyone but some followers. He had issues with many and no brand would like to invest in a controversial brand.
But you should see the crowd there for Felabration.
People appreciate Fela more after he had passed on, and that is what usually happens when an artiste dies.
Is India Arie excited about coming to Nigeria?
She is very excited about coming. Before we go public, we have been on this. I could have done this interview four weeks ago and could have been safe, but until we know that contracts have been signed and there has been financial commitment, then I can do this. We are just trying to do things properly.
How huge is the financial commitment?
Let me say that we are going by passion. I am already getting a lot of fulfilment with the reaction I am getting from (people’s) excitement; that is some kind of fulfilment that I am the one to think about bringing an India Arie to Nigeria. That, in itself, is fulfilment for me. Maybe that is why I have not made much money. I have sold my properties to push (Sax Appeal). Some of us just believe in things and it just goes all the way for it. I just believe everything is a seed. You have to stand for something, you have to be doing something.
You must be working on an album right now; when is it due out?
I have like four albums ready for release. I just haven’t ‘chopped’ enough. Not many people already know about the last one. So it needs to get to that point then I can think about it.
How long does it take you to ‘chop enough’ on one album?
It depends, and my first album was a combined sales of over two million copies and that was 1999, 2000, 2001 when CDs were sold for N1,000. Before I could make the kind of royalties I was collecting from Kennis now, I would have sold maybe like 100 million copies. These are some of my concerns that have held me back. Our CDs are worthless. An empty CD costs even more than the content; it doesn’t just make any sense to me, and as a creative person, it gets to me. What is the point? I recorded my last album in one of the best studios in the United Kingdom with my whole band; did many sessions for my CD to be sold for less.
You are definitely not one of those who go to Alaba to sell the rights to your music.
No. In fairness, I have gone for concerts where I sell 1,000 copies for £10 each, or when it came out, it was £15. I have done that many times. Maybe not on a massive scale. So, that market actually pays me a bit more and then, I still have my royalties from time to time; that makes sense because it took me time, creativity. I don’t know about any other artiste, I don’t just do, I do proper recording.
In Economists as Assassins, Dr. Jemanze Ego-Alowes declares that music is no longer the bus on which the destitute kid will get on to ride out of poverty, since kids from rich households have taken it over. How do you react to that?
I don’t agree with that.
He is referring to the Davidos of this world, and kids from Ajegunle no longer have a chance?
I still don’t agree with that. I mean, look at the line up of our Nigerian artistes. I think Davido and Naeto C are the ones whose parents are really well to do. There are just a few of them.
But studio sessions have skyrocketed.
Not really. I would go against that because I could recall my friends coming over to my house and we recorded a fantastic music. You would have needed several sessions in those days to come up with that. Music production is now as cheap as your laptop and software. I know producers who would wow you with productions from their laptops. That is why there are so many people in the music industry.
A lot of the beats these days are jarring.
We can be better in terms of content especially. Lyrical content can be a lot better, but production-wise. There has been improvement, I must admit that. Then there is disparity between a particular kind of music like hip-hop and some other kind of music. Some of us just have agidi, that is why we are not compromising a lot of things. We intend to balance them.
Is that why you don’t do collabo with some of these new acts?
Actually, on Coat of Many Colours, there is collaboration with M.I, Chidinma, Sasha…
I guess, an Olamide collaboration is in the works?
(Laughter) That bad boy, I don’t know. Badoo (more laughter). I am not sure, but like I said, music is flexibility; as long as what he is singing makes sense to me, as long as they are things I agree with, why not? I don’t mind.
