Excerpts:
How did you start your music career?
That was when I was in primary school with my classmates at St Paul primary school, Ebute Meta. Then, I never knew I was going to be a full-time musician, because I was only singing for the fun of it. After I left secondary school, I associated with Mustapha Aremu Ajisafe. I spent about two years with him before I formed my band in 1983.
How was it like working with him?
What really brought us together was my financial incapability. I didn't have enough money to sponsor my band, so I had to work for him. One day, we met at a show that he was to perform but he was short of chorus. I helped him out and after some minutes, he asked me to lead the band. He gave me the microphone and I started singing. After some time, he asked me to give him the microphone.He wanted to sing, but the audience said no. They wanted to hear me more. He allowed me to continue the show and after that day, he started taking me around. I was with him for two years before I started my own band. However, there was a misunderstanding within the band which led us to go our separate ways.
What was the misunderstanding?
He said he would be on recess for about two months, because one of the live cassettes of a show we did got missing and that we should look for it. He said if we couldn't find it, he would go on strike for two months and that everybody would have to go home. Prior to that time, he used to play at Canary Club at Ojuelegba every Sunday. So, during the recess, he wouldn't perform. The club owner, after finding out what had happened, asked the band that if Ajisafe was on strike, couldn't Obesere be performing in his stead? The band said I could perform, and also that the members were hungry. With that, I started performing at the club every Sunday and eventually became the leader of the band. But after two months, Ajisafe came around and said he was no longer on strike and wanted to lead the band. I said no, that I couldn't go back to be just a member again. That was how I created my own band.
Did you form your band with the same set of Ajisafe's boys?
No. I got my own set of people.
How easy was it rising to stardom?
It was rough from the beginning, but I thank God that later, the cloud became clearer. God does things in a way that He creates space for glory at the end. Talking of how I started to become what everybody knows today as Obesere, I thank my star. I went through a lot, but because I was determined, and because I tried to be myself, I got to where I wanted in the music industry. What I did was to create a style that was different from that of other fuji musicians.
You see, when you are trying to follow someone, you are only promoting that person. The most important thing is for you to be different so that people can recognise you. But while trying to be different, people believed I was promoting immorality. I never named myself the 'Asakasa man'. It was when I released an album for Sony Music and after the management had listened to it, they thought the best title they could give it was "Asakasa". At that time, all I was trying to do was just to be a different fuji musician,to be humourous. Although a lot of people accused me for singing the way I did, I told them we all couldn't be doing the same thing. Because I knew what I could do that I could be flexible, I didn't let their words worry me.
A lot of people thought I could only play at concerts but that I wouldn't be able to perform at birthdays, weddings and others, because of the kind of music I started out with. My critics now know better.
What is life to you?
I see life as what people should take easy ,because no matter how long our years may be on earth, we will die one day and whatever we do on earth will become history. That is why people have to be good. But if you take life hard, the repercussion may be unfavourable. Although it may not affect you when you are alive, but what of when you are no more? What happens to your children and families? Like Pa Obafemi Awolowo, people still talk about him in a good manner and that is the secret of his relevance, despite that he is no more. Another important point is that you don't need to prove anything to anybody. Let the people access you and tell you who you really are.
Is that why you don't talk about your acquisitions, unlike others?
Well, I will say God created human beings differently and how we see life is different. I like the way God created me. I don't like saying my worth and like I said, people are in the best position to describe you. When God loves you and he is ready to publicise you, even if you have just one thing, the world will believe you have 20 of it.What I need publicity for is my work, that I am the best at it.
Is FUMAN getting support of the federal government?
Continue from part 2....
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