Alaba Promoters are ripping off musicians
Up-and-coming artiste, Phillip Chijindu, speaks with LIFE&BEAT about his career
I have lived in South Africa for nine years as a music artiste. I worked with the African Renaissance Chamber of Commerce and Industry in that country. I trained in marketing and fund raising. I worked for the organization for two-and-a-half years. Then I went into trade, importing herbs and jeweller from Nigeria into SA. By the time I had raised enough money, I went back to music. Although I wasn’t involved in the music industry in Nigeria before I left for South Africa, I knew I had the gift for music. My intention was to work for a while; I was looking for greener pastures. When I got to SA, I discovered it wasn’t all I thought it was. I was a chorister back home in Nigeria. Right from my childhood, I have been leading cultural dance groups in my school. In fact, the first song I ever wrote was when I was in secondary school. It was about a female classmate, Romina, who left my school for another school. It was among the songs I recorded in my album last year; I’m just pushing it out to the market.
Nigeria’s music scene
Before returning to Nigeria from South Africa, I spoke with a Nigerian marketer and he advised me to make some videos for two or three tracks on my album. After that, I could then come to Nigeria for a promotional tour. To my surprise, upon arriving here, everything changed. I thought I would get a recording deal but when I got to Alaba Market and met with the promoters, (that’s what they call themselves), it was a different story. Nigerian artistes would go to studios, spend all the time and money to make music, come back, give it to a ‘promoter’ to pirate and even pay the promoters, then call it promotion. I don’t see it as promotion; I see it as a rip off.
They are not promoting anything, rather they are pirating music. They take songs from different musicians into an album and call it Alaba mix. That is piracy and no money comes to the artiste. The more I talked with these promoters, the more I came to see that it was the fault of the Nigerian artistes. They just record an album or a track and hand it over to the promoters because they want to be known. The promoters would go ahead to produce the CD, sell and make money, while the artiste roams the streets of Lagos hungry.
In South Africa, anytime your music is played on any radio or TV station, you are paid some royalty. But in Nigeria, it is not like that. Also, with frequent airplay, one can get a deal with any recording company. I believe Nigerian artistes could have relied more on the media; let the radio and TV stations play your music and if it is good, the public will demand for it. That is when they negotiate with the marketers instead of giving their money, talent and time free to someone who will sit in his shop and tell you they are doing Alaba mix promotion. However, I guess the desperation is born of frustration.
Childhood
I am the last of five siblings: four brothers and a sister. My dad is late; he died when I was two. I have also lost my elder sister. My mother struggled to raise all of us. It was tough for her but she made it. It was the same year when I got admission into the university that I decided to travel to SA; I didn’t finish school. I tried to finish up school in SA but it wasn’t easy because my income wasn’t enough to go through university education. There was also the problem of immigration and getting permits. I had to go into trading to make ends meet. I grew up in Delta State. When I left for SA, I knew no one. So, I went to the Redeemed Christian Church of God in SA and they hooked me up with other Nigerians whose language I knew because I schooled in their place; Ika Grammar school. That was how I was able to find my way.
Family’s reaction to my career
My mother is very supportive and so are my siblings. She knows this is what I want to do. I have observed that it is only in Nigeria and other West African countries that when one says they want to be a musician, the society would then look at you as irresponsible. In South Africa, it is not so. Parents over there take their children to dance and music schools to receive training.
Be wise, make a deal with your promoter. (not just a CD seller who will not get you any deal than to sell you song without any royalty) Don’t just pay him and start enjoying millions of download online and massive alaba mix but NO show, NO Tour, NO deal to pay you back your invested money. A word is enuff for tha …..feel free to drop you comment pls.
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