Believe me it is always amazing for me to know that Naija jams has taken over our club and party scenes just like that. Less than two years ago you could not play thirty minutes continuous play of naija jams and survive the night without being stoned and abused. And within that session all you have to play were just the hits – Tony Tetuila’s "Hit my car", Magic system’s "Gaou", Tu face's "Keep on Rocking", headless hits like Krazee Kulture's "Jupa", and Ruff Rugged & Raw's "Wetin Dey (oh Mukulu)".
It makes me feel good to know that I was one of the pioneers of this trend in London that is making a bold move to play African and Naija music in our clubs. I knew that S*** was gonna blow up and I stayed dedicated since 1999 promoting African music through Journalism, Deejaying and Media Management. My theme is Afrigroove on the Dancefloor that is contemporary "African soundz" that keeps you on the dancing.
Without wanting to blow my own trumpet, I started deejaying in 1999 because of the potential that I saw in African music. As a matter of fact, I became the 1st African Music DJ. And when I say African, I actually mean wide range of African music genre(s). Though for marketable reasons I was restricted to the West African territories. Hiplife from Ghana was already developed and that fired my passion more than anything. Then I played mainly, Hiplife from Ghana, Mapouka from Cote D’Ivoire, and all Nigerian music and of course Zairian music known as Ndombolo (but Naija people dey call am Makossa) it was music because there was no name such as Naija pop then. And I can’t remember anybody giving it a name. I make bold to say that the name Naijapop was something I came up with in one of my columns “Afrigroove on the Dancefloor” regularly published in Ovation Magazine.
Afrigroove on the Dancefloor was (and still is) a term I designed to define the kind of African Music I play which is contemporary African soundz that keep you on the Dancefloor, literally. And I was very clear how I would pursue promoting and celebrating Africa through music. Armed with my column in Ovation and Deejaying I believed I had more than enough to achieve that challenge. I was also involved in a community radio station, actually that went on for six years. I also approached Choice FM then with Ayo Shonaiya with a proposal to play African music. But the controller of programmes then Victor Essien told us “the only popular African song was Sweet Mother and he can not see any potential in it" - can you imagine. I wonder what he would say now.
As God would have it another outlet, concert promotions opened up for me. Under the Umbrella of Ovation, I worked with a Mr Stuart Lyons to promote King Sunny Ade at Brixton Academy in 1997.Then went on to promote a Fela Kuti concert but Fela died a week before.
I was also involved in the first two concerts of Lagbaja and through my Zimbabwean connections Llyod Musara; we worked on a Yvonne Chaka Chaka concert too.
All through the years Naiajpop developed to what it is and some of us DJs, I must confess were very instrumental to that success. I think at this juncture I will have to show gratitude to some important people that have helped all the way. When I say help in this regards it means believing in me and providing the opportunity and platform to showcase myself. I’ve always believed that there only two ways of being successful. one is being born into wealth and knowing how to use it, or been provided an opportunity and platform to showcase yourself in my case, the latter applies.
When people meet me and get to know that I am the “Jimi Akinniyi” that writes for Ovation, it’s always a good feeling and that gratitude goes to Dele Momodu the publisher of Ovation magazine. I can remember first article, a feature exercise titled Rock of Ages, an account of the UK Naija rocking scene since the 1980s. Believe me when that article was published in Ovation 3rd edition I earned a lot of respect for example, I did not have to pay any longer into any club. For the next eight years I was the showbiz editor designate.
When I started deejaying in 1999, believe me you could not stand my mixes and really you could not be bothered if I was playing African, or even RnB. Then I did not stand a chance of ever doing a gig. But if Femi Onamusi, proprietor of BUKA Restaurant (now Faze 2 Buka) on Kilburn High Road, saw things the way everybody did, I may never have attained the position of African Music Dj. I held a regular Sunday/Saturday gig in BUKA for six years since 1999. Sir Femo God Bless you. The only other time I had that kind of opportunity was in Miura Bar, in Camberwell thanks to Akin Afe Snr aka Dongo. A fantastic platform in recent times, but the real Miura management did not see any sense in promoting African music. It only ran for six months.
Four to five years back the best you could do with African Music is to play the very popular tunes towards the end of the club. You remember Gaou, hit my car and all that. But 1st Choice KC when he started his club promotions in London Bridge made a bold move. He created a room for African Music featuring "Me, Myself and I, Jimi D Baldheaded Guy" behind the wheels of steels. |
Tokunboh Odebunmi of Obalende Suya will never think of anybody else to do his music at the Cambridge Gardens during the Notting Hill Carnival. Ms Olla Mustapha (I call her Kiski) the brain behind the African Showcase market has allowed me to be her stage coordinator and Dj for over seven years. Dupe Ashama, a friend and the publisher of Focus Magazine where I anchored a feature exercise tiled “Outstanding Nigerians in Britain”. Dj King, my colleague. Tunde Shiyanbola aka BLOW, Balo of D’den and my number one Patron Prince Osinusi.
I just feel I have to set some records straight hence my writing this piece for the month of December.
Meanwhile you can check me with Dj Akin every Thursday at D’eclipse on Camberwell South East London promoting African and Naija Music from 8pm – 12.30am. The journey continues...
|
KOMOBLASTIC
Komoblastic, (above) is a talented UK based Nigerian artist, tagged the hardest working naija artist in the United Kingdom. Komo for short is relatively well known in naija music circles in Europe. His style of music is mainly Africanised hip hop with rapping crafted in pidgin english lyrics. Komo has underated hits like "caro" "gbosa" "na today remix" & "Nwantiti".
Komo is a hard working songwriter, composer and producer and derives inspiration from three music legends - Bob Marley (raggae music); Fela Anikulapokuti RIP (Afro beats) and Dr. Dre (American Hip Hop). Watch this space Komo is always up to something, to find out more about Komo, all you have to do is run a search on Facebook.
Wetin Dey salutes Komoblastic for his contributions to the naija music industry.
Wetin-dey.com naija's top ten for the
month of December is highlighted below.
|
|
