Abass Akande Obesere, Fuji musician, in this interview with GoldmyneTV, speaks on his career, the rape scandal and his attitude to life.
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?
Anytime we go to them for support, they do the little they can, but right now, our main plea is that the federal government should assist us in reducing piracy. When the Constitution was drafted many years ago, N50,000 was the fine levied against piracy and that amount still stands till now. This amount now means nothing to pirates. If you take any pirate to court, the highest he or she will pay is N50,000. So, what the government can do to reduce piracy is to make a harsh law that will discourage piracy in the country.
Since the last rape scandal, how have you been relating with female fans?
There is no way I can do without women, because without women, the job can’t go well. I believe anything you are doing, without the influence of women in it, it hardly ends well. That’s my opinion anyway.
You said you can’t do without women. What role do they play exactly in your profession?
Of course, you need their voices, dancing skills on stage, to capture and retain the audience’s attention. Besides, my mother and wife are women and I respect them.
What about the lady who alleged that you raped her?
Everybody knew she was just seeking attention. She concluded in her warped mind that I was daft and would keep quiet by begging her with money. I later learnt that she had been doing that for a long time, but she found me to be a wrong choice. She has run away since then because she has been declared wanted by the police.
How did your wife feel when she learnt about it?
I had told her that they said a lady claimed I raped her and said I should pay N10 million, but my wife said ‘what sort of rubbish is that; Let her go to hell. I told her, immediately it happened, because I owed her an explanation as my wife. When she eventually heard about it, and knowing that I couldn’t do what the lady had alleged, she didn’t feel bad. But then, I can’t say because I was hurt by a girl I would keep a distance from women. By doing that, good people will walk away. We shouldn’t say because someone has done us evil, we should reciprocate with evil, no.
What’s going on between you and Wasiu Ayinde?
I don’t have any problem with Wasiu Ayinde and I don’t think he has a problem with me. I like him, but I don’t know whether he likes me.
So, how and where do you relax?
There is no time for relaxation in Nigeria, because there is always one performance or the other weekly. Even during weekdays, we have rehearsals or other shows. But when I want a rest, I leave the country for one or two weeks.
When you are alone, what do you do?
I think about the future; what may happen the next minute, tomorrow. How can I be where I want to be, including my family and people around me? I think about how to help people achieve their goals.
Who is the closest to you?
My wife. I love her and she is always there for me. She is like a mother. I am proud of her.
Apart from music, what other things are you into?
Well, even if I have any other thing doing, nothing can be more inspiring to me than music. My profession is more important to me. So, I don’t have anything to tell the world that I am doing other than music.
Do you plan to go into politics?
Only God knows the future and what I may become. My wife is a politician. That could have to do with her political background. Her dad was Busari Adelakun. She wants to become one of the strongest politicians in Oyo State. For me, I have never thought of being a politician, but since I married a politician, I see myself as a politician. Everybody knows now in Oyo that I did a campaign song and have been performing for Senator Teslim Folarin, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate and generally for PDP.
Why PDP?
It is because the PDP appreciates me, but I am not an enemy of other parties.
What are your regrets?
I have never had regrets in my life. I believe that what happens to you happened because God wants it.
What is your happiest moment?
Whenever I am on the stage. If you want to see me in my happiest mood, come to where I am performing. In fact, I am happy when people are happy.
Tell us what people don’t know about you.
I am a complete gentleman. Most people think I have the same character when I am on stage. The Abass Akande on stage is different from Abass Akande off stage.
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