Korede Bello
Fast-rising singer, Korede Bello, speaks with CHUX OHAI about his hit-song ‘God Win’ and sundry matters
Korede Bello’s hit song, ‘God Win’, is
still ruling the music scene in Nigeria and most of Africa. It is one of
the favourites of disc-jockeys and a sure hit with night clubs in the
country.
Asked why he decided to title the song
‘God Win’, in an interview with our correspondent, Korede says, “When I
was recording the song, it occurred to me that the most active phrase
was ‘God Win’. It was present in every line in the song. Besides, I felt
that the phrase itself carried a lot of weight and it contained a
powerful message that I should share with my fans. So I it was only
natural to title it ‘God Win’.”
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Korede
also felt that ‘God Win’ was a prophetic statement – perhaps designed
to artfully manipulate the emotions of the audience. Little wonder, it
has morphed into a slogan that seems to have caught on like wild fire
among music fans in the country. Nowadays, everywhere you go in Nigeria,
people tend to end conversations or reply to enquiries with ‘God win’.
But, contrary to the notion that ‘God
Win’ is a gospel song, the fast-rising artiste says it is not. “I’d say
that the song is a testimony of the collective experience of the people
around me, not necessarily my personal testimony. It is about the life
of the average Nigerian and the challenges that he or she faces every
day.
“Also the song, in a way, sums up the
aspirations of many people who wish for a break from poverty and
disease. Some are getting married everyday and prospering in different
ways. We are all grateful to God for the changes in our lives. It is
this general feeling of gratitude for God’s little mercies that this
song expresses,” he says.
For an artiste who seems to have popped
out from nowhere only to hit the music scene like a cyclone, Korede
Bello is certainly not doing badly. But, like most other young and
successful singers, he has a familiar grass-to-grace story to tell.
Admitting that the journey from total
obscurity to the limelight, which started about five years ago, has not
been very smooth, he says, “Let me assure you that unlike some artistes,
I did not just come into show business by accident. Before getting to
where I am now, I have had my fair share of challenges. For example,
‘God Win’ is not my first album. I had recorded a couple of singles that
failed to make an impact in the market before I recorded ‘God win’. It
was titled ‘I love Naija’. Although some of the songs in that album,
which was released in 2010, did manage to get some attention from the
media, they were not successful.”
The singer has since waved aside the
past. Right now he is focused on working towards a very bright future.
And ‘God win’, he notes, is the beginning of that future, which Don
Jazzy and the rest of the Mavin Records team will possibly help in
shaping.
At Mavin Records, life has assumed a
beautiful dimension for Korede. “We are one strong and united family. We
all love one another and, beyond being a musical family, we give
support to one another at all times,” he says.
Still relishing the success of his last
performance in London, courtesy of comedian Julius Agwu, the singer
would give anything to repeat the trip, his first major trip since the
inception of his career, no doubt. The sheer size of the crowd that had
turned up to watch him play on that day showed just how much he is
appreciated by music fans in the United Kingdom.
“The ladies, in particular, showed me love in London,” he says.
Unlike some of his contemporaries in the
music industry, he has been fortunate enough to enjoy the backing of his
immediate family. He says that they never questioned his preference for
music as a career instead of other professions because they wanted the
best for him. It probably explains why his career has flourished within a
short period of time and why he appears to be so cool and confident all
the time.
“Na God win,” he says, in Pidgin English.
Korede takes a look at the music industry
and says that, despite the influx of more ambitious and aspiring
artistes into the music industry, there is still a lot of room for
improvement.
“Although the industry is a bit more
orderly and better organised than it used to be, in terms of technology
and the quality of music and videos produced by Nigerian artistes
working at home and in the Diaspora, I still think there is still a lot
of room left for more improvement,” he notes.
He would like to see some improvement in
the distribution of works by recording artistes and in the provision of
the right structures that would help take the industry to the next
level.
“Stakeholders should come up with a
strategy to help provide support for individual artistes that do not
have records labels or other platforms that can help push their careers.
Also, I look forward to the day that artistes will no longer have to
worry about getting paid royalties for their works. Although I am aware
of the existence of a few collecting societies, I think we still need
more in this country,” Korede says.
Interestingly, in an age when musicians
all over the world cannot afford to overlook the nefarious activities of
pirates and other copyright infringers, the fast-rising singer says he
is not worried about their operations.
He explains that with the advent of the
social media, the power to control the distribution of works by music
artistes now rests with fans or consumers who can access the products
and buy them through online channels.
“With this in place, copyright owners can
successfully outwit pirates by directly talking to their fans and
appealing to them for patronage,” he says.
