Trybson and His ‘Dudukoko’

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF AND FAMILY?

My name is Oladimeji Imoru. I am the only child of my mother. My dad died while I was very young. I was born in november,1985…i grew up in Lagos and did my primary and secondary schooling in lagos..graduated from the university of  Ilorin with a BSC. in sociology..I’m presently signed unto Stingomania records as a recording and performing artist..

WHAT KIND OF EDUCATION DID YOU HAVE?

I had my primary and secondary education in Lagos AND graduated from the university of Ilorin in 2008..

WHY DID YOU GO INTO MUSIC?

I Have always wanted to do music all my life because i believe the talent was in me.. I discovered it when i was very young cos the writing part of music started showing in me when i wrote my first song at the age 10..

WHO WERE YOUR MUSICAL INFLUENCES WHEN GROWING UP?

I was influenced by the music of Sunny ade, Ebenezer obey, R Kelly, Haruna Ishola and various other musicians who reigned while i was still very young.. If you listened to my music you will see it has heavy influences of juju and African beats. It is the blending of the genres that made my music unique.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY WAS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE SONG WHEN YOUWERE GROWING UP?

..hmm, If i can really remember now, I would say the music of I.K. Dairo really caught my attention and I kept on singing till my early 20’s…

WERE THERE ANY MUSIC HEROES THAT INFLUENCED YOUR MUSIC?

..yes of course..people like I.K Sairo, Sunny Ade and Ebenezer Obey influenced my kind of music..

CAN YOU GIVE US A SUMMARY OF YOUR MUSIC CAREER TO DATE

Icame out with my first single when i was still in a group..the song did very well on radio the time it was released when i graduated from the university of Ilorin in 2008,i started work on my solo album with DA PIANO.. I recorded four songs with him before i got a deal with Stingomania records after i got signed, I finished work on the album and it was launched on December 5 2009 though my label refused to release it to the public because The Coach, our CEO, explained that it did not make any commercial sense to sell to distributors at N35 wholesale price. He asked to be patient and that we will wait for the right time to release it to the public..I have played at several shows since that time and as you are aware there has been a lot of demand for my music right now with Stingomania making waves all over the place with its artistes.

HOW DIFFICULT WAS IT FOR YOU TO GET YOUR FIRST DEMO TRACK?

..Frankly speaking, it was not too difficult for me to record my first single ’cause I had the backing of my mother who supported me financially to pay for studio sessions and producer fees. However, after the first track, it was difficult to move forward with an album or video becos my mother has very limited funds and I had to keep hustling online and offline for sponsors and recording company to help me for over a year without success until my friend ran into Stingomania CEO online.

WHAT HAS IT BEING LIKE TRYING TO GET A BREAKTHROUGH IN YOUR MUSIC?

As you know, artistes go through hell to achieve breakthrough in this country no matter how good your music is. First, the marketers want one or two music videos but there was no way a poor guy like me could afford the N1.5 – N2M that is required to make a music video. Also, it is difficult to get your music played on air without serious money behind you….it has obviously not been easy breaking into the market..but with GOD on my side and with the support of my label, Stingomania records, i have been able to reach grounds that i wouldn’t have been able to on my own but really,we are still working..

HOW DID YOU GET YOURSELF SIGNED BY STINGOMANIA RECORDS?

I met the Coach and CEO of Stingomania Records by the grace of God and the hustle of one of my best friends. ..Actually, I knew my boss through a friend of mine who discovered him on facebook and emailed two of my demo tracks to him while the Stingomania boss was still in the U.S. He listened to the songs and according to him he fell in love with one of them ‘Koyemi’. To cut the whole story short, he called me up when he got to the country and we spoke. When he tried to sign me on, some of the staff objected on the grounds that they feel we already have two artistes already but the Coach insisted that he liked me and overrode everybody to sign me up. I really thank God for that because it is real for someone to do that for you. He has only met me twice before then and I did not have any conections or sponsors pushing him for me.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A STINGOMANIA ARTISTE?

….Its been a wonderful experience being a ‘Stingo’ star..At Stingomania, we do our things differently..not like every record label out there..we are one very very big family… We call it the Stingomania Way. Everybody, including the cook and drivers, are allowed to take part in strategy sessions and during the sessions anybody can contribute and challenge any point of view even that of the CEO. No limits during these sessions. That’s really what trips me about Stingomania. Everything is so open and assessable to everybody. The coach explains every step we take and everything we do before we do it.

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE STINGOMANIA STAR?

What? Are you trying to get me into trouble? I can’t have a favorite o. Actually, I don’t have a favourite. We are all very different with different skills but everyone is specially talented…everyone is talented in the family..but we all keep a very close relationship and support each other. The Coach also makes sure that attention is spread to everybody so no one feels neglected. I honestly don’t know how he can manage so many different people at the same time.

WE HEAR YOU CALL YOUR CEO, OPE BANWO, THE COACH, WHY IS THAT?

[laughs] Its simply because of the fact that at Stingomania group, we all see ourselves as one big family,t he name Coach was gotten during the music video camp when we worked on several music videos for the stingomania stars..because of the constant pep talks, trainings and motivational approaches of our ceo during the camp,we all decided to start calling him coach..thats how the name stuck..  What is so unique about Ope Banwo as CEO of Stingomania is that he believes even more in TRAINING US than in whether we make money as stars. We do training sessions every Friday and even sometimes on Sunday. Some of the trainings have nothing to do with music, just life, personal development and leadership skills. I will actually say, that the training I have received through Coach of personal development, marketing and business is probably the most important contribution he has made to all our lives. I mean, the guy teaches us how to understand the business side of entertainment that we never even thought about before we came here.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IN NIGERIA TODAY?

I think the music industry is just starting to warm up. Things are getting more organized everyday. Businesses are starting to understand the importance of entertainment in their marketing scheme of things. Endorsements are reaching historic levels and professionals are starting to take very serious look at the entertainment industry. I think music industry is poised to be a major player in Nigerian economy and rule Africa again. Look at Psquare, Tuface, Dbanj, Femi Kuti rulling the continent already in awards and shows. It really is an exciting time to be a musician and it can only get better

WHEN IS YOUR ALBUM GOING TO BE RELEASED IN THE MARKET?

The INTERNATIONAL VERSION of the album ‘DUDUKOKO’ will finally be released to the public as a special N1000 package on august 8,2010. The package will include 5 videos in addition to the my 14-track album. We are following the trend started by Tuface to make music sales now viable for artistes and recording labels.

WHO IS GOING OT MARKET AND DISTRIBUTE IT?

…Nollywood blockbusters are marketing it Nigeria while Black treasure entertainment are marketing it in the United States. Black treasure already ordered 20,000 copies at .99, that’s at about N1,500 PER CD. We are all very excited at Stingomania about that.

HOW IS IT GOING TO BE DISTRIBUTED?

Since we have the new price of N1000 as retail price, we will distribute it through exclusive outlets since we understand that the CD will not be for everybody. It is an exclusive edition that only the most discerning of people will appreciate. We are concluding arrangements to distribute it in innovative ways for which our CEO is famous. Just wait for details in the coming weeks.

HOW MUCH ARE YOU PLANNING ON SELLING THIS MUSIC CD?

1000 naira for the international edition. The price includes five music videos as part of the pack.

WHY N1,000 WHEN OTHERS ARE SELLING FOR N150 IN THE MARKET? ARE YOU NOT WORRIED THAT THE MARKET WILL NOT ACCEPT THAT PRICE?

It is not about what is happening in the market but what is necessary. At the current price levels, it is clear that nobody will show any profits. It cost well over N3M to get an album on the street when you look at production cost of 14-tracks, Making music videos and promoting it on radio, tv and newspapers. To sell at the current price means you have to sell over N2million copies just to break even on the cost of production. That is virtually impossible for a new artiste. That is why you have many artistes with successful albums taking Okada in Nigeria. Stingomania CEO has vowed to change that with a new paradigm of music distribution that will make allow viability of artistes and record labels.

According to the Coach, he explained everything to us at a staff meeting and why we must sell at N1000. He showed us with slides and powerpoint why selling at N1000 is a matter of survival, not just profit. According to him, if we don’t sell at N1000, it is impossible for the label to recoup its investment or pay us any reasonable royalty and it would possibly have to close shop in a few months if it doesn’t start making profits on its albums. He broke the finances down for us including the expenses and return on investments at different scenarios and we all underststood hundred percent. For those who were slow to get it, he explained again and again until it became clear. So we have no problems or fear. We either do this or continue to suffer financially even if our albums are successful. Regardless of price, we believe our albums will be accepted in the market because we are planning a major marketing blitz and also looking for new sources of customers that are not yet tapped when it comes to buying cds.

WHO IS THE CURRENT LOVE OF YOUR LIFE?

Music is the only love of my life now. Dudukoko has no other space in his heart right now for a woman. Though girls are all over me as one of my songs explained, Dudukko has only one love ..to make and deliver music. Period.

YOU HAVE BEEN DOING LOTS OF PERFORMANCES RECENTLY, WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH FANS?

..Its been really cool seeing lots of people sing along to my songs while performing. The love has really been over whelming. I was very tripped recently at the exclusive birthday bash for a politician where there were many commissioners, ministers, CEOs etc. These top level people responded to to Dudukoko music in a way that blew me away.

WHAT IS THE MOST EMBARRASSING THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED TO YOU AS AN ARTISTE?

…it was when an event organiser invited me to an event at planet one,i got there,and when it was time for me to perform, I went to the backstage,and he denied inviting me to come perform at the event. It was soooo embarrassing and I understand that a lot of artistes go through that while struggling for fame. There were lots of celebrities backstage at that event, but what could poor me do at that time? I was looking for the chance to show my talent for free. Thank GOD things have changed now. The same guy has now tried to invite me for another event through my label and when I told them the story, they charged him double what they normally would charge for me.

WHAT IS YOUR WILDEST DREAM THAT YOU FANTASIZE ABOUT THE MOST?…

I dream of performing all over the United States with hundreds of girls all over me from Puerto rico, new York, Los Angeles, Chicago etc dancing to my lyrics. I dream of performing at Aso rock and in the white house and for exclusive celebrities in an airplane. I have a lot of things of dreams of how I can make people happy with my music and make positive changes in the country with my music.

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS TO PROMOTE YOUR ALBUM PRIOR TO AND AFTER RELEASE OFF YOUR ALBUM?

we are working on series of tours to promote the album and we are also increasing our online promotions too…we have about five videos already shot to promote the album.. My boss as the promotion and marketing guru is coming out with a plan that will blow everybody away and position us at the top of our game. I have every confidence in Stingomania to deliver big time in promoting my album.

ARE YOU PLANNING AN ALBUM LAUNCH?

…Not in the conventional sense. We will have an ALBUM RELEASE PARTY FOR EXZCLUSIVE GUESTS and then follow that up with several CELEBRITY NIGHTS AND ALBUM RELEASE PARTIES across the country.

WHO ARE THE CURRENT MUSICIANS YOU ADMIRE THE MOST?

..I admire the works 2face idibia,Darey, R kelly, and Wande coal…

WHAT DO YOU SEE FOR THE FUTURE OF MUSIC IN NIGERIA?

…We are still growing..the market potentials is not yet fully exploited..but we are getting there soon.

WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON THE RECENT CONTROVERSY BETWEEN HITV AND MSCN?

I think i will keep mute on that question and let the law take its decision on it. Our label has asked us to stay out of the controversy and let the executives get involved. This is a very complex situation and at this time we have been advised by our Coach to just read and watch as things unfold. He actually told us the situation is going to get very messy and we should learn from it as it unfolds.

WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON THE CONTROVERSY BETWEEN MCSN AND COSON?

…I think its time for us to have a united body that collects royalties due to all artistes in the country. I am not happy that MSCN and COSON are fighting. The only people that lose when this kind of thing happens are the artistes. So, I think everybody should put aisde their personal differences and look out for the interests of the rights holders. They should resolve their differences and let us move forward from there.

Tags: Trybson

Category: Music