REST IN POWER - SOUND SULTAN

 

Sound Sultan was born Olanrewaju Abdul-Ganiu Fasasi on November 27, 1976 – July 11, 2021.

He was a Nigerian rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, comedian and recording artist. 

He was regarded as one of the pacesetters of modern hip-hop music in Nigeria. 

He was notable for using his music to speak against poverty, corruption, bad governance and societal ills in Nigeria.

In 2009, Sound Sultan married his long-term girlfriend Chichi Morah, now known as Farida Fasasi. They had three children together.

On May 12, 2021, it was reported that Sound Sultan was somewhere in the USA receiving chemotherapy as he was reportedly diagnosed Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma in the throat.

He died on July 11, 2021 at the age of forty-four as a result of complications from the illness.

Copyright: Jude Idada

Recently, at Terra Kulture, Lagos, he was honoured by music industry colleagues, fans and family.

It took his death to bring back Black Face, 2Face and Faze to form Plantashun Boiz to perform one of their hits.

Watch the performance video.

His wife and children will need your help.

Download music applications and buy his music.

My heart goes out to Dare Fasasi.

Dare and I attended the Copyright X Intellectual Property Law class sponsored by Harvard Law School in 2017 but I had to repeat the class because I fell sick.

I will miss you.

Musically yours,

DJ Irawo

 

 

PARENTS, REAP THE FRUITS OF YOUR LABOUR EARLY!

 

As parents, we long to reap the fruits of our labour from our careers and from our children as we retire from active service.

If we have found fulfilment in our jobs and businesses, why then do we hinder our children from deriving the same joy from theirs?

Why do we prevent them from achieving happiness and success from their talents?

Why do we live our lives through our children?

Are you not being selfish with your decision?

Talent or gift is a natural skill that can be harnessed to create value and earn money via continuous learning and training.

When parents hear the word ‘talent’, they only think in terms of the arts like music, dance, art and craft whereas talent can come in any form. 

Talent can even come in the form of information technology, accounting, science, agriculture, etc.

Parents are the custodians of their children. 

That you birthed these children into the world does not mean that they do not have a mind of their own. 

You do not have the right to control their destiny. 

Your duty is to study them and guide them on the right path so that they will be useful to themselves, to you and society.

Even twin children have different personalities. They cannot want the same thing. 

So, you cannot expect that Child A will turn out like Child B. 

You must create time to nurture the interests of each child.

Your duty as a parent is to study your children and guide them in the right direction.

If Child A wants to become a doctor and Child B wants to become a dancer, so be it.

Your duty is not to try to influence Child B to become like Child A because you feel that a career as a doctor is prestigious and lucrative when compared to dancing.

In today’s world, all careers have equal chances of success. Check out Kafayat Oluwatoyin Shafau AKA Kaffy who is a Nigerian dancer, choreographer, dance and fitness instructor and Iweh Pascal Odinaka AKA Poco Lee who is a dancer.

Let's even set aside the comparison between or amongst your children.

Let us talk about you, their parents.

Let us imagine a scenario where you have a thriving career as a dentist.

Probably you and your spouse met in medical school.

She is a paediatrician.

After working for a while for other hospitals, you both decided to set up your own practice. You purchased a property and built a hospital that includes a dental clinic.

You have high expectations that your children will take over the running of your business once you retire and continue the family legacy.

You plan to birth three children and your plan was successful. 

You gave birth to three children namely: Adekunle, Adefunke and Adebimpe.

You imagined that Adekunle would be a paediatrician or a neurologist.

You imagined that Adefunke would be a neurosurgeon or a psychiatrist.

You imagined that Adebimpe would be a lawyer or an accountant to run the business side of your legacy.

......but you got a shocker!

Adekunle wants to be a shoemaker, Adefunke wants to be a fashion blogger and fashion stylist and Adebimpe wants to be a musician.

So their parents, Dr and Dr Mrs Fabiyi, are exasperated! How in the world would these children do that? How dare they choose ‘low profile’ careers over prestigious medical careers?

How dare they bring shame on the family?!!!

Well, if you think that you are going to force these children to do your bidding, you will only ruin their lives.

You will be setting them up for stress, anxiety, depression and ultimately suicide.

Many of these children will do what you want them to do but they will deliberately fail at the course that you have forced them to do and you will become frustrated after wasting a lot of time and money.

They will gift you with their certificate after graduation and follow their passion afterwards.

Like I said before, you are their guide and custodian. 

Your children are not dummies. They have a mind of their own.

So, when they decide to join the art class in SSS one with the assistance of their principal, vice-principal and guidance counsellor and a letter has been communicated to you to via your child about your child's subject choices, do not go back to the school to demand that your child be put in the science class because: 

1. that is what you want.
2. you want your child to take over your family business.

3. You want to use your child’s career to boast to your colleagues, family, friends and neighbours that your child is a doctor or engineer or lawyer.

4. you are the one paying his/her school fees.

5. just because you say so.

The signing of an undertaking by a parent to guarantee that the parent will be responsible for the failure of a child should the child fail that class is not enough to compensate that child for the mental torture that you are putting him/her through.

You are only toying with the happiness and health of your children.

What Mr and Mrs Fabiyi ought to do to secure the happiness and financial freedom of their children who have no interest in the medical career is to:

1. Stop the hospital business when the last spouse dies.

2. Plan for the lease of the property after the last spouse dies.

3. Plan for a split of lease income amongst the three children which they will use to support their new businesses. 

4. The hospital property does not have to be sold.

One of my father's close friends is a land and quantity surveyor. He runs a private practice in these careers.

He has two children. The first is female and she wanted to be a draper just like her mother. 

His second child is male and he wanted a career in information technology. 

Initially, my father's friend was sad that no child would continue with his legacy but he had to sacrifice that for the happiness of his children and his children love him for it.

I know someone whose brother was cajoled by their father to study medicine just because he wanted to have a child who would be called by the prefix, Dr. 

He failed the medical examinations at different stages. At a point, he was asked to withdraw but his father kept on bribing the school authorities to enable him to continue his studies.

He became a doctor alright but he was a bad one. He made several mistakes at the hospital where he worked which almost cost the lives of his patients.

One day, after the fourth query which he got from the medical director for gross negligence, he resigned from his job and went home dejected.

A few months later, he registered at an art school and became a fine artist.

Today, he is one of the happiest people that I know.

I have a similar experience too. I wanted to have a career in music and theatre arts but my parents wanted me to study accounting. 

They claimed that music and theatre arts are for dullards.

In my own situation, I excelled at accounting because I thought that I should just see if I would eventually love the career and of course, I did not really enjoy it.

I was only striving to please my parents.

I graduated with a second class upper in accounting in addition to two diplomas and professional certifications in accounting.

I worked for a while as a marketer, transaction officer and internal auditor. I became the head of the internal control, audit and investigations department......but I was bored.

I resigned to pursue my dreams. 

My musical dreams began to manifest after I got a scholarship to study music at the Pencils Film and Television Institute (PEFTI). I graduated with a distinction and was the best graduating student for that period.

On her sickbed, my mother confessed to me that she was actually the one that wanted me to be an accountant. She had wanted to be an accountant but her own mother wanted her to be a nurse. So, she passed on her passion to me. My father supported her decision.

I suffered from stress, anxiety, depression and contemplated suicide twice.

Before I gave birth to my children, I had vowed that I would never choose a career for them.

At age eighteen, my first son is a basketballer and a textile artist.

My second son plans to be a chef and a food scientist. Already he gets cooking jobs from his friends.

My third son plans to be a robotic engineer.

I support them in every way that I can.

Check out the lives of Serena Williams and her elder sister Vanessa Williams who started out their career in the field of lawn tennis. 

Check out Tiger Woods who started his career early as a golf player.

Check out Aliko Dangote, Mike Adenuga, Wale Adenuga and other successful Nigerians who started out their careers early in life.

Today, I am a writer, musician and entertainment consultant.

If I had started out early as a musician, I would have achieved more success at an early age.

If that doctor had become an artist on time, he would have achieved success faster at an early age.

If I had started out earlier, I would have been able to support my parents earlier and they would have been able to reap the fruits of their labour early!

Musically yours,

Irawo Drummer

SECULAR OR GOSPEL MUSIC?

 

Chidinma Ekile: Source - bbc.com

It is no longer news that Chidinma Ekile has rebranded as a gospel musician.

She has gone as far as deleting all of her 'worldly' pictures from Instagram.

Good for her!

Nigerian 'Christians' have been welcoming her back into their fold with phrases like:

"Welcome back!"

"You belong in the gospel music industry."

"She has left worldly music," and so on.

Firstly, gospel music is not an industry.

It is a ministry for which you must be called by God.

If you are not called by God, you will turn your gospel music into a business and it will no longer become a ministry.

The honorarium paid to you will no longer be enough.

You will begin to demand for high-performance fees and special treatment.

God, who has called gospel musicians, makes provisions for them spiritually.

If you are not called but you decide to force gospel music on yourself just because you are a Christian, owu go blow you and it will turn into a struggle and black slide for you.

In order words, it takes a lot of spirituality, discipline and self control to be a true gospel musician.

Secondly, good music is good music regardless of whether it is secular or gospel or Islamic or a Bhuddist song.

I listen to all kinds of songs from all over the world.

Many Nigerian gospel songs do not come close to these ones.

Some songs are gospel music but are still wack!

One of my music teachers, Mr

Akapo Emmanuel

, once said:

"To be a successful musician, do great music, enjoy the process and don't forget to work on the business side of your music."

So, what ever kind of music that you do, do it well.

Thirdly, because a musician now identifies as a gospel musician does not mean that she is a saint and that those who continue with secular music are devils.

If you believe this, you are simply an ignorant being.

The kind of music that one creates and performs (ministers) is not a true reflection of one's character.

However, it is expected that gospel musicians be of good behaviour.

Fourthly, gospel and secular music have their place in our society.

You cannot play gospel music all of the time.

For example, do you play gospel music while copulating with your partner?

Certainly, you will need to play romantic and sensual songs to get in the mood and keep the atmosphere conducive for the occasion.

Secular music is needed for music therapy too.

Secular music is needed for self expression that cannot be found in gospel music.

Secular music promotes and preserves our culture.

Are your traditional/cultural songs gospel music?

You will need to listen to feel-good music just for the sake of it.

Some jazz pieces do not have vocals and you will delight in them.

You must have listened to Simi's songs.

She crossed over from gospel music to secular music.

Are her lyrics sinful?

So, when a musician decides to be a secular or gospel musician, pick your choice, take a chill pill, take a back seat and quit judging!

Read similar posts on this blog:

• Are you Called or Uncalled for Gospel Music?

• Gospel Music Versus Secular Music

© DJ Irawo

May 3, 2021

STOP SEXUAL VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN THE NIGERIAN ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY!

 

Sexual violence is an umbrella term that includes a wide range of unlawful sexual acts. 

The term can include: 

• sexual assault

• sexual harassment

• sex trafficking

• female genital cutting

• child marriage

• enforced sterilization

• sexual slavery

• enforced prostitution

• forced pregnancy

• forced abortion

Sexual violence in the form of sexual harassment can also be via online or via digital technologies. 

Technology-facilitated sexual violence includes: 

• online stalking

• gender-based hate speech

• image-based sexual abuse

• online rape threats

• online sexual harassment.

Sexual assault refers to an indecent sexual attack on a body. 

Rape is a form of sexual assault. It is the penetration of the vagina, anus and mouth without consent.

Attempted rape, fondling and unwanted sexual touching are forms of rape.

Rape also falls under sexual harassment because the harassment is done before the eventual assault.

Section 357 of the Criminal Code Act applicable in the Southern Nigeria defines rape as follows;

“Any person who has unlawful carnal knowledge of a woman or girl without her consent, or with her consent, if the consent is obtained by force or by means of threats or intimidation of any kind, or by fear of harm, or by means of false and fraudulent representation as to the nature of the act, or in the case of a married woman, by personating her husband, is guilty of an offence which is called rape.”

Section 358 of the same Act states that the punishment for the offence of rape is imprisonment for life.

Sexual Harassment has the following examples:

+ Actual or attempted rape

+ Unwanted pressure for sexual favors

+ Unwanted deliberate touching, leaning over, cornering or pinching

+ Unwanted sexual looks or gestures

+ Unwanted letters, telephone calls or materials of a sexual nature

+ Unwanted pressure for dates

+ Unwanted sexual teasing, jokes, remarks or questions 

+ Referring to an adult as a girl, hunk, doll, babe or honey

+ Whistling at someone

+ Cat calls. 

+ Sexual comments

+ Turning work discussions to sexual topics

+ Sexual innuendos or stories

+ Asking about sexual fantasies, preferences or history

+ Asking personal questions about social or sexual life

+ Sexual comments about a person's clothing, anatomy or looks

+ Kissing sounds, howling and smacking lips

+ Telling lies or spreading rumours about a person's personal sex life

+ Requesting for nude pictures or videos

+ Sharing of unwanted nudes of oneself or those gotten from online sources to a person

+ Sharing nudes of a person to other people online or offline

+ Touching an employee's clothing, hair or body

+ Giving personal gifts like under wears, sex toys, etc.

+ Hanging around a person

+ Hugging, kissing, groping, patting or stroking without permission.

+ Touching or rubbing oneself sexually around another person.

+ Standing close or brushing up against a person. 

+ Looking a person up and down

+ Staring at a woman lustfully

+ Sexually suggestive signals

+ Facial expressions, winking, throwing kisses or licking lips

+ Making sexual gestures with hands or through body movements.

Lagos is the capital of Nigerian entertainment. This is what the law of Lagos state says about sexual harassment: 

The Criminal Law of Lagos State prohibits harassment and describes harassment as unwelcome sexual advances, request for sexual favours and other visual,verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature which when submitted to or rejected –

 

(a) implicitly or explicitly affects a person’s employment or educational opportunity or unreasonably interferes with the person’s work or educational performance; 

(b) implicitly or explicitly suggests that submission to or rejection of the conduct will be a factor in academic or employment decisions; or 

(c) creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive learning or working environment. 

Any person who sexually harasses another is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment for three years.

Emotional effects of sexual violence

• Anger

• Fear

• Humiliation

• Shame

• Guilt

• Betrayal

• Violation

• Powerlessness and loss of control

Mental health effects of sexual violence

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Panic attacks

• PTSD

• Difficulty concentrating

• Loss of motivation

• Substance abuse

• Suicidal ideation

Physical effects of sexual violence

• Increased stress levels

• Headaches

• Fatigue

• Sleep disturbances

• Eating disturbances

It is no news that sexual harassment and assault exist in the work place with particular reference to the Nigerian entertainment industry and with particular reference to sexual molestation by Nigerian men against Nigerian women.

Female musicians, instrumentalists, producers, disc jockeys, actresses, writers, models and women under the entertainment bracket employment face one form of harassment or the other. 

Unfortunately, many incidents of sexual harassment assault are never reported. 

In the entertainment industry, victims of assault are often worried that reporting such activity will have an adverse effect on their employment prospects.  

Victims may be forced into sexual acts in return for promises of recognition and opportunity.  This results into a QUID PRO QUO HARASSMENT.

A Quid Pro Harassment is when employment and/or employment decisions for an employee are based on that employee’s acceptance or rejection of the unwelcome sexual behavior. 

Victims may also be reluctant to report abuse due to the fear that others will not believe their version of what happened.

Child talents also experience sexual molestation. They lack the judgment to refuse sexual overtures that are tied to promises of career advancement. This is why children must be accompanied by at least one parent or a guardian for auditions or performances or shooting.

Allegations of sexual abuse in the entertainment industry are often kept secret as a result of duress and intimidation by individuals and corporations with extensive resources.  

It can be extraordinarily difficult to publicly disclose wrongdoing by powerful and well-known entities.

Asides from this reason, social media judges will be quick to crucify the victim by asking her what she was wearing when she was sexually abused. They delight in turning the victim into the culprit and blame her for her dilemma.

These social media bullies fail to realize that a woman must not be assaulted no matter what she is wearing. It is not in your place to crucify her. 

Nevertheless, sexual harassment and assault in the entertainment industry are unlawful and should be redressed through criminal and civil penalties. 

Famous and wealthy celebrities should not be protected from the consequences of their illegal behavior.  

The current dilemma being faced by victims of sexual assault in Nigeria is that it is difficult for them to get justice for sexual assault committed on them many years ago. 

Our sexual violence laws are not strong enough to incorporate other means of bringing a culprit to justice apart from written or audio or video evidence and witnesses.

The sperm DNA too is tested in Nigerian courts only if the rape case is a recent one.

Rape cases that happened years ago are swept under the carpet because of the passage of time and lack of substantial evidence. 

Nigerian laws do not accommodate the ‘look back’ widow and the use of lie detector tests.

A bill should be passed to include a lie detector test and other methods that are used in advanced countries. Otherwise, how was it possible for Bill Cosby and Robert Kelly to be jailed in the United States of America as a result of the sexual violence that they committed on women many years ago? 

Some testimonies for Bill Cosby were as far back as thirty years ago as at the time the case was being heard in court.

Never blame a rape victim for not speaking up on time. Although, it is advisable to do so, there are many mental health factors that do not make this to be possible. 

The Nigerian law must give room for a victim to take her time to build up the confidence to tell her own story and seek justice only if she wants to.

It is so unfortunate that the judiciary and legislative arm of government do not carry out researches on these matters in order to use the outcome to improve our own laws.

Why would they even bother about it when sexual harassment is still considered a little matter that can be settled amicably with a bribe?

Sexual violence is a major reason why many girls and women are skeptical about taking up a career in the entertainment industry.

There must be gender equality in all careers. Thus, males must stop intimidating females in this industry. 

I am aware that some females have no shame. They are the ones who seduce men in order to get roles. It must be noted that women who do this are not as many as those who are specifically targeted. 

My focus is not on these ones but on women who are truly hardworking and passionate about taking up a career in the entertainment industry.

I implore female entertainers and professionals to prevent sexual assault by not getting familiar with their male colleagues. 

Prepare for your auditions and do your job professionally.

Make sure that you read your contracts properly or hire a lawyer to read them for you so that you will not get tied up in unprofessional contracts and with crazy people.

Aspire to have other sources of income to run your own business and earn money from other sources of income so that you will not become dependent and desperate.

Call out your molester on social media and hire a lawyer to take up the matter. If you cannot afford a lawyer, meet a human rights organization to help fight your case.

This immorality must stop!

DJ Irawo

May 3, 2021

SONGWRITING FOR OTHERS IS NOT CHEATING

Two days ago, after breakfast, I heard my eight-year-old son singing in the sitting room. He enjoys singing my songs and the songs of other singers and songwriters and he does so everywhere; bathroom, kitchen, etc. He has a lovely voice too. 

He and his elder brothers listen to my songs after I compose them. They make their comments and I edit the melody or lyrics if necessary before I hit the recording studio. They are my cheerleaders.

The following conversation ensued between us;

ME: My baby, you love singing so much. Would you like to be a professional singer in the future?

SON: No, mommy. Have you forgotten about the things that I want to do?

ME: Certainly not. You want to become a footballer and a robotic engineer. Right?

SON: Yes, that is right.

ME: You can still squeeze in singing or drop one of these careers along the line. That will not be difficult since you already play the piano and the drums. You never know.

SON: Even if I decide to sing, I do not know how to compose songs like you.

ME: I can write your songs for you.

SON: No, that would be cheating. A singer is supposed to sing and write his or her songs too.

ME: No, it is not compulsory for a singer to also write his songs. It is called music publishing. In fact, some popular singers do not write any of their songs and some songwriters have terrible voices. Some songwriters who write only the lyrics of a song (lyricists) may not be able to provide a melody for their words (composers).

SON: No, mommy. I do not agree with you.

ME: So, if a singer is supposed to do everything, will you also produce your own songs; play your own piano, guitar, drums, etc at the same time?

SON: (Silence).

So, I got him there.

In practice, many international singers do not write their own songs. Many great songs are not written by the people who performed these music.

The likes of Rihanna and Elton John of this world are simply not gifted with the art of songwriting. Albeit, Elton John creates melodies from the lyrics of Bernie Taupin, his lyricist. Thus, Elton John is a joint copyright owner with Bernie in the songs that Elton performs. (Lyrics + Melody = Song).

This simply means that poets (lyricists) can have their poetry converted into songs by working together with a melody creator (composer) and make extra cash for a lifetime.

Whitney Houston never wrote any of her songs. Beyonce collaborates with other songwriters. She has never written one song by herself.

The likes of R. Kelly, Chris Brown and DJ Irawo *winks* can write for themselves and for other singers. Thank God for our multiple talents.

The late Michael Jackson wrote 99% of his songs too. His children are now swimming in billions of dollars from royalties made from all over the world.

Do I need to tell you that Fela Anikulapo Kuti's children are basking still basking in millions courtesy of their father's self written music from all over the world?

This is the beauty of music publishing.

Independent music artists or their independent record labels seek songs from music publishers. Major record labels like Sony Music have their own publishing company.

It is only in Nigeria that a Nigerian singer will want to write his or her own music by force even if he or she is poor at it. 

Even if he or she gets songs from a songwriter or music publisher, the singer will want to buy off the song instead of licensing it and will want the songwriter to be hush-hush about the song so that Nigerians can say about the singer, “Oh wow! What a wonderful singer and songwriter he/she is!”

Songs like Yolo performed by Seyi Shay, Nackam performed by Yemi Alade, Ferrari performed by Yemi Alade, Sade performed by Davido, Applaudise and Gift performed by Iyanya were all written by a Nigerian songwriter who does not sing professionally. His name is Ikemefunna Nwanbonye.

Gobe and Aye performed by Davido were written by Password and Runtown respectively.

In music, there is no such thing as 'too many cooks spoil the broth'. The more, the merrier. 

Simply involve your intellectual property lawyer and music publisher (if you care to hire me) in your deal to avoid future roforofo.

In advanced countries, about five to seven people can write just one song and the song will become a hit, generating millions in performance fees, blanket licensing, mechanical licensing, performance licensing, synchronization fees, general and specific royalties.

We should begin to collaborate more and follow due process in the Nigerian music industry for its further growth and development.