Esegine Allen hit the airwave with his hit single,
Rihanna. Now with over 100 singles in his kitty
including the track, YouGarrit and Shoki, he talks
about music
What are you working on currently?
I have a new song titled Shoki. I am working on the
concept of the video. I am trying to make it global.
What is ‘Shoki’ all about?
Shoki is a dance that is in vogue at the moment. I
got the inspiration for the song a couple of weeks
ago while hanging out with a group of friends at
Fela’s shrine in Lagos. I saw some people dancing
and when I asked, they told me it was Shoki, a new
dance. The following day, I went into the studio and
recorded the song. The record was released on
March 27, a day before my birthday and the
acceptance has been very encouraging.
Do you have a full album out?
No, but the demand for an album has been
increasing daily and I am going to drop an album
very soon. I have always had songs that could make
an album. At the moment, we have close to 100
recorded songs. A large percentage of music lovers
are tuned to Orezi at the moment and that is a sign
for me to drop an album.
What satisfaction do you get from your art?
It is a growing process. Each single I drop is always
better than the last one. From ‘Booty bounce’ to
‘Rihanna’ and ‘YouGarrit’, the acceptance has been
very encouraging. ‘Rihanna’ is my biggest song,
judging from awards, acceptance and U-Tube views
it has received. It fetched me three awards and I am
hoping to win more.
Do you think making an album is going to be more
financially rewarding than producing singles?
In Nigeria, artistes do not make money from
albums. This is due to the fact that it involves
making arrangement with marketers for a pay off or
percentage of proceeds from the album sales. Most
Nigerian artistes usually settle for pay off which
may not exceed N5m at most. An album cost more
than N5m to produce. But albums increase
acceptance, popularity and fan base, which is where
the money comes from.
How long have you been singing?
Professionally, I have been singing since 2009. But I
have always been a music lover right from the
university. I recorded a song during my 300 level.
After I graduated from the university, I decided to
embrace a career in music and the first person I
sang with was Dr. Fabz.
How are you faring in the music business?
Before now, I used to think I deserve more since I
have put in a lot of work and I have the best videos
out there. Although I know people who came after
me who are more famous than me, I still believe
God’s time is the best. The music industry in Nigeria
has reached a point where everyone has a
destination. As long as one does not allow the fame
of others to be a source of concern, one will excel.
Sometimes, I feel depressed when I think I have been
around for a while and I am yet to get to where I am
supposed to get to.
How do you deal with disappointments?
In Nigeria, people are supposed to be used to
disappointment. There are things that are always
there to make you disappointed. I take each day as
it comes and I commit everything into God’s hands.
Tell us about your background
My name is Orezi. Orezi means, one who is destined
to be great. It is an Isoko name. I am the first child
of my parents and I have four lovely siblings. My
family is close-knit and my parents are loving and
supportive. I was born in Ibadan when my parents
were based there. When I was two years old, the
family relocated to Lagos. My family members are
my greatest fans and biggest critics. I respect their
views because I know that they will never lie to me.
My secondary school was in the east. I am a
graduate of Urban and Regional planning from the
University of Lagos.
Are you planning to work with your degree?
I intend to practise. I am trying to be famous
because I think it will help me in future. I don’t intend
to stay too long with music though. If I have three
albums, I will switch to music production and
promotion.
What inspired your song ‘YouGarrit’?
It was a spin-off from the effect of ‘Rihanna’. After
the huge success of ‘Rihanna’, I needed to do
another song but I did not want to do the same
thing. I wanted to do an Afrobeat, rock and jam song
that people can dance to.
Is your genre strictly hip hop or do you sometimes
diversify?
My music cuts across all genres. In Nigeria, we
don’t really have a genre of music that all the
artistes are adopting. If I had my way, after this
album, I will drop an all-reggae album because
reggae is my best music. My biggest song has been
dancehall, but because I need to satisfy the Nigerian
audience, I have concentrated more on Afrobeat. I
can do any kind of sound.
Kindly describe yourself…
I am a cool person who is accommodating and that
is why people like me. I like a close relationship with
my fans, so I don’t have protocols around who
would prevent fans from reaching me. An artiste is a
man of the people. There is a way to manage a
situation when fans try to abuse one’s accessibility
but it does not mean they should be shut out
completely.
What would make you fall in love with a lady?
Apart from the fact that she has to be pretty, I also
watch out for good character. If the character is
good, I may not care about the looks. I may not
even marry a pretty woman because my mother
says a pretty woman belongs to more than one
man.
So your girlfriend is not pretty?
I don’t have a girlfriend
Why?
I have a lot of female friends but I don’t have a
girlfriend. I wish I had. The thing about relationships
is that you need someone who understands you and
who will always be around you. It is sweeter than
being with different women. I am the kind of person
who always wants to be around people I love. I grew
up in a very affectionate family and I know how to
give affection.
Describe your style
I like fashion a lot. I like to be flashy and to be
spotted in the crowd. I don’t like following trends
because my style speaks volumes of my personality.
No comments:
Post a Comment