The Music Industry in Delta State is not Encouraging - Kevino

Excerpts.

Please tells us your name? My name is Kevino D Igwe. What is your real name?

Kelvin Abraham Okolo.

You are from where?

I'm from Delta here, I'm from Delta Ibo.

Where?

From Nksukwa to be precise.

Why have you decided to bear the name kelvino De Igwe?

Actually, my kind of music is hip pop music but I do add some traditional flavor to it, so that is why I decided to call my self the KINGIgwe.

So why are you bearing the name Igwe? Why are my bearing the name Igwe?

Here Igwe is a king and I feel everybody feel that they are the best. So I now feel that I want to tell the world that I'm the best, what I am doing is the best, my type of music is the best.

Why are you claiming the best when you are just coming out with your first album (Debut)?

I believe if you don't claim the best nobody will give you listening ears, that is how I feel.

What inspired you to go into music?

Okay, actually what inspired me to go into music is like when I was a little boy, I used to listen to these foreign musicians like SNOPP-DOG, R KELLY, 50 CENT, and I do like the way the crowd respond to them, as in fans appreciate their music. I always have this dream of doing this kind of thing that the whole world will appreciate, that is while I decided to go into music.

In your family did anybody play music at all?

Actually my father told me that my grandfather was a musician, a local musician. He used to play flute.

But your father did not take after him? No Are you now saying that you are taking after your grandfather?

Yes exactly that is what I am trying to do. Okay, how do you get your inspiration?

My inspiration, I will say first of all my inspiration comes from God. Aalso my inspiration comes from this local musician OLIVER D COQUE and from the international standard 50 CENT and from Nigeria here NIGGA RAW. Okay, why are you taking after these people; you say your inspiration comes from.

What did you see in particular about them that inspired you?

Actually let me start from Oliver D Coque I like his traditional flavor and also in NIGGA RAW I like his Pidgin English Rap, you understand- this Pidgin English combination. And also from 50 CENT I like his style of singing.

Who, would you say among the three you are taking after?

I am taking after the three of them How was it like coming to this level, is it your first album? Yeah, this is my debut album. I tell you it wasn't easy, trying to come out especially the financial aspect it wasn't easy. And the recording aspect trying to record the songs is about N8000.00 for one session. You have to make your instrumental, and after recording the songs you have to mix the song with about N15,000.00. Altogether in this my album made up of fourteen tracks, I tell you it wasn't easy. It was by the special grace of God. Are you the arranger, the composer and producer of all the tracks? Of course, I am the writer and also I am the producer because I do make instrumentals.

I am the producer of the album. How did you get finance to produce this music?

Actually I am a producer, I do make instrumental for myself and I make instrumental for others and collect to record my songs in the studio and also I do go to one or two shows so they pay me little amount of money.

Which studios do you work?

I worked with Oasis studio and Big heart studio.

Are you still there now?

Actually I do my production in my house in my father's house and I do my beat here and I take the beat over to the studio to record my voice.

How did you do it at home, how?

I have computer set at home and I have my software and I used the software to make the instrumental from the computer then I do take to the studio to record my vocal. So, in Nigeria people said that in the past musicians are write-off but now Nigeria musicians have proved a point that they have something upstairs.

Is that true?

That People can say musicians are write-offs, they can say that musicians are roughens? I believe it depends on the individual but for me. I am cool and okay.,

In Delta state, Warri to be precise how is the music industry, is it encouraging?

The music industry in Delta State is not encouraging compare to that of Lagos and Port Harcourt because the men in Delta State I am sorry to say are very stingy and they don't support entertainment.

I don't know the reason why Port Harcourt and Lagos are quiet different. Have you been to these places before?

Yeah of course.

What do you do when you get there?

Okay, when I went to Lagos I went to a show them in Unilag I tell you they really appreciated me more than here in warri and also I went to a show in Uniport-girls hostel to be precise and I tell you everything was like wow oh who is this guy they really appreciated me. Here in Warri even if your music is the best they will tell you "abeg carry am comat em" I don't really know. Warri is quite different. But people say that warri is the center of entertainment how come the musicians here are not appreciated. If you take note, people like I Go Die, Daddy Showkey, Gordons when they just made a little name they ran to Lagos because, there in Lagos they do appreciate musician/entertainers and they pay you well for anything you do compare to warri here. For a normal warri man (a show organizer) to give you N 50, 000.00 for your performance or N30, 000.00 they will say like "I don too try for this guy the money too big self". Are you now saying that the attitude of this warri people and Delta state in general is not encouraging young artist to come up? It is not encouraging at all but I thank God for some body like Ayiri he has been organizing shows here in warri and Escravos and he is trying!!! Yeah financially I mean.

Musically what do you want to achieve in life? As in what do I want to achieve?

I want to see myself as one of the best musicians here in Nigeria that is it. Are you doing it because you like it or you are doing it because you want to make money or you are doing it because you want to make name?

Actually I am not doing it because of money because I have really spent all I have into my career of music. So I have the love for music not for the money but after my fame the money will come after. So that is just it. How long did it take you to produce you debut album? Okay, actually I started writing my own music five years ago. Finally I started compiling my album three years ago.

Apart from music what other thing do you do?

Apart from music I am a producer. I make instrumentals.

Educationally can you tell us your qualifications?

Okay, just 'O level' but right now I am trying to apply to go into the university, this year. What really delayed me was that I was trying to compile my music first. Because the first album is quiet difficult compare to the second album.

How many album do you have now?

Actually, I have two to three albums already written but right now this is my debut album, I made instrumentals and vocal but those ones I just wrote them down.

Do you still have some songs you've not produced? Yes I learnt that you did your music launch recently?

Actually I launched my album at the NNPC Junior Staff Club on the 8th of February 2009. I tell it was great as many high profile Nigerians including musicians, actors, actresses, businessmen and women were in attendance.

Do you enjoy the support of your parents as far this music is concern?

Actually, initially they didn't support me they discouraged me a lot but when they saw that I was not holding back they have no option than to give their support.

So in terms of music how are you meeting DJ's and presenters to promote your music?

Ans- That is why, I said it is not easy at all because they do demand or request for money anytime you give any DJ a copy of your album to play they will say like buy me beer and you have to spend nothing less than one thousand or two and if you want to give up to six DJs in a roll, you have to spend up to seven thousand naira, is not easy. Going to a radio station one presenter will demand about twenty-five thousand naira, is not easy at all.

When will your album hit the street of Nigeria ?

My debut album is not yet out but I have my hint single "TIMKOKO" on air since about January 2008. That is my hit single so my album is came out February 8th, 2009 . You said you have fourteen tracks in this your album? Yeah Which one do you like most? The one I like most is 'Warri anthem'. That means the last track in the album where I talked about Warri crises.

Can you sing it for us?

The Warri Anthem you may not like it because is a rap song not as in, it does not have rhythm, is just a rap song like…."na warri I come from, I still day represent where I come from….."

How do you see music in Nigeria?

Music in Nigeria is good, is okay because lately Nigerians are really now appreciating musicians they are buying CDs now compare to before.

Piracy, don't you think that is the major problem affecting Nigeria musicians?

Yeah Why did you title your album 'TIMKOKO'? Actually, Timkoko is my hint track in the album, that is Timkoko and Timkoko is a track in the album. The Timkoko is a story about one princess called Adore in one certain village and different men where coming to asked her hand in marriage. A white man came in with Benz Jeep but she refused the man and also her school teacher came with bicycle she refused but she said she want get married to one Hausa that she like, the man because she love the one because the one used to play guitar for her TIMKOKO…., when ever she is sad. The Timkoko is just a sound of the guitar and that is the title of my album. Name the show you have attended and the musicians you have performed side by side with. October first, I went to Escravous to perform along side with D'Banj and his crew- Don Jazzy and others. December 28, 2008, I went to Escravous to perform along side with 2face, 9nice, P square, faze, so many artist.

You went to Port Harcourt?

I went to UNIPORT to perform in their SUG week-girls hostel and I also went to Asaba to perform in 2007 Peace Unity show in Asaba. I went to perform in 'Made in Warri' last year, it was organized by Gordons.

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