‘My harmonica is spiritual’
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D’banj is one of Nigeria’s popular stars. In this interview he talks about his life and career
Your last name is Oyebanjo, I understand that’s how you got your name, but how did you get ‘Kokomaster’ out of that?In 2004, I came out with my first single and it was titled ‘The Koko’. ‘Koko’ is a word that I came up with. That time for me, it was something I wanted to let people understand so I said to them that the ‘Koko’ is whatever you do to derive pleasure. So obviously, I’m the kokomaster, so ‘koko’ is the bone of contention.
So it’s an adjective, like if I say ‘You are koko’?
You can say ‘what’s the koko’ or ‘I’m feeling kokocious’.
Talk about the harmonica; you are self-taught, it’s something you said you were born to play. Why do you feel like the harmonica is so close to you and you were created to play it?
For me, firstly the harmonica is a very spiritual instrument. If you look back at the olden days, a long time ago, you see before there was the big keyboard or piano during the slave trade, most of the instrument that the people, our forefathers used to play in the farm was the harmonica. I think for me, it is something I picked up after I lost my brother, he used to play it and then he had a plane crash in 1991. I saw the harmonica from what was recovered and I looked at it, it was an instrument that was handy, simple to carry around. Take it back to high school, take it back to university and from then I started playing it, I played every song that I heard and since then I’ve been playing it and I play it very well now.
One person who is American who has influence from the church is R. Kelly. And that was one of the first albums you picked up. Was it `12 Play’ you picked up?
Oh, Yes.
How did he influence you and what you thought about that?
I don’t think it’s me alone that R. Kelly influenced. I think he influenced the whole Africa, the world. Back home, they call me a sex symbol but the first person I ever heard that from was R. Kelly and I think that was the ‘Bump and Grind’ album; ‘you remind me of my jeep’ (slowly gesticulates). That was epic; he is a legend, a godfather. For me that was one of the first albums that I saw and I got it and kept it and played it every time. And from there I started watching TV, watching his videos, watching his concerts; he is such a great entertainer and performer so yes he did a lot.
Is there any other American artiste that influenced you?
Oh yes, you know they call me ‘African Michael Jackson‘? (Laughs). So you know Michael Jackson, may his soul rest in perfect peace, is for me the king of Pop. What more do you want? Michael influenced everybody, telling us that we could use music to stop wars; you can use music to put smiles on people’s faces and make people happy. So, Michael Jackson, Wyclef Jean, a lot of people I met like that, even Jay Z, and Kanye West. Kanye West is someone now that is influencing the youths in Africa, we are looking up to him a lot because of the kind of things he is doing, what he represents is just the future.
The harmonica makes me think of Stevie Wonder, he is such a musician on every piece of musical instrument but the harmonica especially. He started playing the harmonica when he was a little boy.
Yes, one of the first solo that I learnt as an instrumentalist was the one he did with Babyface. A Stevie Wonder and Babyface record, I can’t remember the title of the song. He played the really small harmonica and I was like ‘ah, this man is playing this thing o!’, because before, you would always think that the harmonica was played by the country musicians but then with him playing it and having it under the song, if you listen to my songs, I have it strategically placed there just like Stevie. Stevie baba!
Tell me about when you first left home. You were very young, you decided to go to London and some people didn’t really want you to go, mum and dad. Talk to me about that and your decision and how tough it was.
For me, I think when you are walking towards your destiny, whatever you meet, you have to adapt and understand. My mum and dad, just like every other parent, wanted me to be an engineer which is understandable but I wanted to do music so gradually when I had the chance to travel, my parents didn’t know. I had gotten my Visa and passport and then I travelled abroad to London, trying to be Usher or Craig David. I just thought going to London or getting out of Nigeria was the right thing to do.
What do they think of you know?
Now? (Gesticulates)This right here is called swag! (Laughs). Right now, my mum manages me.
Are you serious?
We’ve been very close, we’ve always been close and I let her know what I’m going through and how I’m going through it so when God brought the breakthrough, she was just perfect and she was there and she has been managing me ever since and I have no regrets. Mummy to bad!
When you look at your music, lyrics, words and everything, they are about your life and they are very humorous. Why do you take that approach?
Well firstly, I’m an entertainer; I don’t really think I’m a great singer. I’m not a rapper, I’m not a singer, I will just entertain you. Music is life and I found out that with studying people from Michael Jackson to R. Kelly to people that have been around that you can really pass a strong message with your music. Having the kind of following I have back home, I just thought the best thing to do is let everybody know this is who I am and even if it is the partying songs that I do, when you are going through the same situation, it will help you know how to party. So, it is very important.
You have started this whole genre, a whole phrase ‘Afropean’. What does that mean and where did you get it from?
When I was in London, Don Jazzy and I were at a former group and label that we run back then called Backbone Music, which also had JJC. Most of the festivals then we went to were European festivals and I know that in Europe they know Afrobeat from Fela who is a very big legend that came out of Nigeria. Our music sounded different to them so we decided to call our music something different like Afro, European – ‘Afropean’. But right now things have changed, people now categorize my music as ‘Afropop’ because it sounds like pop music but it has our flavour, it has our lingua in it.
Afropean too is good though, that’s Afro-European music but (gesticulates) America is where we are now… (Laughs).
Earlier you were saying something about Fela, talk about the influence he had on you…
Fortunately for me or should I say unfortunately, I never met him and I never went to any of his concerts. From the time I started my music, everybody started comparing me to him. When I was on stage, they said I moved like Fela, when I sound they say I sound like Fela so I went back to study Fela and I found out that he was bigger than what I thought he was. Fela to Africans is like Bob Marley to Jamaicans. He is that popular, he is well respected in Europe, France, everywhere even in America and earlier this year in New York, I auditioned for the lead role at Fela! on Broadway and I might be moving here (New York). I was at the Tony Awards and Fela had 13 nominations and won three of them so I think it’s a big look for Africa.
Your album ‘The Entertainer’, seven million copies sold. How do you think your new album ‘Mr. Endowed’ is going to do?
You got your information right! We have over 150 Million people in Nigeria, 850 million people in Africa, so seven million is just there. But from this new album, we are talking about 10 percent. We are trying to do what has never been done before, that’s part of the reasons why I am here in America. I’m working in studios that I haven’t done before. I remember walking into a studio in New York; the plaques I saw on the wall were platinum from Jay Z to Mariah Carey to Whitney Houston. I walked out, I was like ‘You’ve got to be prepared to be in a place like this’. Gradually as you move, you get to the next level and for me the next level is going global and I believe that ‘Mr. Endowed’ will do it. www.netng.com.
Articles
‘My harmonica is spiritual’
Category: Weekend magazine Written by . Hits: 688
D’banj is one of Nigeria’s popular stars. In this interview he talks about his life and career
Your last name is Oyebanjo, I understand that’s how you got your name, but how did you get ‘Kokomaster’ out of that?In 2004, I came out with my first single and it was titled ‘The Koko’. ‘Koko’ is a word that I came up with. That time for me, it was something I wanted to let people understand so I said to them that the ‘Koko’ is whatever you do to derive pleasure. So obviously, I’m the kokomaster, so ‘koko’ is the bone of contention.
So it’s an adjective, like if I say ‘You are koko’?
You can say ‘what’s the koko’ or ‘I’m feeling kokocious’.
Talk about the harmonica; you are self-taught, it’s something you said you were born to play. Why do you feel like the harmonica is so close to you and you were created to play it?
For me, firstly the harmonica is a very spiritual instrument. If you look back at the olden days, a long time ago, you see before there was the big keyboard or piano during the slave trade, most of the instrument that the people, our forefathers used to play in the farm was the harmonica. I think for me, it is something I picked up after I lost my brother, he used to play it and then he had a plane crash in 1991. I saw the harmonica from what was recovered and I looked at it, it was an instrument that was handy, simple to carry around. Take it back to high school, take it back to university and from then I started playing it, I played every song that I heard and since then I’ve been playing it and I play it very well now.
One person who is American who has influence from the church is R. Kelly. And that was one of the first albums you picked up. Was it `12 Play’ you picked up?
Oh, Yes.
How did he influence you and what you thought about that?
I don’t think it’s me alone that R. Kelly influenced. I think he influenced the whole Africa, the world. Back home, they call me a sex symbol but the first person I ever heard that from was R. Kelly and I think that was the ‘Bump and Grind’ album; ‘you remind me of my jeep’ (slowly gesticulates). That was epic; he is a legend, a godfather. For me that was one of the first albums that I saw and I got it and kept it and played it every time. And from there I started watching TV, watching his videos, watching his concerts; he is such a great entertainer and performer so yes he did a lot.
Is there any other American artiste that influenced you?
Oh yes, you know they call me ‘African Michael Jackson‘? (Laughs). So you know Michael Jackson, may his soul rest in perfect peace, is for me the king of Pop. What more do you want? Michael influenced everybody, telling us that we could use music to stop wars; you can use music to put smiles on people’s faces and make people happy. So, Michael Jackson, Wyclef Jean, a lot of people I met like that, even Jay Z, and Kanye West. Kanye West is someone now that is influencing the youths in Africa, we are looking up to him a lot because of the kind of things he is doing, what he represents is just the future.
The harmonica makes me think of Stevie Wonder, he is such a musician on every piece of musical instrument but the harmonica especially. He started playing the harmonica when he was a little boy.
Yes, one of the first solo that I learnt as an instrumentalist was the one he did with Babyface. A Stevie Wonder and Babyface record, I can’t remember the title of the song. He played the really small harmonica and I was like ‘ah, this man is playing this thing o!’, because before, you would always think that the harmonica was played by the country musicians but then with him playing it and having it under the song, if you listen to my songs, I have it strategically placed there just like Stevie. Stevie baba!
Tell me about when you first left home. You were very young, you decided to go to London and some people didn’t really want you to go, mum and dad. Talk to me about that and your decision and how tough it was.
For me, I think when you are walking towards your destiny, whatever you meet, you have to adapt and understand. My mum and dad, just like every other parent, wanted me to be an engineer which is understandable but I wanted to do music so gradually when I had the chance to travel, my parents didn’t know. I had gotten my Visa and passport and then I travelled abroad to London, trying to be Usher or Craig David. I just thought going to London or getting out of Nigeria was the right thing to do.
What do they think of you know?
Now? (Gesticulates)This right here is called swag! (Laughs). Right now, my mum manages me.
Are you serious?
We’ve been very close, we’ve always been close and I let her know what I’m going through and how I’m going through it so when God brought the breakthrough, she was just perfect and she was there and she has been managing me ever since and I have no regrets. Mummy to bad!
When you look at your music, lyrics, words and everything, they are about your life and they are very humorous. Why do you take that approach?
Well firstly, I’m an entertainer; I don’t really think I’m a great singer. I’m not a rapper, I’m not a singer, I will just entertain you. Music is life and I found out that with studying people from Michael Jackson to R. Kelly to people that have been around that you can really pass a strong message with your music. Having the kind of following I have back home, I just thought the best thing to do is let everybody know this is who I am and even if it is the partying songs that I do, when you are going through the same situation, it will help you know how to party. So, it is very important.
You have started this whole genre, a whole phrase ‘Afropean’. What does that mean and where did you get it from?
When I was in London, Don Jazzy and I were at a former group and label that we run back then called Backbone Music, which also had JJC. Most of the festivals then we went to were European festivals and I know that in Europe they know Afrobeat from Fela who is a very big legend that came out of Nigeria. Our music sounded different to them so we decided to call our music something different like Afro, European – ‘Afropean’. But right now things have changed, people now categorize my music as ‘Afropop’ because it sounds like pop music but it has our flavour, it has our lingua in it.
Afropean too is good though, that’s Afro-European music but (gesticulates) America is where we are now… (Laughs).
Earlier you were saying something about Fela, talk about the influence he had on you…
Fortunately for me or should I say unfortunately, I never met him and I never went to any of his concerts. From the time I started my music, everybody started comparing me to him. When I was on stage, they said I moved like Fela, when I sound they say I sound like Fela so I went back to study Fela and I found out that he was bigger than what I thought he was. Fela to Africans is like Bob Marley to Jamaicans. He is that popular, he is well respected in Europe, France, everywhere even in America and earlier this year in New York, I auditioned for the lead role at Fela! on Broadway and I might be moving here (New York). I was at the Tony Awards and Fela had 13 nominations and won three of them so I think it’s a big look for Africa.
Your album ‘The Entertainer’, seven million copies sold. How do you think your new album ‘Mr. Endowed’ is going to do?
You got your information right! We have over 150 Million people in Nigeria, 850 million people in Africa, so seven million is just there. But from this new album, we are talking about 10 percent. We are trying to do what has never been done before, that’s part of the reasons why I am here in America. I’m working in studios that I haven’t done before. I remember walking into a studio in New York; the plaques I saw on the wall were platinum from Jay Z to Mariah Carey to Whitney Houston. I walked out, I was like ‘You’ve got to be prepared to be in a place like this’. Gradually as you move, you get to the next level and for me the next level is going global and I believe that ‘Mr. Endowed’ will do it. www.netng.com.