Veteran musician, Emma Ike Agu, better known as Allah-Bama, has called on emerging Nigerian artistes to go back to the foundation of Afrobeats if they don’t want the genre to go the way of Nollywood movies.
Aguike said this during a chat with the media in Lagos. He said there was a time when Nollywood films and stars were celebrated all over the world. But today, reverse is the case as nobody is recognising stars anymore, because the industry keeps churning out the same movies and copying themselves. They are no longer original. And we don’t take time, our music industry will be like Nollywood,” Aguike warned.
Aguike, who left the shores of the country several years ago, expressed this heartfelt concern as he’s currently in the country in continuation of his Wajo dance project, which happens to be his latest offering.
Wajo is danced by youths across the globe, and Aguike said he’s in the country in continuation of the dance project.
He gained prominence in the country’s music scene in the early 90s, before embarking on self-imposed exile in America following the frustration and conspiracy that later became the order of the day in the music industry.
Aguike said a 24-track album is due for release in August, this year, adding that going back to the bases will help to sustain our music culture.
“When next I will be home, I will be doing the Igbo war dance, which showcases the Igbo culture in a very contemporaneous way,” Aguike said.
Since bursting onto the country’s music scene with his delightful Afro rhumba calypso-influenced dance rhythms and melodies, Aguike, recognised as a bridge between the old and new generation of Nigerian singers, has consistently evolved as a singer, producer and songwriter.
