Music  

‘Alternative Music Has Transcended Into A Whole New Plain’

By Chinonso Ihekire

25 July 2020   |   4:25 am

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Afro-fusion singer, Paschal Ejikeme, popularly known as Etcetera, has joined the list of Nigerian singers to reveal that their voyage into the music industry was unplanned.

Afro-fusion singer, Paschal Ejikeme, popularly known as Etcetera, has joined the list of Nigerian singers to reveal that their voyage into the music industry was unplanned.

The Imo State native, who is currently based in the United States, revealed to Guardian Music that, “A Musician wasn’t what I had dreamt of becoming as a child growing up in the Prison barracks.

“My journey into music started in 1988. I was a member of the Catholic Youths Organisation of St Joseph Catholic Church, Apapa, at the time. And the organisation bought a complete musical set and formed The Catholic Youth Band, though none of us members of the Organisation could play any of the instruments.”

He continued: “We decided to learn how to play our instruments ourselves. We employed a music tutor for members, who were interested in learning how to play any of the instruments; I chose to learn how to play the piano. With daily rehearsals, I became good at it. That was how the music bug hit, and I said to myself, ‘why not music?’ That was how my music career was born,” the former X3M Music act said.

The Headies nominated soft-rock singer, who works as a journalist in the United States, also revealed that he’s finalising his third studio album, which is yet to be titled. According to him, the work is expected to drop early 2021.

“Because I dropped my last album a decade ago, alternative music in the likes of what we had then, has transcended into a whole new plain as it is now. Ed Sheeran and a whole lot of others are the new alternative sound. This is something that has a huge crossover appeal in the sense that, this new alternative offers today’s young cats, who weren’t musically conscious back then and now listen to Afrobeats, a lot to vibe to. This is what should be expected in my forthcoming album; something that will keep my older fanbase happy and also not leaving out the millennials,” he said.

Kick-starting his music career, after finishing secondary school, in 2002, Etcetera studied music at the Music Society of Nigeria (MUSON), Lagos. He later joined Steve Babaeko’s X3M music, where he released his debut album.

He later parted ways with the record label after his second studio album, Yes I Am, to focus on his writings, then running a music column with The Punch newspapers. He later relocated to the United States where he lives till date.

Over the years, he has created a unique musical signature, constantly dominating his discography with socio-conscious music.

His songs, Federal Character Without Bad Manners (2010), Ring The Alarm (2010), Biafra Land of The Rising Sun (2007), like many of his hit singles won him a large fanbase, locally and internationally. He has often appeared in the media over controversies on his critique of Nigerian singers.

Meanwhile, Etcetera has announced plans to release his first book later this year.

“My book is about a new-era of colonization; the repackaged form of Slave trade.

How the slave masters revolutuonalised their act to get the world’s approval,” he said.