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Paulash Panache: The Journey To Fame

By Guardian Life
31 August 2021   |   2:20 pm
Paul Femi Ashiru popularly known as Paulash Panache is an award-winning show and club promoter, musician, brand strategist, and social media influencer. He is known as Lituation King on his Instagram with over 80,000 followers where he shares his events and club tour photos. Paulash Panache has become a house name and his ability to…

Paulash Panache: The Journey To Fame

Paul Femi Ashiru popularly known as Paulash Panache is an award-winning show and club promoter, musician, brand strategist, and social media influencer.

He is known as Lituation King on his Instagram with over 80,000 followers where he shares his events and club tour photos.

Paulash Panache has become a house name and his ability to release/promote potential hit songs cannot be questioned. He has also released two hit songs “No Girlfriend No problem” and “Lituation”.

In this interview, Paulash speaks on how he discovered his passion for entertainment at a young age, his brand, his popular weekly club event “Lituation Fridays” as well as challenges as a promoter.

Who is Paulash Panache?

My biological name is “Paul Femi Ashiru so I got the name Paulash via my first name “Paul and my surname “Ashiru. In those early days of PlayStation 2 and I tried editing my name as a Player for league games and I wanted my name on it hence the name Paulash. The name panache was gotten in 2011 in school; they used to call me “Swagga because of my dress sense and charisma back in university.

I was called the swagga boy and I was also nominated for UNILAG student award as Most Swagnificient male & Best dressed male so due to the zeal I’ve got for entertainment, I decided to coin a name for my brand hence the Panache as synonyms to Swagga; so my entertainment brand was called Panache Empire, The Empire connotes a house of entertainment.

Paulash Panache is an Entertainment Brand and a social entrepreneur. I’m an entertainment promoter and run promotions for music artistes/talents, brands, clubs and events.

I also got two major singles out there as a promoter where I featured some talented artistes “No Girlfriend No Problem and “Lituation”.

Tell us about your background and education

I’m from a clergy family, my dad is late, Reverend Dr. Samuel Femi Ashiru; he owns churches and that influenced my love for music because I was part of the choristers and my mum is a retired school headmistress, Mrs. H.O.D Ashiru who also had a thing for music.

I started my primary school at Temitope Nursery and Primary school Somolu then secondary school at Baptist Academy Obanikoro then had my Bsc in Botany at the University of Lagos.

For how long have you been in the music industry and how has it been?
I have been in the industry for a couple of years. I started my brand “Panache Empire” in 2012 and rebranded to using my household name “Paulash Panache in 2018 and it has been really challenging but we thank God for the progress I have made so far

Why did you choose this career path?
Entertainment has been part of me since childhood and I’ve always had the zeal to promote good music and provide quality entertainment. Music is my life and Entertainment is my playground.

How does your family feel about the career?
You know my family is quite very religious and before my dad’s demise, it was strictly gospel music. So I was part of a gospel group back then called “Septet”.

It was really hard listening to secular music or engaging in secular activities until probably his demise and UNILAG played a role in my career path as well. During those years mom hasn’t really been cool with the entertainment lifestyle thingy, the late-night outings, the lifestyle, and the general perspectives about entertainers but I still do find my way to convince her about keeping my heads up and all. It’s more reason why I’ve been a teetotaler and I don’t smoke either.

Mention some big artistes you have worked with?
I have been in the industry for quite some years and I have solely promoted many of the trending artistes if not all since then and now.

How do you handle challenges, like not getting the artiste you want for a show?
As for me, before booking any artiste for a show I always confirm thoroughly their availability, but you know sometimes life happens and when it does we either find a way or allow nature to take its course but the possibility of artistes not turning up is really slim thou not even after thorough confirmations.

Most times I do commit the artistes either by running a video confirmation or posting on their social media accounts or even getting to be at their residence before showtime

What’s the most fun part of your work?
The most fun part of my work for me is watching people entertained and really having fun with no restraints.

Do you focus on clubs or you arrange shows too?
I do both. I’m an entertainment promoter and entertainment isn’t happening in the club alone. So I don’t just promote clubs. I do arrange and promote shows and I’m also working on my monthly musical concert.

What is Lituation Friday all about?
Lituation Fridays is a weekly event that happens every Friday where we get to celebrate life and ease out the stress. Lituation Fridays are synonymous with TGIF! Get me lit!.

We get to host a couple of birthdays, trending personalities, celebrities and also promote new talents and good vibes in general and all that makes party lit.

It was formerly at club 57 Ikoyi before the lockdown and it was quite massive those times but now we’re back, better& bigger and we’re now up & running at Caesars lounge Victoria Island, Lagos.

If you’re not into showbiz, what will you be doing?
If I wasn’t into showbiz, I would probably be in the health sector as a food nutritionist, botanist paleontologist, pharmacist or Medical Doctor. Maybe pastor self (laughs).

What’s is your advice to upcoming artistes?
First, you’ve got to believe in yourself and also love your craft. The love you’ve got for the craft will take you farther than you can imagine because even when things don’t seem smooth, the passion & love you’ve got for the crafts will keep you going.

Also, focus on making good music, be unique and perfect your sound.

As an upcoming artiste, you need to know your families and friends are not your fans, they are your supporters. You should be able to know the difference, they support you even when you sing trash. Your fans are people you might not even know personally, this set of people follow your brand, buy your music, download your content, so you have to cherish them when you meet them.

There is a lot of competition out there as a result of many young talents springing up day by day. In this sense, you should try and promote yourself through different platforms such as social media e.g Instagram, TikTok, thriller, Twitter, radio, television, blog, influences, OAP, deejays.

These platforms will help your potential listeners get to feel your vibes and even give you the encouragement you need to improve on your content. Although, some of these platforms that enable you to promote yourself are expensive, it is important to start your promotion somewhere.
Nowadays, labels hardly sign an artiste without a successful independent career.

Apart from self-promotion as a musician in Nigeria, it is also advisable you get yourself a management team which can be a group of professional friends or a management company. This management team will help propel an upcoming artist or already established artist into the limelight as a result of their skills, commitment, and/or connection.

You can also get a notable passionate promoter to help push your talents further. You need a promotion to get your required boost. Get your song on social media platforms radio stations, clubs, mixtapes
Promotions are endless, Publicity is never enough!
Even real talents still need a promo.

Penultimately, frustration will come after years of putting effort into the hustle but still no good result.
Many do give up because they can’t handle this frustration. You should always encourage yourself to have in mind that most top artistes didn’t make it that easy. It took most of the years of trying and they were once rejected by the said audience who appreciate them today.

Lastly, try to have a backup plan should in case things didn’t go as planned, I advise you get an educational qualification or better still learn a trade.

If you don’t know, most top artistes are degree holders. Don’t rely on your music career alone. Music is now becoming more competitive because there are many talented upcoming artists trying to break into the industry, thereby relegating those ones that are not ready to give out good lyrical content.

In conclusion, Put God first! Align him in your plans and see his manifestations. God’s plan is for us to prosper, give us hope & a befitting future.

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