Songstress, Saoen, is like a fresh breath in Nigerian music scene. She spoke with REPORTER, Lukmon Akintola, on her music and more.
Saoen
You are described as a fresh breath in the Nigerian music scene waiting to explode, tell us how it all started for you?
I grew up in a family that loved music. My dad could sing, he had an amazing voice, but he never did anything with it. My mum too could sing; and I remember when I was a child my dad would ask me to write down words from songs although the sound of the music was different from the regular thing you would listen to or you would hear now.
It made me feel something I couldn’t describe, but I knew I loved it and so I started singing as a result of that. I used to get compliment and at a point I just thought okay maybe I could do it.
Did you get to that point when music meant everything to you?
That was at the age of 13 when I was in Junior Secondary School 3 (JSS3) in Queens College. I remember then we were getting ready for mock examination and we had chorography where everyone in JSS 3 would sit down in the hall. It was too boring for me and I found myself putting words to melodies and before I knew it I had written my first song. So, every Wednesday, I found myself writing songs and not listening in class. That was how the journey started and it was more of a confirmation that I was meant to do music because I didn’t have to go to school for it, I didn’t have to write.
How did your parents feel when you opted for music as a career?
I didn’t really like secondary school because I just felt it was a waste of time. I already knew what I wanted to do. I called my mum one day and told her ‘I wanted to stop school and focus on music’, but she told me ‘why don’t you just focus on your education, finish secondary school, go to the university, get a masters and get a plan B because you never can tell if this music thing is going to work or not’. She told me to take a look at footballers and athletes in general that if they broke their knees and they didn’t go to school what will happen to them. She told me if I finish my education and music doesn’t work out I would have something to fall back to. That was my motivation to get good grades in school because I knew that if I do that then I would be able to say I have done it and I want to go and do my music and there is nothing you can do about it. A day after I submitted my project when I was doing my masters in the United Kingdom, I called them up, we had a meeting and I told them I have done this and now I want to pursue my music and I won’t disappoint and they said okay you have made us proud there is no holding you back. Now, no one is going to call me to say have you gone to school or have you had your rest.
Basically, it means the degree is for your parents, what then is your plan B?
I don’t have a plan B. Music is my plan A to Z.
How would you evaluate your career thus far?
I would say my career is taking a turn and it is upward bound. I started professionally in 2012, but prior to then, I had released a couple of demos which was a preliminary for when I was ready because I was still in school then in 2008. I just wanted to do that so that when I was done with my masters, I wouldn’t have to start my music from the scratch. I started professionally by doing the cover for Brymo’s song titled Ara and I know that kind of launched me because he endorsed it. He said it was the best cover he had heard out of what every other person had done because he had requested for other people to be the cover. That sort of launched me so I released a couple of singles, but I didn’t have the right orientation for the Nigerian music industry. I had to take a break to learn that.
Tell us about your new label
I got signed to a record label which is called Baseline Music. It is the best record label and I can say that for sure. We found each other and we are definitely going to be there. They are pushing me. I know with them, hard work and with God by my side, my career will surely go up and it will overflow.
This seems a romantic relationship, but is it not always like this at the beginning?
It is one thing to claim you are a label and have artistes on the label, but it is another thing to actually function as a label. You need the right personnel, the right body of people and the right think tank. Some labels are lacking, no label has it all, we are just starting and we are growing. We are a young set of people and we are growing. I feel like the record label pushing my music is God sent and all these put together will just prove we are the best label.
You recently featured Wizkid in your song Boogie Down, are you ridding on his success?
I would admit that Wizkid has brought about a lot of followership to the song. When you feature a big artiste you have to tap into their fan base and it has given me leverage. However, overtime people have come to love the song itself.
Your entrant into the music industry was more of an announcement of your relationship with Uti Nwachukwu, why did you go that way?
You can’t control some things in life but I have chosen to control the situation and focus on the music aspect.
Have you guys broken up?
I don’t want to talk about it
There have been talks that your relationship is a deliberate plan to promote your career, is this true?
I don’t want to talk about anything except the project which I am working on which is Boogie Down and other projects which will come along.
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