I Don’t Dress To Impress —Muma Gee

 

Two years after her debut, Muma Gee has continued to WOW music buffs with her originality, costumes and stage presence.  Recently she released a new single, Amebo, which is enjoying massive air play. In this interview with NEHRY ODEH she speaks about the news single and a variety of issues.

 

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Q: What is your new single, Amebo, about?

A: Amebo is a Yoruba word meaning gossip. Out society, if you look at it today, had experienced some upheavals caused by gossip. As a matter of fact, gossip creates a lot of enmity and disorderliness among our people. And I, as an artiste, have been making music not because of the fact that I want to use music to promote our traditional values and heritage as well as enhancing peace and unity in our society. I have chosen to bring to public knowledge the fact that gossip could create a lot of problems.

A gossip does more harm than good. Instead of being busy talking about others, I think we should love ourselves and live as one. So that is why I decided to make a mockery of gossips by releasing Amebo.

 

What extra efforts did you put into Amebo that makes it better than Kade, your last hit?

A: No good art piece comes easy. But I can say that Kade was easier than Amebo because I went the extra mile to do my write-up in English, gave it to an interpreter who did the translation. Believe me, it was a huge task trying to pronounce the words correctly. Also there came the difficulty of fixing Pidgin English into it because I used very strong pidgin in the second verse. It wasn’t really easy trying to deliver it and making it work.

So, after the recording, the production of promo copies, going round to promote it and all that was not really an easy task. But it is usually so and because this is a whole lot of a new stuff that I am doing, it involves loads of mental work and physical contribution, energy burning and all that.

 

Q: Amebo sounds like Afrobeat. Listening to it reminds one of the late Afrobeat king, Fela Anikulap-Kuti. Don’t you think so?

A: Well, you are just drawing my attention to that. If it is related to a Fela song, that is basically because there is a fusion of the elements that make up African music. Most of Fela’s songs are Afro-centric and jazzy, but in this case we used all the Afro centric attributes to create Amebo.

 

Q: How long did it take you to learn the aspect of Yoruba used in Amebo?

A: For the days we were in studio, as the beat was going on, as we were doing rehearsals, I rehearsed the language. And I tried it on Yoruba speakers during that period. Even before I started recording Amebo, I had to go to typical Yoruba villages, mix with the indigenes to see the way they live.

I carried out my research. I didn’t just sit down, pick up a paper and started writing. No. that is why in the video, there will be a portrayal of gossip. That is what we are looking forward to doing now. And it will be out pretty soon.

 

Q: When do we hope to see the video?

A: We are working on it. And believe me; good videos are not easy to make after recording. So, we are cording at the moment. I am beginning to build my costumes. I build my costumes myself. We were supposed to have shot last week, but we are running out of time because of irregular power supply. The production of the costumes is a bit slow because sometimes, when we use the generator during the day, we always take a break the next day so that we don’t run it down. But we are doing our best to ensure that we do the shooting soon.

 

Q: Amebo is your second musical offering, yet you are a big name. What is the secret behind that?

A: The secret is that I was already Muma Gee before I got into the university. I only went to school because I needed that educational background. I needed to be an authority in the field that I have chosen in life. And also to prove to people that being a musician does not necessarily mean you are an illiterate.

Or rather music is not an escape route out of education. I need believe education is paramount in everyone’s life. While I was in the university, I was making music, but not professionally because I spent most of my time studying. And I was a full-time student unlike now that I am going to study Psychology at the national Open University. And that is because I don’t have the time now to do IT full-time. But I need to study Psychology for my second degree. Initially, I wanted to do a postgraduate degree programme in film and TV. But, believe me, I am practicing now and I know all the nitty-gritty of film production.

And I have even started acting now just to get to know the business very well and practice what I studied at the university because I read Theatre Arts. So, music, for me, is inborn. While I was in school, I did music, produced songs, went to the studio to record and all that. And each time I recorded, I also shot the video and put it on air.

I always make sure I made good videos. And that gave me publicity and the edge over those that were in school and not practicing. But I only started practicing professionally two years ago when I relocated to Lagos. And within these two years, I was able to compile all the songs that I did in the past into an album and handed it over to Obaino Music for marketing. And that was because I wanted to establish myself as a recording artist. Otherwise I had been promoting on radio and television.

 

Q: Are you into any relationship?

A: For now, I must be very honest with you, no. Why? Because it is just too hectic for me. As I said, I just came back from the studio last night. If I am your girlfriend or your wife, I don’t think you will want me to go to the studio at night, come back in the morning, and have this interview. I have had series of meetings this morning before you came, took a break, and then I am back again talking to you.

And after talking to you I have to go back to the studio and by the time I return from the studio, at about 3 or 4am, I will just have to sleep. Then when I wake up in the morning, my choreographer comes around to do choreography for Amebo. And after that, I will be going to the Niteshift Coliseum for a rehearsal again, ahead of a show. Too much stress, too much work, and I just said to myself it is better to just concentrate on doing this job. When I tell people are not in relationship, they don’t believe. It is not as if I don’t want to, but because I am too desperate to be where I want to be. And it is only when I have time to put things in place that I can get to where I want to.

 

Q: Don’t you think being in a relationship could help your career?

A: Well, I have not thought about that. A partner cannot assist in this sense because a partner, for instance, cannot sing Amebo in the studio. A partner cannot product it in the studio. I am not looking for a partner to put in money. I am doing my production myself and I am handling things well, which I don’t have any problem with. But I feel and strongly believe that a partner will slow me down seriously and this is the truth. What is the point of having a partner today and tomorrow you are with another partner? So the best thing is concentrate, get done with the job at hand and just get married and make a family. And live happily ever after.

 

Q: But when are you going to think about getting married?

A: I think about marriage all the time.

But marriage starts with getting into a relationship.

Not in all cases because I have had men coming to ask for my hand in marriage. They send their rings, they come and I say to them: no premarital sex. And they say they don’t mind. And I put forward my finger, they fix the ring and I say to them listen, I am an artiste I only wear costume rings; I can’t wear this ring on my finger. They agree, they understand. And at the end of the day, I say let’s see what goes on. And he goes no, no, no until I find one fault. And I conclude that this person is not qualified to be my husband. And I’d say: I don’t think I am the right candidate for you. And then I go into another one, you know; just like that. I have a lot of rings and sometimes I don’t return them. Very soon I am going to open a ring shop.

 

Q: So, how do you cope with these pressures from men?

A: They don’t see me all the time unless on appointment. We can censor some of those troubles. But sometimes, I don’t know how they get my numbers. And they call and al that. The best thing to do is to change the line. So I change my phone. I try to be serious at all times. And God knows I am not preaching about it; I am a serious-minded person. When you see a serious-minded person you may not be able to just come and mess around. Unless you have something very important to discuss with me.

 

Q: Why are you so much in love with the white colour?

A: White signifies purity. It is pure. Sometimes, your colleagues say they are fashion police. And there was a time I read in the papers that I was arrested by fashion police. When we had a preview of Amebo, we had about 20 journalists in the house. One of them asked because the fashion police had been disturbing me lately because of my colour riot and all that. And I said to them Africa is beautiful, Africa is colourful. I wear the reflection of my mind. Why I am wearing green now is because I feel green is fertility, reproduction, productivity and all that.

But people do not recognize that fact of life.

I like to wear what makes me feel good. I don’t wear those things to impress people; I wear them to give me the confidence that I require to be me at a particular occasion. So when I combine colours, they actually depict my mood,

I mean being sensitive to criticism, pain and displeasure.

I am sensitive in the sense that I love life. And I love to enjoy myself. Don’t get me wrong. By enjoying I don’t mean drinking alcohol and smoking. I go clubbing.

And when I am in a club I sit down and watch people. I eat food. And when my food is well garnished and well designed, that is my enjoyment. So I like to be happy all the time. And if you are going to make me sad, I will avoid you. When I am on stage I am a crazy person-wild and tough. I become superhuman when I am on stage.