Alariwo of Africa: For Me, Music Was Hobby, Not Profession

Years after he made a name in the entertainment scene, veteran musician, broadcaster and compere, Oluwarotimi Martins, popularly known as Alariwo of Africa is still very much in the business of making music. Having taken a backseat for some time to focus on other interests, Alariwo believes he’s still relevant and hasn’t given up on music. The once-controversial figure speaks to Ferdinand Ekechukwu on a number of subjects, covering his, background, time, and chance in the industry. Excerpts…

Where have you been?

I’ve been around. I took a backseat because I have other things that I’m doing; I’m exploring in so many ways. I run my own little PR Company. I’m a broadcaster; I’m a journalist like you and I run a production company so to say. I have a studio; an audio/visual studio. So I’m into so many things and I’m still doing music at the background. But for now, I’m just keeping it on a low. I have got 33 songs recorded. So when the time is right we will bring it out one after the other. But the truth is promotion is very expensive. And it’s a bit tough to do such at the moment. Social media is part of the thing that can help. But we need to do it and do it properly.  

I recall your last song Dem No Fit, if I’m not wrong, was in 2021 or thereabout?

Yes, Dem No Fit, but I have not done the video. I’m taking my time because musical videos are expensive… Dem No Fit. I also did another one as well I shot the video in America and Dubai; titled ‘Darling’. The video is on YouTube.

Alariwo of Africa, why didn’t you say Alariwo of Nigeria? How did you come about that moniker?

I started with Alariwo of Oregun when I was living at Oregun. So I met my sponsor and mentor, his name is Obafemi Lasode, the man behind Sango. He came to a barbing salon where I was squatting with some of my friends and all the songs that were playing on the screen I was singing all of them he was wondering who’s this young chap? And he asked my name and I told him he said oh wow…ok I have a studio on the Island, come let’s see what we can do for you. From there I became his musical video director then I met my producer, Nelson Brown. He produced ‘Yawa go Gas’ (his debut single).

Were you signed to Nelson Brown at some point?

No, I was not. Nelson is my friend. Still produces my song till tomorrow. I got the studio time from Femi Lasode. He was a producer that comes to Femi Lasode’s studio to produce. So from there I did my song and then whilst I was still with Femi Lasode, one day I met King Sunny Ade there and I greeted him and Femi Lasode said that’s my boy his name is Alariwo of Oregun. And Sunny Ade said, Alariwo of Oregun, no you are Alariwo of Africa. Since then I became Alariwo of Africa. And it got stuck. I adopted the name because Sunny Ade was King Sunny Ade and the Golden Mercury of Africa.

I have heard you bear the Crossover King…

Good. It was an award given to me at a specific university. They had an event and their MC was not available I took over as the MC. The comedian they wanted to invite agreed, collected I think N2,000 and didn’t show up. The comedian is a big name now in Nigeria. I anchored, I cracked jokes and I also sang. So on that day, they were wondering he sang, he anchored, cracked jokes…wow! After then I was nominated at FAME Music Award, AMEN Award, I was given the same award as the Crossover Artiste of Year. That was how the name, the Crossover King came up. So anybody that addresses me will address me as the crossover king Alariwo of Africa.

You seem to have lived mostly in Lagos, what fond memories do you have of the city?

I was born in Lagos 56 years ago. I was born in a place called Fadeyi. I grew up partially in Fadeyi and Mushin. From there moved down to Ojota, from Ojota moved down to Ogba, I now live here. Growing up in Lagos was peaceful and lively. We were educated via the television. About going to school, television gave us the best education. Very educative you know and things were easy then. I remember the first television my father bought was 30 naira. It was interesting back then. We had odd and even numbers. My father had two cars. It was fun, it was family oriented lifestyle and we enjoyed ourselves then things were smooth and easy going. I lived in a boarding house. I attended Victory Home School in Ikeja. The school is still there. And it was a wonderful experience.

What kind of child were you growing up were you exposed to music?

I was a very stubborn child but very respectful to my father; disrespected my mum a lot because I was close to my mum. But my father was very strict. My father was a lover of music. I loved music because my father made me love music but he didn’t want me to do music. But while he was infusing music into my life he didn’t know. But I started creating a love for and passion for music through my dad. He wakes up in the morning he will be playing the music of Jim Reeves, playing the music of Don Williams, Bob Marley, Rex Lawson, Osita Osadebe, Sunny Ade, and Ebenezer Obey. Saturdays in the morning he will be playing Fela. My father influenced my musical career without him knowing. But along the line I started building the interest myself and that was how I ventured into music.

You were exposed to the music of these legends you mentioned Fela, Victor Olaiya, Sunny Ade and the likes, growing up. What impact did that have on you and your music?

The impact it had was because all the people I mentioned were all Nigerians excluding Jim Reeves, and Bob Marley. They were all Nigerians and all their songs were meaningful and their songs were deep. And they were philosophical. They impacted my musical career, with emphasis to Fela you know. When I was young I never really enjoyed Fela. But when I started growing up I started listening to Fela’s music more and I became a ‘Felasopher’ so to say.

Felasopher, how?

A Felasopher is someone that loves afrobeat and started following the trend. Yes, I’m a Felasopher.

Did you ever meet him one on one?

I didn’t meet him personally, but I was at the Shrine twice when he performed I was at the Shrine with a friend of mine called Weird MC and when we went together, we just went to watch him perform. I did not meet him physically. I just sat down and watched him perform. But I was highly inspired.

Music has evolved; music of some 15 to 20 years ago is not the same as what we have now. What would you attribute to it?

Life itself evolves. It’s a natural thing. When the likes of Sunny Ade, Ebenezer Obey, Fela started they were putting in their best and gradually things started improving. When we started our own we started it in a way that we felt we should be a little more creative. I’m the first afrobeat artiste to play afrobeat with an infusion of hip-pop. Because I felt that hip-pop would sell the afrobeat genre. So that was why I did it. The beat was strictly hip-pop, the message was complete afrobeat. And mind you, I play afrobeat, not afrobeats. So there’s a great difference. Fela was the originator, we are the followers or we were the followers.  So when I created mine, everybody started following suit by doing hip-pop and doing afrobeat. 

You did mention you did afrobeat and basically now what we have most of these young acts doing is afrobeats?

I’m still doing afrobeat. What they are doing is afro hip-pop. Luckily for them, someone in the UK couldn’t describe what they were playing and he called it afrobeats, which is still an advantage for us because the genre is still within the African context so it’s still allowed and still giving credit and kudos to Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. So it’s good enough.    

The kind of songs they play I mean the young ones now so many of them creative and talented artistes. But there seems to be mixed opinion or should I say mixed acceptance of the kind of songs they play. How do you feel or what’s your opinion about these new artistes and the kind of music/songs they churn out?

Some of them are very creative, some of them are in the business to make money, some of them are in the business just to be known, there’s a great difference between being a musician and being an entertainer. Some of them are entertainers, we are edutainers, we are musicians, we are philosophers; we are musical philosophers. They are entertainers to the core. Now you could hear one beat with different verses, you can hear one beat with different songs, you understand. So they keep coming with different beat every time but the message is still a little bit on the vulgar and dirty part of life. Most of them their music has no direction it’s all about sex, drugs, money, violence, lifestyle. It doesn’t make sense. But most of them are singing what people want to hear and they are doing it properly to an extent.  

If you are to work with any one of them, who would that be?

Olamide I would like to work with; so many of them. But sincerely Olamide, Phyno, Flavour. There’s one young chap called Seyi Vibez I love his vibe, its deep. But tell me to pick first, I will pick Olamide.

Why Olamide?

Olamide is creative; he’s a lyrical undertaker. He’s deep; he’s vast, humble and very supportive musically. He has empowered a lot of young talented musicians. I would like to work with Olamide.

Looking at your musical journey you had breaks at some point; a bit of inconsistency you know?

I wouldn’t say inconsistency, I’m a broadcaster, I was with a radio station and music for me was a hobby, and not profession. I was just making fun of Fela you know and people felt ‘oh I sounded like Fela’. That was how I decided to dig in and do it properly and professionally.

You’ve had some good and bad press at some point considering your status then in the entertainment scene. Which one of the good and one of the bad press remain unforgettable to you?

As a media personality, positive or negative publicity is publicity. So I wouldn’t say and as a Christian, I would not confess negativity within my vicinity. In life we make mistakes. And we learn from our mistakes. My best is yet to come because I’m a winner. And I do not want to remember the negative press. So I wouldn’t say this is the best and wouldn’t say this is the worst.

But you responded to some of those press/stories then because you were actually in the news mostly then unlike what we have now that social media has taken over?

I was filled with controversy back then. But my controversies were positive controversies. Positive in the sense that as a PR person, people didn’t understand what I was doing; I was trying to sell the Alariwo brand and I sold it properly to my own ability and that was what I was doing. I like minding my business lately and taking it easy.

Your contemporaries, a good number of them who took music fully as a career, at the moment are struggling to make a comeback to the scene or struggling to keep up with the pace of music. We can’t talk music now without technology, social media. Could it be that they find it difficult to keep up with the pace as a result of the changes in technology? Or their music is no longer relevant to what we have at the moment?

No, every song is relevant. My song is still highly appreciated if I get to France now at least five or six people will be parking trying to take me to my destination free of charge. Our kind of music is different from the kind of music that is being played now. Now music is a huge business investment. For you to invest in someone you need at least 200 million naira for starters. That’s why when some people say they are leaving their record label because of this and that I just say to them they don’t know what they are doing. Music is big business. If somebody wants to invest 200 million in my career right now I can assure you that my music would come back and it will be everywhere. My contemporaries not because they are not as talented as they used to be; it’s because there’s no fund to push it and if you don’t have someone that is ready to fund your project you have other responsibilities to take care of. I can beat my chest and tell you that I’m still absolutely relevant in the industry.

The songs you put out before now do you get royalties for them?

No. There was nothing like royalty back then and my mentor just did it to support me. He didn’t release it. I released it myself. And I gave it to the marketers at Alaba and all that to sell. Right now songs are about download, streaming. You wouldn’t believe that when I went on the internet to download my song I was told to pay. So, my legal team already is working on it trying to know who the people are so that we can withdraw it from them. But my new songs are on my own terms. Back then there was no social media. People were paying Alaba to pirate their songs but it has evolved.