Before an artiste walks into the recording studio he probably has something in mind something that will make him happy or something that has already made him a star unknown in his dreams.
A star in his dreams is a good dream, but the making of this movie called ‘dreams’ as an artiste often sees several obstacles which are unknown to the artistes who is the main character, director and script writer because he sees them as the normal way of living the artiste’s life.
Being the main character, director and script writer in a movie you will never live to watch is often a difficult task, because most people sometimes get carried away by the ups and downs of live, and instead of acting out their lives, they decide to waste time at the spectator’s end of living.
Although no one can say if a song will become a hit, especially for an upcoming artiste if he does not do certain things well, yet there are certain factors that affect a song right from the day the artiste got the inspiration to the moment the song was released to the public.
ARTISTE: He is the main character of the movie and everything depends on him.
Sometimes artistes spend time to write and a song, for so many funny reasons, either because he wants to give a shout out to a girl he just met (for guys) or he just wants to sing on a particular beat (when they want to do cover).
Sometimes artistes do not put reason and purpose into consideration, they do not ask themselves why they are doing the song or who they are doing the song for, they just go on with what they are doing, and in most cases, they choose vulgar words as the major message in their lyrics. Words that can never be said on the radio or TV. That is the beginning of failure and I see no one succeeds along that part as an artiste unless in an extreme case where the artiste chooses to be like Zulezu and other artistes who have traded in that part. The simple question is where are they now?
The artiste can mal or make his own song, he has the right to say what he wants and everyone will listen to him; he has the right to be alone with the producer in the studio while recording and he also has the right to tell the producer the line he wants his beat to go because at the end, he is the one paying for everything.
The next question to ask when he used all the power he has bought during his recording session is simply this, what if his decisions are wrong?
It simply means he will be coming out rubbish and that means he will have himself to blame.
PRODUCER: About 70% of hit songs made in this country in the last two years will be attributed to good production and I can bet that majority of these songs were made when the artistes must have heard the already made beat.
Although they have not been recognized like they are supposed to, these guys are the key to Nigeria music. They create a trend and also kill the trend; they make an artiste famous and also kill the fame when a substandard job drops with the name of the artiste and whether artistes want to admit it or not, every song released has a producer’s influence in it.
They sometimes change the entire lyrics the artiste have come with and before the artiste could open his mouth to say a word, he will say this simple statement “Just leave it like that because I have seen the making of more hits then you have”
Who will turn out to be right at the end of the day, the producer or the artiste?
If the producer is wrong, he will end up murdering a concept that would have blown the artiste to the top and if he ever becomes right at the end, the artiste will have him to thank.
The truth is that this constraint has really given birth to so many songs that will never be sung.
STUDIO ENVIRONMENT: Because the studio is usually a place most upcoming artistes hangout every day, these artistes have done their part in affecting the kind of music that eventually leaves the studio when another artiste walks in to record.
When a beat is played, it usually do a lot of freestyle on the beat and sometimes, the owner of the beat might get confused and start thinking towards doing something close to one of the freestyles he was hearing.
The joy and applauds he sees in the studio when these freestyles are done makes him think that 10 million Nigerians are already applauding him for that song.
But the truth is every product is good for the maker, but the consumers will have the final say.
Some confident artistes usually ask for a closed door recording where they can be with the producer and some other authorized persons to avoid this interference.
One man’s food will surely be another man’s poison because so many artistes depend on these persons for their lyrics and the simple question is Can one get the smallest piece of gold free of charge, from an iron dealer?
Only few people can give out what they dearly need, and when they do so, they usually give unknowingly.
TRENDS: This part concerns the artistes alone because he is the only one who decides what to do with his music. Some artistes usually depend on the trending style of music to compose their own, forgetting that trends are created by human being, not spirits.
Low self esteem and lack of creativity are justifications for this act, yet these are supposed to be the least of virtues to be found in the character of an artiste.
When Yahooze came, some people ran to the studio to do their own and when it died, their songs died as well the same thing happened to Alanta and same will happen to Azonto and Etighi.
No one has wondered what will happen to the plenty songs done with that concept that never made it to the top.
ARTISTE’S FRIENDS AND FAMILY: They play a great role in the kind of song the artiste does, especially when the artiste is very close to them.
Some people go into a particular genre just to please their family members or probably just to finish what their parent could not complete.
That is a pure crazy step in life, using one’s destiny to please people, one thing that make people say ‘I wish I was never born in this family’. That is always the comment when regret has come, something that could be avoided by proving that you are moving on a right track.
An artiste tells friends that he has a new song and they ask him to sing the chorus, the next thing he sees are frowning faces and one suddenly say ‘have you not heard this hit track, do it like that artiste if you want to make a hit’
At this level, the artiste starts changing his mind.
Are friends and family of the artiste always wrong? They cannot always be because sometimes they are right in their judgments but those plenty times when they are wrong, they have murdered a great song that will never be resurrected.
PROMOTERS: I chose to bring them last because they are the last people in the music tree. They are the last to speak when an artiste must have produced a song.
They tell the artiste that his song did not make it to the top because it does not conform with the current trend.
But who decides the trend? Who creates it? When a promoter, presenter, or Dj does not like a song, he usually say it is below standard. This is actually one big reason why gospel music is rarely promoted on blogs because the whole blog has gone hip-hop.
Comments from producers often affect artistes when they are doing their next song and these advises usually make the artistes go as far as copying a hit song. He just ends up becoming the shadow of a known man.
Promoters are usually right, but never hundred percent right.
These factors are all responsible for making and destroying the concept an artiste has in mind before walking into the studio. Some people advise the artiste because they want to see him grow, others do so because they want to see him crash.
The whole thing is coming back to the artiste, who takes the credit of any success or failure that comes from his music.
Our artistes need to have a strong creative mind, they ought to know what they actually want and not just be people moved my opinions like the branches of a tree.
If this can happen, we will surely reduce the number of songs that will never be heard as well as unleash the creativity in us.
Follow Chinedu Hardy Nwadike on @hardynwa, or via BBM 21F3F44F
