THE GUARDIAN, April 2010 about AYAYA Carneval
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DAZAA DAZAA troupe steps up plans for Ayaya Carnival
PREPARATIONS are in top gears for Dazaa Foun...DAZAA DAZAA troupe steps up plans for Ayaya Carnival
PREPARATIONS are in top gears for Dazaa Foundation's December Carnival, which aims at providing platform for Nigerian youths to express themselves in sports, music and cultural presentations.
The foundation, set up in 2007 by Dazaa Aniama (a.k.a Dazaa Dazaa), a Nigerian musical exponent and cultural activist based in Berlin, Germany, lends support to young talents in two popular community activities: football/general sports and traditional/modern performing arts. It also seeks to build bridge of unity among people of all races and ages.
'Charity,' they say, begins at home, hence Dazaa Dazaa decided to build his foundation from his country home - Enugwuabo-Ufuma in Orumba North Local Council of Anambra State, Nigeria.
To win the acclaim of the people, he introduced youth football competition in primary schools called Dazaa International Cup.
The football competition in its first year (2007), saw three schools from three of the villages in his community partaking in the event. The schools were Primary School Enugwuabo, Community Primary School, Ikenagu, and Community Primary School, Umuaguosibe from Enugwuabo and Umuaguosibe villages in Ufuma. These communities put together are traditionally referred to as: 'Ikenagu.'
In 2009, more schools bought into the project, thereby bringing the total number of participating schools to 10.
By July, the foundation intends to begin the second phase of its mission programme, which is the introduction of traditional and contemporary musical programmes in schools within his communities. This is in addition to the skill acquisition, workshop and seminar activities introduced earlier on in the year.
"Our music programme is beginning in July after few years of experimental programme in general sports. We are motivated to carry out general music," he says.
Part of the working modalities for the musical talent hunt project, is to identify children with musical talents on the streets and support them through training and funding. Outside working with the schools to establish cultural and musical clubs, plans, according to Dazaa Dazaa, are on to organise a world-class carnival in his Ufuma country home. This maiden edition, which is tagged 'Ayaya Carnival, will hold on December 29.
"Ayaya Carnival Enugwuabo-Ufuma is a carnival of music and culture. Therefore, I wish to cultivate and showcase our rich tradition in performing arts. Festivals are all about entertainment, while carnival is a way to maintain, promote and commercialise skills, talents, and creative ideas," he says.
Part of the aim of the carnival, he reveals is to preserve the cultural heritage of the people: "We are organising this carnival as a way of bringing back our almost forgotten culture. The event, which will be held every two years, would be used to bring people from outside lkenagu and Ufuma communities to our beautiful land." He reveals that the procession would cover a distance of 500-800 meters (Primary School Enugwuabo to Ezieze market sqaure) in Enugwuabo-Ufuma. Some of the lined up activities include cultural and musical displays, traditional wrestling, Igbu-oja, Ima-avu (mbube), masquerade and cultural dances.
It will also showcase musical and cultural groups from other parts of Nigeria and outside the country.
Dazaa Dazaa says he counts on the supports of Mrs. Cordelia Okafor, Mr. Sunday Chika Uchime and Emman Okechukwu as well as his village union. "I am very sure that it is going to be a wonderful parade of talents,'' he says.
Professional juries (of three - five persons) would make up the panel that would evaluate the musical and cultural performances of the different groups while awards and prizes, which include recording contract/release (CD and DVD), and paid trip Berlin, Germany, for a cultural exchange programme.
On his musical career and cultural activism in Europe, the awards winning artiste reveals that he has completed works on his new album, which will be released in May. He also plans to tour Kazakhstan in the same month where he hopes to represent Nigeria at the world music festival.
THE GUARDIAN, March 2009
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DAZAA DAZAA... from Europe with love for budding talents
DAZAA DAZAA may not strike a familiar co...DAZAA DAZAA... from Europe with love for budding talents
DAZAA DAZAA may not strike a familiar cord for many Nigeria audience but not so for the global audience, especially in Europe (Germany) where he is known for his artistic and creative exploits, which over the years, have won him and his group as well as Nigeria - his country of birth, many international accolades.
In his over eight years of sojourn in foreign land, the Enugwuabo Ufuma, Anambra State born artiste is known for his blend of musical creation though with universal appeal but heavily lazed with Nigerian flavour. He sings most times in his native Igbo dialect.
Based in Berlin, Dazaa Dazaa has in the last five years maintained a compelling presence and potent force in the promotion of Nigeria at the ITB Berlin, a yearly travel and tourism exposition where he and his cultural troupe put on captivating performances drawing people to the Nigerian stand whenever Nigeria marks its day at the fair.
The list of honour for the UNESCO Cultural Ambassador includes a 2004 acclaim he got for himself and Africa in Turkey; A UNICEF tolerance award of excellence world peace; a UNESCO award in Uzbekistan in 2005; and a 2004 award in Kazakhstan at a world international cultural concert.
A multi-talented artiste, Dazaa Dazaa's areas of creative enterprise span music, poetry - traditional folklore, stage design and technical work. Aside singing and dancing, he also drums and makes costumes. With a Diploma in General Arts, he studied Events and Projects Management; Public Relations and Administration and also the German language.
Recently, Dazaa Dazaa was at the Rutam House, the Lagos office of The Guardian, where he unveiled his new love. With his trade-mark deadlock, spotted a white T - Shirt and jeans trousers, the artist looked his usual ebullient and good natured self.
Since arriving in the country late last year, he has been busy with children in his Enugwuabo Ufuma community through his Dazaa Foundation, an organization, which he says is devoted to identifying budding talents and helping to groom such talents.
Having made a success of his sojourn in Europe rising to the top as a Nigerian musical ambassador, he says his commitment now is to use his fame, wealth and connections to nurture Nigerian youths, and create the enabling environment for them to realize their dreams.
This certainly is a tall ambition and this Dazaa Dazaa knows too well hence he has evolved a wholistic programme since 2007, which extends to the parents and then the youths. He sees parents as not encouraging their children to identify and build up their latent talent besides sending them to school.
His is a classic example as his parents vehemently opposed his choice of career then. "When I started my music, my parents were my biggest problem not that they didn't love music but because they were not really aware of what music entails or what it embodies,'' he recalls.
Knowing the stigma and opposition that he had to contend with all these years before climbing to the top, the Berlin-based artiste says now is the time to liberate the children from the stronghold of their parents.
"The greatest thing that I have to do is to go back to those things that were big problems to me, especially parental bondage and the inability to have motivators.
"Fighting the negative impressions that our people have about the talents that are natural to their children. I want to set the pace, those things that I know that the people didn't make easy for me, I now want to use my time and connections and power to make it easy for the youths'' he enthuses.
Already, he has launched what he calls attack on the parents, which is geared at what he describes as 'liberating them' so that they become positive influence in grooming the potential of their children. His mother that was once against his musical career is now in the forefront of this liberation struggle since she has seen the light after visiting the son in Berlin and feasting on his successes.
"Right now my mother is joining me with my other family members on the campaign talking to other families, talking to parents, telling them of the future that abounds in talent,'' he says insisting that this is very important as "these are the things you don't go to school to learn, you don't pay any money but you only need a motivator. And that is what I am doing, passing it on to these kids, motivating them, liberating them and educating their parents.''
Besides educating the parents, Dazaa Dazaa says, "right now I have started a programme, which is almost two years old based on talent hunt. We started with football but right now we have expanded it to other categories of sports. We are launching a very wonderful attack on liberation of our children from parental bondage as a result we are planning a carnival (Ayaya Carnival 2010) based on the promotion of talents through natural endowment.''
He reveals how he has invested huge resources in the purchase of sports and musical equipment for use by the children. "These are the things that I want to do, that is why am spending a longer time in the country. You know what it takes to bring a new idea into the system and grow it to fruition. Our people always need that person who is the originator of the idea to tell the people what it is all about and why it is so,'' he says.
Bringing the project to the public domain is a problem that he is contending with now. "My greatest problem is awareness and this is why I need the press both electronic and print to help drum this project to the ears of our parents because that is where the problem lies.''
Besides, Dazaa Dazaa is also not happy with the indoctrination of the children by some religious organizations and the hold that they have on them. He narrates the sad experience he had last year with most of the children who were hitherto part of the project but later abstaining from it as a result of intervention and threats from religious bodies.
Two years on, Dazaa Dazaa informs that the foundation has enjoyed some level of stability as it now has an office with a secretary and a working committee also put in place to overseer the work in his absence. Next year, he intends to move the project to the next level by introducing the musical aspect. "I started officially in January 2007 and by next year we would start the music venture because music and sports are two different things.''
The whole project, he says, is informed by his vision to have a sports and music academy in the country. "My target is to have a sports and music academy anywhere in Nigeria. The biggest picture is that I want to live and see liberated souls playing the real Nigerian music.''
The vibes you also get from Dazaa Dazaa is that of his frustration with the present level of Nigeria musical industry. He sees the present tradition as the promotion of the 'nothing culture' or revolution,' hence he advocates a return to the authentic Nigerian musical ethos.
"The likes of Osita Osadebe, Victor Uwaifor, Fela Anikulapo, Sunny Ade, these are the people who have given Nigeria music a definite identity right from day one,'' he says insisting that his musical academy would be devoted to such principle.
"We, living abroad, are promoting the raw Nigerian culture and then coming home to see Nigerians imitating the West and the Europe then how do you compete? There is no Nigerian music on the international scene. If people like Fela, Osadebe can start locally and made it internationally why can't these kids continue on this line?'' he asked.
This is one journey that he knows is going to be difficult however, he speaks of his readiness to go the full hull. "The journey of one thousand years starts with a pace. I know that it is going to be done. Revolution starts with one person but with good idea. These kids are our tomorrow.
"These kids learn from watching, they learn from conviction. I was one of the wasted materials in the village and they saw me going through the moon to the better side of the world and now I am going back to tell them that even from the dungeon, even from the junk house, there is going to be one of the best stars on earth.''
He also believes that his absence from home would not stall the project as he has faith in the structure that has been put in place. For instance, he reveals that the chief co-coordinator is his primary school teacher who knows and believes in him.
The children too, he says, know him too well and are committed to the project because they believe in him. "The kids know me from day one, they grew up to hear the name Dazaa Dazaa and see me Dazaa Dazaa and they have copied a lot of things from me, which I notice each time that I come home. This foundation that I have started now and with the kind of thing that I am bringing to them they strongly believe in me and nobody wants to deviates from it and this is how it works.''
Already the community is beginning to reap the impact of this project, as the children from his Enugwuabo Ufuma were among the best children selected last year to represent the local government council. The council officials were baffled by their excellent and creative performance and never knew about the Dazaa Foundation until they were told of it and are now looking forward to meeting with DAZAA DAZAA
"If you are doing things with a positive mind, God who gave you the idea will make sure that you continue to push it with the identity that you have created. And even the children themselves will continue in the idea because they won't want to loose it,'' he says of the instant success of the project.
Speaking of his career, DAZAA DAZAA whose first love was football then a new recruit of First Bank Football Club until it was disbanded, says going to Berlin opened a new vista for him. "My going to Berlin is the greatest liberation that I got in my life as I was given the opportunity to do and say things the way I have them in my mind.
"This made me to proudly present Nigeria through my idea by showcasing the cultural aspect of Nigeria and then the modern aspect of Nigeria culture through our music. I am using our local songs and local languages to make wonderful songs.
"I am an Igbo but I speak English, I speak German, I speak the broken English then I am using all these languages in making rock, classical, pop, blues and high life music. This has taken me to the different corners of the world. I have been to Europe, Asia, Africa is my home.''
His first album 'Don't Loose control' was released in Nigeria in 2004 and since 2004 he has been working on his second album, which hopefully would be released on the international scene by summer of this year.
To help the Nigerian musical scene get to the international level, Dazaa Dazaa reveals his plan to use his connections in Europe to have some of them remix their music in Europe. He believes that the Nigerian musical scene is only passing through a phase and that with time the present 'nothing culture' would disappear while the original and authentic Nigerian music would return again.
FOREIGNER.de, June 2005
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DAZAA DAZAA is not only a singer, dancer, composer, designer, choreographer and actor, but also a gu...DAZAA DAZAA is not only a singer, dancer, composer, designer, choreographer and actor, but also a guardian angel for many people in need. He is a warm-hearted, traditional Rastafari from Nigeria and has been living in Berlin for four years. His life he describes as a walk along many paths lead by destiny – he changed directions from time to time, found his own style and learned to promote his originality. In Nigerian culture music accompanies everyone’s life right from the cradle and although it is for the most part a chanting and dancing culture the spirit of music is understood worldwide, which is what gave path to his road of life.
Why did you come to Berlin?
I think there was no special purpose! Destiny made it possible for me to come here.
When I devoted myself to music, after having walked through so many paths of life and having experienced so many different things, destiny sent me to Berlin. I was officially invited as a musician. That’s how it started. I came to Berlin and destiny told me to stay! Plus, there are also things one cannot learn at home. Migration always provides possibilities - it means learning, integrating, cooperating, unifying, understanding.
Were you already a musician in Nigeria?
Assami buman. Music is in our blood. Right from the day we are born. In our society there are customs for everything. When a baby is born people greet the new life by singing and dancing. So, from the very beginning and throughout my life I was surrounded by music, by singing and dancing. I grew up with it. It was not until I was older though that I started doing music professionally. I did many different things, like bus conducting, a lot of technical jobs, auto-mechanics. I wanted to study mechanical engineering at the university! That did not work out though. I was also quite good at football, which opened many opportunities for me. Music, however, was still always a part of my life – supplementary to the other things I was doing. I didn’t know then that it would be my major thing after all. With football and my general public affairs I got to know many different people. And then at some point I got more and more involved with music - singing for people, sometimes only for myself etc. My mind really started to get occupied with music and I lost interest in so many other things, like the auto-mechanic job I was doing. Before I even had the intention to join the Nigerian Army, but then I figured that I could get killed in the war, so I withdrew from that idea. At one point I wanted to be a professional wrestler! I didn’t have the chance to though, so I continued football. I got into the professional league, which is the Bundesliga in Nigeria. For some reason however, the club had to be disbanded and I decided that football was not my future.
And then I put all my power and energy into music. I studied traditional music on my own and founded several cultural groups. I was one of the dancers in my village and many people knew me. I created a dance group and worked with them. Then I realized that what I was doing was not only for my own people, but for everybody. I wanted to work with foreigners as well; send my message, you know? I started getting into English music. Not in schools, but in different studios, mingling with musicians, exchanging knowledge and experiences with them. It was then that I really got to know how studio recordings worked. I became a studio “rat” – that’s what the gofers were called in Nigeria. I mixed the drinks, carried the cables – those kinds of jobs. That’s how I got to see how music was being done. At that time we still worked with cassettes and turntables. My dreams about being a professional musician started manifesting during my time there. One day we were all hanging out at the studio while a recording was going on and the manager approached me and said that one of the backup singers didn’t show up, and they needed me to sing. He knew I had a good voice and told me to take it as a challenge. Now was the time to prove my talent. I was so frightened, mind you! I was standing in front of the microphone, completely unprepared! After a few minutes my nervousness settled and I sang the backups. So, from that day on I was asked frequently to do backup singing for other groups and one day I got the chance to sing the lead for this one group, whose singer had some issues with his tongue and wasn’t able to pronounce the words properly. When the record was released they asked me to join the group. So, that’s how I got into the music business in Nigeria. I played a few concerts with them, but we didn’t get along so well, plus, this was not my dream! I was there by mere chance, as a substitute for somebody else. People already knew me though, and I continued my cultural, traditional music – either with one of my groups or as a one-man-show! I moved from East Nigeria to Lagos and after I settled down I joined a group called “The Vibration Boys”. I also started a cultural festival called “Man’s Cultural Group” and then I formed another cultural group, only for girls, a childrens’ group – so, I was involved in all kinds of cultural affairs and got to know the music business quite well. Internationally, too – I worked for some Japanese, some Chinese people, not only with music, but I was into film, too.
As an actor?
First I started as a film operator. It seems like with me everything happens by chance. They noticed my technical skills and wanted me to work for them. I don’t really know how this happened. I just got to know this group of people that worked in the movie theatre. I told them that I was a natural with technical matters. I didn’t know how to operate the machine then, but I knew that I could learn quickly. So, they gave me a chance and I did it. The next day they sent me off to operate the projector at the local movie theatre. They said I’d have two weeks to familiarize myself with the machine. After one week I had it! So, I got this job, but really it was only to pay my bills and have a secure income. At the same time I was floating with so many different things still. I was constantly busy doing something. Not only all my musical and cultural groups but also other projects that opened up for me through the movie theatre. I learned so much during my time there. Not only technical things, but also how entertainment really works, you know? I discovered that it isn’t just about making money, there is so much more to it. One is to introduce your culture, two is to show your skills, three is to prove yourself and four is to use your ideas. You have to be clever in show business.
After a year I quit the job at the movie theatre. I think I knew all along that I would go back to music eventually, but for the time being it was a great learning experience. I felt like I had learned everything I could at that place and now it was time to move on. However, I did not go back to music right away. I wanted to implement the things I had learned at the cinema, like, I wanted to prove myself, I guess. I joined the “Nigerian Film Cast Association”. I got the chance to do a casting, which I did. They even decided to use my name for the caption. The film is called “The Call of Dazaa”. This film really brought me into the scene. The film was released in Onitsha and then was sold in Lagos and all throughout Nigeria. That really gave me a boost! I did another film after that – “Broken Heart”, and a third, but that one was never released. Many opportunities opened up for me, I was chosen Assistant Secretary of the “Nigerian Filmmaking Association” and more and more people started to recognize me. However, I always felt like things in this business were going in a wrong direction. We wanted to promote our culture, but our culture was being hidden. Instead people wanted to show off - imitate other artists from the east or the west. They were never really presenting their own thing. I tried to talk to people about this over and over again, but nobody would listen. So, I withdrew and left the NFA. Then I felt like I needed to prove my point and made a traditional film called the “New Young Festival”. I recorded the tradition of my people. With one of the most popular festivals we have in Nigeria. It is also done in Berlin every year. This year it will be in August. Everywhere in the world all the Igbus celebrate the “New Young Festival”. I recorded this tradition live – it took me five years in total. I gathered footage on film, videotape, tape and photos of about 2.5 hours. I gave the copies to the people that helped and supported me and kept the master for myself. It has not been released publicly yet. Half of the old men I interviewed and worked with on this film have already passed away. I’m sure however that there will be a time and place for this film to get its due recognition.
You did go back to making music after that. What is the music scene like in Nigeria? Is it rather traditional or would you say it is European/American socialized?
When I was a little boy I remember the music having been very original, very traditional. The older I grew however, the more and more things changed. Before I came here, only few people were playing the real thing. Most of them imitate American or even British music, famous artists in general – just because they want to make money. They lost all the principals of show business, which are to promote your own thing, to be an original – not a cheap copy, an imitation! I was very disappointed, watching so many good musicians selling themselves to the business to make money! In Berlin things are different though. People here appreciate originality and tradition much more. I don’t know what the situation back home is like these days; from what I see on TV or hear from friends that have gone home on vacation it seems like things are improving a bit. One thing I want to do for sure when I get back - and I know that many people will listen to me - is to take them back to the “Garden of Eden”, showing them the way back to their origins, their traditions. This is important, because most of the traditional Nigerian musicians – most of them are internationally well-known - are growing old, so we need young people to continue their work! It would be so unfortunate if Nigeria lost their representation of originality and tradition in music! I feel like I owe it to myself, and I want to do my best to achieve an awareness of this drawback.
Which languages do you use in your songs?
I sing in Igbu, my mother tongue, in English and German, and I also sing a bit Turkish as well. I have been to Turkey and was fortunate enough to learn a bit of the language. I experimented a little with it and included it in some of my songs.
Do you find it difficult, considering the variety of different tribes and therefore languages in Nigeria, to combine these in the music? Is there a general language that everybody uses and understands?
Before I came here, music had no language to me. The only importance is the ability to move the people. When I was in the east, people from the north and west were singing and dancing to the eastern music. When I lived in the north, we started an Igbu cultural group and when we performed, the Awusas, the Yorubas and the foreigners were dancing and singing to our music – no matter whether they understood our language or not! When I lived in the east I used to go to Yoruba shows, too, and the same thing happened there. The mental comprehension of words is not important in music, as long as you’re being your own self! The spirit of music translates every song right within yourself! So, language is not the problem in Nigeria. The problem is that most music producers are foreigners, who only want to make money out of it. The promoters, producers and vendors are only looking for the commercial venture. So, I am hoping to convince people to go back to their musical roots! See, when I was a young man 90% of the commercial music was traditional music, they were hit songs that sold all over Nigeria and even outside of the country! I was surprised, when I got to Berlin and went to the “Haus der Kulturen” for the first time, I found three or four Nigerian music albums there. Since I’ve lived here I’ve gotten to love German music and when I was in Turkey I got carried away with all the Turkish songs that I was introduced to. The Polish songs I know are very traditional songs and I love them! So, language is not a musical issue at all!
In terms of producing and selling your music in Western Europe as opposed to Nigeria. Can you compare both situations?
One thing I learned in life is that two things are true for everybody: One thing is luck and the other one is contact, connection. No matter what is going on in your life you have to have the patience and endurance to wait for your time to come. Luck only works with time so you have to be patient and wait. If you get to know people with a great network of contacts, you must wait for the right time to be introduced to and recognized by them. Then, once you get this connection you have it made! When my first album was released it barely sold. However, I got so much positive feedback from the press and music journalists! I knew - and I knew it all along – that my music was better than most of the songs that were in the charts then. The fact that I didn’t have the connection really lagged my progress behind. It is so much better here in Europe, because people just go for what they want! Like, with how I met Mahide (Anm. D. Red.: Mahide Lein ist Kultur-Vermittlerin und Chefin der Agentur AHOI - Kunst + Kultur) – she saw me perform at a concert and was like “Wow, I’m going for this guy!”, even though she didn’t know me. We do have Talent Agents like that, who go out and look for artists in Nigeria, but they are very rare. Once you have your connection the market decides whether you’re going to shine or not. You can be the best musician in the world, if you don’t have the luck and the contact, you will remain unnoticed!
You said you want to go back to Nigeria at some point. Do you consider Berlin a temporary destination on your way to somewhere else – how do you feel about Berlin?
I haven’t decided yet.. Berlin has become my second home! Of course I want to visit other places, other countries, but always come back to Berlin. I feel like my destiny is in Berlin. Here is where the seed has been planted and here is where it wants to breed.
We still have a problem with radical right winged groups here in Germany. Have you encountered conflicts of racist nature living here?
I think to some extent it is normal. Even in Nigeria it is an issue – when a white man takes a pretty Nigerian girl home with him, the boys are jealous, but nobody affronts them! Here, however it is a touchy subject because of the Nazi past. As for my skin, there was an incident
with some skinheads when I lived in the East. Four boys and a girl threatened me with a gun once at the U-Bahn station. It was in the summer. A friend and I were riding our bikes around and these guys started threatening us. After a while one of them said “Hallo, lass mal, der ist Rasta”. Let him go, he is a Rastaman, you know. Then one of the others started smiling and said “Tschüs, Rasta”. In fact, my dreadlocks help me a lot. People respect the Rastafari culture. It is known that the Rastaman is a man of the people, I guess.
Is Dazaa Dazaa your name at birth or is it a stage name?
My name is Kenneth Dazaa Aniama. Kenneth is an English name, but I don’t want people to call me by that name, since I’m not English. Dazaa is my Igbo name. It means “light”. At home people used to call me “Bushman”, because of the way I live! At some point my manager then told me that Dazaa sounded much better and more appropriate than “Bushman”, so we made it Dazaa Dazaa.
Let’s talk about your foundation. What was your idea behind creating the Dazaa Foundation?
I had already established the Dazaa Foundation in Nigeria. I worked a lot with those in need – children, pregnant single women, elders. I was part of many different charities. When I got here I discovered that helping other people is not only a Nigerian issue, but a world affair. People are in need all over the world and so I continued my work in Berlin. I also joined many other foundations here, like Unicef, Children’s International Cross, etc. I believe that working for mankind is our duty! I try to contribute a little bit to peoples’ happiness. I play for children, for the elderly at the nursing home, the handicapped home; from time to time the hospital invites me over and I play for the patients. They don’t have the money to pay me, but that’s not important, I play to give these people a little bit of joy. Now, my foundation back home is still growing, too. A friend of mine looks after it. The idea is to get recognized, to be able to help the less privileged, and the more my name gets noticed the better for the ones in need, too. The foundation is a helpline and focuses especially on the children in my area, Ofuma and Nguavo helping them to build their future. I would like to get much more into the search of talents, too. There are so many opportunities for these kids to be recognized and lead to a career in music, or the arts in general. We also support people that are in acute need of medical treatment, but are not able to pay the hospital bill – our part is to negotiate with the hospital, raise money and support the patient psychologically. Right now, we’re organizing a football competition in my hometown. It is called the “Dazaa Aniama Coup”. The eleven best players will get the opportunity to get trained in a good club.
Currently you perform with your group Dazaa Dazaa & the Spring Water. You’re a songwriter, a composer, a dancer, an entertainer, a designer, a percussionist and a performer! Which part of the whole process do you enjoy the most?
I am an artist. That’s all I can say. An artist is not complete doing just one thing. I don’t want to put a name on it really. My work is described and criticized by the people, not by me. My job is to do the work as best as I can and then the people will tell you what they see.
You are the head of the group, but you work with other great musicians as well. Sunny Chung composes and plays guitar for instance. Do you do the compositions together?
You know, composing music is not only writing songs. It also comprises teamwork. I do the compositions by writing the songs and finding the melody, whereas Sunny actually writes down the sheet music and assigns the instruments. The other members of the group are part of the composing process, too, because they create the background of the song and align the flow of the music on the computer. Those are things that neither Sunny nor I can do. Sunny is a guitar wizard, he creates the chords by listening to my singing and then writes down the notes. Sometimes he comes up with ideas of melodies and we arrange them with other ideas. We have so many songs that are just sitting in our archive, waiting to be included in an arrangement. We understand each other that way and that’s what makes our work worthwhile. Good music calls for perfect understanding. Same thing with dancing. I hear the song and almost immediately have an idea for the moves, and it doesn’t matter whether it is African music or Arabic, Indian music. I just go with the flow.
supersonic
