Sunday, June 28, 2015


Bawdy Songs Sell Because There Are Willing Buyers
…Charly Boy
He is to many of his admirers, Area Fada while to others, the Punk King and also bizarre. Furthermore, majority of his followers call him Charly Boy. But he is Charles Chukwuemeka Oputa, one-time president of the Performing Musicians Employers Association of Nigeria (PMAN) that has for close to a decade beleaguered on account of leadership tussle resulting in factionalisation of the body. In attendance at PMAN’s launch of its new biometric identification scheme in Lagos Uzo Chikere engaged Charly Boy this interview.
 Excerpt:  
Nigeria recently lost one of her foremost traditional music icons, Alhaji Dan Mrarya Jos. How do you feel about it?
Well, any death is a sad incident; whether they’re your friends; whether they’re your colleagues, we live to die anyway. So, for me it’s a sad loss. But when times come calling, time comes calling. When it’s done, take your dues and quit the stage. All we can do is to always remember him in our prayers and hopefully, he’ll be resting in peace.
This last week witnessed the World Music Day, looking at the music industry in Nigeria, how would you say we have done?
Individually, we’ve done well. I remember I was the pioneer of the big money on the business side. But collectively, we have failed and I’m not too sure if we are getting it right, and that is why I’m here to just lend my little voice; lend my support to somebody I think wants to do something; because this is a job you really need to be passionate about and for you to make it work, other things must suffer. I don’t know if other things have started suffering in his hands, because that’s the only way it can work. You can’t do PMAN work and have your own life or do something else; it doesn’t work, except you are just there for the title. That is what a lot of, past PMAN presidents had to go through; that is how we’ve been wired. But then, as I said; as per the industry is concerned, individually, I am very proud, but collectively, we’ve not done much.
In the midst of all of these problems facing PMAN, none of the past presidents is coming back like you to help fix them. What will you tell them regarding the issues on ground?
Well, everybody has their different reasons; everybody is bogged down with different problems, and the environment is not as friendly, but I will urge people like Tony Okorji, my friend, to put in the little he can so that we can all help because, he is just the past president that made any sense to me; the rest are neither here nor there.
One issue that has been a recurring decimal in the cultural sector is the need for instituting a cultural policy that will touch every segment in that area initiated in 1988, but presently, it seems to be going through review. What is your take?
It’s not a question of policy; it’s a question of the determination of the right owners to say we want to do something. In my time there was no policy; the roads were breakable, so to speak; we tried our best; it’s not about policy; policies don’t cut it for you. We have good laws that should protect the masses; what do you see? You see riffraffs who are breaking the laws anyhow; with impunity, and nothing happens to them. Is it the absence of the law or the policies? No; you just have corrupt people who are doing as they like, and we are supporting them because we are all waiting for our turn to go and do as we like. So it can’t get better.
Why has it been difficult to cub piracy in the country?
I keep saying that we don’t have monopoly of piracy for Christ’s sake. Not that it is difficult. It’s just like asking me why it is so difficult to kill. It is for the same reason a lot of greedy folks out there; a lot of people who don’t care about the general good; who want their own and right here now. But piracy can be consigned to history if we continue in this line that Pretty has laid; that is why what he is doing needs a lot of support. And I don’t see it happening without the support of some of the people I have mentioned; corporate bodies. A lot of witch still dey inside dis industry; useless this people, and I keep seeing them; they are not yet dead; I saw a lot of them in that hall and I’m saying this poor boy has a lot to go through. Without the help of a few elderly people, I don’t know.
As we speak, there another faction of PMAN. What would you want to say about all the divisions in this industry as it concerns your union?
Well it is natural that in any union, you will see a lot of squabbles; you see a lot of disagreements; it depends on the leadership. In my own time; in the beginning there were factions too. But, if you know how to bulldoze; if you are so wired, or you solicit for help. I did solicit for help; I didn’t do it on my own. But my help came from people outside the industry; until you assert yourself, there will always be factions.
These days you notice that the younger artistes dish out bawdy lyrics. What can be done to minimize this?
If you are not buying, they won’t be playing. It is because you are buying that they are playing. You listen to music either to relax or for it to teach us something. So it depends on where your ears are; there are a lot of illicit lyrics; there are other profound songs out there that can touch the soul. But the young ones now are more interested in how much money they are making than what they are teaching people and you can’t blame them for that; they didn’t get into the business to come and be broke like me; they want to make money…(Laughter)…
Are you really broke?
Yeah, I’m broke according to music. If I know that you all gathered here like to listen to sexual tunes, I will play you sexual tunes, so that you can buy more and I make money. Period
Why did you do”Big Bottom”?
For that same reason I’m talking about; so that I can tell you what you want to hear and you give me money…(Laughter).

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