In this exclusive interview, award- winning Nigerian singer and songwriter KOREDE BELLO opens up about the unexpected ways his journalism education has shaped his music career. He also shares the inspiration behind his latest single and how personal experiences have influenced his writing. EGUNGWU CHUKWUKA BENJAMIN brings excerpts.
In what ways has your journalism education supported your music career?
Very much. I always say I under- stand how the media works in a way and that has kind of kept me out of the wrong side of the media. I know people are just looking for entertainment and bad news spreads faster, but besides that, I know what makes news, and I know what’s newsworthy. I know how to engage people, and the audience, and I know how to interact on a social level. On digital media, it helps me to understand what the audience’s mind is like. I know what my demography is like. I understand how to speak to alot of people at once and how to make someone feel like I’m talking to just them.
One of the reasons I love radio is that it’s just one person. When a broadcaster is talking on the radio like we were taught in school, they’re talking to just one person. But if it’s TV,they’respeakingtoalotof people. The reason is that when you listen to the radio, it’s just you, it’s your ears, the medium, the sound. You feel like it’s just you that the person is talking to. I see music as the same thing when people play music and they plug it in their ears. I want to talk to them. I want to make them feel like I’m just talking to them, like a friendly conversation. If I want to sing about beau- ty, for instance, which is something I do a lot it’s like I’m broadcasting a song and whenever people play it or whenever ladies play it, I want them to feel beautiful, I want them to feel like I’m just talking to them. That’s been something that radio taught me, knowing how radio works. Also, in general, I just know how to handle the media. I think the media is some- thing that’s always going to be here. I’m mass communicating my music to the world and it helps. Knowing it helps because I have a global audience and I know how to speak to a global audience.
When I want to speak to a local or indigenous audience, I know how to make music that connects. It’s interesting because I’ve been able to do that. I’ve been able to appeal to different demographics with my music. It’s like different channels, like the credibility of music. You find something for the party, for the clubs, for older people, for younger people, and for international audiences. I’ve been able to create an art form that connects with diverse audiences whenever I choose. So being knowledgeable in how media works has helped me to translate that into what I do.
Your lead single featured music maestro, Don Jazzy on it. How was it easy working with him on the song?
Oh, it was very easy to make some- thing with Don Jazzy. We just like to record how we’re feeling in the moment and that’s really what it was. I hit up my boss and said, Yo! Don Jazzy, we need to give them new mu- sic for the Omoolope and Don Jazzy folder and we just pretty much got in the studio, the first song we worked on was ‘Minding My Business’ and it’s my truth… Jazzy’s truth as well.
I just had the freestyle on the beat. And, you know, that chorus came up. It was the first melody that I had recorded because I wanted to create an album that was a reflection of my own experiences and my truth. A lot of people ask where is Korede? The song is like a response to that. I’m just minding my business and the work that pays me is what I face daily. I don’t need to be in front of people just for. being in front of people’s sake.
I want to show up with meaning and purpose. I want to have some- thing to give and offer and share that makes my presence worth saying “Wow”.So, it was very easy to make.
We were just really vibing and having fun and excited and just speaking our truth. I wanted us to make some- thing that could make people dance and still have meaning. I think we achieved that. I’m very happy about that. I’m very grateful to them. Jazzy obviously, for always coming through with the beats. And I’m grateful that the people love it. You know, it’s been going viral and I’m grateful.
What’s next for Korede Bello? Looking at your new project KOREDAY are there col- laborations or remixes in the work?
Yes! there’s a lot of good stuff that is happening after KOREDAY. By the grace of God, fingers crossed, every- thing aligns and the stars align, and God’s grace will make everything happen the way it’s supposed to hap- pen. But aside from that, I’m not say- ing anything, because I don’t want to jinx anything. I want my people to be able to look out for all things Korede Bello. Also, there’s a perfume line for KOREDAY my new brand. I have a KOREDAY perfume and I have Beau- ty and Bliss as well. Two fragrances that are out and for sales right now at Shop- KoredeBello on Insta- gram and Twitter.
You have achieved significant success in the Nigerian music industry. What advice would you give to up-and- coming artistes trying to make a name for themselves?
I don’t like to be in the business of advising people. But if I would give advice to people coming up, I think I’ll advise them as if it’s me in the past and so the same advice I’ll give them is what I’ll give to myself. I would say, you have to be very clear on your why. Why are you doing this? Why do you want to be an artiste? Why are you an artiste? Are you an artiste for the business? Are you an artiste for the passion?
Understanding your why would help you a lot because either you’re doing it for the business or the pas- sion is not going to be easy. But at least understanding why would help you with the decisions you make and the collaborations that you make. And there’s nothing wrong with doing it for both. Absolutely. You should do that you can do. We can do music as a source of living. You can make music as something that you just love to do as an art form that you want to share with the world. But your why is very important because no matter what people comment, no matter what people say, you cannot deceive yourself. You know, you have to be sure that this is what you want to do and this is what you’re blessed to do and this is what you’re gifted for.
For instance, if your why is that you want to be an artiste because you want to share experiences, things that you learned in your music; or you want to be an artiste because you want to be the best new artiste that Afrobeats or African music has ever witnessed, that’s fine. If you want to make art because you want to make the best forms of art that you can make personally on this planet, that’s also great. But it’s very important that you know the reason why you’re doing this music thing and when you know that, when you clarify that. I think the next thing is to just continue building your following, build your community. And I didn’t say followers because there’s a difference between the following and followers. Not everybody who follows you actually follows you because they mean well for you. But the following is like a genuine community of people who actually like what you do and understand the why behind why you do what you do. So, the followers follow you and they understand your why. They understand your art. They understand who you are as a person, as a brand. A follower is anybody who just gets you, wholikesasongortwo.SoIthinkif a community follows you, having that followership is very important. But people can follow you but they don’t know what they’re following for.
It’s easier to follow you when you know why you’re doing what you’re doing and you know where you’re going. So, if I would advise myself, I would say continue making music that makes people feel better. That’s my why. To make music that makes people feel good, to make people feel better, and to make people feel like the best versions of themselves.
NB: This interview was originally published in The Independent Newspaper on 13th July, 2024.