For juju music star Jide Chord, there is no place like home. After a long sojourn in the United Kingdom, bubbly Jide is finally back home. According to him, the high demand for his kind of juju had informed his relocation to Nigeria."I have been in London for almost 20 years. I have achieved a lot. No party in the UK is complete without me. But my fans at home felt cheated. They too wanted a piece of the action. I thought that while abroad, I could dash home occasionally to perform but it was not easy that way. Now, I am finally back home to cater for my fans," he declared.
Indeed, Jide is home for serious business. Part of his plans for the home fans is releasing, any time from now, his old works which have been repackaged by Bayowa Records.
He said: "My old works have been re-mastered and repackaged into two double albums, and will be released by Bayowa Records in two weeks. One album contains Festival of Love and Brown Sugar. The other album will have Another Level and All For You. They have been repackaged because there is a scarcity of my old works. My fans can now buy and enjoy them."
Having left the country almost two decades ago, Jide has come home to meet an improved entertainment industry. According to the juju crooner, in the 1980s when he was working as a banker in Lagos, the industry could boast of a few musicians. Now things have changed as many people are earning their living playing music.
"I see a marked improvement in the industry. The playing field is much different. In those days there were few musicians. A lot of people took things for granted but now you have to jump up ten times as high to get noticed. Now, only the best can survive and that is a very good environment for growth," Jide stressed.
Cutting Edge
But what has Jide got to offer in the highly competitive industry? He said it is creativity and super confidence. Hear him: "Its about creativity and confidence to do my own thing. I want to be a musician of relevance not just someone that comes and apes what others have done. This is the main problem of juju in which musicians are either copying Sunny Ade, Obey or Shina Peters. Back home, what I am offering is creativity and confidence. Thank God, I have been able to achieve certain things while abroad.
Another thing I am bringing back home is the business aspect of music. I have properly managed the business aspect, I mean the administration and logistics of my music. This is how I have survived in the UK, taking my music very serious. By God grace, a lot of artistes will learn from me how to run their music business. What is missing from lots of Nigerian artistes is proper management. Most musicians don’t know that they need a good manager, not an errand boy but a manager that tells you what to do. We need lawyers and accountants to come into our business so that it can be properly managed. This is what happens abroad."
Challenges
I have seen a lot. My main challenge was getting people to work with me in London. People were initially afraid of associating with musicians. They did not want to be seen playing maracas or drums behind a musician. They wanted to be seen doing more serious jobs in London. So, it was hard to get committed band boys. But because of my persistence over the years, music became an industry that everybody loved to associate with. It was a painful experience. I almost lost my family because I spent virtually all my money on equipment, shows and anything relating to music. Now that I am back home, the challenge I am facing is getting people to believe that I am available and not expensive."
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