Lagos-based musician, Sound Sultan, has defended younger acts whom have been accused of reeling out songs that have no meaningful messages.
According to him, it is difficult to dissuade them from the tradition because it is what pays their bills and those of their sponsors.
In an interview published in ‘Saturday PUNCH of today’, he says, “I am very proud of the new crop of artistes and I do not have a favourite. I think Nigeria music has come of age, it is not fair to say that it is rubbish music that is out there. These singers are really brilliant. If you think of how they come up with the songs, how they have been able to push their songs and the peculiarity of the Nigerian music industry, you will know they still push their music.
“A lot of people do music to feed their families and themselves. Creativity might not be a direct road to the market. In a situation like this, the people that are complaining that the songs are bad are the ones buying them. If the whole country is complaining that the music is thrash and at the end of the year, and you invite these same people that their music is thrash to come and perform at your shows, then they are the ones buying the songs at the end of the day.
“If they know that they are getting money from it why would they not continue? They have sponsors and if they do songs that have meaning but do not sell well, their sponsors would tell them to change their style so that they can make some money.
“Who knows, maybe if I got into the industry at this time, I would have watered down my message but I came at a time when we were in the business out of passion and not for money.”
