From KSA to Tuface: Who is the next Nigerian superstar?

After almost a three-month break from the hassles and battles of organising a national music award, this page is back on steam. Now, our mandate has been expanded – we have been given a free-role like the deadly creative midfielder in a well-trained football team. Expect the darting runs; the wow-evoking dribbles; spectacular free kicks, back breaking assists, and of course, the occasional sensational goals.

Welcome to FAJ’s Blitzy Fantasia – to the place where we don’t mince words and look for another name to call a spade – but a damned good spade. Expect anything – entertainment-wise (well, as long as the editor permits, that is).

So, bragging over, enjoy these series I’ve been working on during my ‘break-time’. And let me have your thoughts and comments.

Fact 1: Mr. Sunday Adeniyi Adegeye (aka King Sunny Ade) – around my adolescent corridor – was the ‘Lord of the Jungle’… the centre point of my entertainment romance.

Fact 2: Like him or not, Mr. Innocent Idibia, Tuface/2face/2Baba etc., has been, arguably, the most dominant minstrel of the past decade and more. As far as my children are concerned, no artiste has more razzle-dazzle than the slender one from the lulling hills of Benue.

It is quite difficult to argue with them. However, one has seen more stars – more ‘eras’ and more deflowering of great artistic promise and paradise.

We have been a witness to the great iconoclastic mesmerism of Fela’s music and mantra… One had been a ‘sighter’ of the short flight and explosive entree of Kris Okotie into our musical firmament. We were there when a Jide Obi, Felix Lebarty, Nico Mbarga, Sir Shina Peters, Mike Okri, Majek Fashek, The Mandators, Ras Kimono, Onyeka Onwenu…stunned the senses with panache and unbridled talent.

 These names are not footnotes in the history of Nigerian musical talent-spread; they are the august members of an illustrious shortlist of artistes who bewitched us with great debuts and/or sophomores. Men and women who today may be a little distant and gyrating below your radars – but believe me when I say they pack a giant punch in the annals of Nigerian true musical talents…

 Fortunately, a few of them are still hopping around at the very top of the mountain, pulling strings that reveal their illustrious antecedents… that is, referring to Lagbaja, Femi Kuti – and who else but the effervescent, swashbuckling don of the musical dynasty – King Sunny Ade (KSA).
For diverse factors, (which is not the focus of this write-up) KSA has remained a blinding lodestar – a continual embarrassment of prodigious talents expressed in seemingly endless dimensions and dynamics. The 67-year-old man with half a century romance with music simply will not be blown away.

It will seem unfair if it appears we are comparing KSA to Tuface – no, far be it from me. Not only will it be unfair, it will also be disrespectful and utterly unreasonable. The attention of this article is focused strictly on situating the closest next-generation artiste that is best positioned to subsequently command the artistic excellence; the stage imagery and fluorescent charisma of KSA, and therefore attain the elder’s quality longevity.

As many times as I went round the subject with my searchlight, the orb of scrutiny always fell on the gangling man with the innocent face. Using certain criteria, the results show beguiling similarities – even in less flattering scenarios and discriminating circumstances.

We will ‘attack’ these elements (positive or negative) with such ’conditionalities’ like: ‘Vocalization’ (vocal ability); Stagecraft (or the ‘wow’ability); Innovation (or turn-around-ability); Compositional Skills (Oh! Thou sweet music), and of course, Lifestyle.