Udoka Oguamanam popularly known as 'Slam' is a music artiste with enormous endowment. Well educated and apparently focused, he currently has songs that are making waves in major radio stations.

In this interview with REPORTER Ifeoma Meze, he makes an informed analysis of the problems in the entertainment industry and the way out. Excerpts:

When did you go into music?

I have been in music since the age of nine, but professionally, I was with a group called Clan. The group did not work out very well so I joined Oxygen. Oxygen still did not work out very well because we had some managerial problems. Oxygen was made up of Paul Play, Tony Tonero, Swave and I. Because of the problem Kennis Music signed Paul, and since we were very close, he pulled me into Dairo Foundation Project where we had the Happy Day song. In 2002, I got signed into Kennis Music. I left Kennis Music in 2005 after having a three-year, two-album deal. The two albums were, Ibu Chineke and dreaming about you. Later I got signed into Scored Records and this year, I released the third album Simply Slam.

How come it took you a long time to release another album?

Part of what delayed the release of the album was my education. Besides, sometimes I don't know why it took me a longer period to release an album. Most of the artistes that have hit songs on air don't even have an album. The system in Nigeria does not work with releasing an album but I felt mine was long overdue. I have been recording lots of songs and I go to clubs to test them to see people's reaction and if they don't like it, I go back to the studio. Also I had to work with different producers to get different fillings and vibes. That is another reason it took me a long time. I would have released some of the tracks in 2005 when I left Kennis Music but when I got my visa to travel for my studies, I decided to suspend action and continue working on the songs over there. When I came back, I had to scrap most of them because I found out that they were not blending with the kind of music selling in Nigeria. Nigerian music changed and I had to go with the flow without losing my style.

So what is happening to your certificates?

They have been kept on the shelf. I always tell people that it doesn't always end with music; you can always do other things. Even in London people that are into music have other things that they are doing. Nigerian career structure does not always encourage doing two jobs at the same time. At least there should be something to fall back on at the end of the day or when things did not really work out with the music career. You can't keep singing all your life. We are talking about re-branding and to achieve that, people have to be educated to stand up and talk about re-branding. On the work on our image, I was listening to the news and some of our Nigerian artistes don't know how to recite the National Anthem and they don't know what some of the words in the anthem mean. So it is really important for musicians to be educated.

Do you have any other job aside music?

For now, I have to keep it with the music because I found out that other times I was one leg in one leg out. If you really want to get something done, you have to give it your hundred percent attentions. You give yourself a target and a time line, which is what I am doing now. I am going to delve into all forms of entertainment like acting. I am trying to build a studio as well. Everything I am doing now has to do with entertainment. There was a movie I acted recently with Ramsey Noah called guilty pleasures. Another one is coming out soon as well with Genevieve. I am doing a lot right now to get my face back out there to my fans.

In future, are you likely to fall back on your certificates for a job?

Honestly for now, I can't say what I will do next. What I know is 'now' and I am going to pursue 'now'; whatever 'next' has to offer, I may delve into it. We are not in control of our lives. We just hope for the best in whatever we do and that is why you cannot put all your eggs in one basket.

Since the release of the Simply Slam album what is the reaction like on the Radio/TV stations?

I just released a new video, Buku Buku, being played a lot in most of our local stations. I have sent it down to the international stations as well. So it takes a time span for it to spread. The problem with releasing an album without having a hit track is that people would pick different songs that they like. Like in Rythme FM top10, Jankolo is number three while some people like Buku Buku.

How many tracks does the album have?

It's made of 18 tracks. That is why it is hard to choose especially when the songs are very good. Some radio stations are continuously playing ex girlfriend track while some choose other ones that suite them. Some people may hear these different tracks from different radio stations and not know that it is the same person that sang them. So, it is a little confusing.

Do you think there is problem with the kind of music we have now?

I noticed that most of the hit songs in Nigeria now are not all about having a good voice. We need to check all that. Most DJs don't even want to play a song that is not on tempo 120 and I wonder where they learnt that. Who are they to talk about what songs to play at what tempo? The major problem that we are having with Nigerian music is with the marketers and the distributors and it is not them that are having the problem, it is we the musicians that the problem hit most. We do not make money from album sales if they are not bought from you personally.

The distribution level in Nigeria is on zero level. Because of piracy, a marketer tells you how much he is going to buy your album and you don't have a choice but to sell it to him because if you decide to handle it on your own, pirates will deal with you and you may end up not getting a dime. They tell you how they want to handle your work, which is not supposed to be so and so we are at their mercies. Most of the musical and entertainment organisation that are supposed to fight for us are not doing anything. A musician that is a citizen of this country is not supposed to pay a TV station or radio for his songs to be aired but some of us want our songs to be aired to get signing deal to recover what we have spent.

In London, Radio and TV stations that play your song which to them has content, pay your distributor a token of five pounds and some percentage of the money goes to the artiste. Imagine when all other stations do the same. If things like these are being applied in our country, then artistes would not suffer.

Do you think government would help solve the problem?

Some people say we should hope on government for support. But why would the government come in if they don't know how much revenue that they can generate from it. Why we cannot account for the revenue is because we don't have a proper distribution. If there were proper distribution, they would be able to tell the amount of money that is gotten from each CD sold and then can calculate how much that would go to government as tax. There is piracy everywhere including America but the difference is that it is not as serious as we have here.

On the other hand, government can do something by setting up a proper body to look into the system and if they are serious about it, they can help the situation because piracy is growing out of hand and it is a big problem to us artistes. But I know things will get better soon.

Do you think that the kind of songs we have these days have languages that children should not listen to?

Not really, Nigerian music industry is going through a phase. There was a time it was reggae music that was in vogue in Nigeria and all of a sudden, it changed. Some of the songs that are tagged 'bad' are usually banned from going on air. I am not really a party to the banning of music because it is money that these artistes use to produce these songs and you don't even care if they get their returns though there are some songs that don't make sense at all in terms of lyrics. Abroad, songs with x-rated words are played very late in the night. At 10 p.m., you expect your kids to be sleeping. It is part of proper upbringing. Then we can play some kind of songs late at night. People use hard earned money to produce it and it is not a joke.

Don't you think they can easily pick them up from a shop and watch?

This is where the parental guidance tags like Sex, Nudity, Violence and Language (SNVL) that most CDs have comes in but all these are neglected in Nigeria. This is why I always say that when Nigerians want to take a decision, they take step C before step A. Why would you ban a song when you know that it can easily be picked on the streets and you know that the parental guidance seal is not really observed in the society. Fashola banned porn on the streets and to me that is a great step because parents cannot allow their children to rent or buy a porn video. The parental guidance education should start at home because parents should guide what the children watch because most schools do not have televisions where they can watch videos.

How good is the fame that comes with being a musician?

The fame is interesting. People are beginning to recognise me unlike before when nobody knew who I was though it has not gotten to where I am expected. I don't have a problem with the fame because it is part of the career.

Your song is picking up on radio stations yet few people know you in person.

My name is Udoka Oguamanam. I am from Nwangele Local Government Area, Imo State. I am the fifth child from a family of seven. I am a Christian. I went to Our Lady of Apostle's Primary School. My secondary school was in Federal Government College Wukari, Gongola, now Taraba State, while my university was in Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), where I studied Petroleum Engineering. I did my Masters degree in Marketing in London.

Aside music what other talent do you have?

I am a very good dancer. I am working on a dance video with Kaffy, which will come out soon and I paint very well too.