Mavin Records’ up and coming act, Korede Bello, in a new interview with
punch, disclosed how he got into music and met popular producer and
Mavin Boss,
Don Jazzy. and further talked marriage too. See excerpts below:
The social media was set on fire last weekend with Korede Bello’s ‘wink.’ What is it really about?
I would be lying to you if I tell you that I know how it came about
because prior to when we released the Dorobucci video, I did not even
know that I winked in that video.
But after the video was released, people were just commenting on my
social media pages that they liked the wink. Everybody was just talking
about the wink; the buzz was not really on the video, so I decided to
tell my fans to put up pictures of them doing the wink and alert me.
We learnt you said bead of sweat got into your eyes in the video and that was how the wink came about…
I never said anything like that. If you listen to my part of the song,
you would see that the wink actually complemented my part in the video.
How did you get involved in music?
I started doing music a long time ago. It started when I began to listen
to the songs played by my parents; they both loved different kinds of
songs. My father loved the indigenous music while my mother preferred
foreign music. I grew up listening to diverse music. I fell in love with
music and it fell in love with me.
When I was in school, I was always participating in social activities
and I represented my school in acting, dancing and singing
competitions. My first music group was formed with my friend when we
were in primary six and that is when I wrote my first song. When I got
into secondary school, it was a different ball game. I was better and
more into writing songs. But when I got into senior secondary school, I
began professional music by recording my songs in the studio. My first
official single was recorded when I was in secondary school.
Didn’t your parents have any problem with you getting involved with music at such an early stage?
I love my parents so much and one of the reasons is because they support
me and would put their money on anything that would make me happy. I
came from them and they love music and they love supporting their son.
The only issue they had, especially my mother, was my staying out late.
She did not want me to stay out late because as of then, I was just
writing my West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination.
I had to be in the studio mostly at night and my mother did not really
like that. Aside from that, everything was fine. My father got me my
first guitar and paid for my first studio session. They are big fans of
Korede Bello right now.
Did your involvement with music while in school affect your studies in any way?
One of the reasons my parents supported my music while I was in school
was because I was not a dullard. I was doing very well in school and it
motivated them to support me. My teachers were also very supportive
because I was doing very well in school. At the end of the day, you
cannot really serve two masters, it would have been better if I was
concentrating on music or my studies solely but I thank God for giving
me the grace to balance both and still come out great.
How did you meet Don Jazzy?
Since I started music, God has always been good to me. I can never be
grateful enough. One thing I have learnt is that once it is time, it is
actually your time. The truth is that if anyone had told me about two
years ago that I would be working with Don Jazzy, I would say it was a
big lie but I am working with him right now. A lot of people listen to
your songs but it takes just one person to make a difference in your
life. That is what happened to me because I released a song
called‘Forever’ and people loved it but it just took one person to
listen to it and introduced me to Don Jazzy’s friends. They were also
astounded by what they heard and they introduced me to Don Jazzy. He
invited us to the studio with my manager, Casmir, we recorded some songs
and that was it. When he heard my song, he said that I was a mega super
star and that was it.
How did you feel the first day you met him?
Before I met him, I was a big fan of Don Jazzy. I would not lie. I did
not feel like a mega super star, I felt really humbled. I was reserved
on the outside but on the inside, I kept telling myself that it was
really Don Jazzy. At the end of the day, when there is music in the air,
everybody is on the same level. I always feel inspired when I am with
Don Jazzy, there is no dull moment. When we are having our musical
session, everything becomes a sound to us. From the way we laugh to the
sound of a knock on the door, anything can be used to make music.
What has the experience been working with him?
Working with Don Jazzy has been a blessing and a learning process for me
both in my career and as a person. There is a difference between doing
perfect music and doing the kind of music everybody loves.
That is where
Don Jazzy is different from other producers, it is a great gift to be
good at what you do and be able to communicate it to people. Working
with Don Jazzy has taught me that it is not entirely about your talent
but it has to do with packaging and marketing the right thing.
Your label mate, Dr. Sid, got married recently, when do you plan to get married?
If Don Jazzy is not married, I cannot think about it. If my boss has not got married, why should I be thinking about it?
