HOW I BUILT D'BANJ, ASA & CO INTO BIG BRANDS!

Sunday Are, the CEO of List Entertainment, an artist  management outfit that is a household name amongst music stars. He has contributed in no small measure to the growth of the music industry in Nigeria.  For 35 years,  he’s been working tirelessly to change the fortune of some of the nation’s most successful musicians though not many people know this. From a humble beginning as a “boy boy”, as he would describe himself, Sunday who is also an accomplished drummer and Sound Engineer, has risen to become one of the nation’s most influential and successful artist managers. The   Ijebu born hard-working man has worked with a long list of A-list musicians, including, Onyeka Onwenu, Christy Essien Igbokwe, Majek Fashek, Lagbaja, Toni Tetuila, Tunde & Wunmi Obe, Asa, Obesere, African China, D’banj, Don Jazzy and a host of others.  He also worked  with Miatta Fahnbulleh (a Liberian artiste). For every artist he worked with, like Lagbaja, he set up their bands. He  met Lagbaja when he was working at Sony Music with Mr. Laolu Akins. He had worked earlier with one of the finest musicians ever produced in the country called Majek Fashek. He linked Lagbaja with Sony Music, which recorded his second hit album “ Cool Temper” He  worked with him for six years before he left to do other things. Sunday Are was behind the creation of Lagbaja the Masked Man. He  had the concept which was to have a faceless human being who can sing, play the instrument and dance. The  concept was most suitable for Lagbaja who plays the instrument and can also dance. In an interview with an online magazine, Sunday Are speaks on his 35 years in the game among several other issues.

How did the journey start?

The journey started in 1979, I was a young boy then.  I am from a very humble polygamous background.  I lost my father when I was very young, so I had to look for a way to fend for myself.  I thought of what to do and  since I love music, I decided to do music. There used to be a popular music group then called The Roots Foundation, they were based in Surulere and  lived close to my house so I began to work with them. I started working with them when they just released their first album, I think. When they released the album, the owner of Punch Newspaper, the late Aboderin, bought all of them brand new Volkswagen cars and I was always happy to be around them. When they realised that I had passion for music, they brought me into their house and I lived with them. While I was living with them, I started learning how to play the drums because my boss, Prince B (Prince Bola Agba) , a member of the band  was a  both drummer and a singer; he was the one who introduced drum sets to Juju music and he did that for King Sunny Ade. From there, I began to learn Sound Engineering. I set up a rehearsal/demo studio right inside our compound and people would come to record demo and all that. So I started as a drummer and a Sound Engineer before I metamorphosed into an artiste manager, setting up bands and all that.

When did your career kick off professionally?

I would say 1984. I left The Roots Foundation to work with another band, October Band.  The band did an album for Orlando Julius, who was based in the U.S then. The  album was launched at Caban Bamboo, Bobby Benson’s hotel and we also did one at the National Arts Theatre. After that, the band followed Orlando to the U.S. When they left, I went back to my boss, Prince B. I also had another boss called Richard Cole,  the band leader of The Groovies (Bongos Ikwue’s group). I later worked with KK band; they were working with Mandy Brown of Taxi Driver fame, Terra Kota, Dizzy K Falola and others. While I was managing the band, I worked with these  musicians. In 1987, Richard Cole of The Groovies and Arakatula of blessed memory, both came to me and they told me they wanted to set up a band for the late Christy Essien Igbokwe, and that I should  manage the band. I worked with them for sometime before I moved on to work with Majek Fashek. Majek knew me way back before I started working for him. He used to be in a group called Jah Stix and they hired instrument from us. So he told me one day when we met at Raggae Sun Splash at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) , that he would be travelling to London to release his album, “Prisoner Of Conscience “, the album that had the monster hit song, “Send Down The Rain” and that when he returned , I had to start working for him. That was how I began to work with him.

When did you have your big break?

The big break came in 1987 when I was working with Majek Fashek. “Send Down The Rain” was so huge that it took us everywhere in the world. We were always on tour, everybody wanted to see him perform. It was a great experience for me and I cherished that moment a lot. It was the defining moment in my career. It was a period when I met a lot of people, it was a period big stars looked for me to work for them. It was at that time I met Mr Laolu Akins and I worked with him at Sony Music. I learnt a lot of things from him on music production. I was able to discover some talents when I was working with him. One of the talents I discovered and took to Sony Music was Abass Akande Obesere. I co-produced  Asakasa, OBTK and Mr Teacher. In 1989, I went on tour with Majek Fashek in the U.S. The tour was supposed  to last a few months but we ended up staying there for close to a year. A record label called Interscope approached us for a deal and we had to stay back to record and release the work before we returned to Nigeria. The album was titled, “Spirit Of Love”. After some years, we were invited for a tour support for Marvin Gaye and at that time, I had a lot of things I was working on, I was working with Laolu Akins and we had many of musicians like Shina Peters, Adewale Ayuba, Iyanda Sawaba , Funmi Aragbaye and Stella Monye, so I decided to stay back in Nigeria . Majek stayed back in America for several years and I moved on to work with Lagbaja.

How did you start working with Lagbaja ?

It’s just the same way I started working with other artistes. He saw what I was doing and he approached me to work with him. I helped in setting up his band, Colours. I worked with him for many years and we had a very good working relationship. Working with Lagbaja was the best moment in my career, it was an interesting experience. We were very close.

Asa is one of the artistes you made, can you tell us how you discovered her?

I met Asa at BJ’s hotel, the MD of the hotel owned Miles Ahead Entertainment and he was into promotions . Every month, there was a Jazz musician to perform at BJ’s Hotel. The main artiste performing there was Adeniji Heavywind, so he was always bringing other musicians to perform.  Adeniji later travelled out, and Yinka Davies took over.  So,  one night, Yinka was performing and I saw this young lady who came with the owner of Jazzville. I ran Jazzville for one year during which I did a lot of events. The Jazzville owner told me to watch out for Asa, that she is very talented. She performed on that day and caught my fancy. She wowed me. After she performed, she collected my number and she called me like a week later, I asked her to meet me in Uncle Bisi Olatilo’s office, Biscom Communications in Anthony. From there, we drove to my office in Surulere and then she told me what she would like to become. She told me she didnt have any body to manage her and all she wanted to do is music .She told me she wanted a live band and I set up a band for her. She started rehearsing at Jam Tech in Surulere and because she had nobody supporting her, I was the one paying the bills for rehearsals and all that. That was how we started working; my relationship with Asa is like that of a father and daughter. She was a raw talent when I met her and I did everything I could to build her into the professional she is today, she makes me proud. She is a good girl, I have told her to get me a Grammy and she promised me to do so.

You worked with Mo Hits crew before it disbanded, how did your alliance with Don Jazzy and D’banj start ?

I met them at a show organized by Laface (Tunde Oshinubosi), I managed the stage on that day. They were still based in London then, they just came back to promote their songs. We exchanged contacts and they called me later and we met in  Surulere. They said they had gone to many places and everyone kept telling them to go and look for Mr Sunday Are. After a long discussion, I fell in love with them, I loved their passion and spirit and I decided to work with them. I told them to give me their materials so I could start handling their  promotions. I was always going to trade fairs to give DJs their  materials to play and it grew bigger and with God on our side, we were able to break even.

After helping to build Mo’ Hits crew into a big brand,  you later left them, why ?

Yes, I helped in building the brand then I decided to focus on other things. There was no issue between us, we ran Mo’ Hits like a family thing and we are still family. They are like my brothers. It was shortly after I left that Mo’ Hits disbanded. Seeing the Mo’ Hits  that I helped grow defunct, was my saddest moment in my career. I wadded in and tried to resolve their differences so as to not let the name die, but I was made to realise that it had happened and there’s nothing anybody can do about it. I’m happy that they are doing great individually and they are still friends. I would love to see them come work together again, that is my prayer.

Tell us some of the artistes you manage now ?

I have the likes of Omawunmi, D’Prince, Omawunmi and Reekado Banks of  Mavin. About seven months ago, D’banj called me that he wants us to work together again, and since then, I’ve been working with him. I can say I work with every artist in Nigeria,   because they always need me to do one or two things for them .

Looking back, how has the journey been ?

The journey has been very fulfilling. It’s been 35 years of an interesting journey. Even though I used some of those years to pack instruments, I am still happy. I am a fulfilled man. I thank God for using me to play a role in the lives of many aristes.

When do you intend to throw in the towel?

I just started. I still have a long way to go. I have an undying passion for the profession and since there are many lives to still touch, why will I call it quits?

What keeps you going?

Passion. I love what I do, I don’t think I can quit for any reason.

Who is Sunday Are?

Sunday Are is a simple and God fearing person. I am a native of Ogun State, Ijebu Ishiwo to be precise. I was born in Atunrase in Surulere, Lagos. I grew up in Surulere , I’m a Surulere man to the core.

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About Unknown

Deji Sadiq, a.k.a DEJI OF LAGOS is a LASU trained Economist turned freelance journalist, a Blogger, an information strategist, a public affairs analyst and a committed activist with a passion for equal opportunities.