INTERVIEW: 'Ewa fun mi ni visa' was released due to the hardship facing Nigerians - Bembe Al
Taiwo Adeboye popularly known as Bembe Aladisa came into limelight in the entertainment circle around 2000 with his hit-track Ewa fun mi ni visa, the song which was perceived as anti-government song by many music lovers in Nigeria. In this exclusive interview with Glitter News online Crew, the Ogun state born artiste spoke on sundry issues relating to his music career and why people think he has relocated to overseas after the release of the album.
Excerpts:
People think you have since the release of your famous album Ewa fun mi ni visa in 2003 relocated abroad to earn a living and that you have not returned since then. What is your take on this?
The reason is not far fetched. Many People believed I used the song to find my way out of Nigeria, this is not so as the case may be. And the reason people believed I’m not in the country is because I have been silent in the industry for a while. After the release of the album in 2003, some people thought that the then president, chief Olusegun Obasanjo had offered me visa as a gift to travel abroad for making that song. But the truth is that I have been around in the country since then working on my music career and other things of interest.
But it was learnt that you travelled out of Nigeria after the release of the album?
Yes, I only travelled to South Africa shortly after the release of the album on a visit to some friends in the country. They invited me to South Africa following the success of the song, and returned back to Nigeria after a while.
Like I said earlier, some of my friends in South Africa invited me for a proposed musical tour which didn’t work out well, so I returned to Nigeria to continue to work on my music. I give God the glory.
Why prompted you to produce that song?
I released the song due to the hardship facing Nigerians. My aim was to use the song to call on the attention of our leaders on the hardship facing the masses, because I believe that many Nigerians who travelled abroad do so to seek greener pastures and their reason for doing so was due to the poor economy of the country which has led to the present recession in Nigeria.
Some believed that the song was meant to spite or attack government, what is your view on this?
That was not true. I produced the song to call on Nigerian leaders and to remind them of the sufferings of the masses. I discovered that leadership is the problem of our country that is why the country is not moving forward and that is why people are desperate to travel abroad to make ends meet.
Nigeria is a country blessed with vast natural and human resources, yet we wallow in abject poverty. It is very obvious that Nigeria has leadership problems. People are really suffering in the country.
The album was not meant to spite or attack government as believed by some people but to make them wake up to reality and improve on the economy of Nigeria. If the country is good, people will not be desperate for visa to travel abroad to seek greener pastures.
Did the album achieve the purpose for which it was released?
No it didn’t.
Why?
Because we have leaders who don’t care about the masses. In some civilized countries when leaders are criticized, they adjust or resign from office but in Nigeria the reverse is the case. As leaders they ought to listen to the yearnings of the masses and ameliorate the harsh conditions facing them. The people are hungry and are dying everyday. When the system is bad, all forms of vices will set in, that is the situation of Nigeria. But we thank God for what president Muhammadu Buhari is doing with regards to the issue of corruption.
How many albums do you have to your credit?
I have three albums to my credit including Ewa fun mi li visa. I am working on new ones which will be released any moment from now.
Who is your role model and tell us about yourself?
Late afro king, Fela Anikulapo Kuti was my role model. Though, I never had any encounter or contact with him before his demise. He really inspired me through his philosophical music. He was a legend and a rare breed in music.
How would you rate the Nigeria music industry?
It is growing well, I believe it can be better.
