| Dark clouds over Emete
- Record company threatens to terminate group’s contract
By Ijeoma Ogwuegbu
Saturday, May 14,
2005
 |
•Carl Racah and Fadabasi,
another artist on his label
Photos: Sun News Publishing
|
| |
Dark clouds seem to be looming on the horizon for the young
group known as Emete. Carl Raccah, the Managing Director of
Nation Africa, the record company to which they are signed,
recently threatened to terminate their contract due to allegations
of un-professionalism on the part of the girls. In fact, Saturday
Sun learnt that letters had actually been drafted to that
effect, until some people within the company prevailed.
Raccah told Saturday Sun recently, that he indeed seriously
considered putting an end to the group.
“They are a group that has huge potential who have been
very lucky because basically they’ve had everything
given to them on a plate,” he said. “But for some
strange reason they seem not to understand the chance that
they are been given. They’ve just got a very apathetic
attitude to everything. They come late to many things, events
that they’re performing at, rehearsals and even company
meetings.
Once they even refused to turn up. As a record company, you
get to the point where you are faced with the question, is
an artist viable and one of the reasons you have to ask that
question is if you can no longer work with an artist. So we
are at crossroads now.”
No dedication
He said the problem seemed to be that the girls did not have
what it takes to be in the music business.
“They don’t seem to have what this industry requires,
which is dedication. No one’s born a star. All these
people you see who make it work hard and are dedicated. It’s
sad to say that the girls in Emete don’t seem to have
that dedication that is required. It’s sad for me as
a record company owner, to see this.”
He admitted that the group’s problems may stem from
the fact that they’ve had too many good things going
for them.
“Maybe we are in this situation because the record company
has made things too easy for them. I’m stunned and bemused
as to how somebody can come to you and say they have a dream.
Here we are, millions of naira down the line, promoting their
new album. You have all these others artists who we are also
working with, like Fadabasi, Yellow Banton, Edareno, who have
not been as lucky as Emete, yet they’ll give 100% every
time. We’ve done everything for these girls and all
we’ve asked for are the basic things; get to interviews
on time, turn up at rehearsals on time, get to your performances
on time. Yet this is so hard for them to do.”
Personal problems
Rumours are rife of friction between the group members, some
caused by personal problems emanating from two members feeling
they were being forced into the background by one. Raccah
said he could not speak on this, but said he was aware of
it.
“I know it’s difficult when three people have
to work in a group together. As professionals you have to
leave whatever problems you have and work for the good of
the group. There are bound to be issues. It takes a certain
level of maturity to overcome those issues. I don’t
think all the other groups don’t have issues. So many
times with Emete, I’ve wondered whether I’m living
their dream for them. Why do I have to keep pulling them along,
forcing them to do things they should ordinarily be eager
to do? I’ve spent millions on this group and Nation
Africa has not made a cent in profit yet. I don’t have
a car because I prefer to invest the money I have into the
artists and equipment for the company. I’m not stupid
because I believe in the potential of everyone I’m working
with.”
“Why I’m happy to talk about it is that this should
be a lesson to anybody coming into the industry, this is no
joke,” he added. “You don’t come to play
at being a musician because this is serious business. That’s
something Nigerian musicians have to think about. The industry
is becoming more competitive as there is a lot of good music
coming out now. So even if you’re spending only N100,000,
you have to spend it on someone that’s good.”
Not soft
He doesn’t agree that he may have been too soft on them.
“Somebody said I’m too soft on my artistes. People
say it’s because I’m an Oyibo, even though I was
born in Nigeria, they say things like, “ Ah this na
Naija, Nigerians only respond when you’re aggressive
to them.” That’s nonsense. Humans are humans wherever
they are. Maybe Emete is not responding because they haven’t
understood what it means to be professionals. If you take
them to a show, they’ll perform, but the wahala of getting
them there is just too much. But I don’t’ believe
I have to start to beating people over the head to get them
to react. The whole Emete machine just has to work harder.”
Stunned
On their part, the girls of the group seem stunned by the
record company boss’s decision. But one of them, Michelle,
says she doesn’t blame him.
“He has done a lot for our group. He has spent so much
time, energy and money. Personally I’m disappointed
in us as a group. I think personally I did my best. I think
the problem is that a lot of things are being held back by
some members of the group. In Emete, people read meanings
into things they are not supposed to. For instance if you’re
not dancing well and I tell you that, instead of going back
to improve on it, you become upset about it and you keep it
in your mind. We’ve been doing this for some two years,
we should have improved so much that people should be seeing
the difference. But people don’t realize that if you
talk to them a certain way it’s not because you hate
them but because you love them and want them to improve. I
think some of the problems are because the other two members
think I’m doing too much in the group. But I’ve
always been a dancer and a singer and I’m not going
to change that. I believe I was born to be an entertainer.
I don’t do it because I want to outshine the other two
girls in Emete. I don’t dance to impress anyone, I dance
because I love it.”
For her part, the other member known as KP says she was really
not expecting it.
“I was surprised when Carl said he was going to terminate
our contract because even though we had had problems, we always
tried to amend them. At different times, he’s been angry
with us, saying that we are not being professional. Yes, at
different times, I must admit we have not done our best. I
think maybe he got a little fed up with the whole thing. I
know personally, I could have done more and I started doing
more. We get along, just that sometimes we have personal problems
that we bring in and allow it to affect our work. Maybe on
my own part, there are things I should have done, maybe being
a little more professional. I’ve not thought of the
group breaking up. It’ll be very painful to hear that
no matter what we say, the group is terminated. I don’t
even want to think that far. Music has always been a part
of me, so I guess I want to do all I can, to try to make the
group stand.”
Raccah admitted that some people were working within the company
to prevent the group’s sun from setting, even before
it had properly risen.
“I have people in the company who are fighting for them
and because I work with these people, I have to listen to
them. But left to me, I would say, let them go.”
|
