| ADDICTED! Sammie Okposo
says he’ll sing gospel until he can sing no more
By AZUH AMATUS
Saturday, May 21,
2005
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Sammie Okposo
Photos: Sun News Publishing
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Wave-making gospel singer Sammie Okposo took the Nigerian
gospel music to another level in 2000, when he released “Welu-Welu”,
which till date is still reverberating within and outside
our shores.
Warri, Delta State-born Sammie, followed still with another
hit album titled ADDICTED, four years later. Sammie who started
out as a movie soundtracker cum sessionman told Saturday Sun
that his romance with the gospel genre of music is for life
– bound to it like an addict. He is also not in a hurry
to try anything different for now.
Back from D.C
By the time he was speaking to Saturday, Sammie had just returned
from a trip to the United Staetes of America. And he says
the trip was not entirely for pleasure.
“I travelled to Washington D.C. for what they called
Showcase of Nigerian Videos.” He saud the event is the
first of its kind to be held in the history of US cinema and
was “put together by a company called 24/7 Africa. They
invited me as one of the special guests. I did not perform.
I was so, so happy because it was the first time a Nigerian
movie would be shown in a professional American theatre. The
turn-out was fantastic, it was 75% white audience.
The experience for me was also good. Movies like Behind Closed
Doors, Osuofia in London, Thunderbolt, London Boy and other
Nollywood Movies were shown
Tsunami victims concert project?
Sammie has for sometime been involved in a Tsunami aid song
which seems destined not to see the light of day. So, what’s
up with the project? You ask him.
“Humm”, he measures his response, “It was
originally meant to be a Tsunami project but by the time myself
and Sunny Neji finished writing the song, I also produced
and arranged the song. I later brought about 28 Nigerian artistes
to join us in singing this one song. And by the time we finished,
I said to myself that this song is bigger than the Tsunami
itself. It is a song about love and the title is Show Some
Love.
“I later realized we won’t do the song justice
if we tie it to the Tsunami victims alone. Let it be a Nigerian
All Stars Project for love and peace. That is what the song
is all about now. It will now be known as the Nigerian All
Star Project for Love and Peace. That does not mean we have
cancelled the Tsunami project, it is still a bold part of
it”.
The dark skinned hunk says the work will hit the airwaves
very very soon.
“I just finished the first mix at a hi-tech studios.
I will be going back to the studios again with Kingsley Ogoro,
for a second mix. God willing, we will start shooting the
musical videos soon but before this, the song will be on radio
stations nation-wide”.
“The CDs”, he says, “are going to be sold
later in the year as singles”.
A little bit of this and that
Sammie Okposo says he is presently involved in a lot of other
projects. “Right now, my album titled ADDICTED, is out
and doing very well in the market, the demand is awesome.
I’m getting ready to release the part one of my VCD,
I have eleven tracks in that album. I intend to break them
into three parts, namely: one, two and three.
Ulzee music, has concluded plans to release the part one of
the VCD into the Nigerian markets. I’m also busy producing
lots of artistes right now. I just finished producing Brother
Martins. I’m also producing Esse Agese. She is coming
back after so many years of absence. I’m also producing
some couple of songs in Kingsley Ogoro’s project titled
Na Wetin?
I’m also planning to go on tour with my X-Generation
Band soon to America and London. We will be leaving in June.
We will play in cities like Atlanta, Chicago, Houston and
Maryland.
This tour is being put together by 24/7 Africa.
From soundtracker to producer and now gospel artiste.
How did Sammie manage the transformation? He laughs as soon
as you bop the question. “What can I say? I actually
started off as a session man in ‘94 at Klink Studios
under my boss and Oga, Kingsley Ogoro. He taught me basically,
everything that I know about music production. Sound mixing,
sequencing… I am very grateful for learning a lot under
him. I grew up there (Klink), after a while, he started giving
me projects to handle with title supervision… I later
moved up to a music producer and later, a soundtracker, which
I made lots of music for Nollywood movies.
Music from the church
Even with all these, I was not satisfied. I had to go into
music fully, because my whole musical life started from the
church at an early age when I started playing the piano in
Warri, Delta State. Then in 2000, I released my first gospel
album, which had the hit track, ‘Welu-Welu”. It
exploded and became very popular. It is right now, according
to statistics, the longest played Nigerian Musical Video.
It is also a success commercially. It is that song that has
been taking me outside our shores. This same album got me
the Kora Music Awards nominations.
How Welu-Welu track came about
I have always said it that the song was actually a remake.
It was originally done many years ago by an Acapella Group
called The DCN VOICE, based in Delta State. They are also
my friends. I remade it with their approval. In doing the
remake, I also re-wrote the new verses and gave it best orchestration
and harmony and when it eventually came out it was a national
hit.
An album titled ADDICTED
How could anybody title his album ‘addicted’?
Sammie explains how the title of his second effort came about.
“Reember my first album was titled Unconditional Love.
When it came out, a lot of people thought I had joined the
bandwagon of those singing gospel songs. I told them my second
album will prove to them that I’m really addicted to
God and gospel music, that was how the title came about. It
is what I have chosen to do till I become a very old man.
So, what attracted him to gospel music?
The attraction to gospel music was part of my upbringing.
In fact, I was brought up in a good Christian home by my parents.
I was raised in the church and it grew with me. I can’t
see myself singing any kind of music that is not gospel and
does not give praises to God. As a professional, I can produce
music for anybody but when it comes to me, it has to be gospel.
And for that I give God all the glory…
Dropped off school
Did you study music in school? You are tempted to ask, seeing
the ease with which he explains the details, the technicalities
and all.
“No! I didn’t”, he replies, with surprise
written all over his face as he laughs. “I went into
school with the mindset of studying accounting at Delta State
University. I later found out I was going to be frustrated
for the rest of my life, if I studied the course. I knew that
God was going to bless me through music. So, I eventually
opted out it and told my dad I wanted to go into music. They
told me I was on my own then. I will be going back to study
music soon abroad via correspondence. It is called School
of Music and Engineering (SAME) in the U.S. In fact, I’m
starting by the last quarter of this year.
Is Sammie Okposo a born-again?
Sammie Okposo is a born again Christian from the heart. I
worship at House on the Rock. I’m also one of the leaders
in the music department. I also try to put in my best because
my pastor, Paul Adefarasin, has been instrumental in building
my spiritual and personal life. He is my mentor and motivator.
Sammie Uyi Okposo
I’m Samuel Uyi Okposo. My father is from Delta State
while my mum is from Cross Rivers State. They are alive ad
kicking in Warri, Delta State. My dad used to have two wives,
but my step mum is late now. From my mum we have four boys,
I’m the number three. All boys, no girl. My birthday
comes up every 30th of May.
A third album
It took Sammie all of four years and more to release a second
album. It might not be out of place, therefore, to expect
the third in 2009. But he says no. “I’m not gonna
wait that long this time . I’m already working…
My third album will be out by December this year. We are still
working on the title. I will record 50% here and do the remaining
50% in the U.S., during way tour.
Can Unconditional Love and
Addicted be compared in terms of sales?
Well!, No! so far, we have to give it to Unconditional Love,
it is still selling since 2000. Addicted is also doing very
well in the market. I’ve also done a remix of Welu-Welu,
it is titled Loaded”. It will be out in the next couple
of weeks.
Why is Sammie still single with
all his money and fame?
Sammie is single because he is taking his time and also believes
in God’s time. So far, all that has happened to me has
been by God’s timing. I was being pressurized to release
an album when I did… Marriage is an important part of
me. Any woman I marry right now, is either going to add to
what I have right now or pull me down or take away from it”.
But does it bother him that he is still single?
“Year! Yeah!! Yeah!!! A man gets so lonely everytime,
you go home and you crave for somebody to talk to…
Coping with the ladies?
The ladies are always going to be there. It comes with the
job. Every woman admires a man that works hard. We try to
be as nice as possible by knowing where to put the boundaries.
Did it ever occur to you that you would get this far within
a short period when you released your debut album in 2000?
Sincerely speaking, when I started, I did not know what to
expect… Emmh, I was like a man who dived into the river
without knowing how to swim and only expecting that the waves
would help him. It was God, it wasn’t my strength or
ability or even talent.
As a top gospel singer, what
would you say is your biggest asset?
For me, my biggest asset as a gospel artiste, is my ability
not to settle for my last success. I’ve also begged
God never to allow me settle once I see any sign of success.
I work hard every second every minute and everyday of my life.
Remember, you cannot predict the entertainment scene in Nigeria.
I also tell people as a form of advice that your real work
starts when you get to the top of the ladder.
What in your own opinion is the biggest problem facing the
music industry in Nigeria today?
For me, pirates are our biggest problem. They have been killing
us for decades. They have also been reaping where they did
not sow… we can’t fight them alone, we need the
help and support of the government to battle them. In Nigeria
today, if you don’t release your VCD on time, the pirates
will release it for you… The pirates will release it
for you… the pirates are more organized than the artistes.
Yes, I’m a millionaire
With two successful albums, is Sammie Okposo a millionaire?
You ask. And he does not shy from the question.
“Yes, he is. I have made millions of naira through music.
So, what keeps you going in life?
My environment and the fact that you can’t predict the
music scene keeps me going. I can’t relax, I keep working.
The strength from God is the greatest thing that keeps me
going. He inspires me daily.
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