By Kofi Black
It was in 1997 I followed one Late Daso(Ayibo) as a parker(one who parks musical equipment for entertainers) to set King Sunny Brown’s equipment at TEX MEX Restaurant along Aba road close to Eleme junction in Port Harcourt for the birthday of a Judge in Rivers State. I first met Lexy M Mueka and Moses BigMozy Mabadeje. It was a One-Man performance by LexyM and Bigmozy. That was the first time I saw somebody playing the One-Man band with just a piano with inbuilt beats from the keyboard.
As young as I was, though a trumpeter, I enjoyed every aspect of the music they played that night, it was fantastic and I wished to be like them. I helped them to pick their stage dash that night and after the event, they shared the money and gave me part of it for helping them to pick it. I remember, they gave me a bottle of non alcoholic wine that was given to the band to take home. My wish was to be like them.
Again, My master who taught me the fundamentals of trumpet, Elder. Mangibo Solomon, who was then a Supervising Apostle in our church, the Eternal Sacred Order of Cherubim & Seraphim, 65 Creek road, also taught me the fundamentals of piano in his house.
My master was a good man, I derived joy carrying his JUPITER trumpet box, his staff and Bible to church every Sunday, I make sure I sit close to him even as an Army of Salvation then, and he cared so much for me. His house was my house because my family were his next door neighbour at Great 65, the only compound in Port Harcourt were great musicians live.
After sometime in Port Harcourt, I came across another versatile and professional pianist, singer and bassist, Sydney Sparrow(Asowari). He is one of Abuja’s big guys who thrills the high and mighty with his piano. He inspires me a lot till today in the Oneman band music business. I also got to know Ambi Amby Junior through one of my masters, Permanent Siereh who is a professional saxophonist.
One day, I went for a funeral at Ogbunabali axis to play trumpet and saw our Ijaw brother, SunnyBlack doing one man band performance. I couldn’t leave the canopy he was playing at Atako’s compound. His entertainment was so exciting and I enjoyed him and wished to be like him on the piano. After some years, SunnyBlack started calling me for shows in Bayelsa anytime he is coming for an event here.
Few weeks ago, I got a serious COMMENDATION from a senior colleague that humbled me. My big friend, Myne Wilfred introduced me to Amby Junior in an event. (Amby has forgotten me because the last time we met should be about 2007 or so when he came to perform at Uniport Senior Staff Club. Though we have played together as a trumpeter with B-Bek Band at Muriella, owned by late Alabo Tonye Graham-Douglas. After my performance, Amby said “I like your performance, composition and everything about what you do. You are a true thespian and a Crabite”.
He reminded me of the call time and arrival time which is the basic discipline for theatre artists and I thanked him so much. I was humbled. I made him to understand that he has been one of my mentors in this business.
I relocated to Bayelsa in 2004 and got a job with Bayelsa State Council for Arts & Culture as a guest artist and finally got employed the same year by Prof. Barclays Ayakoroma who was the then, Executive Director.
The council had a Yamaha piano, PsR 1000. I came to Port Harcourt and get sequenced beats from one of my mentors, a distinct pianist, Allison Ichi aka Aliwhyte. He gave me beats in a diskette and I installed them in the piano. I started doing personal rehearsals here in Bayelsa.
In 2005, I met Perez and Fela doing Oneman band entertainment and I was adopted into the band as a second pianist at CAMP MURPHY BAR in Tombia roundabout axis besides where Agofure Park is presently located. It’s important to know that it was at this same Camp Murphy and I met Rt. Hon. Tonye Emmanuel Isenah (former Speaker of Bayelsa State House of Assembly). He usually sings gyration songs every Friday with us and later Jackson Sawari aka Ajegunle joined our band and Iyoro Selekeowei too was a member of our band.
We later got another deal, at The Achiever Bar later named the Prince Bar, off Baybridge road, and later at Ngbomgbom Plaza where we entertain every Friday at the outside bar before club time. Before we played at Prince Bar run by Citroen Aggrey, our PMAN Chairman in Bayelsa then, Tekena Ere used to play full band there because I remember he was on a very long dread down to his waist level those days.
One thing led to the other, I left the band and started my own Band, my Oneman Band with Gift Zibima Geebonz aka Geebonz as my backup artist. Geebonz will always correct me on stage because I will sing and go flat most of the time. Kuroyefa Wakama, later became my backup, Laiye Romeo, Paul Ahoada others, and presently with Tokoni Ekiye.
The essence of this write-up is all about the role of MENTORSHIP. Young entertainers need mentors so as to learn the basics of music and entertainment generally. Today, I have been privileged to meet the high and mighty in various events, It’s as a result of learning from my mentors, how they dress, package their bands, and the kind of music they play that pleases the audience. If I didn’t learn well, the likes of LexyM cannot give me an event to cover with line array sound to play just one man band and others.
Mentorship is key in every field. A musician cannot sing all genres of music at the same time, kindly look for a genre that is favourable to you and work on it via constant rehearsals.
Mentorship is an essential aspect of entertainment. Mentorship will sharpen every aspect of your life. If you see me perform in various events, it’s a result of consistent learning from the elders who have toed this path before me and God’s Grace upon me. Entertainers should learn and ask themselves some salient questions like: who is my mentor, who should be my mentor, and am I learning well? Etc.
“A long song is not a good song”. ~anonymous.
Look for a mentor, ask questions, and learn from them. That’s just the secret to being a good entertainer.
Kofiblack is an entertainer and a core theatre arts practitioner based in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
