My affair with Lagbaja

Music Diva, Yinka Davies is
blessed with a great vocal
prowess that can be likened to
that of a nightingale. She has
churned out great melodies
from her highly creative musical
gift and remains one of the best
singers of her generation,
despite her petite.
Although she won Voice of the
Decade Award at Nigeria Music
Award (NMA) in 2007, many
people wonder why she has not
hit it big with her eclectic voice.
She possesses every quality to
make money, record sales and
top the charts which seemed
not to be happening. But Yinka
simply insisted that she is just
emerging even after her over a
decade’s experience in the
industry.
Davies who was once a back-up
singer for the masked one,
Lagbaja, told Daily Sun recently
that her new album Black
Chiffon which is due for release
soon will show the world a new
Yinka Davis. She confirmed that
the album would be a departure
from the past as a result of her
re-emergence. She also spoke on
the automobile accident which
put a hold on her career, noting
she emerged stronger and
better after the ordeal to
continue her journey so far in
the music industry. Excerpts:
How I started
I stumbled on Zubby’s producer,
Sam Uquah, who insisted I
joined him in touring with Alex
O in 1990. I was a back-up
musician to Alex O then. By
1992, I had done an album with
Lagbaja and colours (a group
under the management of
Bisade Ologunde). I did another
album called the Colour of
Rhythm and after these, we
recorded Side by Side again with
Lagbaja. From then on, things
started flowing for me
musically. Apart from Alex O, I
did a rap for Sir Shina Peters; I
also did back-up for Blackky,
Esse Agesse, Mike Okri and quite
a number of people.
Narrate your artistic journey
into the Nigerian music industry
so far
One word best describes my
journey-Glorious!
What does music mean to
you?
Music for me is fun. It is
something I love doing because
it gives my soul a great lift.
Music makes me feel on top of
the world. It gratifies my spirit
and I enjoy being in a musical
frame of mind so much.
Inspiration
I get inspiration from every
design and handiwork of God;
everything God created inspires
me. I get inspired by anything
beautiful and everyone who’s
beautiful. Refreshing beauty
inspires me a lot.
Kind of music
There is no single name for my
kind of music. In reality, I fuse all
sorts of ideas together to get an
original one to satisfy my
spiritual gratification. So, I call
my music Sound. Although it is
more of blues for now, I infuse
it with a lot of emotions and
feelings, it is a soul-stirring kind
of music.
Messages
I deliver many messages
through my sound. They are
based on morals, self
examination, love, self
correction and so on.
My Album
I have released one. It was well
promoted on the airwaves, but
commercially it has not really
made waves, because of limited
funds.
Five and Six
My band men are always
together, drinking garri, gisting
on the floor, and always doing
things that are unusual. So, my
younger sister just looked at
them one day and made a
comment in Yoruba; Ogbonyin
rin papo gbogbo yin. Five and
six i.e. (Birds of the same
feather, Five/Six) And so, the
name struck me like a thunder
bolt and today, we have Five
and Six; just like that. The band
started with me on April 1st,
2000 and we recorded in 2005
and I will soon release my new
album, Black Chiffon. It
comments on the pains one
went through at that time, the
uncertainty, and the torment of
not knowing what the future
holds from then on. It is all
about holding out a flash of
silver lining behind every cloud
of whatever hue.
Lagbaja and I
I was with Bisade Ologunde and
the Colours Band at Jazz et all in
1992 on Opebi road, Ikeja. I
didn’t leave the band, I went on
to further my studies. I didn’t
break up with Lagbaja because
we were not dating, how do
you date a “no face man.” It
was the accident that drifted us
apart. I didn’t just leave
Lagbaja’s music like that. Due to
that accident, I was out of the
music scene for a year and half.
Work had to go on because no
one can allow the main source
of his income and livelihood to
be on hold because of me. A lot
of work was on ground and I
didn’t get back to work after
the accident until four years
after. So, he had to move on
without me. We are both
professionals and we
understand the rules of the
game quite well.
What are you doing
presently?
Getting ready for the fanfare. I
am going to take people by
surprise through my music.
Where do you perform now?
Everywhere I’m needed for
now.
Is your music of this age,
does it appeal to all ages?
Music is ageless. You choose
what you desire to listen or
hear. My melodies are ageless.
Have you had any
heartbreaks?
Yes!
Accident that almost crippled my
career
I had an automobile accident in
1994 that left me with a
fractured leg and this
shortchanged my aspiration. It
almost brought my budding
career to an end. It was fatal but
I thank God I am alive today.
Reaction to the accident
I am a positive minded person
and I always look at the positive
side of things. When people are
healthy, and all seem to be going
well, they live it up. The same
thing is applicable to me, my life
was fun, I was partying
everyday. My house was always
lively with music and people
always come and dance and we
made merry. It was celebration
all the way. So when the
accident came, it made me
reflect on so many divine gifts
that I had taken for granted;
that I had treated so casually,
with levity. It humbled me,but
with my fractured leg, I was still
having fun. The experience
made me a grown up and I now
view life differently from
different perspectives of
unending games of music,
dances, laughter and fun.
Coming back to music
I went to Abuja to relieve
myself of all the stress I was
going through at that moment. I
was there for two years and
eight months. It was during that
time that I was able to bring up
a band in Lagos called Five and
Six.
Nigerian music industry
The music industry is growing.
And artistes are doing well,
except that the new set of
singers don’t have serious
mentors. And I don’t blame
them. Fuji and Juju music are
now being relegated to the
background for Gospel music,
which in most cases, are
produced by foreign artistes. So,
the only people who can
influence them right now, are
the foreign artistes, so you
cannot blame them for singing
music that are western-oriented.
Mentor
God is the only one I can think
of. Apart from Him, there is no
one that can compete with Him
for that singular role in my life.
My children
I have two fantastic sons - Dayo
and Niyi, but Dayo is older. I
adopted my late sister’s
son.They are very dear to me
and part of my self-discovery. If
the truth be told, they are my
life. Whatever the case, I try to
be a good mother and to me,
that is the most important thing.
Background
My name is Elfeda Oluwabukola
Olayinka Davies. I hail from
Lagos State, Ebute-Meta to be
precise. I am a performing
artiste.
Do you have any future
plans?
We all have future plans and I
have mine. I am sure you have
one too. I am yet to unveil my
creativity, I am still working at
that. I intend to blow the minds
of a lot of people including my
ardent fans. I hope to reveal my
personality completely.
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Good Morning! Friday March
26, 3910
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