19th March, 2013
Juju music star, Yomi Peters, needs little or no introduction in the juju music world. The multi-instrumentalist who recently relocated to Nigeria from America with the sole aim of redefining juju music spoke with FUNSHO AROGUNDADE on his latest album, Mogbare
You are about to release your new album, Mogbare. What are your expectations about this record?
I am very optimistic that the new album will stand the test of time after its release. With the effort I put into the making of the album, my teeming fans will like every bit of it. I took my time to research and produce this album in such a way that will make Juju music appeal to many music listeners in Nigeria. In terms of content, it has African flavour and we juiced it up with hip hop to cut across every class in the society.
What took you so long to release this album, because we know you returned home almost a year ago?
To be honest with you, I encountered a lot of challenges in the course of producing the album. I made all efforts to push the album into the market in December, especially during the Christmas season but it was quite unfortunate that we were unable to come out as we planned. We, however, give glory to God that all those challenges were dealt with and we are working hard to see that the album is released during the Easter period, which is just around the corner.
Why did you name the album Mogbare?
We titled it Mogbare, meaning I claim my blessing. The album is a seven-track masterpiece that has a mixture of hip hop and gospel. It is a full package and was produced by fast-rising producer, Puffy T. It will be marketed and distributed by MJG Intercontinental Records Company based in United States, with a branch in Nigeria. We have also thrown it open to members of the public who are interested in the distribution. We are working hard on the promotion of the album. In fact, this interview is also part of the promotion to prepare for the grand launch of the album. So, any time from now, you will start hearing it on major radio stations across the country, as we want every household to enjoy Yomi Peters during the Easter celebration. In fact, my fans in and outside Nigeria have been calling and sending mails, asking when the album will be released, because they had expected it to come out last December but we disappointed them. This time round, we would try our best not to let them down. We really want them to feel the rhythm, beat and lyrics of the album.
How would you rate the new work?
It is always not good to be one’s judge, therefore I would say let leave the album for music fans to judge. But I can boldly tell you that any Juju music lover will rate the album high. As I told you earlier, it took us almost a year to do this, so you should expect something better and superb from Yomi Peters. It is a full package of inspirational songs which I believe many homes would like to have.
It is believed that that Juju music has lost its appeal, how do you think you can make it a success?
People only say all these due to their ignorance. In spite of the perceived decline of Juju music, I can tell you that we still have our numerous fans out there. And they cut across all strata of the society. Juju music still has its appeal and I can assure that people will enjoy this album irrespective of their tribe. We actually took that decision to have a larger market. Juju music has gone beyond using only Yoruba language; that is why we juiced it up with hip hop, gospel and highlife to further revolutionise it. In fact, we are planning to come out with a high quality music video to push the album. Believe me, you will be impressed when the album finally hit the shelves across the country.