For over two decades, Victor Essiet left Nigeria for the US in the heat of socio-political turmoil. Though he visits Nigeria often, he has returned this year with a reggae festival. Yinka Olatunbosun reports
Let’s turn back the hands of time a little. If you grew up as an ardent television viewer in the 80s in Nigeria, then you’d probably love the Premier Music hour or Clapperboard TV that featured the likes of Daniel Wilson, Blackky, Ras Kimono, Evi Edna Ogoli, Alex Zitto, Orits Wiliki and The Mandators. And if you were glued to the FM radio stations like Radio Nigeria and OGBC, you’d love the Benson and Hedges Countdown and the name Victor Essiet won’t send you off to Google. He is the surviving member of the sensational lead vocalists of The Mandators fame that had his late ex-wife, Peggy Umanna as the female lead vocalist.
Essiet is one of the veteran Nigerian musicians who made reggae a popular music genre in Nigeria. Reggae, itself, has its root in Jamaican music culture from late 60s. In the 80s, it was a top choice in Nigeria and indeed different parts of the world with iconic names like Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, Yellowman and Culture as reference points. What seems to be characteristic of reggae is the offbeat rhythms; bass guitar, usually mid-tempo flow, sometimes with the call and response style- a technique adopted in several protest songs. All these elucidations would have been unnecessary if not that roots reggae has been eclipsed by the popularity of afro-pop, hip-hop and dancehall in the current music scene with the likes of General Pype and Patorankin topping the music charts.
A native of Akwa-Ibom, Essiet’s career peaked in the 90s in Nigeria for numerous reasons. The economic structures forced many recording labels to close shop and artists like him, who were vocal in the clamour against the military government, were forced to embrace self-exile. It would be recalled that the late Lucky Dube did the same in South Africa when the sledge-hammer of apartheid government was coming for his head. He continued singing his protest songs while away from Africa.
In a brief encounter with Essiet at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, he expressed his delight at being back in his home country while recalling the circumstances that necessitated his sojourn to the US.
“I love Nigeria,” he began. “I left the country in 1993 in the heat of the annulment of the June 12 election. First of all, I went on tour. M.K.O. Abiola had just won the presidential elections and the results were annulled. There I was going to America, leaving the country in an uncertain condition. Things started falling apart. I went back to America to see how I could cool off.
“We were so hopeful having supported M.K.O. Abiola. We were campaigning for him. We believed that the country was about to turn around for good. Even the kind of music that we played then confronted issues that were the concern of every citizen and we engaged the authority. It was like ‘dashed hope’. So we ran away to live to fight another day.”
While away and absent from the Nigerian television screens, ugly rumours thrived to his detriment. He was reported to have been a cab driver and at one time, homeless.
“I am a musician. Since the day I left this country, I have been playing music,” he said in reaction to the false claims in some tabloids. “I got signed on by Heart Beat record label. It is a subsidiary of Rounder Records based in Massachusetts. But that relationship did not last long because there was a lot of stuff that I disagree with. I left the company to form my own record company. I was there for two years.”
He looked around, asking his assistant to fetch a flier. The flier in question contained information on his new project, “Africa Meets Reggae.” The father of two, who was bent on proving to this reporter that he had never parted ways with music, explained how he bought the franchise to stage the festival in Nigeria- the first of its kind in Africa. Africa Meets Reggae has been an annual musical event hosted by Echodelic Music and Dub Club in Los Angeles since four years ago.
“I started my own record company called Mystic Records, which is the official sponsor of the upcoming festival, Africa meets Reggae. I started this company in 1998 with a bookings and management arm. Then I started booking all my shows and concerts while managing my affairs. I have been performing and I also won an award as the 1999 Best New Entertainer of the Year at the International Reggae World Music Award. I will show you the plaque next time so that you will know that when I left this country, I tried. Initially it was very difficult for me but I kept trying.”
But Essiet was not immune to the unfair treatment that black people still experience with the police in America. The air of constant, if not mutual suspicion, between the police and the black male individual is very stiff as he would later recall. But every cloud has its silver lining.
“I never really faced much prejudice from the society except the police. When they see you drive a car around they’d ask, where did you steal the car from? How much drugs did you sell to buy this? But as an artist, I was commited to work my butt up. But the police would look for one reason or another to try to beat you up in the streets. That was the only prejudice I suffered. But the average American is a very supportive person. We started doing what we do in Nigeria we’d perform in places where there would be only white people. And they will come out to shows to support you. I also had a good relationship with the print and electronic media. I think I am one of the few artistes that have left Nigeria that has enjoyed so much publicity.”
Essiet was quick to debunk the rumours while stressing the need for the media to investigate information before publishing or broadcasting.
“If a man or a woman comes to tell me that I just saw a press man walking around naked, in this day of cell phones and technology, I’ll say if you can’t give me a picture, then I ain’t talking to you. Our media people like to drag people into mud. If I was actually driving a cab, I would have been very happy because I was earning a legitimate living; not stealing from anybody. If I was homeless, I will be happy as long as I am not stealing from anybody. But none of those reports was true. Talk to Majek, talk to everybody, they know who I am. I am well established in America.
“Have you seen any sponsor on this flier? They don’t like to be part of anything like this. They will be part of some groove that is just about dancing away and being merry. They never want to be part of nation-building. If I was not successful, I’ll not have money to do anything. If I didn’t release album, why would I be going on tour and what would I be playing? I have released records. When I release a record, I can go on tour for that record up to two years. I just released a single, ‘Africa Awake’ from an upcoming album which features Lucky Dube’s daughter, Nkulee. Altogether, I released about four albums.”
In fairness to Essiet, an article from Independent Observer, Zambia, written by John Sakala on May 26, 2013 stated that his single, “Freedom Train” has made a major breakthrough on the New York Top 30 Reggae Singles Chart in less than four weeks after it was released.
When the controversial episode of his estranged wife, Peggy set the media agog, it was a dent to Essiet’s public image. The aftermath was the accusation that Essiet neglected his wife.
“We were a couple and perhaps, the first couple in Nigerian music band to exhibit that togetherness. You must understand that in life, you’ll have a lot of distractions and there was a lot of envy. I am able to overcome a lot of things. But the wicked people were able to get to my wife and destabilise our home. Part of the problem was Peggy’s mother. Unfortunately, life has to go on. I have these children to take care of. If I did not hold on to God, my family would have been destroyed. She died in 1991. I was in America. I learnt she was very ill but nobody told me until she died and they contacted me to bring money for her to be buried. Such money would have worked well to take care of her when she was ill. The news making rounds was that I abandoned her. That is what people do to destroy one’s reputation but I have children to care for. It has been very difficult. But I thank God that all had not gone down the drain,” he said, visibly struggling to keep the emotions in check.
Essiet may not return to Nigeria permanently. First, he needs to see to it that he is part of recovery Nigeria needs direly and to make the country a great tourist destination.
“I am still a young man. When I am 80 years old maybe I will be back here permanently. Right now, we want to join hands to build the country. We need to bring back a concert that supports patriotism so that we can build the consciousness of our people,” he said.
The festival’s headliners include Majek Fashek, Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley and Stephen Marley, Victor Essiet and The Mandators, King Sunny Ade, and top international artists like Snoop Lion, Shaggy and many more.
While arguing that Roots reggae is consciousness music, he voiced his dissatisfaction over some of the popular music that show little or no social responsibility on the part of the artists.
“Bob Marley played Roots. It has grown to be big across the world because it deals with everyday life. It addresses societal ills and it also helps to give hope to those who have lost focus. When you talk about dancehall, it is vulgar, just dance and lyrics that don’t have much content.
In America and elsewhere in all the festivals that we go, roots reggae ruled the world music festivals. We are going to be bringing artistes from different places here.
We will build the upcoming ones and introduce them to the International market. Roots is the heartbeat, it is about things that concern the people, how to do the right thing and how to help one another. You listen to Snoop Lion? Eddie Murphy? Snoop Dog changed his name to Snoop Lion because he now plays reggae. So, you need to understand the importance of reggae music. Reggae is not the kind of music that when you have problems you will go jump around. You will continue to have problems. You must address these issues through music.”
Seeing the passion with which Essiet spoke about Roots reggae, anyone who dares to say, “but I don’t like the reggae beat’’ will know the response from Musical Youth’s 1984 hit, “Whatcha Talkin’ bout.’’
The festival is scheduled to kick-off in Lagos on November 29 at the National Stadium, Lagos.
