Initiated by Michael Ogolo of Ogololaughs, it was a talent hunting ceremony in the music industry which began two years ago, precisely, 2009.
According to the founder, Michael Ogolo, “The award was born out of the urge to step up the music industry, entertainment in general, in Rivers State, Port Harcourt. We want to tell everyone that entertainment in Rivers State is back.
“Last year we were able to get some very good artists to come back to the music industry, one of them being IB to write songs and produce an Album.
“This year we have very meaningful songs from Port Harcourt. These songs can stand any where in the world and we are happy that Port Harcourt is producing such quality of music.
“I like to state here clearly that the Odudu Awards is a kind of award based on quality. We are not doing popularity award. Your music may be very popular but it cannot stand outside Port Harcourt. That is not what we want. We want the kind of music that can stand anywhere in the world and it is from Port Harcourt.
“Those to be awarded this night have done very well and can stand anywhere in the world.
One of the revelations during the award, was Abiye Howells, a.k.a. Howells G.
A practical genius from Okrika, Howells G. who recently released his first album, “Rule Your Destiny”, clinched the prestigious award of Best Gospel Music, during the Odudu award.
The First lady, Dame Judith Amaechi presented the award to him.
Several awards were presented, (See box) and as usual, The Newswriter sneaked out to get feelings of the new talent from Okrika who clinched the award with his first outing.
Here are excerpts from the interview:
My name is Abiye Howells and my stage name is Howells G. G stands for Great. People gave me the name Great. When I was working in Mitchelin, I was so proficient on the machine that all in the department called me Abiye the Great. I was working on an x-ray machine in quality control unit.
Music is in my blood from birth. My extended families are all choristers. My mother started singing when she was a little girl. I started singing as a boy, from school choir to church. I learnt guitar and a jazz band spotted me in choir and got me to work with them as far back as 1993 1994. I was a guitarist backing others and playing in clubs. I backed Arthur Pepple, Comboye Sinclair, Daniel Wilson, etc
I was with Sweet Family Jazz band, backing major artists. I was doing it for the love of music. I was to travel with a renowned Jazz guitarist. Chris Udo, but I dodged.
I joined ZAP squad, where Peter Stonecold was the lead singer. I later went to school and I had to leave music and face studies because of the academic work load. A dream experience later brought me back. It was in my year four, first semester. In the dream, I was playing guitar in the corridor of a hostel. A lot of students were around me and I was playing and singing. My course mates were in the class studying. So when I woke up from that dream I started contemplating. I said “my course mates are studying and I am outside playing guitar. Does it mean I am a truant? But as I was playing guitar, I had crowd around me. That means I am not a truant, I am doing something great”.
It was then I realized that this part of music is actually for me, because I have a crowd of people around me while I was playing. But when I discussed with some of my friends about switching to C.O.E to study music, they said “how you, can after year 1, 2, 3, you did not leave, now at year 4, reading Management Sciences, is it now that you want to leave? No, you can’t leave now. Already you have good grades and you don’t have problems academically”.
After all, I said I can complete any programme and go to C.O.E. So immediately I got my degree, BSC, and Mitchelin closed and I got pay off, I got my musical equipment and started my music. I was able to raise money to fund my debut album.
Director of E-cle music, the biggest music industry in the south has given me an appointment for a business talk.
I have just won the best Gospel Music- Male Category at the Odudu Musical Awards. It was presented by Dame Judith Amaechi. I am not boasting but I am not surprised at winning the award because I saw no rival among the nominees.
Talose Funmi, the track that won the award, was not necessarily the best in my album, but the track was chosen because when musicians sat down and studied my songs, I was advised to promote that song because it has a gospel undertone, easy to sing along and is a commercial music that will be accepted even in the church. I have other professional songs in the album that a listener will listen two or more times to appreciate.
I did a song with San Dede, a poem written by Dr. Gabriel Okara. It is a classical work. It is about motivation and inspiration. People say I am the Niger Delta foremost motivational and inspirational singer. It is about motivation and inspiration.
I was writing about motivation but I know within me that I have a deficiency. I am not too fluent in the presence of an audience if I am making a speech, but if I have a million people, I can sing and sing better. In fact, the larger the crowd, the better.
I teach people about stage fright. A lot of musicians take drugs or some other things to make them have courage on stage. But when I was singing in church, I was a tenor singer and I do a lot of classical songs. I have a way of giving myself the courage. You have lot of family people in the church. So if I am taking a solo in the church, as I am presenting, I will look into the eyes of somebody who is a friend or family member. The person will smile and put his face off. That gives me courage. It is like I am in charge. So I enjoy looking into their eyes so they can smile and they will put their faces away and the more I do, the more I get courage and perform better. So I take it as a technique to enhance my confidence on stage.
Other books about confidence will say, look above the people’s head, don’t look at the ceiling or they will know that you are shy. I teach people my own way. Don’t blink first. So I tell musicians, you don’t need to take drugs to go on stage. Just prepare well, know what you are going to do on stage.
So I said to myself, if you are not very comfortable speaking to an audience, why don’t you convert the motivational ideas you have into music so you can sing them before the audience? All my tracks are motivational.
Nobody knew who will win at the Odudu Award. I just went like any other nominee. Even as I sat down in my house, I felt God talking to me, telling me to write something down as a winner since I am not fluent speaking.
I had no information that I will win. Dedicate the award to my Local Government chairman, Barr. Tamuno Williams and the Enitonna High School Old Boys Association.
As I said before, E-Cle has invited me and am going for RSTV interview on Friday this week. I will soon go to the studio to start my next album.
Nigerian music scene is all about beat, dance. Few artists focus on lyrical content. These are the differences we want to make, to try to give out quality lyrics.
Advice for those coming up: They should not look at entertainment as carry go business. Music requires time, music requires work, music requires dedication, music requires focus, music requires devotion, music requires love, it requires perseverance. What ever it takes a man to be a great thing is required in music.
It is not just going to mime on stage. Play your own music, not going to studio to sing on beats. Study music part time. Know the rudiments of music, know the 123, the ABC of music, learn an instrument, at least one. I am a multiple instrumentalist. Know the chords, the keys.
I can play guitar, piano, bass and I can play elementary drums. ###
Categories
1. Best Traditional Group – Ikiamina Ogho of Opobo
2. Best Jazz – Perry Curtis
3. Best Gospel Female – Pastor Chinelo
4. Best Gospel Male – Howells G.
5. Best R & B Female – Lady IB
6. Best RAB Male – De Smart
7. Best Live Performer – Oba Omega
8. Best Highlife – Top 2
9. Best Gyration – Mary
10. Best Collabo – I. BE
11. Best Album Sleeve – Chinelo
12. Best Group – ThaIB Z
13. Best Pop N Rock – Gentle
14. Best Dancehall – Dantonio
15. Best Hip Hop Female – Roar Hi LLZ
16. Best Reggae Male – Dantonio
17. Best Reggae Female – Nelia
18. Best Vocal – Male Mr. Robinson
19. Best Vocal- Female – Lady IB
20. Best Dressed Artist – Fortune
21. D Js Choice Award – Burna Boy
22. On Air Personality Choice- I.BE
23. Media House Award – Silverbird Group
24. Best Gospel Video – Mary
25. R & B Video – Famous
26. Best Reggae Dancehall Video – Tha IBZ
27. Best Reggie Video – Dan Tonio
28. Best Hip Hop Video -IBE (Ijaw Boys Entertainment)
29. Honourary – Marvelous Macaulay Appoloma Jnr.
30. Honourary – Mr. Smooth
31. Honourary Nengiye Omemu
32 Tony Odili, 8lyrs, played Conga for Rex Lawson. Started 1951
33 Fela Bey (Guitarist)
34. Hotel Presidential (free hall for three yrs)
35. Best Naija Urban – male Burna Boy
36. Best Naija Urban – Female Lily Jean
37. Best Naija Urban Video – Egnyte
38. Latest Revelation (discovery) – Burna Boy
39. Best Video Director 2011 – Eddy Izycks
40. Producer of the year – Lexis
41. Best Artist of the year – Burna Boy
Kenneth Amabipi
