…Says “sometimes people see me and make nasty comments”
By Tosin Ajirire and Gilbert Ekezie
For music superstar, Innocent Idibia, popularly known as Tubaba, it’s good to be a celebrity; but the pains and agonies that accompany fame are numerous and regrettable.
In an interview conducted during his courtesy visit to The Sun’s corporate office in Lagos sometime ago, Tubaba opened up on his career, marriage, politics and challenges of being a superstar. Excerpts:
How long have you been in the music industry?
I started singing in 1999.
What has been your staying power since you started music?
It’s the grace of the Almighty God that has been keeping me all this while. I am the kind of person that likes doing things in my own way. I won’t say because a particular music is reigning, therefore, I must do that kind of music. Even if I continue with this same pattern (of music) in the next 50 years, it will still make sense. And you will be amazed that what I said is true. Another factor is that I have the most amazing and loyal fans that will never shun my music. In fact, they are always there for me.
How do you get inspiration for your songs?
Inspiration comes in different ways. Sometimes, they come from dreams and when I wake up I write them down or I will sing and use my phone to record it. Thereafter, I will develop it. Aside that, inspiration can come from what I see, hear or the experiences I had. Sometimes, I may be in my room and something would just click in my brain. In the past, we used to write our songs on paper, but these days, we do more of recordings.
You’ve finally settled down. Was it a difficult choice for you to settle down with a woman?
To be frank, I was thinking that I would not marry. There was a time I said that I was not going to get married; but once the thought came, I decided to marry the woman who has been there for me when I had nothing.
How do you feel as a married man?
Oh, I am happier than before. At least, I am more responsible now.
Could you compare your marital life with that of bachelorhood?
When I was a bachelor, I could go out and come back anytime I wanted. But now, I cannot do that again. Now, once I am done with the day’s work, I have to go back home to my wife and kids. And then, the way I party before has reduced because I am married and getting older as well. Now as a married man, I have a sense of responsibility. I now know that I need to consult my wife before doing certain things, unlike before.
What are the challenges you face as a celebrity?
Sometimes people see me and make nasty comments. I would just turn around and ignore it. Many times, people forget that being a celebrity doesn’t mean you are not human. Sometimes, I might just be in a bad mood and I’m probably at an airport. I might just want to walk straight into my flight quietly and people would be calling me for photograph. And, if I fail to do that and keep walking, they will tell me to go to hell; after all, my music is not good enough. On many occasions, some (Area) boys would ask,‘Tubaba, is there anything for the boys’ and if I give them N1,000, they’ll say ‘Tubaba, you are bigger than that’. There are also other funny comments that I try to ignore.
As a big time celebrity, do you feel lonely sometimes despite your numerous fans?
Yes. Most times you don’t have the ability to know somebody that genuinely cares about you, apart from the people you knew right from the time you started, when there was nothing. As a celebrity, most of the people I meet are those who I know through my celebrity status. So, you have to be careful because you don’t know the motive people have against you.
As a leader in the entertainment industry, how do you define leadership?
I will describe leadership on a normal, basic level. Leadership is being able to get into a game and then you are able to upgrade that game to a particular level. Before I came into the Nigerian music scene, there have been many people. There was a period when there was disconnect from music as a serious career choice. There was this period when musicians were written off as never-do-well. Many parents looked down on music and detested it, and would not allow their kids to have anything to do with music. Every parent wants their children to become engineers, lawyers, bankers, doctors etc. However, my generation has interpreted the way people now look at artistes and music. So, for me, leadership would mean trying to make people see that music can be a serious career choice. With music, you can make money, you can make a living, you can create employment opportunities, and so on. You don’t have to be a rascal. You can make it in a respectable way.