Tunde and Wunmi Obe are a popular showbiz couple with many hits to their credit. They are worthy music role models to many young people. Sunday Sun spoke with Tunde Obe recently and he told us how they have been able to remain relevant in the industry, his music experience, relationship with his wife and more.What is TWO working on lately?
A couple of days ago, we released a video titled Rise up in which we wanted to take people back in time to roots rock reggae. We do different genres of music and because a lot of people like reggae, we decided to do this one for reggae lovers. I am really surprised at the moment, because it seems like many people have missed good music, as it just sounded so fresh. I didn’t know it could sell and we thank God for that.
What do you do to make your songs evergreen?
That has been the whole essence of the brand. I receive so many messages for the old songs and people have been asking questions on how they can get our old songs. Moreover, they have been requesting that we do a compilation of our greatest hits in an album. We will be doing that next year by the grace of God for our fans. When we started, we didn’t just go into the studio, because we thought we could sing. We went through the mill, we did back up singing for the great artistes at the time. We worked in the studio for so many people; we played in other people’s bands and at parties before we started our own. We did every genre, so our orientation is being able to play all kinds of music.
When you started off years back, there wasn’t so much money in music but now music is very lucrative. So, at that time, did you ever think you were going to take up music as a full time job?
For me, music kept tugging on me when we started off in school because in 1988 we were still in the university and until we finished, it was more or less like a hobby. When I graduated my intention was to work. I was already working when somebody came looking for me. The person said he watched me perform at a concert. He looked for me everywhere and people explained to him that these guys don’t sing anymore and that I worked somewhere in Ikeja. So, the guy came looking for me and he saw me in suit and tie. I told him that was the future and that I couldn’t be doing this hundred, hundred naira show around again.
That I wanted to start thinking of my future, plan and then settle down. The guy then asked me how much I required leaving my former employer and I asked him if he knew how much I earned and told him. The guy mentioned another figure that was about four or five times my salary. He was like what if they paid me my five months salaries to do one show. I told him, I didn’t even have a band and he said I shouldn’t worry that they would put something together. They were desperate and they put it together and we did that show. However, after that show, somebody wrote in one of the national papers “…after watching Tunde and Wunmi, it means there is hope for Nigerian music”. Before, I knew it as at 1996/1997 we charged N100, 000 per performance.
So, when people say there was no money, I will say there was money and it just depended on your brand. What people saw that time was a classy band and it was just about branding. What everybody is doing now, (I have never taken credit for it but I think I will now) we started it. When we started, most bands were playing fuji, juju and highlife but we were playing all these funky songs, we were playing songs that were reigning, because people were only listening to foreign songs then. We were playing those songs well and there was no substitute except you had a DJ. We didn’t play just one song we played many songs but you know in Naija now, when you start something everybody will understudy you. They’ll watch how you linked your songs and before you know it, we were like 30 bands doing the same thing in Lagos.
Has it been all rosy for you in your career path?
To an extent, I will say yes. We used to have shows from back to back. Aside the fact that we were always at Nightshift, we used to do Pintos too. We were on stage Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday weekly. There was no week we didn’t have at least four shows. You know we were still young and energetic but sometimes you lose your voice. Those were the days but luckily for me, I am a very levelheaded person and the money never got into my head. It was just about moving to the next level and I found myself saving and planning.
You did some movies, then what happened along the line?
I am more of a success-driven kind of a person and I did like eight movies back then. I started with the likes of Omotola and Emeka Ike. However, I realized that the pay wasn’t really good. I did quite a few like Day Break but the big one was The Gardner and that was in 1995. But when I found out the money was not there and that they paid in trickles and you had to hang around to get it, I left. Unlike now, if you want an actor on set, he has to receive an alert before he comes to set but back then it wasn’t like that. I found out I wasn’t in control and I always love to be in control of my life and work. It wasn’t that I didn’t love acting but the reality of it all didn’t suit my purpose back then.
Let’s talk about music now and then?
A lot of people say it and it’s the truth, we had a lot of substance then and you couldn’t just do a wishy-washy song. Of course, everyone had one wish-washy song at a point in time but an album is supposed to be like a novel. It doesn’t have to be same beats with different lyrics on it, it should be dynamic. The next song and album tells a story of the singer, so by the time you listen to one or two tracks, you will have an idea about the musician’s experience. But now everyone is just on the fast lane, flying on private jets and on drinking spree.
Where there is so much poverty, people like seeing wealth and I always say it, the people that really have money are quiet about it, they don’t talk. I am not even on Instagram and the only social media account I maintain is Twitter and that’s because I need an outlet where I can reach my fans. You can’t see my mansion or my cars on my social media account; never, because that’s not what I am selling. My success came through many years of struggle, so what am I showing off? Every morning, when I wake up, I thank God that I have achieved so much in my life, so I don’t have to show off.
Was there anytime you were overwhelmed with the challenges in the music industry you wanted to quit?
No. People who know me, know that I am a serious planner. There’s no accident in anything we did and everything we do. I don’t invest my last kobo on anything; I always have a Plan B. We never knew people would like our songs for this long, so we started investing a long time ago. You know, I had to make arrangements for my family and giving my children the best education is my priority.
Is any of your children interested in music?
My first child is interested but our agreement is that she finishes schooling first. The recording company is there and so is the studio and everything is there for her but not now. When she graduates, then she can hand over her certificate to me and I will open up the studio to her.
I will do all I can to support her but you can think a child wants to do something but in two years time, she wants something else entirely. It might be acting, because she also has a flair for that but she might also wake up one day and say she wants to be a computer programmer. Anything she wants to do really, we will encourage her. They all play instruments, but it’s still a hobby for now, so let’s see where it goes.
You and your wife are celebrities, how have you guys been able to keep your marriage intact?
Firstly, both of us are determined that our marriage must work and then every other thing follows. Like Wunmi and I used to say no matter what we argue or disagree about, divorce is off the table, separation doesn’t even come into the equation, we just have to look for a way to resolve our problems. Most importantly, we have genuine love for each other, we are friends and it’s not the same thing as saying we are lovers.
We are lovers right, but we are friends first, that means when anything is bothering you, the first person you want to speak to is your friend. If we are not talking for just one hour, it affects us because we are best of friends. She is my personal person and we share everything. I am her husband but when I offend her, I apologize and nobody is too big to apologize. We have been together for 30 years and we have been married for 19 years.
You courted for how long?
We courted for 10 years, the reason for that was, because we started off in school and we were both working towards something. We were not the typical let’s go and take Coke, Fanta kind of couple; we worked together for our future. I’m focused, she’s focused and so there is no way we won’t be successful. We shared the same dreams and you can’t marry somebody whom you don’t share the same life visions with.
Do you think your marriage worked because you have known yourselves for a long while or does it mean that long courtship is better?
No, I don’t suggest long courtship for everybody but if you are in it for the right reasons then no problem. First things first, we didn’t want to marry and manage, we didn’t want to marry and start worrying about the next meal or rent. We wanted a financial blanket for ourselves and that was what we worked towards. We met in 1988 and by 1992 we opened a joint account though we were not married and we both had our different surnames and were signatories. That’s why I said you should marry the right person; someone thinking on the same level with you.
So, do you guys still run a joint account?
What we did that time was that we had that account to set up our home and a part of our income was going into it. When we moved into the house, we bought everything new and if you came in, you would think we had been married for 10 years. There was nothing we didn’t have, we had everything and were comfortable. Wunmi and I had always been on the same wavelength, so where will that quarrel come from? Unfortunately, that bank closed down but later, because of our copyright, we still had to open another account where of our cheques from music rights go into. So, we had a joint account but now everything is in place and so everyone now handles his or her own finances o! (Laughs).
But having a joint account at that stage of courtship is the hardest part, because trusting someone you are not married to is hard for some people. How did you guys do it?
We are from the same background and money means different things to different people and to us money is a means to an end. It’s not an end in itself.