•Female Juju Musician, Princess FOLAKE AROWOJOLU
Princess Folake Arowojolu is a Juju musician of note. She performs at high-profile parties with her band and does excellently well. But, it’s not been totally smooth-sailing as she’s had to grapple with challenges here and there. In spite of these, Princess Folake is forging ahead with her music career. City People’s Contributing Editor, IYABO OYAWALE recently engaged her in a chat! Enjoy it!
Princess Folake, you are a musician of note. How did you get into music?
Hmm… Well, I have been singing since I was little, I mean from the choir. And music is for me.
Do you want to tell me that you’ve wanted to be a musician since you were young?
Hmm..no actually.. no.. I wanted to be a lawyer (laughs)
Ah… wow… So, what happened along the way?
But my mummy told me to go for catering and hotel management which I didn’t like and then later, I just got into music
Okay, that’s so good, I am so happy to hear your story. Did you have to go for training in music or just the talent you have?
Yes, yes, I have a talent already and I worked with the late Babatunde Willoughby
Was he a musician?
Yes, he was. I worked with him for more than 10 years.
Wow, and you were singing with him?
Yes, I was the lead singer then.
Okay, in his band?
Yes
What was the name of the band?
Willoughby
Where was it? Is it Lagos?
Yes, in Lagos.
Was it a gospel band?
It was a secular band, hip hop, juju, highlife, reggae, yeah.
At what point did you decide to go on your own?
After Mr. Willoughby died, I decided to form my own band.
Which year was this?
2003
That means you have been on your own for 19 years?
Yes.
How has the journey been?
It has not been easy; you know how Nigeria is, but I give glory to God. It is not by my might or power. All glory belongs to Him.
Oh! That’s good. You decided to call your band what name?
Princess Folake and the African Rhythm Band
You do basically secular music?
Err… Juju and sometimes reggae like Mr. Willoughby’s band but I am fully into Juju.
Okay great, I want to know, how easy was it to get people for your band?
From one person to another person then to another, that’s all.
Okay, great. How were you able to convince your first group ofclients to ask you to come and play for them, you know you were new at the time?
There is no need to convince anybody. I mean to say that my performance is good. I don’t mean to be proud, it is God’s doing. Sometimes, I show them my videos or they see my performance at parties and they get my business card so they reach me for their own unique ceremonies. They call me to perform at their burials, naming or even weddings or birthdays.
This job you are doing takes you out of the house most of the time, how are you coping?
Er.. (laughs)
Or maybe I should ask, how is your family coping?
Hmm… let me say it like this. A doctor is supposed to be at the hospital 24/7 so definitely you have to cope with your family. They understand that what you are doing is your job and you can’t play with it. Not that because you have a job, you will not take care of your family, definitely you will take care of your family because your family is also very important. So, you have to take care of both your job and family.
Okay, so your family understands what you do?
Yes.
Oh. That’s good. That’s awesome. I know that you played at Mrs. Modupe Gbadamosi’s party and you play at high profile parties, can you name some of them?
Err..yeah. Like Island Club, Lagos Lawn Tennis Club. I have played for so many people that I cannot remember to mention. I have played for Baba Tinubu, Fashola and so many others I can’t mention. So many of them.
So has the job taken you outside Nigeria before?
Yes, yes.
Okay, good. So people would book for your services and you will travel out?
Yes, definitely.
You want me to classify your music as Juju?
Yes.
Oh, good. How do you cope with the rising cost of musical instruments considering the fact that most of these things are imported in dollars and the dollar rate is going crazy now? (Chuckles lightly)
Well (smiles), what I can say is that we should always pray to God for provision. That’s all. This is because there is nothing we can do in this country, I tell you this. We just need to pray to God always.
Okay, so you believe in God?
Yes, I believe in God strongly. I am a Christian. A conc. one.
Which church do you attend?
Cherubim and Seraphim.
Okay, so what are the challenges you have been facing in this business?
Ah! So many, I mean so many of them. A lot.
Can you name some of them?
Err. Okay… About many years ago, I was told to play for one of my clients (I don’t want to mention his name) and on getting to the ground, there was no instrument. (laughs)
Wow, crazy thing.
I was shivering, I was scared. This is because it was a burial at Ijebu-Ode and you know Ijebu people, they always start their party at 12 o’ clock, and when it is 6 o’ clock, they will end it and we would all have to go back to Lagos. So, I started calling the instruments guy. I asked him what happened and I was told that Federal Road Safety workers. I don’t really know what they did but I think that there were trying to stop the vehicle and the driver did not stop. So, they had to arrest the instrument guys. When I heard that, I had to immediately look for another instrument at Ijebu-Ode. My client had been calling me to know what was happening. “Princess, where are you? People are here already. You ought to have been playing” the query went on. I was calm that day ehn, it was not a funny thing o.
Eeyah…
I mean, at the end of it, I got the instruments but not the one that I wanted. When we got there, it was fire. My band members couldn’t even go into that party! We had to hang around because ahh…
The client was angry?
Like, he was even raining curses. (Laughs) After he finished raining the curses on us, he said we should go and rest. So, when I got there, I knelt down and begged. I told him how sorry I was and what happened. He didn’t even want to listen to me but thank God one of his elder sisters said, “Okay, this is what happened, so let’s start.” Most people had gone; it was only few persons that were left in that party. I didn’t even know how I found my voice to sing, I managed to sing. After the whole thing, the client called me and I cried. I cried that day, so much.
Oh! Princess (in an emotional tone)
Before the party ended, the instruments came in but it was late. He couldn’t say anything because he knew that I wasn’t lying. It is because he said that I went to play at another partyand I came to perform at their own party thereafter. I was trying to explain what happened but you know… Customers are always right so there is a limit to what you can say. That day ehn… If they say insults upon insults upon insults, I heard them. He called me and sat me down with the people at the party. The way he talked to me… I was shedding tears and I couldn’t even say a word. I was just crying.
Was it after the party that he called you?
Yes, after the party. But I thank God that we are friends now. After the party, he said I was going to return his money. I said, ‘okay.’ He said, ‘look at her. She is too proud, she can’t even say anything’ and his wife was even trying to caution him, ‘it’s okay now. What do you want her to do? After all, it is not her fault.’ After the party, they called me again. He said, ‘Sorry, it is my daddy’s burial and I cannot do it twice.’ He begged me and said he knew that it wasn’t my fault. I told him that he had every right to be angry, I couldn’t say anything. After all, he had paid and I had to render my service which I couldn’t do. I also expressed my apology.
Wow!
After that incident, oh, if you see how many shows I have played through him, you will not believe me.
Laughs. Thank God, I am so happy to hear that, at least it ended in praise.
That is it, because I did not utter a word and I begged. This is what people should do when they are wrong. When you are wrong, you have to accept that you are wrong. That is how it happened. There are many other unpleasant experiences but this particular one was my first.
So what usually happens when you are going to play at a party? Do you take your instruments there and the instruments will go ahead of you?
That is it. Yes.
But this particular day, you were there and the instruments were not there.
The instruments were supposed to be there before me.
It was nice talking to you Princess, you are so welcome.
Thank you ma.
