Popular Juju artiste, Seun Aransiola is one of the hot cakes in the Juju music industry right now. This beautiful babe started her music career 21 years ago and has since then been making waves in that field. She sings with so much passion and energy, whenever she handles the microphone, fans or guest are left with no other choice than to dance to her music. Despite being a lady, her Juju music is always one of the best.
The fact that she sings well makes her enjoy the admiration of prominent people in the society. She makes sure her clients get value for their money, there is never a dull moment with this delectable musician. Did we also mention that she is very pretty and she dresses gorgeously to any event she attends?
She has played for so many important personalities in the society.
Last week, at City People Valentine’s Party, she spoke with City People’s Editorial team, about her life as a female Juju artiste. Enjoy excerpts.
How many years have you been playing Juju music?
I don’t want to exaggerate but I think, I am close to 20/21 years in the industry.
How has it been?
If anybody tells you it is easy, he or she is joking, there is nothing that is easy but I bless God because he has been faithful. Just like Teniola said, it is not easy. When you struggle hard, when you keep struggling, don’t think anybody is going to help you but keep pushing. You will get there one day and that has always been my principle from the onset.
Would you say being a female Juju artiste added more to the challenges you had to contend with?
I don’t think it has anything to do with gender. challenges are meant to be faced. Whether you are a male or a female, you are bound to face challenges; you have your own cross to carry. With experience my male colleagues, they also have their own challenges. But I think our own as a female, has a little bit of the unfair part.
Because you have to face the fact that a fan wants you to come and play at their wedding and their girlfriend might see you as a threat in their relationship, and you know we females have a lot of challenges that surround us. Whether the girlfriends are higher than the person, they don’t care, that complex will set in, whether inferiority complex or superiority complex, the complex will always set in. So it takes the grace of God, it takes someone that is filled with the Holy Spirit to be able to say, I wouldn’t mind a female to play at my wedding.
Are you saying being a female Juju artiste is very challenging?
Yes it is.
How is it different from that of a male Juju artiste?
Like I said earlier, some of my male colleagues also face their own challenges. Some of them might not say it and some will be bold to say that they face ladies asking them out, saying that they just need to sleep with them. But for me that I cannot sleep around, I decided to carry my cross and ask God to help me through and God has been faithful, I won’t lie, the Lord has really been faithful to me.
Can you share with us one or two incidents that was embarrassing to you in the course of doing your job?
I have a lot but sharing with you means that I am trying to dig into my privacy and I really do not want that, being able to keep my privacy has helped me in so many ways.
How have you been able to draw a line between Seun the artiste and Seun the private person?
I have been able to do that with the help of God because if I tell you that I have been in the entertainment industry for more than 20 years, a lot of people will say, so how old is she? However, not being able to compromise made me face what we call “Pay Your Dues”. At the moment, if you want to give me a job or you want me to play at your party, I am available, not because you want something in return, if your aim is to get something in return, you can keep your offer.
So, if you want to give me a job because you want to sleep with me, you can keep that job because I don’t play with anything that has to do with my body, my body is so special to me.
Tell us a bit about your background?
I started music at a tender age by joining the choir, I was one of the youngest in the adult choir and that was how I started. The adults in my choir loved me, in fact they are the ones that took me home after every rehearsal.
That encouraged me to want to press further in the music industry. I will say that, if I add the tender age that I started music plus when I became a professional artiste, it should be more than 20 years.
Considering how you started, why the choice of Juju music?
Like I used to say, everybody sings Juju music, even those that call themselves Gospel artistes, I stand to be corrected, present Gospel artiste sings Juju music, whether they want to accept it or not.
But because they don’t want to be linked with the word “Juju”, they don’t understand that the Juju is not the “black charm”, what it simply means is that, when a drummer plays a rhythm and you enjoy it, you are expected to shake your body. Like I said earlier, even gospel artistes sing Juju music, it now depends on how you categorise your Juju music. You can sing your Juju music to worship God and also to appreciate those God created: Juju music wasn’t what I decided I was going to sing initially, because I didn’t know anything about Juju music but as time goes on, I begin to understand that the Juju does not mean black charm, it means, throw it to me and let me enjoy the rhythm.
Who are your mentors?
I have so many mentors but most importantly my mother, Queen Ayo Balogun (the President of our Association). I have Baba Obey, King Sunny Ade, SSP, all my senior colleagues are my mentors but those that I mentioned are the ones I appreciate so much.
Did you get your mum and dad’s support when you decided to do music professionally?
In actual fact, my mother also used to be a singer in the church but she never had the opportunity to become a professional singer. But she is a good singer in the church and as for my father, he is a good dancer. They gave me their support, they prayed along with me and I am enjoying their prayers.
How have you dealt with men who know you to be an artiste but still desire to date you?
I turn them to my friends because right from the onset, men are my friends, the reason is that, they will be honest with you; over time, I have had male friends and I have enjoyed it, no strings attached.
How has your profession as a musician affected your relationship because we have men who will say, I can’t date an artiste?
I have had an experience of somebody saying that, if I am going to marry you, you have to drop music. I will open a shop for you, but you won’t do music and I said okay but can you do me a favour? Will you allow me to be singing in the house, I will set instruments in the house and I will be singing for you?
He said that will cause a lot of noise, I said okay, it means you are telling me that my life is noise, if you want to marry me, marry me not because of the music, marry me because you love me for me and the trust should be there. I don’t blame men that have issues with my being an artiste because some of the old and young artiste have a bad reputation.
But as for me, any man that wants to marry me must marry my music with me because music is my life, it is something that I grew up to know. So, for any man to tell me to drop music because you love me, it is difficult; I am not saying business is not good, I always tell my band people, make sure it is not only music you are doing, most of my band boys are graduate and they also have various handiwork, so, when the music is not there, you have something to depend on, some of the old artistes didn’t plan for the future, I am not talking about the likes of Baba Obey, K.S.A.
When you are climbing a staircase, there will be a time that you will need to come down to pick something and in picking that thing, you might not have the opportunity to go back. I always advice my band boys that they should have something else they are doing aside music. When there is no music, you will be able to take good care of your family. Because if you go to your fans and start asking them for money every now and then, they will stop picking your calls.
If you are to enter into a relationship with any man that you desire, what are the 3 major qualities you would look out for in that man?
I love a man that is hardworking, when we both are hardworking, we will be able to support each other when necessary, I don’t want a situation where I will be the only one working, most men now depend on women and I can’t cope with that. I love a man who will respect and trust me.
Where did you grow up?
I was born in Lagos, Ebute-Metta. I went to my home town, I grew up there, I came back to Lagos, then I went back to my home town, after my secondary school, I came back to Lagos.
Where in Kwara State is your home town?
Omu-Aran.
When you were in school, did you ever think music is what you will do for a living?
When I was in school, I never thought I was going to be a musician although, I used to sing then but I never thought I was going to be a musician.
