Bouncing back after a seven-year break,
Paul Play Dairo recalls the medical challenge that affected his career,
writes JAYNE AUGOYE
After a seven-year hiatus, ace music
producer and artiste, Paul Play Dairo, is working towards staging a big
come back. Having dropped a total of five singles since March, he says
the response has been massive. In spite of the seeming lull in album
sales, the RnB star who says he is up-to- beat with current trends in
the music scene, still intends to drop a ‘luxury’ album.
“The idea is basically to fill in the
gap since my last album and also sample people’s opinion. Thankfully,
the online comments have been encouraging. So far, I have recorded 20
songs and some of them have already been released as singles. I am
currently tidying my gospel and each track has an element of Nigerian
flavor and pop.
“The bulk of the money is no longer
coming from album sales because these songs are already online and
people are downloading them. Music business is now streamlined to
performance and endorsement. I am still going ahead with the limited
edition album which will be expensive because that way I will be able to
control and monitor the sales and distribution,” he discloses.
When Paul Play launched his way into the
Nigerian music scene in 1999, riding on the goodwill and success of his
late father, IK Dairo, he enjoyed solid patronage. Within a short
period, he also earned an independent voice of his own, springing hit
singles that include Mosorire, Happy Day and Yes O!
In 2009, however, his career was
threatened when he fell ill in South Africa, while shooting some music
videos for his last album and had to be rushed to a hospital. In his
absence, the media was awash with speculations over the nature of the
illness. It was rumoured that he had cancer, kidney failure to a
spiritual attack. Four years after, he has clearly moved on, choosing
not to dwell on the nature of the ailment.
According to him, the
near-death-experience has taught him some lessons. He talks about a few
of them in a low tone saying, “It was taught to be scared of God, and
not to depend on man because God is ultimate. You don’t have to trust
man, but psyche yourself that people are close to you for one reason or
quality or the other. I lost many trusted friends during my ailment and
gained a few in the process.
“There were some who said and did things
that made me say ‘Oh, even you too’, but you know it is part of life
that when things are down you lose your friends. Right now, I am not
afraid of anything. I am stronger and can take whatever life throws at
me.”
The year 2014 is ‘Paul Play Dairo’s
year’, if indications emerging from the soft spoken artiste are anything
to go by. For one, he intends to release a Box Set- two albums of
highlife and gospel music. The third will be RnB.
He says, “It will be a limited edition
because it is going to be expensive.I wanted an album that people will
like. That’s the reason for the long silence. My management is
considering working with a number of new school acts like Inyanya and
Wizkid. I am open to work with any artiste, so I don’t end up being an
island in the industry. I don’t want to streamline myself only to a
group or set of people. I was taking my time to do things right and face
other things. I have been able to keep up with the industry online and
the commendation I have been receiving ever since is an indication that
people have missed me and want me back on the scene.”
The one-time Globacom Ambassador adds
that so much has changed since his temporary exit from the scene. He
says, “The music industry has become saturated. Today, everyone wants to
sing so there is limited space to get the desired publicity. But
artistes who have pedigree will always fit in, no matter what friends,”
he explains.
While many artistes of his time, have
found it rather difficult to fit into the scene after being away for a
long time, Paul Play is optimistic that his fans will embrace his return
and warm up to him. He hinges his belief on the fact that Nigerians now
embrace indigenous music when compared to the past.
“If you say it is difficult to come
back and then give up things will pass you buy. If the likes of Lionel
Richie and Stevie Wonder have stood the test of time, why label yourself
as old school? With a good pedigree, people will respect you and with
God you can still make a comeback. I don’t intend to stay in music for a
long time,’’ he notes.
