MTV BASE BRINGS IN FOREIGN DIRECTORS TO REMAKE YAHOOZE VIDEO! WHAT ABOUT TIMAYA?

MTV Base remakes Olu Maintain’s Yahozee video

Written by Lolade Sowoolu

Saturday, 13 September 2008

When local and international parties team up for a common purpose, the result is always explosive as long as both teams agree on the course. Olu Maintain’s Yahozee king This explosion is what Nigerians await as Music Television Base (MTV) draws up Nigeria’s technical video professionals and experienced foreign directors for a remake of Olu Maintain’s Yahoozee video. In a media gathering that held at the Jade Chinese restaurant last Thursday, officials of MTV Base represented by Paul Mayanya; Senior Commercial Manager, MTV Africa and Mr. Toney Okenedo; Media Relations, Shell, unveiled the concept of MTV base Making Videos with Shell- the second edition but first in Nigeria. According to Paul Mayanya, “ For us music videos are our lifestyle. They are essential to our existence. So to be able to showcase and play the very best videos across Africa, we can actually help artistes with their props thereby improving the quality of music videos across the continent..” This year’s edition will involve four countries namely South Africa, Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria. An occasion that will pair Nigeria’s Olu Maintain with Ghana’s Hip Life artist, Okyeame Quame. It will also pull sixteen accomplished Nigerian technical directors into a competition among themselves in a group of fours. The battle will take place in six days under foreign technical supervision and instruction and the winning team will eventually reproduce Olu’s Yahozee video with Shell’s support. Some of the short-listed Nigerian professionals include Wudi Awa, Gbenga Saluyi, Afam D Man, Akin Alabi, Dayo Ayodele and Yvonne- the only female in the selection. Yahozee video remake is expected to premiere on the 20th of this month. Olumide Edwards Adegbolu aka Olu Maintain who did very well in concealing his excitement at the conference, opined that the MTV Base Making The Videos with Shell was a good platform for the Nigerian music industry and that he felt blessed being the ‘chosen among the few’. His Ghanaian counterpart, Quame, also said that he looked forward to infusing his style of music into Olu’s. Asked how Olu Maintain’s Yahozee was singled out of all the other popular and successful songs in Nigeria, Paul Mayanya was quick to say that the project sought to patronize great music on video. “We want a song recognisable by the people and it’s not really about the artiste here but the directors. Yes, Olu has great music but the focus is the directors.” The Shell representative, Mr. Toney Okenedo explained the attraction of the energy producing giants to music videos. He said the company believe and are strong advocates of transference of technology which is why they are getting on the project a second time. Rymzo on the move again Just before Nigeria’s number one Rock ‘n’ Roll singer Church Hill Esosa de Gusto aka Rymzo dropped his latest single ‘Satisfy Me’ a couple of weeks back, the rock singer had been largely absent from the music scene especially with regards to major music shows and his television presence waned too. As ‘Satisfy Me’ continues to do well on radio especially after staying in No. 1 position on Rhythm Top 7 for a while, we sought out the dread lock-wearing musician and he explained his reasons for lying low. “I’m just chilling. I’m getting set for my next album which is my third but I’m waiting for the mess at hand to clear. I’ve been having problems with the marketers of my last album, that is the label- Alec Music so am trying to stop them from marketing them. I’m waiting for it all to clear before I drop my new work, but I’ve been playing shows in the Niger Delta”, he said. Rymzo who started playing music professionally about thirteen years ago didn’t drop his first album until 2004 but for two years now, the rock banger with West Indies, Benin and Bayelsa parentage has not dropped any videos and may not be doing so until about three months time; the reason being that he has to travel to Europe to shoot. “ My promo video (Satisfy me) will not be ready until three months time because I featured a foreign artist called Emiliano and he is based in Vienna, Austria. So I have to go and meet him to make the video ready”. The singer who is currently on tour around the country also revealed that his third effort is ready and contains thirteen tracks with a lot more collaboration with foreign artists. When asked about his reason(s) for foreign preference when it comes to collaboration, the singer said working with international artists is easier than working with Nigerian artists and besides his music is stable. In his own words, “ Most of the Nigerian artists that I think are capable of being on the same song with me seem to always claim to be busy and am an artist who doesn’t have time to wait for anybody. I don’t need anybody to push my music ‘cos my music is really stable.” The album scheduled to drop in March is titled ‘Overdose’ and contains ninety-five per cent club bangers and boasts of tracks like; Just Bounce, Green White Green, Overdose and of course, Satisfy Me.