SAN FRANCISCO, December 07, (THEWILL) – Nigerian highlife singer, Chinedu Okoli, better known as Flavour, says he doesn’t sign artistes in music contracts because he is avoiding trouble.
Flavour disclosed this when he spoke in a recent interview with BBC Igbo after the release of his ‘Flavour of Africa’ album.
The singer, while responding to allegations to help aspiring musicians in the South- East, stated that he has helped many creatives in his own way but he stated that he doesn’t sign label contracts to prevent disagreements and court cases.
“Not all allegations deserve a response because people will always talk. I’ve done things in my own way and helped different people, irrespective of whether or not you’re Igbo. There are those that are unheard of,” the singer said.
“The help we should all pray for is that of God. If you’re destined to make it musically, you will. I don’t sign artists in music contracts. I don’t have the strength for troubles because it mostly breeds problems.
“That’s why it seems as though I didn’t sign anyone. If I want to help someone, I help them but not by signing label contracts. I don’t want problems so my heart will remain pure to make my music.”
Speaking further on this, Flavour stated that many in the south-east don’t fully understand the demands of label contracts.
“If you start signing contracts, not all our Africans here understand these things completely. It could bear its ugly head. If you sign a contract and the person involved defaults, it leads to court cases,” the 37-year-old star added.
“The kind of contract we do here in Africa is a brother-to-brother agreement. That works better. It now looks as though Yoruba musicians sign contracts but Igbo singers don’t understand these things.
“That’s why it looks like I don’t do business with emerging artistes. If you bring music as a rising singer, and I like it, I get involved. If my intuition tells me to do more, then we proceed and it becomes a successful project.
“I don’t want us to start having disagreements due to artiste contracts such that we leave music-making and start quarrelling in court cases or hiring lawyers. There are people who have the appetite for that but I don’t.”
