9ice still rings!!!!....💯

 In that year , I was in our house in the city of Onitsha and opposite our house along Port Harcourt road, there was a CDs seller. In that cool evening, from the selection of songs he usually play, I heard a song that caught my attention from the CD seller's shop and I rushed to his shop and demanded for the CD. The whole songs from different music artists listed on that CD never attracted my interest, but Kongaso by 9ice attracted my interest. 

Before then, I have been to Yoruba land, Lagos to be precise. I don't understand Yoruba language then and even now. But Kongaso by 9ice which was largely composed and delivered in Yoruba language was my favorite song back then. The song was allover Onitsha and entire Igboland. Not only that , Igbo people owns CD shops in different interior villages in all states in Nigeria including in Yoruba land, selling films and music CDs and all the CDs from Alaba mixtapes has Kongaso in them all back then. MY IGBO BROTHERS MADE KONGASO BY 9ICE POPULAR and not only 9ice, but hundred of other Yoruba music artists.

It will be an uncommon witchcraftry for any Yoruba music lover not to give credits to Igbo people in music business for popularizing Yoruba musicians before the advent of social media and streaming. All Yoruba musicians and in extensions, all Nigerian musicians owe a great deal of gratitude to Igbo people in music business for making them what they are today. Back then, some Yoruba music artists who doesn't have money to get their songs enlisted in Alaba mixtapes do pray that their songs would be pirated and that they had no problem with it.

It is a fat lie to insinuate that Yoruba understand music business more than the Igbo people. It is a fatter lie also to say that Yoruba sponsors and assists their upcoming artists to limelights more than the Igbo people. Actually the people that has been bringing many Nigerian music artists including the Yoruba artists into limelights are the Igbo people in music business in Alaba before internet and social media liberalized media access to everyone.

Igbo people in music business in Alaba are also responsible for the popularity of all the Records Labels in Nigeria. Even when Wizkid was sponsored by Banky W of EME, Alaba marketers were still responsible for the circulation of the music CDs allover Nigeria and Africa. Without them, both Wizkid, Banky W and EME wouldn't be knowns by anybody. And this applies to all music artists and Record Labels in Nigeria back then. 

95% of Yoruba music artists based in Lagos where Alaba market is located and this made it very easy for them to get connected to marketers unlike Southeast based music artists who has to labor for transport fare to Lagos in order to discuss with a marketer. 

When social media and streaming took over, music circulation became easier. Because of the vibrant Lagos night life, many upcoming music artists who were not under any Record Label and any management were able to start getting singing gigs at nite clubs, wedding events , parties,etc because people began to know about them via the social media. Lagos been a Yoruba land and Yoruba people been party-mongers were able to have access to low cost upcoming music artists who are showing their talents on social media and would lighten up any event when booked. This gave rise to so many independent music artists who are doing well in Southwest.

Unfortunately for the Southeast based music artists, there is no vibrant night life in Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi and Abia. Only the highlife and gospel singers were getting singing gigs. Only Imo state has a vibrant night life which attracts night life lovers every weekend although patronages has drastically gone down for quite some times now due to security challenges. Asaba and Port Harcourt has vibrant night life but they can't measure up to Lagos night life. So the Southeast based music artists are short of opportunities. Not only that, all the upcoming music artists from that region tends to be versed only on Igbo rap and trap music which is very unpopular outside Igboland and very unattractive to investors . But a young star is rising from the East and her music is a favorite to investors, show promoters, club owners and her music is resonating in all nooks and crannies of Nigeria just like Kongaso from 9ice. Her name is Ugoccie .

#chukwumandioguluofficial