An afternoon with Kevin Luther

I started my music way back in junior high school, when I was just about 12 years old, then I use to listen to Michael Jackson a lot, and as my idol; I would even mime his songs at social night parties organized by the school, and gradually as my interest in music grew deeper, […]

I started my music way back in junior high school, when I was just about 12 years old, then I use to listen to Michael Jackson a lot, and as my idol; I would even mime his songs at social night parties organized by the school, and gradually as my interest in music grew deeper, I started learning how to write my own songs then I went for a voice training class, where I also took a couple of guitar lessons and that was it.

How long has it taken you to reach this stage and have you reached your desire?

Actually “e don tey” , it’s really been a long time coming and like P square sang in one of their songs, “E no easy” , well I’ve been on this track for quite a long time now, probably about 10 years or thereabout, and getting to where I am right now has not been a piece of cake, not all, because there are quite a lot of challenges you face as an upcoming artist in Nigeria especially when you are coming out as an independent artist, without a management or record label to back you up but I’ve paid all my dues and by God’s grace , with the help of my family, I’ve been able to get to where I am today. Although, I have not yet reached my desired peak, and I guess, that would be when I start winning the Grammys (Laughs)

What’s your inspiration for the kind of music you do?

Life is generally the major source of my inspiration; because when I want to write my songs, I would first of all, turn around and look at people’s personal lives, though sometimes I kind of scoop a little bit from my personal experiences too.

How would you describe your music?

My music is a fusion of RnB, Suka, Pop, Dancehall and a little bit of Hip-Hop. It is also deeply rooted in the heart of soul, so you can say it’s a combination of different genres and when it comes to originality, I’ve got a style that is not really common in the market, because I am original in my ideas and I try as much as possible not to sound like anyone else but myself.

Which among all your songs was the most challenging to you?

That would be a particular song in my album known as “my face of Africa, it actually took me about a year and three months to finally get the right lyrics I wanted in that song. Initially, I would write a few lines today and cancel the same lines tomorrow and then rewrite until I was able to get it right. And even when I got to the studio for production, I wasn’t really satisfied with what the producer gave me so I had to work like about two other producers on the same song, I think there’s just something special about the song that I haven’t discovered.

What is the central theme of your songs?

The central theme in my songs is based on Love, Reality and Fantasy.

Who is your target audience?

Everybody who loves good music is obviously my target, because both the old and the young are bound to relate with my music, especially those in the grassroots.

There are a lot of young people going into music today, many of whom see it as a last resort. What is your take on that?

Well, people who see music as a last resort are probably those who just stumped into music in order to make some noise and perhaps make quick money but personally I don’t see music as a last resort; because music is a passion and a first love to me, I ventured into it not because I couldn’t do well in my field of study but because, I have the natural passion for it and besides, as a graduate of theatre and film, I can of course excel in the film making business.

In a couple of your songs, you use the word “hammer” I guess that means to succeed financially. Is that a major drive for you in this field?

(Laughs) well, to me, the word “hammer” doesn’t necessarily mean to make it just financially but it also means, to be successful in your career and other endeavors. And money is absolutely not my major drive in this field but I know that money is also important, because as an artist, music is your source of livelihood and you obviously need to pay some bills.

What is the story behind Adanma and why not Halima, Funmi or Ekatte, etc; many artists seem to like using Ibo female names?

When I was writing that song, I had a story in mind and there was need for me to create a character that would drive the storyline as well, so while searching my mind, I just ran into the name “Adanma”, which means a beautiful girl in Ibo language and that was it, no strings attached.

Why do you prefer to sing in pidgin even though you lace them sometimes with Standard English?

Well, I would rather prefer to sing with Standard English but as you know, our music is mostly appreciated or rather patronized by people in the grassroots and since pidgin is the major means of communication they can relate to much better, I tend to sing using pidgin but I’ve also done a couple of songs using only standard English without pidgin.

How long does it take you to produce a piece?

I am a free stylist, so it’s not difficult for me to come up with a piece, because, to me, it all begins with a simple idea, although it all depends on the nature of the song, but approximately, I could use just a day in writing a song and then the other two or three days in producing the master piece and bang, the song is ready.