I never got a kobo for my Kora prize – Ade Bantu

Weekend Magazine: There are many sides to Ade Bantu. How would you best describe yourself?Ade Bantu: I am a musician, music and film producer and apprentice of life.WM: How did you come by the name Ade Bantu?Ade Bantu: The name of my band is Bantu and my name is Ade. Years ago friends of mine […]

Weekend Magazine: There are many sides to Ade Bantu. How would you best describe yourself?
Ade Bantu: I am a musician, music and film producer and apprentice of life.
WM: How did you come by the name Ade Bantu?
Ade Bantu: The name of my band is Bantu and my name is Ade. Years ago friends of mine started calling me Ade Bantu and it kind of stuck. I like it, because it’s very unique. I am the only person on the planet with this name. It makes me feel special.
WM: How did you start a career in music?
Ade Bantu: I started music with a school band in Germany some 23 years ago. We recorded a demo tape, shopped it around and we got a record deal. The name of the band was Exponential Enjoyment. I released two albums with that group, from there I moved on to various bands and projects before setting up Bantu in 1999. So far, I have recorded five albums with Bantu and a grand total of 11 albums in my 20 odd years of music making.
WM: What inspires the lyrics and rhythms of your songs?
Ade Bantu: I am inspired by love, poetry, paintings, smiles, faces in subways or buses, the struggles of the people in the Niger Delta, fuel scarcity, Lagos traffic, Sufism, Ifa, so many things. I am an open vessel anything can trigger a line, a melody or rhythm.
WM: There is a cinema side to you. Could you share that with us?
Ade Bantu: I am involved as a producer of a cinema documentary called ‘Elders Corner.’ It’s the history of Nigeria told through its musical icons and their works. We have been working on it for over four years. We have rounded up filming and we are currently editing it. I have also been doing a little bit of acting; I featured in Akwaeke Zara Emezi’s short film, ‘Ududeagu.’
WM: What impact did being host of ‘Good Morning Africa’ have on you personally and your professional side?
Ade Bantu: I enjoyed doing radio. It was fun. It gave me a unique opportunity to interact with listeners from all over Africa. The programme was quite popular on the English Service of Radio Deutsche Welle and I used to receive a lot of letters and postcards from all over the continent. I made a lot of friends. 
WM: How much difference did winning Kora in 2005 make to you and what did you do with your prize money?
Ade Bantu: Winning the Kora Award in 2005 was definitely a career highlight. When we started recording ‘Fuji Satisfaction,’ the album that won the award with Adewale Ayuba, a lot of people were very critical of the fact that we had decided to work with a Fuji artiste. They felt it would damage our ‘brand’, but we went ahead and did our thing. You see me I no send [sic]! I guess that’s why the Kora means so much to me. For the records we never received a kobo or cent from the organisers of the awards.
WM: You mean Kora never paid you the prize money?
Ade Bantu: Exactly! They never paid.
WM: So far, what would you describe as the high-point of your career?
Ade Bantu: There are a couple of highlights. Recording ‘Rudie’ with British reggae band UB40 was one. Working with the African-American music and film legend Harry Belafonte on the soundtrack to his motion picture biography ‘Sing Your Song,’ was another milestone. We also recorded with the late highlife legend Fatai Rolling Dollar. It turned out to be his final recording before he passed away. In terms of performance, I’d say gigging for 100,000 people in November 2011 at the anti-racism rally in Cologne, Germany, was one of those mind-blowing experiences. This was during the Arsch Huh Festival in Cologne, Germany.
WM: You have worked with different artistes. Who among them have been most fun and challenging for you?
Ade Bantu: Working with Nneka was fun. She was extremely fast and focused. She knew what she wanted and did not waste time. Sound Sultan was also very creative and easy going. Ayuba was a bit elusive, he floated in and out of the studio you never knew when he would show up, but when he did he delivered. Rolling Dollar was spots on. He did not miss a beat. At 87, his mind was razor sharp.
WM: Your profile tags ‘Brothers Keepers’ as a political venture for you. How’s that if literarily it is being engaged with charity projects?
Ade Bantu: I always believe in giving back to my community. Whilst in Germany I set up an NGO and a musical group called Brothers Keepers, to address racism and xenophobia. We scored a top 10 hit and managed to raise a lot of money for victims of racist attacks and their families.
In Nigeria, I set up a creative arts project called ‘BornTroWay.’ We run free music, poetry, dance and drama workshops for teenagers and young adults between the ages of 15 and 22. So far, we have worked in Ajegunle, Oshodi, Bariga and Obalende in Lagos and Port Harcourt. We were also invited to the  Word Climate Conference  in Durban, South Africa.
WM: What is ‘Afropolitan vibes’ about?
Ade Bantu: After relocating to Nigeria about five years ago, I was shocked to see there were no live outlets for musicians wanting to experiment and push the boundaries of music beyond radio friendly pop tunes or cover songs. I felt we needed a platform for alternative music; a place where music lovers could congregate to watch contemporary singers, songwriters and musicians perform mostly original materials. This prompted me to start the monthly Afropolitan vibes show at Freedom Park, Lagos Island. It’s been running for over a year now.
My 12 piece band and I invite artistes to come share the stage with us. We have had the likes of Sound Sultan, Nneka, Orlando Julius, Jimi Solanke, Fokn Bois from Ghana, Daddy Showkey, Ras Kimono, Temi Dollface, Ego, General Pype and many more. The show is free and it holds on the third Friday of every month. We also have our own weekly TV show on GET TV on Startimes.
WM: You have widely addressed racism. How much change has this brought in the areas where you have campaigned?
Ade Bantu: First and foremost, we wanted to create awareness for the problems being faced by Afro-Germans and Africans in Germany this led to dialogues with policy makers and sensitised the public through our campaigns. We have addressed institutionalised racism and racial profiling; this has brought about changes in policy and direction. It’s an on-going process. Xenophobia and racism cannot be eradicated overnight.
WM: How do you combine activism, lecturing and public speaking with music and entertaining?
Ade Bantu: It all comes naturally. My first love is music, but I always find time to follow my other passions. I love talking to and engaging young people, it keeps me on my toes; I learn a lot in the process.
WM: What projects are you working on at the moment?
Ade Bantu: I am working on Bantu’s sixth  album. It should be out in the second half of this year. We also plan on touring Africa with Afropolitan vibes.
WM: What do you do when you are not working?
Ade Bantu: I love reading, going to museums, travelling on trains and planes, hiking, crossing boarders and discovering new places. Cooking, listening to live music.
WM: There are many young people who look up to you as a role model. How would you like to advise them?
Ade Bantu: I don’t believe in the cult of personality. Be yourself. Find out what makes you tick. Try to swim against the stream. Be prepared to make mistakes and fail. Have no regrets. Listen to your inner voice and guide.