‘I’m proud of my African origins’

People wonder why a French man bears a Yoruba name, Lulu Adedola. How did you get the name? My great grandfather, Adedola, whom I was named after, was a great king in Yoruba land. They said he was a legend and travelled all around Africa and the Mediterranean and eventually got married to 25 white […]

People wonder why a French man bears a Yoruba name, Lulu Adedola. How did you get the name?

My great grandfather, Adedola, whom I was named after, was a great king in Yoruba land. They said he was a legend and travelled all around Africa and the Mediterranean and eventually got married to 25 white women and he had to run for his life to only God knows where because people wanted to kill him. He was at a time close to Spain according to what my family told me but no one can tell much about him now.

Would you like to trace your origin?

I will of course want to meet my people, know my origins but the fact is how do I do that? Where do I start that from? Anyway, I have seen his flag with one of my uncles and I am proud bearing Adedola. That makes me unique and stand out anywhere I go.

How did you start singing?

I started as a child. I first appeared on stage when I was only six years, they called me in school and asked if I could mime a song on stage I said yes, I could. They wanted me to write it, because even at that age, I wrote songs and poems, and I did.

What really inspired you to pursue a career in music?

I had always had an independent thinking right from time, I grew up to be a free man. I like to travel around the world, I like to see new places, I like to learn new things and above all, I have always been a very happy man, I am never sad, I don’t know what is sadness. So you can see if you come to my concert, I am always happy. Even sad songs make me happy. This is the miracle of music. When a song is sung, people are happy listening to it. I know God decides everything and He made me so.

How did you learn to speak English?

Back in my country, I am very popular and as I said, I love to learn new things. Being that I came from a rough place, I am not the kind of white men you meet in Africa. I am like an area boy; I came from a rough place, a ghetto if you like. In France, I grew up with so many people from different parts of the world, people from Arab countries, Africans who were there to work because they were suffering in their countries and I made sure I learnt from them. I learnt my English on the street and that is the reason why I don’t speak very good English. Nigerians taught me Pidgin English. Na wetin I dey talk (Laughs).

I learnt you sing along with your sons, is that true?

I have many sons and two of them play music with me. I have five sons with an African woman and many others elsewhere.

Then how many children do you have in all?

The fact is, I feed a lot of people and all my children eat every day and go to school, simple. Just forget about the number. Some stay with their mothers and the African woman is now in Europe. It is important to understand that we leave with different people in France and it is important to understand that we are bound to do lots of things with them; friendship, marriage and the likes. So my wife is an African woman from Ivory Coast, she is very clever. She was working for France when we met. She decided to follow me, we stayed together and had five children and I am very happy because four out of them are boys and the two senior ones are with me in music. They are both studying music in the university. Presently, they have vast knowledge of music as they started like me from the street and learning more at the university. I taught them the practical aspects on the street and they are doing more theory at school.

Why did you encourage them to go into music?

You see, what obtains all over the world is arts and sometimes one’s children need to help him in his chosen career. They felt they needed to be with me in music saying, they understand I lose a lot of money by giving a lot to musicians from Paris and other places while it is something we can do. Then, the eldest was not more than 12 years old. I thought they were too small but he insisted that he could do it even if it means climbing on a chair so he could be seen on stage. So I seek the advice of one musician that had worked with Michael Jackson in the past and he told me to allow the boys. He said Michael Jackson also started as a boy, even smaller than my boys and so I agreed. So that was how we started and it has been wonderful, we have since gone places.

Can you tell us how many countries you have visited so far?

We travelled Europe and Africa, to places like Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, South Africa and lots of other places but my coming to Kano I can say is exceptional. People of Kano are very wonderful and I received a very warm reception. I am highly impressed. Now I can tell better that Kanawa are very kind people. I like them and I like their country.

What specifically do you like about Kano?

I like the free life here and the way they greet, the way they play their music and the fact that they are not trouble makers.

So is this your first time in Kano?

Yes, it is. I came for the music festival, KAMFEST organized by the French Embassy and it is really wonderful, a mix of traditional and modern music.

That reminds me, I saw two Hausa drummers rehearsing with you, what do you intend to achieve by that?

Music is simply a game and that is why we say, we play music, we don’t say we fight music. So all I aim at is sharing the joy of playing my music with Kanawa and when one big man came to me with the idea of mixing my sound with the Kanawa traditional one, I felt it was going to be great. One thing Africans don’t know about their music is they are the creators of modern music. Any good musician can mix his music with African music and it will be better. This is because music begins and ends in Africa. No culture in the world that African culture has not influenced and this is why I make my music so flexible that African music could be diffused into it easily. I was actually impressed by Danmaraya’s performance. When I come to perform, I will ensure I do it up to standard.

What type of music do you specialize in?

I play modern music, I am only influenced by R&B, reggae, hip hop and I’m also a fan of Nigerian music, I mean Afro beat like Fela because I played in the shrine with his son, Femi, before. I was the only white man in the band. I can sing Yoruba songs. When I am in Nigeria, I feel at home, I feel my music has a place here. I feel part of my personality is Nigerian.

What is your dream in life?

Peace and harmony for everybody all over the world. Let there be peace all through. Let people do what they want to do freely and let them hold whatever belief they choose to. That is exactly what God wants, peace and harmony between people.

What dream do you have for your children?

They will have huge careers because they are big artists. I wouldn’t want to decide their life for them but I know they will travel a lot and have big success in music. People should not think of career of musicians like me, Femi Kuti, P-Squared and the rest, what is important is to listen and enjoy our music. It doesn’t matter the kind of car I ride or how big and attractive the house I leave in is, what is important is I am a musician and that’s all.