My mission in the North -Andy Bature

Can you tell us about yourself? My name is Andy Bature I am an indigene of Bauchi State from Tafawa Balewa local government area. I had my early education in Bauchi and later proceeded to the Federal Government College, Enugu. I attended ABU, Zaria and presently at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi. Andy Bature […]

Can you tell us about yourself?

My name is Andy Bature I am an indigene of Bauchi State from Tafawa Balewa local government area. I had my early education in Bauchi and later proceeded to the Federal Government College, Enugu. I attended ABU, Zaria and presently at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi. Andy Bature is a bachelor who will soon bid farewell to the club.

People seem to identify you as local artist whose music is restricted to the north east region. Why is that?

This view may not be unconnected with the fact that I sing about Bauchi a lot, but I can assure you that my music has gone beyond the North East. In fact, my music has gained ground nationwide and its played on radio stations. Also, because the television stations in Bauchi play my video, some people tend to believe that assumption.

What kind of music do you play?

My style is different; I call it a Hausa Fusion. It is a song that goes with Hausa Iyrics, but I try to fuse the contemporary music into it. It’s a mixture of Hausa Iyrics, Hausa songs, Hausa style but the beats are mixed with Hausa and contemporary ones.

Who has been your producer and do you write your songs or how did you do it?

I write most of my songs and then also happen to be a producer. Besides producing my own songs, I also produce for other artists. So, I write and produce my own songs.

What inspires you to write songs?

I get inspired by the happenings around me. For instance, drug abuse by youths, lack of discipline in the way we do things in our homes, offices and even our interpersonal relationship with each other. So, I get inspired by a lot of things around me.

Do you have any label that you can be identified with?

No, right now I do not have a label per say. I only have my own media outfit that is Bature Media Consult. I am yet to register as a label. So, I am still working towards that. To have a label is not easy, but if I  get signed on by another label to work with, may be then, one can know where one is heading.

There is this notion that in the north, the prospect of an artist growing in the entertainment industry is slim. Are you considering relocating to Lagos or Abuja?

Well, I so much believe in the North and I know that the North will soon begin to harness its potentials, because there are lots of potentials here in the North. Also, the level of enlightenment that is going on here in the North is quite impressive, because the kind of music we play here is different from the one they play down there in Lagos.

I see quite a number of guys who started here and still continue and have succeeded.

If you find yourself in Lagos don’t you see yourself remaining there?

Well, you know our kind of music differs. The kind of music they are into is more of showbiz while the kind of music I am into is inspirational songs, you know they are moral songs and things partly that I sing for the people. Most of these artists make it through shows and promos and all that, so up here, you don’t have much of that. That is the difference, so, wherever I will be and whatever I will be I will always be for the North and will always be around the North so as to help build the industry in the North.

Many people see the music business as not profitable. How do you react to that?

Well, the bottom line is orientation, because if there is good and proper orientation on how showbiz operates, it will really improve here in the North, but because there is no orientation, people here give it a negative perspective. Some people here see it as something that is negative or derogatory, so that is one of the major reasons, but you know, people are getting more enlightened, with time, they will begin to look at showbiz as a profitable business even for upcoming artists. For the young stars it’s a venture whereby it’s not only profitable to an individual but the society at large.

What do you think about religion and culture?

When you talk about religion and culture, despite the fact the we have some sects who might not go with showbiz, there are some who have no problems with singing and all that. So, I don’t think religion is a key player though to an extent. In terms of culture, what we are giving the people is not anything far from the culture, because if you look at it the way showbiz is done in the North, it is not the same with what is being done in the southern part of the country.

Have you ever done something at the national level?

Yes, I have done a song which I am about to release soon, I have done a song on national unity. Apart from that, I have released a song on drug abuse among the youths and the negative impact on the socio economic fabric of the country.

Do you have any album in the market?

Well, so far so good. I have albums but they are not in the market, what I am doing now is to properly release it into the market because you know we usually have problem with marketing – those who will market the work, so I release singles that go on air.

Do you think the north has the market to boost the industry?

Yes we do, we do have the capacity. Look at the Hausa film industry. Go to Chad, Niger, Cameroun, and Ghana, you will find them and they are being marketed from Kano and Jos. So, if this can go that far and they are all over the places in the whole country, there is no state you go and you will not find a place where they sell such films.

Are you involved in movies?

Yes, I produced a movie in 2005 and it was exhibited at the Zuma films Amana and it was on HIV/AIDS, but it was in Hausa language. I also produced a film called “Duhu”, and right now, I am still working on another movie that is titled “Goyon Uwa”.

Any message for your fans?

My best is yet to come. So they should still remain my fans there are lot and lots more coming their way and I love them so much because without them, there will be no me