Sharing the stage with Tuface, an honour beyond words– Tj Sax

Weekend Magazine: How old were you when you started playing the sax and why sax and not piano? Tejiri Emore: I began at the age of six. I was in primary school. I was attracted to the sound of the saxophone and the beauty of the instrument from the first time I heard a young […]

Weekend Magazine: How old were you when you started playing the sax and why sax and not piano?
Tejiri Emore: I began at the age of six. I was in primary school. I was attracted to the sound of the saxophone and the beauty of the instrument from the first time I heard a young girl play it in church. I was mesmerised and fell in love with it. 

 
WM: What is the charity project you are involved in and how do you support it playing the sax?
Emore: I am an ambassador for the Children Living With Cancer Foundation. I am a voice for these children and I use my music as a platform to educate and enlighten people that childhood cancer exists. I have organised awareness walks to this effect. I got the inspiration to be an advocate for these children from my mother’s work with these children as a legal representative.

WM: Please share with us your story/experience playing for Wizkid and Asa?
Emore: I have always liked Asa and admired her work and kind of music. But I have more easily related with Wizkid, also because of his kind of music. Notwithstanding, I am still drawn to jazz. I didn’t directly work with either of the artistes. What I did was a contemporary jazz version of their songs.

WM: What songs did you play for both of them and how did you get to be on their team?
Emore: What I did was to record covers to their original songs. Asa’s own was ‘Bibanke’ and WizKid’s was ‘Holla at your boy’ and I gave credit to them.

WM: Do you have your own works and have you put together a collection?
Emore: I have done five singles, including one released on Thursday in collaboration with ace producer and vocalist Mystro called ‘Amen.’

WM: Please tell us about your album.
Emore: My first album was a Christmas collection. The second was a collection of covers produced by my mentor Yemi Sax. The third was a single with vocals done by Xclaim. The fourth was an original with the sax all the way titled, ‘I do.’ And the fifth is the one being released on my birthday, November 24 in collaboration with ace producer and vocalist Mystro and it is titled ‘Amen.’

WM: Have you had the chance to work with any other artiste?
Emore: I have had the opportunity of working with one of my mentors Yemi Sax who produced my second album. I have performed severally with the legendary Tuface Idibia and I also had the opportunity of playing at his wedding in Dubai.

WM: Not everyone was invited to Tuface’s wedding. How did you do it?
Emore: I was very excited. I was elated. My being at the wedding was actually a surprise. The invitation didn’t come from him. I had met him months before his wedding. We had played together at his Winter Christmas party. I had reached out to his wife, Annie, to help me support the kids with cancer. But she couldn’t make it in the end. So to make it up to me, she invited me to the party. That day, I had performed earlier. But his wife insisted that he had to meet me. When he began playing, since I knew all his songs, I climbed on stage and began playing along with him. That’s how our friendship started. The next day his manager called saying Tuface had invited me to play at an end of year party for a company. The video from that event is even on Youtube. The audience was wowed by my performance because I was only 11-years-old at the time. Sound Sultan gave my mum and I an invitation to his wedding. At the reception Sound Sultan announced to him that his friend was here, as I began playing the sax in the background and slowly came up stage. He was so surprised, he hugged me and announced to everyone that I was his friend and how we met. I felt good. Sharing a stage with Tuface was an honour beyond words. (Laughter)

WM: Who is the one person you desire earnestly to work with?
Emore: I am looking forward to working with Don Jazzy so, so much.

WM: Do you also sing and if not is that something you may do at some point?
Emore: I have not tried singing but I can’t rule it out.

WM: If you sang, do you think it would be as gratifying as playing the saxophone?
Emore: (Laughter) That is a tough one. But I think I can say that for now, I have found my sound with the sax. But I’ll never say never to singing.

WM: What three words best describe you?
Emore: Instrumentalist, generous and adventurous.

WM: How are you able to balance entertainment with school?
Emore: I have a schedule that I keep to very strictly. 

WM: Who or what has been your strongest motivation?
Emore: That would be my family – immediate and extended family. They have supported me and they have been a great motivation to do even better and be more creative with what I do.

WM: Is the sax a difficult instrument to play?
Emore: I never found it difficult as I was too intrigued by it. I made my first public appearance two months after I started learning to play it.

WM: Do you consider yourself a professional?
Emore: Oh yes, I definitely do.

WM: What kind of sax do you play and why do prefer it to the others?
Emore: I play the alto and soprano. The richness of the sound from the alto and the soul soothing sound from the soprano makes them my favourite saxophones.

WM: What music genre, do you see yourself most comfortable with?
Emore: I am most comfortable with contemporary jazz and R ‘n’ B.

WM: How much did you have to leave your comfort zone to deliver on their songs?
Emore: I won’t really say I had to leave my comfort zone or that I had any difficulty getting into the rhythm of their songs. Once it started, I simply flowed with it.

WM: What project are you working on next?
Emore: My new song is a song of thanksgiving to God for all He has done, what He is doing and what He will do. I will let other things unfold gradually.

WM: You have performed with three major Nigerian stars that are known the world over for their talents. What does this mean for you?
Emore: I cannot afford to be lazy or disregard my talents and God’s blessings. It also means that they have set a standard and shown me good examples which I should emulate. I can only aspire to be as good as they are and even go beyond that. They have also helped me have more self-worth and appreciating for my ability to play the saxophone. Playing with them has been an honour beyond words.