Zainab Sule : A musical journey via social media

Weekend Magazine: First of all, why did you take the social media route to put out your latest work?Zainab Sule: It was borne out of a need to try new ways to promote my work. In Nigeria, we do not use social media that much, and because I actually manage social media for my clients, […]

Weekend Magazine: First of all, why did you take the social media route to put out your latest work?
Zainab Sule: It was borne out of a need to try new ways to promote my work. In Nigeria, we do not use social media that much, and because I actually manage social media for my clients, I know the benefits.
WM: What do you hope to achieve with Zainab Sule Project?
Sule: There is something we do every year, since 2011. We do this rock show in Abuja, acoustic ones sort of like MTV Unplugged, and last year’s was the most successful one. So the Zainab Sule Project which I’m doing on YouTube and using Facebook to spread, is almost like an extension of it. It also means that once in a while you can invite guest artistes to come and play. It’s just a short video, of five minutes or less, so it can be shared on social media and phones. That’s just the idea.
WM: You studied Mathematics in university. How were you able to convince your parents to let you pursue a career in music?
Sule: They didn’t have a choice. Growing up, I remember how I used to pester my mum to buy me a guitar anytime I saw someone playing one on TV. I just love stringed instruments. As for singing, I used to do some of that in my university days. I went to University of Jos and in 2002 we had a group where all of us played the guitar. But it was not until 2010 that I knew I wanted to make a career out of it.
WM: What kind of background were you raised with?
Sule: I am from Edo State, Auchi to be precise. My dad is a Muslim and my mum a Christian. So I am well-rounded. My dad is very liberal, and he’d even drive us to church and back. He allowed all of us the freedom to choose. It was just very natural. This is the way Nigeria should be. My multi-faith background made sure I never had any problem identifying with any part of my parents’ families. And it could be interesting. For instance, during Ramadan, I have to cook for my dad. I don’t fast, but I go through all the aspects like everyone else.
WM: Tell us about your roots in music…
Sule: I actually began by listening to Emmy Grant. Then Tracy Chapman came in much later when I started getting comparisons after every show. In fact, one guy actually walked up to me and said I should go and get my own identity. The funny part is by then I’d never listened to a single Tracy Chapman song! I then researched who Tracy Chapman was, and I was like, ‘okay…nice’. I started with Country music before I entered Soft Rock.
I just love soft rock. It is something that finds expression in me. I tried Hard Rock and can do it when my mindset is there, but I prefer Soft Rock.
WM: When are you most comfortable writing songs?
Sule: When I am heartbroken, or when I’m comfortable. Song writing has to be a habit. I write all my songs, so it is something I do without specific time. Let me give an example. I might be driving and see a situation I would like to write about. I then simply write down the title. A title always comes to my head, maybe like ‘Bad Nigeria’ or something, and I keep it. Someday in a softer atmosphere when I am down and want to write a song, I would look at the title and just create a scenario in my head and then I can start writing.
WM: Two of your albums are available on i-Tunes. Why not the usual Nigerian format, like CDs, etc.? 
Sule: My job as a web designer makes me do a lot of stuff online, so I actually have more presence online. And then every year since 2010 I go on tours in Dubai, because I partially live there. So I have some very good friends that are not terrestrial, so to speak. So it’s more profitable for me and it makes the album easily accessible to my fans outside Nigeria. And don’t forget that the future of music is here: It’s all digital.
WM: Do you mix English lyrics with indigenous languages?
Sule: No, only English and a little Pidgin here and there. Nigerians do not own Rock so I cannot behave like I we do.
WM: Any popular Nigerian artistes you’d like to collaborate with?
Sule: I’d love to work with Asa and Cobhams. Cobhams is a superb producer with high standards, so who wouldn’t want that? And Asa is simply the best out there right now. I’m yet to meet them both, but I have my fingers crossed.
WM: You’ve got three videos available on YouTube. Have they been getting rotation on TV?
Sule: Everybody knows the way it works in the Nigerian music industry. In fact, knowing someone is not enough. During one of my Lagos tours, I went with my videos to SoundCity, gave it to everybody, and they all told me directly that I have to pay. Imagine that!
On videos, the first one I ever shot was for the first album and it was on the cheap. But then I had some very nice friends at NTA who played the video as if it was theirs. It got a lot of buzz. In fact, one day a taxi driver stopped and said ‘Never shoot a video like that again’. The video was that terrible. But it went as far as it could go in 2010 and that was what actually helped me start. It got better by the second one.