recalls the medical challenge that affected his career and how
those he trusted and thought were his real friends actually
deserted him.
"There were some who said and did things that made
me say 'Oh, even you too', but you know it is part of life
that when things are down you lose your friends. Right
now, I am not afraid of anything. I am stronger and can
take whatever life throws at me."
After a seven-year hiatus, ace music producer and artiste, Paul
Play Dairo, is working towards staging a big come back.
Having dropped a total of five singles since March, he says
the response has been massive. The RnB star who says he is
up-to-beat with current trends in the music scene, writes
Punch's Jayne Augoye.
"The idea is basically to fill in the gap since my last album
and also sample people's opinion. Thankfully, the online
comments have been encouraging. So far, I have recorded 20
songs and some of them have already been released as singles.
I am currently tidying my gospel and each track has an
element of Nigerian flavor and pop.
"The bulk of the money is no longer coming from album sales
because these songs are already online and people are
downloading them. Music business is now streamlined to
performance and endorsement. I am still going ahead with the
limited edition album which will be expensive because that
way I will be able to control and monitor the sales and
distribution," he discloses.
When Paul Play launched his way into the Nigerian music
scene in 1999, riding on the goodwill and success of his late
father, IK Dairo, he enjoyed solid patronage. Within a short
period, he also earned an independent voice of his own,
springing hit singles that include Mosorire, Happy Day and
Yes O!
In 2009, however, his career was threatened when he fell ill in
South Africa, while shooting some music videos for his last
album and had to be rushed to a hospital. In his absence, the
media was awash with speculations over the nature of the
illness. It was rumoured that he had cancer, kidney failure, a
spiritual attack. Four years after, he has clearly moved on,
choosing not to dwell on the nature of the ailment.
According to him, the near-death-experience has taught him
some lessons. He talks about a few of them in a low tone
saying, "I was taught to be scared of God, and not to depend
on man because God is ultimate. You don't have to trust man,
but psyche yourself that people are close to you for one reason
or quality or the other. I lost many trusted friends during my
ailment and gained a few in the process."
The year 2014 is 'Paul Play Dairo's year', if indications
emerging from the soft spoken artiste are anything to go by.
He intends to release a Box Set - two albums of highlife and
gospel music. The third will be RnB.
lt to fit into the scene after being away for a long time, Paul
Play is optimistic that his fans will embrace his return and
warm up to him.
"If you say it is difficult to come back and then give up things
will pass you buy. If the likes of Lionel Richie and Stevie
Wonder have stood the test of time, why label yourself as old
school? With a good pedigree, people will respect you and
with God you can still make a comeback," he said.
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