He is one of the popular live band singers currently making waves. He is one of those now shaking the Music industry. His name is Segun Johnson. He is the leader of Segun Johnson Band, one of the hottest versatile bands at the moment. When you meet this young, talented musician at any event, you are sure of undiluted merriment. His energy and versatility, his super delivery of music, have paved the way for him both in the corporate and social worlds.
The music industry started experiencing excellence in music delivery from Johnson’s band 8years ago, and the band has performed at different corporate events such as the annual ceremony of the Nigerian British Chamber of Commerce, Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, Promasidor Nigeria, Meristem Nigeria, Chevron Nigeria, Total Nigeria e.t.c. with a style built on versatility, the band has performed on different media platforms like Teju Babyface Show, TVC Breakfast show, Channels Television. He’s now one of Nigeria’s most sought-after musicians.
Segun Johnson has proved himself beyond reasonable doubt, that he’s one of the most in-demand singers of our time. He now plays back-to-back at events. His passion, composure and charisma have really worked for him with dignitaries and people who matter in society. His style of music and delivery has made him win the hearts of many celebrities across the country. His popularity got to a stage that, whenever you think of a live band to perform at your event, especially weddings, Segun Johnson’s band would definitely come to your mind, and you could never go wrong with that choice. You already have many people who can testify to his satisfactory performance, and he sure knows how to keep his audience on the dance floor for a long time.
Are you wondering how music started for Segun Johnson? Then, let us quickly take you on a short journey into the humble beginning of this epitome of talent. Segun Johnson grew up as the son of a bread seller in Oke-Ira, Ogba part of Lagos, where his mum, Mrs Samiat Adekanbi, all by herself raised him. He had his primary and secondary education in Lagos. During that time, his talent in playing drums and piano gave him an opportunity to play the drum set in a church at Omole, Lagos where he was paid a N10,000 monthly salary. Segun was able to save some money with which he sponsored himself through school.
Now, how and when did his career as a professional singer kick-off? His first step was to serve as a backup singer for different live bands in Lagos, to learn the styles of these different live bands, especially because they all had different kinds of music as their selling points. Segun Johnson continuously did backup vocals for different bands just to learn more. He spent a major time of his learning process with Bolaji Olanrewaju, popularly known as Big B.
What was he doing before he became popular? “I’ve always been into music. I started as a drummer playing for a local church and different artistes and I usually got paid by the pastors and artistes. Years later, I got employed in a church and I was being paid a monthly salary. I kept doing that before I proceeded to study Mass Communication at the Osun State Polytechnic, Iree. It was the salary I used to see myself through school and study the theory of music at the Musical Society of Nigeria and production and presentation at the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria.
At what point did you settle for music as a career? “While I was playing the drum set, it never occurred to me that I would do music as a career. I started taking music seriously in my National Diploma level when I realised that I could make money from singing at some shows. While I was getting paid, I was saving some of the money, which later amounted to one million naira. After that, I decided to take the business of music seriously.”
How long has he been into music? “Professionally, it’s been eight years.”
Which of his songs brought him into limelight? “I guess it was ‘Sho Fine Gan’. It’s a track though it is a hype song because my style of performance is built around hype singing. It involves engagements, techniques, and strategies with performance. My style is built around audience engagement and the songs are a call and response.
What inspired his journey into music? “Music came effortlessly for me. What inspired me was the ease that came with the execution of the talent; it is something I do seamlessly.”
How does he stay ahead of the competition? “I always say, ‘If I cannot do it differently then I won’t do it at all.’ I’ve maintained this slogan for years and it’s a decision I took from the beginning. This made me create a brand and a style of performance and this is one thing that has separated me from many live bands all over the world. One thing that makes me get calls from all over the country is the uniqueness of my style. That is how I stay ahead of the competition.”
How did he feel the first time he performed before an audience? “I had a bit of confidence before going on stage and tried to fight the fear in me. But the moment I took the microphone and started singing, I was battling with fear so much that I started stuttering and using the word ‘hey’ several times to snap off the fear. I was really scared but I tried to fight it.”
He has a special way of thrilling his audience on stage. How did he come about that style? “I decided to create a brand and work on my strength because I realised that the journey would be easier for me if my style is built around my strength. Naturally, as a person, I can engage people easily through talking or singing in whatever language; I find it very interesting to engage people.”
Has fame changed anything about him? “One thing I’ve realised about fame is that it tempts you to live a fake life and that is one thing I’ve decided not to do. Though the fame is there, I’ve decided to be me. Fame hasn’t changed anything about me; I don’t do things to impress people and I try to be as real as possible.”
How does he handle attention from female fans? “For every woman that sends me a message or calls me, I know the reason is due to my brand and fame. I’ve decided not to take advantage of my popularity with people. It’s a personal decision I made and the standard I set for myself. If I’ll have anything to do with any lady, it’ll be mutual; it’ll be something I want and not because of the privilege of being Segun Johnson.”
What’s his advice to young people who want to venture into music?
“It’s very simple: you cannot build a brand around copyright, neither can you thrive on the wings of someone else. Imitation is limitation. If you cannot do it differently, then don’t do it all.”
–SUNDAY ADIGUN
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