Thursday 7 June 2012

Fela's Musicians - Interview with Rilwan "Showboy" Fagbemi, Part 4

This is the fourth instalment in a continuing series of an interview with Fela's former baritone player Rilwan "Showboy" Fagbemi at the New Africa Shrine in Lagos, Nigeria on June 1, 2012.
Showboy and the baddest horn section in the business

Showboy: I write, I compose, when I write my songs, like the last track I played before I brought Seun in, I wrote it. African Soldier

You see, my saxophone has a lot to contribute to my health, my saxophone keeps me fit, because every day, every morning, I must play, every morning. I'm on stage, I'm not on stage, at home, I get up this is what I do. I get up every morning around 5:00 AM, I take my shower, brush my mouth, pick up my saxophone. You know, so, why you need it? Because the man you are working with does not like redundant, dull people. You cannot come today and play sha-ba-da-ba-da-ba, tomorrow you come, you play sha-ba-da-ba-da-ba, he will say, "What's wrong with him?" You are not improving. He wants to hear something new at every moment. Every time you go there, every time you go you must be creative. Because music is about creativity. And your mood...you need to refresh your mind every time. 

Ron: You can't play the same thing.

Showboy: Ahhh...if you does that, just forget about playing your solo, just keep on playing your part, the part given to you. Just concentrate on that because Fela will not allow you to go right in front there and play any solo no more. He is not impressed. 

You see, working with Fela I got to understand some things about music. You know you could play, I, Showboy, Rilwan Fagbemi Adedimeji, I have five ways of playing into music. I'm telling you, five ways, namely: 

The first one, you can play to the music for the audience sake. 

The second one, you can play to the music to the producer's taste. This is what your producer wants, they want to tell you what to do. If they allow you to use your mind, play what comes from your mind, it is completely different from they dictating to you , that shit you just played I don't like it. 

The third one, you can play to the music for the music's sake, as a musician. 

Four, you can play to the music to yourself, OK,I don't give a fuck, if you don't like it, that's your problem. What I'm playing, I'm playing to myself. 

The fifth one is playing to the writers, the man who wrote the music, what he wanted, to the writer's description. Yah, this is what I wrote, your solos I don't want too much highs.

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