I admire Tuface – Joe El JoeEL Amadi, known as Joe El is a burgeoning artiste on the record label of Kennis Music. Amadi, many refer to as Tuface’s clone, due to his semblance to the music icon, is incidentally also a native of Idoma, Benue State. In this chat with Senior Reporter, JoeEL Amadi JoeEL Amadi Anthonia Soyingbe, he talks about his music career, the stiff opposition he experienced from his father when he decided to go into music and other sundry issues. Excerpts: In addition to looking like Tuface Idibia, you also sing like him. Don’t you think these can obstruct your career? (Cuts in) coming from you also means there is wahala for me. I’m not trying to imitate him; I just want to be me. He is not someone anybody can imitate because he is up there in the sky. I can’t hide from it any longer. All I want is to sing and make impact. Initially I was afraid I may not have a career in music if people keep saying I’m trying to imitate Tuface. To be frank, I used to feel bad that people only see me as a copycat. In 2007 when I recorded my two songs and people said I also sing like Tuface, I cried and ran to my mother, she felt so concerned but said, I should move on since it was what I wanted to do and told me not to relent in my career. Her counsel went a long way in boosting my confidence in my own abilities. Baba is not someone I want to imitate even though I admire him. People even say that I look like him and really, I look like this great man. Have you worked with him? I met him long before I was signed on to Kennis Music. I have been to his house and we have met over and over again in the studio. He is a cool-headed man and doesn’t have issues with me. Will you say that Tuface is your mentor? Bob Marley is my mentor but I love Tuface so much and can mime all his songs. It is obvious you love Tuface and wouldn’t mind imbibing one of his qualities, like fathering children from different women? He is a blessed and talented musician. He is my elder brother and we are from the same hometown. I love him so much and won’t mind walking his path. There is this mutual affinity between myself and Tuface. People who knew him while he was growing up say I am a replica of him in everything. Recently, I told someone that I have bad legs and whenever I stand for a long time I feel pains all over my legs and the person said Tuface also experiences this. I just pray that people out there understand this. In 2003, I told my mother that I won’t marry but will have children outside wedlock because of the way our girls portray themselves, she was very angry. I said this before Baba (Tuface) started multiplying. I may have a change of mind but I doubt if I will. At what point did you delve into music? Professionally I started in 2007 in Kano State. But I started singing at nine years of age as a chorister in Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA) in Sokoto State. Since then, I have not stopped singing. I do R and B, hip hop and reggae. Since you were once a chorister, one would have expected you to be a gospel artiste? I started with gospel but diverted because of my father’s overbearing influence. Daddy never supported my career in music because he believes that musicians are never-do-well and wayward. He, like other members of the family, is a chorister. He loves music but frowns against us singing secular songs, which to him are against God’s injunctions. The day I informed him of my desire to release an album he told me out-rightly he won’t support me. He said once I release an album, I will start mingling with rascals who will lead me astray. He cited R Kelly as an example of a gospel musician who strayed away from God. His reaction created lots of chaos in the family prompting me to pick some few clothes and leaving his house. I left for Kano State where I got a job with Mr. Biggs Restaurant as an attendant. I worked for three years before I finally relocated to Lagos in 2010. I relocated to Lagos because while working in Kano I used to come to Lagos from time to time and met people who were ready to give me a helping hand as regards my career. I met Ifeanyi, a very good friend I squatted with when I relocated to Lagos. Now that your career is blossoming, have you mended issues with your father? He now calls me from time to time to ask after my welfare. It seems as if he has realized his mistakes but isn’t ready to admit he was wrong. Big thumbs up to my mother; she has always been supportive right from when I started. Although she doesn’t have the financial wherewithal to back me up, she has always been there spiritually and emotionally for me. My father has the money to support but since he believes that music is not worthwhile, he is not ready to part with his money. My father in 2010 tried to lure me with land and other valuable items, but I also played a fast one on him by telling him that I will come back once I’m done with my album in Lagos. How far did you go in formal education? I have a diploma in accounting and auditing from Kaduna State College of Education. But because of the crisis between me and my father, I didn’t further my education when I opted for music. My father was ready to finance my education, but he insisted that I have to come back home before he can spend a dime on me. I will further my education later. I’m into music not because I want to amass wealth but for the passion I have for it. If I wanted just the money, I know other things I could have done to get rich. Do you think you can go far in this passion of yours without your father’s blessings? Let me tell you one big secret; my father loves me so much but he is the kind of man that never admits he is wrong whenever it has to do with any of his children. My father is very fond of me, but never admits this when I’m around him. He is disciplined and doesn’t want me to derail because of the love he has for me. Besides, I’m his only son. I know he wishes me the best and wants the best for me from time to time. I admire Tuface – Joe El JoeEL Amadi, known as Joe El is a burgeoning artiste on the record label of Kennis Music. Amadi, many refer to as Tuface’s clone, due to his semblance to the music icon, is incidentally also a native of Idoma, Benue State. In this chat with Senior Reporter, JoeEL Amadi JoeEL Amadi Anthonia Soyingbe, he talks about his music career, the stiff opposition he experienced from his father when he decided to go into music and other sundry issues. Excerpts: In addition to looking like Tuface Idibia, you also sing like him. Don’t you think these can obstruct your career? (Cuts in) coming from you also means there is wahala for me. I’m not trying to imitate him; I just want to be me. He is not someone anybody can imitate because he is up there in the sky. I can’t hide from it any longer. All I want is to sing and make impact. Initially I was afraid I may not have a career in music if people keep saying I’m trying to imitate Tuface. To be frank, I used to feel bad that people only see me as a copycat. In 2007 when I recorded my two songs and people said I also sing like Tuface, I cried and ran to my mother, she felt so concerned but said, I should move on since it was what I wanted to do and told me not to relent in my career. Her counsel went a long way in boosting my confidence in my own abilities. Baba is not someone I want to imitate even though I admire him. People even say that I look like him and really, I look like this great man. Have you worked with him? I met him long before I was signed on to Kennis Music. I have been to his house and we have met over and over again in the studio. He is a cool-headed man and doesn’t have issues with me. Will you say that Tuface is your mentor? Bob Marley is my mentor but I love Tuface so much and can mime all his songs. It is obvious you love Tuface and wouldn’t mind imbibing one of his qualities, like fathering children from different women? He is a blessed and talented musician. He is my elder brother and we are from the same hometown. I love him so much and won’t mind walking his path. There is this mutual affinity between myself and Tuface. People who knew him while he was growing up say I am a replica of him in everything. Recently, I told someone that I have bad legs and whenever I stand for a long time I feel pains all over my legs and the person said Tuface also experiences this. I just pray that people out there understand this. In 2003, I told my mother that I won’t marry but will have children outside wedlock because of the way our girls portray themselves, she was very angry. I said this before Baba (Tuface) started multiplying. I may have a change of mind but I doubt if I will. At what point did you delve into music? Professionally I started in 2007 in Kano State. But I started singing at nine years of age as a chorister in Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA) in Sokoto State. Since then, I have not stopped singing. I do R and B, hip hop and reggae. Since you were once a chorister, one would have expected you to be a gospel artiste? I started with gospel but diverted because of my father’s overbearing influence. Daddy never supported my career in music because he believes that musicians are never-do-well and wayward. He, like other members of the family, is a chorister. He loves music but frowns against us singing secular songs, which to him are against God’s injunctions. The day I informed him of my desire to release an album he told me out-rightly he won’t support me. He said once I release an album, I will start mingling with rascals who will lead me astray. He cited R Kelly as an example of a gospel musician who strayed away from God. His reaction created lots of chaos in the family prompting me to pick some few clothes and leaving his house. I left for Kano State where I got a job with Mr. Biggs Restaurant as an attendant. I worked for three years before I finally relocated to Lagos in 2010. I relocated to Lagos because while working in Kano I used to come to Lagos from time to time and met people who were ready to give me a helping hand as regards my career. I met Ifeanyi, a very good friend I squatted with when I relocated to Lagos. Now that your career is blossoming, have you mended issues with your father? He now calls me from time to time to ask after my welfare. It seems as if he has realized his mistakes but isn’t ready to admit he was wrong. Big thumbs up to my mother; she has always been supportive right from when I started. Although she doesn’t have the financial wherewithal to back me up, she has always been there spiritually and emotionally for me. My father has the money to support but since he believes that music is not worthwhile, he is not ready to part with his money. My father in 2010 tried to lure me with land and other valuable items, but I also played a fast one on him by telling him that I will come back once I’m done with my album in Lagos. How far did you go in formal education? I have a diploma in accounting and auditing from Kaduna State College of Education. But because of the crisis between me and my father, I didn’t further my education when I opted for music. My father was ready to finance my education, but he insisted that I have to come back home before he can spend a dime on me. I will further my education later. I’m into music not because I want to amass wealth but for the passion I have for it. If I wanted just the money, I know other things I could have done to get rich. Do you think you can go far in this passion of yours without your father’s blessings? Let me tell you one big secret; my father loves me so much but he is the kind of man that never admits he is wrong whenever it has to do with any of his children. My father is very fond of me, but never admits this when I’m around him. He is disciplined and doesn’t want me to derail because of the love he has for me. Besides, I’m his only son. I know he wishes me the best and wants the best for me from time to time.
Posted on: Tue, 21 Oct 2014 16:28:21 +0000
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