Check Out Baba Kuboye’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Baba Kuboye.

Baba, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My parents were afro jazz musicians and set up a collective of musicians with ‘the Extended Family Band’ in 1980. They had jazz nights every Friday and Saturday and were the resident band at their own jazz club called Jazz 38 in Lagos, Nigeria. I actually started off doing backup for the band (about age 8).

Jazz 38 was in the compound of our home. My parents set it up in the massive front yard we had. There were so many visiting acts (local and international) that would come through every weekend to perform, including Fela Kuti, Femi Kuti, Lagbaja, Courtney Pine band, Andy Shephard, Claude Depper, Tennessee State University Quintet, and Little Bob just to name a few..

My sisters and I loved to get up on stage to support our parents, and we all have the music bug running through us.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has definitely not been smooth – especially in the beginning. It was difficult generating awareness about my music and a struggle raising the capital required to create, promote and distribute my music at the level I would like it to be at. Making the money back was also a problem. I know for many artists as myself and even my parents, our passion is what sustains us through the difficult times.

Along the way I have encountered passive or disinterested audiences, doubt from industry professionals, friends, and family. Sometimes I even questioned or doubted my ability to be an artist – allowing the doubt of other people to cause a sort of imposter syndrome to take over. This was because I erroneously measured my ability based on the marketing/sales performance of the content I put out. I got over this by understanding the difference between creative ability and marketing ability. I was born a creator – so I can’t help but to create. However, the marketing and promotion side is a learning curve for me and one I take very seriously as it forms part of my craft in the totality of it. Where I find I need help, I go out and get help.

As my journey has progressed, I have found audiences and venues that align with my kind of music (or maybe they found me!). I discovered along the way that the more I apply myself, the better I get at it and more opportunities start to open up. Focus, goals and strategy are so important because there is so much out here to distract. Sometimes things don’t work out as planned and there are setbacks. This is where confidence and belief comes in. I have learned to fail fast and learn the necessary lessons. So, when a plan doesn’t work out the way I intended, I re-evaluate and execute again.. With each new execution, there is progress in the targeted areas– and that’s what I focus on in my journey as an artist.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I have a passion for helping/building others and do so by using encouraging, relevant yet digestible, and positive messages in my music. I specialize in new school commercial afrobeat music and I am most known for my live performances. This is because there is no afrobeat singing or rapping saxophonist with dancers or a live band out there, making dance music for the clubs. My background and entire history is steeped in live music and that’s the place of connection with my audience.

I am proud of recently learning and incorporating the saxophone into my performances. I also love the super cool effect of having costumes, dancers and a band perform alongside me. It definitely gets reactions from the fans and gives a unique vibe

How do you define success?
I could define it in a few ways. Success for me is being able to connect and co-exist with every listener in their day-to-day lives through my works. For it to also transcend time beyond now and this generation – to continue to open minds, echo truth, positivity, inspiration, and heal throughout the existence of mankind.

To be there with you through good times, help get through bad times, chill out time, work time, study time, or even to kill time.

I also define it as the ability to create enough revenue from my passion that will enable me to put out more good music, with surplus to live a comfortable life (okay maybe more than comfortable lol – more like lavish!). I could explain this diferently by saying that I define success as finding the right audience to pay me to do what I love to do.

Finally, I also define success as my ability to continuously scale my brand whilst attracting and retaining fans.

Image Credits
Baba Kuboye
Down 4 Whateva Entertainment