Call Me Samini

There?s been a bright burst of sunshine on the music career of Samini recently and the young man is poised to deal with the pressures and expectations that go with walking in that glow.

The whole of Africa became his stage when he won the Best African Act prize at the last Music of Black Origin (MOBO) awards ceremony in England. He stepped into really giant shoes with that feat because the global music icon from Senegal, Yousour Ndour, is a previous winner in that category.

Samini and N?dour are obviously not in the same league at the moment but wining the same international honour is an impetus for Samini to work harder.

?MOBO has given me a bigger platform. When you talk of Samini appearing anywhere now, people expect something solid, something to justify that I deserved to win that award. It is a big challenge to prove myself and I will do that?.

He is keen, first of all, to show how good a live performer he is. Great album can be made in the studio but the live circuit, apart from being a wonderful outlet to promote new works, is also where the artiste measures the level of acceptance by the fans.

Samini is not happy with some local concert promoters for inadequate attention to technical requirements. He says it is always a bad situation for local artistes when they have to appear alongside visiting performers. Promoters only strive to satisfy the visitors and expect the local artistes to manage with whatever technical support they are offered. According to Samini, he won?t stand for that any longer.

?If I see that a shortcoming on the part of a promoter is going to affect the quality of my output, then I?ll opt out of the show and then explaining things to fans later. I?ll go for a well-equipped show for less money than for a shoddy staging that pays more?.

The right staging for Samini now includes a tight, well-rehearsed backing band. He doesn?t want what he refers as to as ?the CD shows? any longer because ?it is the same CDs that the fans listens to at home and in their cars. Why should they be offered the same thing when they see you in person??.

The fans will see him in a big live outdoor show anniversary in active showbiz on December 22. He is anxiously looking forward to that date because he would have the opportunity to demonstrate how good he is in front of technically well-resourced band. It would also be an occasion for him to formally announce to all and sundry that he has dropped the Batman name and is now known as Samini. His MOBO plaque will be on display.

Samini has through material on his two albums, indicated that he is an artiste that defies categorization. He draws inspiration from a variety of sources so reggae, rap, R&B, raga and other styles have places in his repertoire.

?I don?t like to be labeled. I simply do music. Depending on the idea that comes to mind, I match it with the rhythm that can best help put my message across?.

There?s a growing interest in music from Africa and a whole rack of artistes are coming up with diverse concoctions to grab some of the attention.

The MOBO prize has hoisted Samini to a certain level of visibility on the continent and even beyond. It is up to him now to use that as a pad to launch himself into the orbit of the African music elite.