konknaijagirl | On 27, Mar 2013

SO J as I call him is a busy man, the moment I think I have nailed him down the lads burst into the room squealing daddy! daddy!! but I did grab a 5 minute up close and personal before he jetted off to Vegas recently, here’s what he had to say……..

Who are you and where in the world are you primarily based and where are you located right now?

My Name is Adesoji Adebayo and I am an Afrobeat Musician, Writer, Composer, Beat Maker, Entertainer and Performer based in the United Kingdom.

What do you do, how would you describe your presence in the industry, what’s your mission?

I do music, I proliferate music, I create music I love entertainment. My recipe is Fuji-Tungba a hip style of Fuji for the old and young alike.

When I started doing this my mission was job satisfaction, proliferation of my origins and our type and style of music and also to grow and develop and gain insight and bring recognition to Afrobeat musicians from Nigeria.

I have always wanted to perform music and I enjoyed working with my peers in the early days and found my direction as I played small gigs and grew and developed I had no idea how or where music would take me, what I was sure of was that music was what I wanted to do.

I have worked hard to get where I am and earned my nickname as well ‘ Wonderboy’ Solek came about because a couple of my colleagues could not fathom out how I could play a gig in London on Monday, Lagos on Tuesday, Chicago on Thursday, Ibadan on Saturday and be back again in church on Sunday Morning.

I say its the grace of God.

How long have you been doing this?

Since the early 90′s …. 1994/95 …wow has it been that long… wow, Thanks be to God.

Notable moments in your career?

The highlights of my career have been recognition, a lot of artistes want the opportunity to be respected in their chosen genre and to record good songs, but most of all, beyond this as an artiste you need to be able to hold it together when you are chucked out on a stage with no producer to play with your voice, no beat maker cooking you a beat and you have to spin it cook it and deliver it right there.

To have done this consistently for years and to be privileged enough to do this with presidents, governors, senators and outstanding community members is a pleasure and indeed is humbling. I thank God for his gift to me.

What’s the best and worst part of what you do?

Sometimes I wish I had a couple of extra days in the week and then I could sing some more and perform some more, I meet great people and have fun doing what I do that is the best part, I can control my working hours and duties to an extent, the worst part is that this is a career that can consume you and you can find yourself strapped for time with family and also have to share your life with fans who worship you can be daunting.

A little about you?

I was born in the UK and I moved back there in the early 90’s and maintained my interests in music finally quitting my job as an accountant to pursue an active career as a performer.

I  started out making beats and presenting as a one man band and I remember my friends used to describe me as a master of music and I used to come with  all the instruments and play them all by myself, I remember someone once described me as the only man he knew who could show up at a gig with cymbals strapped to his elbows, drums strapped to his knees, a saxophone on one shoulder and a guitar on the other with a keyboard hanging around my neck armed with a voice to bring it all together.  I did my best as I worked the scene with the likes of Michael now Don Jazzy and other prolific producers and artists worldwide.

 

Where do you see yourself in 10 years

10 years…. I hope I will still be considered a household name and folk will still enjoy my music, and hope that I will still be inspiring others to music and to careers in entertainment and wow, I see myself blessed with more talent, more stability, good health and content by the grace of God.

 

What do you do for relaxing/fun/chilling out?

Spending time with my family and chilling out having some quiet time away from all the noise and crowds, having some quite time on the beach, getting some sunshine, relaxing with my sons…. now that’s life and sometimes… I have fun going into the studio for a play around too…. sometimes it results in a hit… lol

What advice do you have for others inspired by you?

Whatever you do some folk will always see you from a negative perspective, success is not a day’s job nor is it a right you acquire, it is something you work for and struggle for and in entertainment, its a hard and tough road, don’t give up and have realistic expectations of all you do.

 

Message for your fans, haters,critics

My Fans – God bless you, God grant you happiness, God be with you and thank you for the love, Haters- i have learned you are an evil that cannot be avoided but I have also learned that you don’t matter to me as much as I matter to you. , Critics…. well lol… I am the critically acclaimed Wonderboy… you make me get up and go go go…

 

Your Website, Facebook page,Twitter handle, links to your stuff

My Website| www.wonderboysolek.com

Facebook | http://www.facebook.com/OfficialSolek

Twitter | @wonderboysolek