by crossriverwatch admin
He may be a talent to watch out for in Africa’s biggest entertainment market, Jave Chem knows how to get his thing done, when it comes to music.
In this interview, the Jos born, but Lagos based artiste, Jave shocks his fans on his decision to relocate to Calabar, where he thinks he considers the highest paying city for circular music; he also talks about his prospects.
Excerpts:
CRW: Can you give us a brief about Jave Chem
Jave: My name is Jave Chem, am from Jos, popularly known as J town and also known for music. I’m a graduate of University of Jos, where I studied Psychology. I have been in the industry for a while. I’m born into a family of three, am the second; my parents and siblings all stay in Jos. I have been around Nigeria doing music. I consider myself as pushing to the top.
CRW: What kind of music does Jave do?
Jave: I do basically R and B, Afro hip-hop and I rap as well. I started with rap music. But right now I do R and B and soul.
CRW: Every artist on the ladder has someone he looks up to in this chosen career, who can you say is your role model in the music industry?
Jave: I don’t really have a particular person who is standing as role model, per say. I’m generally a music loving person, I listen to music and I do listen to Usher, R Kelly, and so on. Back here in Nigeria, I like to listen to Face, 2Face, P Square, and others that their music inspires me.
CRW: What are those challenges you have encountered in the course of growing up in the industry?
Jave: The challenges are not really much like that, so to say, save for that aspect of going to the studio, you ask the producer to give you a particular thing, you are looking for and then you are not getting it; then you go back to the studio again to redo it, or it gets up to the point where you have to change the producer, if you are not really getting what you want.
CRW: You studied psychology, but here you are doing music, what relationship do you find in these two aspects?
Jave: Well, while I was growing up, I did love music and dancing. I was also influenced by my dad, he had a turn-table, and he had lots of LPs (CDs of those days). And then I was pushed through to music.
On the other hand, I loved to study Psychology a lot, it has been my dream course and then I went for it and graduated. For me, the relationship between these two lies in the fact that psychology is music and music is psychology.
CRW: Where do you expect to be seen in the nearest future, in music?
Jave: Basically, my vision is to break through the world market place; not just growing big in Nigeria, alone, or every part of the country, but the world over. And I think am already embarking on this journey to the top, like most of my colleagues have done.
CRW: What is the strategy in place, to attain your dream height in music?
Jave: Well, I have been working with my manager; we are trying to come up with a musical video, that’s, for me, the first strategy. Then the media and other kinds of promotions can set in. I see the media is the biggest selling point so far.
CRW: You are currently in Calabar and from all indications you intend to farrow fresh grounds here, why your choice of Calabar?
Jave: Eh, let me say I see Calabar like a home and so I intend to push music here. I have been coming to Calabar since 2009; I have performed in Calabar Christmas shows alongside great musical artists. Calabar, in most respect, is a place where standard showbiz is at its best, especially with the advent of Africa’s biggest party holding every year in Calabar. None other than this held in Nigeria can be compared to this. Calabar is also the highest paid in circular showbiz, during this festive period. The events in Calabar, I believe has helped a lot, it has helped to merge international and local artists together. This has been happening on yearly basis and it’s very encouraging.
CRW: How do you think about your height so far in the music industry?
Jave: My height so far is a growing one. I have produced a series of songs, too numerous to mention. I just dropped a new single, which am currently pursuing. I have also had some collaboration with a couple of friends, who are also musicians. That’s what I can say about my height so far.
CRW: Of all your songs which do you consider as hit-song?
Jave: First of all, note that every song is a potential hit. You just do your work and leave the rest to God and then if your fans like what you have done, it sells. So I am keeping my fingers crossed in every work I have done.
CRW: Where does Jave get his inspiration from?
Jave: Getting inspired about songs, first of all, happens based on my mood at the moment. Sometimes I could just be walking and something just comes into me, then I get it down, work on it, then get into the studio, and then produce it. I also had a dream once that triggered a song, which I will be producing soon too. So that is it for me when it comes to inspiration.
CRW: Finally, what’s your personal assessment of the Nigerian music industry?
Jave: Seriously, the industry in Nigeria is really growing. And if I would say base on what I see, not on personal sentiments, the industry is the biggest in Africa. People from Ghana and other places are rushing down to Nigeria to sell out, based on the market. We have also had Nigerians being signed on every day with international artists and record labels. This shows that our industry in going places.
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