"I was a secular artiste," gospel singer, Elem C

In the business world, expectations are a parameter. They are good, very good and key in measuring deliverables. Notwithstanding, their fragile nature like fine pottery that one can't hold too hard else, they will crack (Brandon Sanderson) makes them a condiment of bittersweet must-eat soup. They are fueled by passion or profit. While one is genuine, the other seems superficial. But somewhere down the path of reality, the thin line between them blurs and everyone is about just one: profit!

The music industry is no exception. Francis Elemchukwu Aguguo, a.k.a Elem C, a graduate of Lagos State University, thought about this one thing too: profit, when he started out as a secular artiste. However, reality and expectations are two worlds apart. A too-shocking, too-frustrating experience that mounted more responsibility on his resources before pushing him out and confining him to a sabbatical. Like that wasn't enough, in 2020, his health failed and at one point thought it was time to go yonder. But God was God. This unusual encounter was his turning point---the very end of secular music and the ignition of a genuine drive. In this no-holds-barred interview with Yamilenu Bamgboye, he talks about his new found love and the attendant challenges. Have fun!

Let's start with your journey so far. When did you go professional and was it just about talent for you?

My journey so far has been something really interesting, challenging, entertaining and stressful at the same time. I went professionally far back as 2015, that was the first time I went to the studio to record a song, and I dropped my first single "Ekelechi" in 2016 under Elem-C. For me, it has always been about talent and money when I first started back then. Yes I felt, I have this talent and then, I can make money out of it. That was it before I was frustrated out of music.

Frustrated, what do you mean? Was the reception not good or your expectation of making quick money was cut short?

Yes oh, the expectations of making it quick were destroyed. As a matter of fact, I didn't realise the level work needed to be done to be heard. A lot of wolves were there to mislead and eat out of the little funds I had then and I was working my ass out but nobody was listening, that's what I thought though. The problem back then was I didn't know how to monetise my work and capitalise on the opportunities at my disposal, let's say I wasn't fully into it and it became really frustrating. Don't forget, I already had a family before going in professionally. I was channeling the family's funds to music with the hope that sooner we would start reaping from music but my family was going hungry and it was telling on me. My late father was living with me then, he was really sick and taking care of him was energy draining. All of that culminated in me abandoning music but the height of it was, I got nothing out of it because my expectations were high.

 

 

Are you back now? If yes, for how long did you stay away and what did you learn? 

Yes, big time. I stayed away for 3 years from 2018. I dealt with the death of my father in 2019. I fell sick myself from 2020 and got better in 2021. It was the result of my sickness after recovery that brought me back to music in 2021. Come on I thought I was not going to make it but God gave me another chance. Here I am.

How would you classify your kind of music?

I am a gospel and inspirational singer with a little bit of consciousness. But basically I do a variety of almost everything but my core message is to glorify God through my music.

Was it gospel from the outset? If not, what changed?

Not at all! Though my first ever single could be seen as a Gospel song but I didn't start with gospel. I started with rap and I was also singing but it was not gospel from inception. It was all round secular music but I was not comfortable doing it. I felt that was what people wanted to listen to back then till there was a turn around.

Since music is about talent and money for you and now gospel...how have you fared?

I said initially it was but not anymore. Two things happened. First, after my father died, I fell sick. In the year 2020 I spent more than half of the year going from hospital to another till I ended up in Luth. It was during this period after God saved me of course through the doctors that I decided I was going to come back to music. Matter of fact, the night I was discharged from Luth in May 2021 was when I wrote one of my best songs called "Winner". Secondly, on one of the occasions that I came home, I heard my children singing one of Mohbad's songs, I was not comfortable hearing my kids singing that but then the song was trending at the time. It was then I made a decision that I would stop my kids from listening to secular music but then how do I achieve that, the only option was for me to start creating more music. So, I resolved to create as many music, soul edifying songs as possible so that my family will never run out of music to consume. 

At this point money was no longer the driving factor for me. I felt I needed to praise God with my voice and to counter the plenty secular songs out there with gospel and more inspirational songs. To me, it's a battle between good and evil and I have to be on the side of helping humanity consume songs that will make them feel better starting from my home

Creating music can be enjoyable. It's always more like the first and not too serious part. I don't know if you agree but what part of music would you consider the most difficult or challenging?

Yes, creating music is really enjoyable and interesting and that's one of the most important and easiest parts of music. And you said, a part that seems not too serious because if you're not promoting your music, people will look at you like an unserious artiste. The part of music i would say or consider most difficult is when you are trying to get people to listen to the music you have created. I remember those days, after creating music, only me and my family will be enjoying the songs. What I am talking about is promoting the music, marketing or rather the music business in general. That's not a child's play. This is the part that got me frustrated out of music in the first place like I mentioned earlier. To market a single track takes a whole lot. Sometimes in rare cases and that takes grace, your music might just be everywhere but people might not know the level of hard work that has gone into it or how many years you have been grinding. Truly, marketing is the most difficult part of music because it takes everything from you, money, time, energy and sometimes it might take your sanity.

 

Now that you have learnt the hard way, how do you promote your latest songs?

Hahaha! I am praying seriously and God has been helping me. That's a funny question though, man. I try the little way I can. I try to manage the unavailable or limited resources I have. I am pushing via social media, digital marketing, stream playlistings and friends. Some of my few artiste friends have been supporting sharing my music and all of that and I have some community of friends that we discuss nothing but music. I try to search for updates from different sources on how to promote my music. Though I will say it's not been easy because there is a need for money as without it you can achieve nothing significant regardless I am pushing it how best I can to make something out of nothing. I have also been looking for investors that can commit their funds to the project but none is forthcoming for now but I believe God that everything is working out fine and great

Have you had any label-artiste relationship before?

Yes. I got contacted by a foreign label, they listened to my catalogue and liked what I am doing and we signed a 2 year deal. I have been diligently following my part of the deal but the label is not doing any part of what's in the deal so I just informed them that I am no longer interested in the deal and we are good. So I am pushing myself by myself.

That was bold. Have you released an album yet?

Yes! I have 3 albums, 1 EP and some singles I have released before now...

Three! That's a lot. So, how have they fared on the market?

Yes, you can say that. I recorded those albums when I changed my perspective about what I truly want in music. I wasn't really concerned about how they fared. I was more concerned about creating quality music but now, I am really concerned that's why I have started in little ways that I can to push my music bit by bit. It's really not easy but to answer your question, they haven't really done well in the market because people haven't really paid attention

What would you consider the major challenge in pushing your music? 

Everything requires money. The funds to push it really is the major challenge because music needs money to make it grow. Just the same way you feed a baby, that's how music should be fed. If you don't have a form of budget and I mean a huge budget set aside for pushing music you will definitely face challenges. You won't rule out the fact that one can be lucky though with the help of social media but in the end, money is involved. And people haven't paid attention probably because I haven't done enough crazy or scandalous things that will make people start talking but the kind of music I do and who I represent with my music requires I live an exemplary life

Would you say you're fulfilling your career dream already?

I would say yes and no at the same time. Yes because I am doing the kind of music that I want to listen to 100 years from now. And no because I need to do more in terms of getting people to listen so I can make a living out of it. That will make everything soft.

What kind of pressure have you experienced in the industry and how do you deal with it?

Pressure choke brother but I am no longer letting it affect me in any way because I believe the sky is too wide for the birds to fly and when it's my time to fly higher than I am flying my wings will expand and I am sincerely working on it. Again, the book of Philippians 4 vs 6 helps me to deal with whatever pressure that may want to creep in brother. I go to God in prayer in most cases and talk to some of my friends about whatever I am dealing with in the industry. Friends that can relate. I mean artistes too and guess what, most times we laugh it off

What's the craziest thing you've experienced while on stage?

The first time I wasn't feeling myself and it almost affected my performance. After that I changed my producer. The second time I was performing on the stage and one of the speakers stopped functioning, that nearly affected my performance but by then I had grown thick skin and I was not moved. The last time I was performing and the power went so we had to stop to restore it before I continued with my performance. Technical issues.

In two years, what career change do you hope to make?

I sincerely don't want to be talking about that because I don't know exactly. May God keep us all alive to witness what happens in two because we may make our plans but God directs our actions. But, as a man and ambitious artiste, I hope to have been everywhere in two years, where my music will be heard globally. I have set some things rolling currently which I believe will work and as soon as that happens, I will maintain the winning strategy. So yes, in two years, we should be having this conversation and I will be saying I told you so.