I have watchedwith patient annoyance, I have listen with patient distress, to thesights and sounds of our dear actress turn singer Tonto Dikeh. Like many others, I chosenot to talk about her but I was forced to know how wrong I was forkeeping silent by the words of Alibaba and OJB, two eminent personalities that means a lot to the entertainment industry.
Alibaba once tweeted “Playing a song of an artiste that you know is not good enough is noencouragement you are spoiling the market”, I don’t know what he had in mind. In an online interview with OJB he said
Foremost, I must say I admire Tonto Dikeh’s confidence and doggedness, but to what avail is it whenused in a wrong way. A cutlass is a good tool in thehand of a farmer, withoutwhich we cannot get foodto it, but that same cutlass can kill! Despiteher confidence there should be substance. Is music so hard to learn that she cannoteven get average in a year?
Tonto Dikeh has a well publicised relationship with one of Africa’s best music producers, DON JAZZY. She once took to twitter to say she was deflowered by DON JAZZY andhe replied saying “Me wey I still beV”. I don’t care about what they had together, my point is this, she enjoys a very good relationship with Don Jazzy,making it easy for her to haveapproached DON Jazzy if she truly wanted to makesome good music. My opinion is this, it is either Don Jazzy already told her she cannot sing or she personally knows she can’t and decides not to talk about it to Don Jazzy.
Many upcoming artistes out there have seen their career rescinded due to annoying words from, DJs, Media personnel and the likes and yet they make music that are 10 times betterthan that of Tonto Dikeh. The only difference is that she was a star before she started singing making it is obvious that all we worship in the entertainment industry is money and fame not True talent and ability.
If a lady with the world at her feet and the cream of the industry at her beck and call, comes up with a song as poor as “HI” (Auto tune on afalse tone (falsetto), how woeful?) and we accepted it, While there areseveral up andcoming acts outthere that can make music hasgood as that ofWizkid (I have met a lot that are better) stillroaming the streets.
This makes me wonder if Nigerian music has a body in place to monitor the type of music produced and released to themarket. I am not against Tonto Dikeh singing, I am against her singing NONSENSE! Ifshe can learn to sing well I’d be the first to clap for her once it is good music.
Several individuals in several capacities havebuilt Nigerian Entertainment Industry (especially the music sector) to this point of international recognition. Should we watch with folded arms as someone crumbles it recklessly? Is it true that we only work for money not passion in this industry? Will the labour of our heroes (and heroines) past go in vain.We have to stand up and support good music! True talent and a not just desire to be popular, a lust for fame!Let us remember that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere, Tonto Dikeh has to be stopped for thesake of the talented youthsout there!.