Popular music producer, Osabuohien Osaretin, better known as Sarz, has worked with top artistes such as Drake, Wizkid and Tiwa Savage. He tells TOLUWALOPE KAREEM that he didn’t always have it easy, especially in the early days of his career

How would you describe your experience as a music producer?

Looking at where I’m coming from and where I am now, the journey has been really good. I’ve always recorded progress every year and I’m happy.

What are the highest and lowest moments in your career?

I remember when I had just started my career, I produced about three songs for a particular artiste. This was before I did any ‘big’ recording and because the artiste was popular, I was expecting to get paid properly. But, after making the songs and the album was released, the artiste kept telling me he would ‘settle’ me when the distributor paid him. I kept disturbing him for about a month until one day, he told me to come to his house that he would give me the money. When I got to his house, he eventually gave me N5,000. I almost cried that day because I was expecting so much more from him. He asked me how much I was expecting and I told him I thought it would be something substantial. He laughed and said he couldn’t pay me that amount because I was a ‘nobody’. However, I am here today and he is not.

As regards my high moments, it is hard to say because I hardly celebrate anything. I feel like things can always get better. But if I’m to specify, it would be when a song I worked on, One Dance, became number one in the world.

You have a number of productions to your credit. Which will you consider your best so far?

It is so hard for me to choose because I love all my songs differently and it depends on my mood. I also believe that my best works are on my laptop; they are not out yet.

How do you get inspired?

I get inspired by thinking of how far I can take music. Just thinking about new ideas I can bring to life to impact the world drives me. Also, conversations and other songs inspire me.

Why are you going into ‘deejaying’ and not singing?

That’s because I cannot sing to save my life. There’s a certain way I’d expect myself to sound and I don’t sound that way, so I don’t think singing is for me. I don’t see myself performing on stage. Maybe when I get confident enough on that level but I don’t think it’s really my thing.

Meanwhile, I have always wanted to become a DJ.

How do you intend to combine being a music producer with ‘deejaying’?

I just have to find time for everything and manage my time better.

There are lots of talented DJs in the music industry. How do you plan to be different?

It is not about the number of talented DJs we have. There are many talented artists out there, yet new talents still break out. Everyone’s taste is different and we all have something different to offer. It’s not really about the competition; there’s always something new one can offer. One doesn’t have to be the best to become the best. There’s always room, so I’m not afraid of competition.

Can you recall your first experience as a DJ?

I started my career as a DJ in April and my first experience of playing outdoors, out of the comfort of my home, was at a club. I went there unannounced because if it was announced that I was coming to play, everyone would train their cameras on me and make me fidget and probably make mistakes. I did my thing and it was not so bad because as a producer, one already has certain knowledge about ‘deejaying’ such as beat matching and other things.

What inspired you to become a producer?

A friend, who was a producer, actually introduced me to music production. Before then, I had always loved listening to music. I was a fan of music producers such as Timbaland and Pharell. I usually preferred listening to the songs those guys produced and my friend advised that since I was so interested in music production, I should take it up. The first day I tried it, I really loved it and I did not get tired, even after many hours. That was how I knew I really wanted to do this.

What qualities got you to this stage of your career?

Patience is very important. One also needs to learn how to reinvent. Reinvention is so important because people get bored easily and one needs to always find ways to evolve. People will get One shouldn’t lose oneself trying to dabble into too many things.

What is the place of the African culture in your productions?

In my productions, I would say everything– from the drums to the melody– depending on what I’m working on. Anyway, I’d say the drums mostly showcase the African vibe because that’s where the groove comes from.

As Sarz on the beat, do you play the drums?

I don’t know how to play any instrument. All the magic comes from my head, I just have to think about it and do it. I play the keyboard a little– enough to navigate around to do what I need to do but I don’t come from a musical background. My dad is not a musician and he doesn’t play any instrument; neither does my mum. Even as a musician, everything starts from the head because you have to think about it. That’s how it works for me.

What are you working on at the moment?

I have a joint project coming up soon. I’m also working on another album that would be released next year.

A teacher at CMS Grammar School, Bariga, Lagos, Mr Ikena Ekwenam, has been arrested by the police for inflicting injuries on his 10-year-old pupil, David Uwakwe.

Ekwenam, who teaches Agricultural Science at the school, beat up the Junior Secondary School 2 pupil for allegedly failing to come early for a make-up test.

Sunday PUNCH learnt that the teacher on Friday, November 22, went to Uwakwe’s class and told him he could not find his script on the continuous assessment earlier conducted, asking him to come for a make-up.

It was gathered that the week was slated for revisions and Uwakwe could not go for the test at Ekwenam’s office until much later in the day when the teacher was not around.

Angry that the boy did not show up on time, the teacher reportedly went to his class and gave him several strokes of cane, causing a dislocation to his arm in the process.

His mother, Adejoke, told our correspondent that she was shocked to find marks of beating on her son’s body when she went to pick him up after the closing time.

She said, “As I got to the school that afternoon, some of his classmates ran to me and said their Agric teacher beat David (Uwakwe) and he sustained injuries. I met my child in front of the school clinic which was already closed and took him to the Vice Principal Administration.

“The VP directed the clinic officials to give him anti-tetanus injection and antibiotics because there were bruises all over his body and he was bleeding. I took him to the principal who pleaded with me. I left the school with my child and called my brother-in-law because my husband was not around. I told him what happened.

“Before he met us at where we were, my son’s hand had swollen. I went back to the school with my brother-in-law and the principal was angry with us. I told the principal that one of the teachers must follow us to the hospital and one Mr Mayowa was assigned to follow us to the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi. It was discovered at the hospital that the boy had a dislocation in the arm region.

“People at the hospital wondered if he had an accident because there were marks of cane on his two hands and buttocks. They were annoyed. The doctor treated him and put POP (Plaster of Paris) in his hand. He was discharged the following day.”

Adejoke said the boy had an accident in December last year and suffered a fracture to his right thigh, forcing him to undergo a surgery.

She stated that he stopped using crutches some weeks ago, adding that she was pained that the school did not take the case seriously.

She said she consequently petitioned the Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team of the Lagos State Ministry of Justice.

The woman stated, “They did a test in school and he participated. The teacher misplaced his script and told him to come for a makeup. The boy said they were in the revision week and that teachers were coming one after the other into their class to teach them. It was in the afternoon that he went to see the teacher and he didn’t meet him in the office. The man then came to his class; took him out and flogged him angrily. I was told that his class teacher did not intervene.

A source at the DSVRT said a team visited the school after receiving the petition and interacted with the parties involved, including pupils who witnessed the incident.

The source said, “In line with the Lagos State Government policy of zero tolerance to child abuse in schools and to protect children, our office embarked on a joint visit with the office of the Education Quality Assurance, Lagos State Ministry of Education, Alausa to CMS Grammar School, Bariga on November 27, 2019 where the incident occurred.

“We engaged the principal, the survivor, the perpetrator, the class teacher and few other pupils who witnessed the incident. The affected child stated that he was physically abused by his Agricultural Science teacher, Mr Ikenna Ekwenam. He alleged that his teacher beat him because of his incomplete Agric Science note and his missing test script.

“He further explained that before the teacher started beating him, his classmates told the teacher that he just had a surgery which he was still recovering from, but the teacher went ahead beating him till he sustained several injuries including a fractured bone.

Our correspondent learnt that the case was referred to the Gender Unit of the Lagos State Police Command in Ikeja and Ekwenam was arrested.

The DSVRT Coordinator, Lola Vivour-Adeniyi, confirmed the incident to our correspondent, adding that the agency would continue to ensure that rights of children were protected.

“We use this medium to reiterate the state government’s zero tolerance to all forms of violence against children and we will ensure that the rights of children are adequately safeguarded and protected,” she said.

The spokesperson for the police in the state, DSP Bala Elkana, said investigation was ongoing on the case.

Reacting to the incident, the school principal, Rev. Olubusola Sokefun, in a letter sent to our correspondent said he queried Ekwenam upon receiving the report of the assault and a panel was set up to look into the matter.

He explained that the management collectively appealed to Adejoke, adding that the teacher had been suspended indefinitely.

The letter read in part, “Thereafter, I called Mrs Adejoke Uwakwe to apologise and that the cost of hospital bill would be borne by the teacher. Immediately after the assembly on Monday, November 25, 2019, the two vice principals and I received Mrs Adejoke Uwakwe in company with Mr Peter Uwakwe (the pupil’s uncle) and a lady and they asked me to produce the teacher.

“I said it would be unprofessional to produce a member of my staff in a situation like this and I appealed to them. My appeal fell on deaf ears and they insisted that I should produce the teacher else they would scatter the whole school.

“They threatened that when they came back, I would be forced to produce the teacher. Then I called the Executive Secretary of Lagos Anglican Schools Management Board, Ven. Victor Olusa, to brief him about the situation.”

Sokefun stated that he also informed the Chairman, Board of Governors of the school, Justice Faji, and Old Grammarians Society President, Mr Olu Vincent, about the incident.

The principal said he, the two VPs, Vincent, the senior boarding house master and two other teachers went to Adejoke’s residence on Akerele Street, Oworonshoki and met with her elder sister, Mrs Abosede Edward, “who was very hostile to the school delegates, rained insults and curses upon the school and the teachers,” adding they were prevented from entering her apartment.

“In our bid for peace and reconciliation, the school sent emissaries to the husband’s village in the East. The Head of the school’s Quality Assurance, Dr Sofolahan, was brought in to assist in appealing to Mrs Uwakwe on the matter. She consequently sent a lawyer’s number (Mr Femi Odufowokan) on the need to quell the escalated incident.

“In furtherance of our efforts to have an amicable settlement, a name that appears familiar was worked on and was discovered to be Mrs Uwakwe’s family house and necessary contacts were made on the need to talk her out of the case at hand.”

'This “Zanku” & “Gbe Body e” will not teach itself..� .. @tolani & @oluwagbeminiyi learning these moves with all the hulk hogan in them'