Meet Wole Oni #MCM

Nigerian producer Wole Oni became the first to get Yamaha corporation endorsement in Africa. He is the first Nigerian artist to be signed in the whole of Africa in 2017.

He is an international multi award winning music producer, songwriter, sound engineer, founder and CEO of Instincts Productions as well as Wole Oni Music Productions (WOMP). The artist said Yamaha has been looking out for him for 10 years before inviting him over for the endorsement procedures. Recently, he achieved a Top star icon in Hollywood.

Wole Oni started music practice at age 7 with bass guitar. Thereafter, he practiced other instruments which includes keyboard. It seemed he got his inspiration from his dad who was a church organist; how interesting legends start from the church.

Wole Oni; The United Nations international youth peace ambassador and Bsc (Hons) graduate of structural engineering and project management stated that "what legacy will you leave for your generations after yours?" He therefore advises all to do something great that you will be remembered for. "Start from your locality, gradually and consistently go global" he says. Therefore, do not pave way to excuses to why you could not do great to live a better life.

Back in the days especially in the traditional world, music as whole is a skill acknowledged as nothing tangible to value as a professsional career in Nigeria. The kind/genre of music was majorly regarded as a form of freestyle entertainment and fun which includes Highlife, church music, traditional music and so on common among different ethnic groups in Nigeria.

Significant number of people experienced it difficult to pave way to study music as professional career because it wasn't regarded as a prominent profession but rather, it was themed an art for fun, freestyle and entertainment which is related to what the Yoruba people call "owambe".

Growing up in that era is something big enough to be discouraged to loose interest in music with exceptions of an opportunity is gained to study abroad or grew up in the family of music lovers. Only few educated elites would grant permission to study music as a professional career.

Some guardians/parents go to an extreme of disowning the child/ward because of the choice of music for a professional career because, they thought it was not relevant to go to university to study a course and professional career to consider that musicians can go by the road sides, parties, parks and public arena to play, get sprayed with money and all sorts. Along the line, one, two or more persons will book for services and pay accordingly. All these reasons and more where the reasons it seemed not convincing towards the study of music professionally.

Across times and clines, with the influence of Western music and as well as growth and development, few numbers of Nigerian Universities added Music to the list of programs available to study professionally. Although, some professions in music such as music therapy has not gained it prominence due to the unpopularity. This improvement has paved way for interested people to explore geographically.

Currently, some educated elites have not discovered the huge relevance of studying and practising music but, as time goes on things will get better. 10 years is a long time but it set Wole Oni's path to becoming a legend he is today. Start setting yours!