Singer, Lanre Fasasi, popularly known as Sound Sultan, tells Ademola Olonilua about his style, career and marriage
What is happening to your clothing line?
My clothing line, Naija Ninja, is still in existence. I put it on hold for a while because I couldn’t find a suitable hand to handle it. I decided to face my record label and the production company that my brother and I set up. That is what is taking the front burner for now. I still design clothes for myself but I cannot do that for people.
Do you have a fetish fashion?
To be candid, I do not know. But I let the people around me decide even though they have been arguing about it. But I think I love my hats because they are the least expensive fashion accessories that I have. When I look in my closet, I am amazed at the number of hats I have in there.
Why do you always wear hats?
I was shy when I was in school. While on campus, I would wear a cap to cover my face. I was always hiding from the stares and glares of people because they made me quite uncomfortable. I still wear them because I am a shy person. I have lots of hats in my closet. I am sure they are above 100.
When it comes to colour blocking, your name easily comes to mind. Why?
I like very colourful things and I also believe that creativity knows no bounds. If you see someone dressing like a creative person, just leave him alone because he is the only one that understands what is going on in his mind. Some say there is a thin line between creativity and craziness. My dressing reflects my creativity and sometimes, I have to tone it down because if I should dress the way I really want to, I would be like a rainbow. I really want people to see how colourful my mind is.
Why do you wear wristbands?
I don’t like my hands being free, so I wear them.
What is the most embarrassing fashion error you have made?
If you see some of my old pictures, there are a lot of fashion errors there. I used to wear some funny glasses then. If you see some pictures of Tuface and me, you would be shocked at some things we wore but that was what we had. That is what we call fashion error now. Back then, we felt like fashion icons whenever we wore those clothes.
What is the most expensive fashion item you own?
My mind is my most expensive fashion item because it is what dictates my style. My mind is my most priceless possession; others are just material things that can be quantified.
Many people complain that Nigerian music lacks content, do you subscribe to that school of thought?
I believe that everyone in the industry has contributed to its growth. From my own point of view, I believe people complain but they seem to forget that there must be somebody or people demanding for those songs before those people can go into the studio to record them. When there is demand for a product, they would keep supplying it because they want to satisfy the audience; they don’t want them to get bored. Since it has persisted, it means it’s a controlled market and somebody is doing something somewhere. People also do it to provide variety. Music is a great tool and if misused, it can impact negatively on our generation. That is why I try my best not to include vulgar words in my music because I want to be able to play my music where my children are without telling them to cover their ears.
Your elder brother, Dare, began music before you but you seem to be more popular. How do you feel?
When you say I have outshined him, you are wrong about it because there is no way I can shine more than the source. He was the one that put me on the path of my career. When I started, I was doing rap and listening to hardcore rap music. But in 1989, he was the first person to mix Yoruba with English while rapping and when I saw how well accepted it was, I started doing the same thing. In the last three years, my brother has released some songs that people love but he is more into movie production because he studied Theatre Arts. We have jointly shot a movie, and from the feedback we have been getting, the movie has been enjoying some positive reviews. We spent over N30m on the movie.
What motivates you?
I am happy and the most important thing in life is for one to be happy about what he is doing. Seeing a seed germinate into a forest makes me glad. I am happy when I see people sing my song or refer to it and how it has impacted their lives. Things like that make me feel fulfilled as a human being apart from the physical things. The cycle of achievement keeps me going.
How have you been able to sustain your marriage?
I am a very conservative person and my parents were very wonderful as a couple and as parents. So I emulated a lot of traits from them. Our parents had peaceful and long-lasting marriage, so I decided that it would be best if I learnt from them. I close my eyes to a lot of temptations.
How did you propose to your wife?
I was reading a magazine recently where a man rented a helicopter to propose to his wife. I was too ashamed to show my wife because during our time, it was like a teleportation, we just realised that we were married. She had known me for a while and we courted for about seven years. I did not kneel down to propose and even if I did, she probably would have thought something was wrong.
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