WATCH OUT... NIGERIANS HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING MUSICALLY ACCOMPLISHED AS SARO, says AYO AJAYI, Music Director

"You see, from my experience in the music world, I know when something is marketable, I know when it is commercial; I know when people will appreciate things. When I sit down in my home to listen to music or see movies, I know which one is actually interesting or appealing to people… We are planning to do all genres of music -- synchronized it all together. Music is a universal language. If you are a Nigerian, you will understand it; a Ghanaian, you will understand, no matter where you are from in any part of the world, you will find SARO the musical interesting" -- Ayo Ajayi, Music Director for SARO

It has been pretty difficult to get a chat with you. you've been so busy???

Yes, I have been busy. SARO… is seriously a very big production; we are seriously into it. We have to devote our time.  A lot of commitment has gone into it, having an interview is actually something that comes at the background; not a major for us right now.

Saro- the musical. How great is Saro?
Well, Saro  is something that has never happened in this country before. Not as in the word but, with what we are bringing into it. According to research, Saro is a settlement… where former slaves who came back settled in an area of Lagos Island. In our own way, SARO is a big musical project, and that I can tell you boldly.

                                                                            

As the Music Director, what is the effect of Music in Saro?

Well, I would have to take you back to history.  When we talk about the Saros, they are people who have traveled far and wide, so, they have a blend of all kinds of music.  They have listened to the music of the British, Afro Cubans… the Brazilian Samba etc.  The Saros have in possession these various musical backgrounds.  That is what we expect in the musical as well -- a variety of music/songs that will aid us in bringing out the purpose of the production…Individual quest for survival is the central theme of this musical. The protagonists leave the hinterland to the city of Lagos, how do you I.

Individual quest for survival is the central theme of this musical. The protagonists  leave the hinterland to the city of Lagos, how do you tie this simple narrative to music?

 Basically, we are looking at four guys in this musical. They have nothing, from the hinterland like you rightly pointed out. But they have one tool for survival; that tool is music. They have great voices. Laitan plays the guitar, Obaraku plays the drum and that is all what they have - beautiful voices. They believe that they could survive even against the hardest of difficulties. Don’t forget that the voice is a God-given musical instrument to make a way for you. So, they believe in their talent that it would make a way for them.  With strongwill and determination... look, you need to see this musical, I cant afford to tell you the end of the story! Seriously, music is all that they have, whatever they do, at anywhere, they are doing music. Everything in this play is surrounded by music; that is where music comes in. Besides the normal background sounds in most Nigerian plays/movies, this is seriously a musical; even some of the dialogue are rendered in songs. This is a new thing to Nigeria; a big project. The biggest I have ever been involved in.

So, we should expect frequent musical interlude in the course of the play?

Well, frequent musical interlude? When you say something is musical, it doesn’t have a musical interlude. Everything you do is music. Music tells the story.

Do you think Saro will meet the expectation of being exported...?

You see, from my experience from the music world, I know when something is marketable, I know when  it is commercial, I know when people will appreciate things. When I sit down in my home to listen to music or see movies, I know which one is actually interesting or appealing to people. We won’t come here when we have the likes of the main director -- Mr. Makinde Adeniran and plan something that is not marketable. Saro is marketable. We are planning to do all genres of music -- synchronized it all together. Music is a universal language. If you are a Nigerian, you will understand it, a Ghanaian, you will understand, no matter where you are from in any part of the world, you will find Saro-the musical interesting. We are, of course, able and going to export the motivation in this play to the whole world.

The four lead casts are young people. Is the message just for the young?

We are just taking these four people as a point of contact to every other person around.  You see, dramatically, it is better to make people of same age bracket to work together.  I think messages such as this should be directed majorly at the youths because; they are the ones struggling to survive. They are the leaders of tomorrow.  There is a message, however, for all age categories; adults and adolescent alike. There is a message in Saro for everyone -- perseverance, determination to succeed.

May we meet you ; especially what you have you been doing of recent?

My name is Ayo Ajayi. I have always been doing music all my life though I did some sciences.  I read computer science and then had a diploma in chemical engineering. But, since then, I have really delved into music. It has been my life right from my Secondary School days. I attended CMS Grammar School, where I was the school choirmaster/leader; school pianist. Then,  I had a little break. I am also the church organist for the Christ Apostolic Church, Yaba. I l teach diploma students piano playing at the MUSON School of Music. I have done a lot of projects. I have a band that organizes corporate shows around. I also consult for MTN -- the last being the lighting of the Christmas Tree  at MTN plaza. When Mr Kofi Annan came into Nigeria about  three years ago, I was to play a recital for him. I also played at Chief Olu Falaye’s 70th Birthday, among so many other great things. That is my career.

I have not got to the peak yet. I really want to take it to the next level and encourage contemporaries and people looking up to me. We can survive with music and shouldn’t leave it to mediocre hands. Music is not just for those who have the voice. People should get to know music beyond that. This is why the West has an edge; we import their songs here and don’t take our songs out because we don’t have what it takes; that educational background that we need musically. It is not something you just pick up, you have to love and study it.

My advice to people out there is, if you are really being led by the passion, go for it. Music is a way of survival for you just like the Saro casts, they have nothing else but music. They survived.

So, you are being paid to do what you love doing...

(Laughs). Yes, exactly. Dr. Maxwell says ‘ you have to do what you like to do. By doing what you like to do, you will never work for a day’. I enjoy doing it with all pleasure; not as if someone is compelling me to do what I am not enjoying. With Music, I have never worked a day.