CALLY IKPE SPEAKS ON NMVA 2011

CALLY IKPE SPEAKS ON NMVA 2011

He anchors the longest running music TV show in this part of the world, Live Beat. Dubbed foremost founding father of the present hip hop revolution in Nigeria. He is also leading a team of fantastic and innovative young people who organize the very reputable Nigeria Music Video Awards, NMVA. In this interview with Paz Obiz, Cally Ikpe reveals what to expect in the forth coming national music awards. Excerpts.

What should people expect from this year’s NMVA that is different from the past?

A whole lot of great ideas are in the works and I think it will be premature to talk about them now. Expect a show that is better organized. The event is coming up by November, at the moment we are trying to do finishing touches before we come out to announce the date. You might have listened to our theme song titled, Celebrating Our Cultural Heritage, we have the voices of Justina and Harrysong on it. It’s enjoying massive airplay. In this year’s event we intend to be more national than we have been, we also intend to be more cultural than before. You are aware we paid a courtesy visit to the minister of Culture and Tourism, Mr. Edem Duke, who have pledged support for NMVA. We are in talks with more cooperate bodies that seems likely to work with us. We have never felt more accepted than now.

Nigeria just celebrated her 51th Independence, is there any tie with this year’s event to that

No, Unlike what happened last year, last year we dedicated the event to the 50^th Independence of Nigeria that was why we said, we have come of age.  This year we are not talking about any particular year because we are in a new era, another 50 years have begun. That is why we are celebrating our own culture; this is geared towards getting people to believe more in who we are.

What about sponsorships, do you have any yet?

When I talked about being in talks with some people and doing finishing torches and being definite, that was what I was talking about.  One needs to be sure before coming out to speak, you need to have papers in your hands before making any statement. I am also uncomfortable that the pace is quite slow but that has not affected my optimism in any way. I am very optimistic and excited about what we want to do.

Where would be the venue, the same Eko Hotels and Suites?

I do not know any other venue.

Are there any fundamental changes, same Annabel Statuette?

We are not changing it but there could be one or two touches to make it glitter more but it remains the Annabel just as my name is Cally, I could be called Dr. Cally, Chief Cally so that is the way it is.

In the award categories, any new additions or will it still be the same as last year’s

(He directs the question to Live beats Producer, Nas who answers the question) The last we added was the Soft Rock category to accommodate people like Gennie, Exetera, and others. That is a genre we discovered was popping up among Nigerian artistes.

After the event would have come and gone, what would you beat your chest and say this is what we achieved this time?

It’s not after the event that I am going to beat my chest, I have been beating my chest ever since! It’s not easy to do a show like the NMVA without sponsorship, we have been doing that. We have been beating our chest that we have God and our contemporaries; what can be greater? I am already beating my chest not after the show.

Any surprises, any international artiste on the bill

Which international artiste hasn’t come here before, may be not on the NMVA bill but a lot of artistes have been here playing shows unless you want to resurrect Michael Jackson that is the only person that will wow Nigerians. Beyonce has been here, Jay Z, Snoop Dogg etc. Again if it’s going to be a surprise if I tell you it won’t be a surprise any more, why don’t you just come. Nas right?

(Nas interrupts) Yes, especially now that we are talking about looking inwards, celebrating our own, the surprise should come from amongst us. (Nas concludes).