“Ladies, my biggest challenge” …Shanowole crooner, Olalakeside

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What is it like bring into music?

It takes a lot of suffering and determination. I left home at 17 years old, I was living with friends, sleeping in the studio and working very hard.  It got to a stage; my mother was telling me to do something else. I was actually thinking of doing some things else myself. I had no money to eat, but, thank God, the efforts finally paid off when I sang ‘Elegushi Spender’.

 

What should fans be expecting from you in 2016?

It’s going to be great; I have a lot of packages.  I’m always working and researching. 2016, Olalakeside will be greater than I was in 2015. The materials are ready. Watch out for me.  I will be shooting like six videos. And, I will be featuring lots of artistes. I have works with Durella, Oritsefemi, Reminisce and at present I am working with 9ice, and also working with DJ Baddo. Soon, I will be working with Davido.  So, just watch out for me, as I break into big time music.

 

When was your most memorable moment?

My greatest moment was when I met 2Face.  My dream had always been to be great like 2Face. I finally got to meet him at the Big Ballerz Lounge at Festac Town. One day as I was leaving the club in the morning, he was coming in. The club owner just drew him aside and introduced us; obviously he has been listening to my songs. So, when the club owners asked him if he knew me, he was confused and he apologised for not knowing who I was.  Then the club owner said I was the artiste that sang Elegushi Spender. 2Face shouted “Omo,  Shano wole, na u be this?”. He held me by my hand and led me back into the club, where he drank from a bottle of Hennessy and gave me to drink. He took pictures with me. I could not sleep that night when I got back home. I was just thanking God.

 

Will you say all the sufferings you went through, were they worth it?

I am happy every day, Olamilekan of then is quite different from Olalekan of today. This is Olalekeside. My names are Olamilekan Ogunlowo a.k.a. Shano Wole, Mr. Elegushi Spender, Mr. Komaro. It’s sure hustle go pay. Every time, I wake up I thank God especially for His grace, because there are others that we were hustling music together that have fallen along the way. Those I was working with then in the studio never believed that I would ever make it in music.

 

What do you think should be the government’s role in music?

The government must be involved in the industry. I know how they do these things abroad. I have been to Dubai and South Africa, UK and USA are next on my travel list. But these countries to I have been, I saw the way they treat their artistes. If you are signed up to a record label in Nigeria, you would be happy but you are actually in prison. The way I am now, without a record label, I am happy. Though there are some benefits in being artistes under a label, you will enjoy solid promotion for your works. Imagine most people only know Elegushi Spender, yet I have dropped like five songs since then. I have done promotions for them, but it can never be like what a record label will do. I am still dropping songs, so you see, if the government is involved, to shoot a musical video will not be hard.

 

What went wrong between you and your former record label?

I was not signed to any label. Self-Entertainment is just my manager. I am free. I will work for about four months next year. Since I ventured into music, I have been dreaming of having my own record label, Ola Naira Records. I hope it becomes a reality next year.

 

Apart from music, what else do you do?

Way back, I played football but right now I am into full time music.

 

Who is Olalekeside?

Olalekan is a guy from nowhere, going somewhere, from the ghetto and I thank God for His grace. I was born and brought up in Lagos. I am from Ekiti State, from a family of seven, including my parents. I schooled in Lagos and I am still planning to further my education because I only had my O’Level.

How do you cope with ladies?

That is the trouble I am dealing with right now. Though, the ladies are our fans, we can’t do without them. They support us a lot, but one really needs to be very careful about some of them wishing to be with you in an amorous way.  If you think because 2Face said, you can enter the place, you just go dey enter places, my brother you fit hook o (general laughter).