There is a popular saying that America is the land of Milk and honey. The land of freedom, opportunity and wealth. No matter what profession you are in, plying your trade in America signifies reaching your apex. Many people across the globe view the United States as the land of opportunities because it presents them with life options they may not have had in their countries. Employment that could lead to economic stability is a big draw that foreign-born Americans pursue diligently.

It is generally referred to as the American dream. Generally, that means the national ethos of United States which is a set of ideals in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, and an upward social mobility for the family and children, achieved through hard work in a society with few barriers. In order words, if you are talented and ready to work, you will be rich in the United States.

In the music world, this rings true as well. Many musicians who were erstwhile popular in their own countries have moved to the United States to get this American dream. That is why you see the likes of Celine Dion from France, Justin Beiber from Canada, Shakira from Colombia, Sean Paul and Shaggy from Jamaica and many more leaving their homeland to ply their trade in America. There are also many music gods who have contributed to the American popular music scene. Some of them include, Beatles, Carlos Santana, Bob Marley, The Rolling Stones and many more others.

Many Africans have also broken into the U.S. market and are doing well. One of them is Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Bongo Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam popularly known as Akon from Senegal. Today, Akon is not just a songwriter but also a businessman, and record producer.

There are countless Nigerian musicians who have also craved to be on top of their craft by practicing in the United States. Sadly most that try end up failing woefully, dejected, and when they come back to Nigeria, they do not get the acceptance that they left with in the beginning. At the end, they fail in their career. Some end up broke and obscure while some others make a living doing other things asides music.

To make matters worse, their name will not fade away that easily. Many will continue to inquire about them. They will get invited to talks shows and described as icons and veterans. Some will even try to re-launch their careers by releasing new albums, but these will hardly result to anything. Their time has passed. It’s like adding insult to injury.

Perhaps the most popular sad case is that of Majek Fashek. A lot has been said about Majek Fashek today and most of them are negative. Even young children who were not alive when his songs were popular know him but for the wrong reasons. Almost every media has done a story on the grace to grass fall of the musician. Sadly, he continues to wallow in abject poverty and remain in bondage to his demons.

Born Majekodunmi Fasheke, Majek is a reggae singer and instrumentalist who is drawn more to the guitar. Fashek first gained national fame on a television show in the early 1980s as a member of Benin-based reggae group Jastix. His band mates included Ras Kimono (who is now a US returnee himself) and Amos McRoy Gregg. They toured for many years with fellow reggae group The Mandators.

Majek hit major fame when he released his mega hit song, Send Down The Rain. His other hits include, a version of Bob Marley’s Redemption Song, So Long, Hotel California, Promised Land, Jah People, Little Patience, Man of Sorrow, Kpangolo, Majek Beware, Majek Fashek in a New York amongst many others. He was also on major international labels like, Island Records and Interscope with top international artistes like Bob Marley.

During his career, Majek Fashek toured the United States several times, but his fall from grace probably started when he decided to leave the country for good to ply his trade in the US. He quickly found out that the US is not a bed of roses. He said this about his move, “every African wants to go to America, but when you get there you will find out the other side of the country. America is all about struggle. In America, if you are lazy, you will suffer.”

We all know the story that followed. He quickly fell for the allure of drugs and was soon back in Nigeria penniless. He has joined the likes of many Nigerian musicians who try their luck in God’s own country but end up a musical failure. There is a long list of such artistes and the list has been piling up from the 70s and 80s.

The modus Operandi is similar. They leave Nigeria, the US fails to appreciate their music, they come back to Nigeria, but the Nigerian fans have moved on. It is almost like a jinx and almost no one has broken that jinx. Instead, they become broken and non relevant at the end of the day. The examples are glaring.

One of such is Mike Okri. Before he relocated to the United States of America more  than 15 years ago, he was arguably one of the best singers ever produced in the country. His Omoge song, was a quick hit and soon, he was touring the country. He later decided to leave the shores of Nigeria to ply his trade but soon fell out of music. He later started doing odd jobs in the US including a dealer at a casino.

In an interview, he said about his experience, “When I headed for New York, my intention was also to follow my career as I was recording an album before my movement. But I had to shelve the plan because my wife was expecting my son. That changed my plans to release the album. So I moved to Connecticut to live like every other man working and doing different odd jobs. My music career did not come to pass because I needed to work. I worked for two years before I moved to Los Angeles California, because that was my dream. I also needed the working experience in the course of getting settled and to make a living. Back home in Nigeria, people think you pluck money on the street of America. America is sweet but if you make money, it becomes sweeter,” he said.

Trying to explain why he and other musicians decided to try their luck in the US, another U.S. returnee, Raskimono, sighted the financial situation of the country for the exodus. He says, “The economy was so bad that if you released an album, nobody was ready to buy it. Many people were finding it difficult to make ends meet. Music was the least in order of people’s preferences. So, how to survive became a problem. So, most of us went abroad in search of greener pastures. That was why Majek Fashek, The Mandators, Ras Kimono, Alex Zitto and some others took a dive with a plan to make a come-back. When we were leaving, there was no much reggae music DJs.”

In the mid-eighties and during the early part of the 90s, the music of Alex Zitto dominated the air waves of Nigerian radio stations.   Across the land, time of day was not a barrier to the enjoyment of the reggae laden songs of Alex and the other household names in Nigerian music environment of the time.  Songs like BabyWalakolombo and Tickle Me were household songs of the time. No sooner had he become a big shot than he relocated to the US.

Zitto in an interview online, agrees with Kimono on why they all left at the time. “Well, it is just like every other artiste.  You want to expand, you want to reach greater heights.  You want to reach where you’ve never been before.  You want to get established.  At that point in Nigeria, things were getting really frustrating.  The economy was bad.  There was the military government that wasn’t helping the situation and the music industry was suffering. Things were just not in favor of the music industry.”

Zitto who is still in America also explained how the move affected his personal life. “While I was at home, I had this wild impression of the U.S., based on the information I and others were fed, that my albums were being sold in Europe, America.  So I had this childish impression that wow, everybody would know me when I get to the U.S.  But the reverse was the case and that was one of the challenges I had to face when I got here. The first thing I found out was that there were lots of musicians here and I also discovered that whatever you know how to do, there are many others here who can do far better than you do. You’ve got to start finding jobs, or you’ve got to live like this or die trying.”

Felix Liberty also went to the country with the Statue of Liberty in mind, but ended up being a Taxi driver in New York. Before he left, he was a super star with his major hit being Ifeoma. Fuji Star Adewale Ayuba also moved to God’s own country, but he was not favoured at the end of the day. Before he left, he was more popular than Wasiu (KWAM1) and other Fuji acts. Since he came back he is barely relevant.

Another popular artiste was The late Mustapha Amego. In the 1980s, Amego was very popular in the entertainment scene in Nigeria. He was a popular musician and host of the popular weekly music-dance show, Sunday Rendezvous. Amego was also commonly referred to by the moniker, Funky Mallam because of his trademark jerry curled pony tail hair-do. He rose to become the president of PMAN in 1993 and served till 1996. However, after moving to the United States, he abandoned music. He later built another career for himself in the movie industry. He produced some Nollywood movies when he returned to Nigeria. As for his music, that died in the USA.

This trend does not end with the artistes of the 80’s and 90’s, the jinx still follows to present day. Artistes, Lanre Dabiri popularly known as Eldee is of the present day examples. Eldee started his career with the Tribes Men in the late 90’s. He was in the group with Freestyle, Sasha, Dr. Sid, and 2Shotz. After the disbandment of the group, he went solo. He later moved to the US after a while. When he returned some seven years ago, he tried to make a come-back. He came out with the hit, Bosigbangba which did very well. But the song and album, Return of the King could not revive his career.

Another modern day example which is still playing out to our faces now is D’Banj. The artiste has made a lot of moves trying to fit into the American music scene, but all he gets is rejection. He was signed on to Kanye West’s Good Music, but did not release one single on the label. His first try was a feature he had with Snoop Dogg, but it was gathered that he paid the American artiste $100,000 to for the collaboration. Now that he is fully back in Nigeria he is barely making waves. The likes of Wizkid and Davido have taken his position. His last hit is still Oliver Twist which he recorded while still on Mo’ Hitts.

The list grows longer. We still also have the likes of Orlando Julius, Evi Edna Ogoli, Alex O, Olu Fajemirokun, Mandators, House Rock amongst many others who have tried to ply their trade outside Nigeria but failed. Many of them have buried the shame of failure and returned to Nigeria humble while some remain in the US failing to return to their mother land.

The successful ones are those that go to the United States, and Europe to perform and return to Nigeria to enjoy their earnings. One of them include the late Fela Anikulapo Kuti, who despite his international fame, remain based in Nigeria. His sons, Femi and Seun have followed their father’s footsteps. They also continue to make their music and living in Nigeria while they frequently tour the world.

There is a long list of very successful musicians who are doing the same, they include, King Sunny Ade, Asa, Salawa Abeni, KWAM1, Pasuma, Tuface idibia, amongst many others. All these goes to show that ‘There is no place like home’. Ironically, that is the title of one of Evi Edna Ogoli’s songs, yet she and many other Nigerian artistes remains abroad.

@ Daily Independent