Nollywood A-list actress Stella Damasus is one actress who likes channeling her energy into so many things. The young, energetic, and ebullient mother of two has a show called the Stella Damasus show which has being airing on major TV station in the UK. The beautiful and ageless actress who has being on the screen for years is also the founder of SDA Arts Foundation targeted as grooming young talents in the industry thereby making the entertainment industry more vibrant. She is also the CEO of SDA Productions an event management and production company based in Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria.
Speaking to NAIJANEWSROOM at his SDA foundation office at Lekki,
the budding actress talks about her show ‘The SDA show’ which is currently being air on TV stations in the U.K, why she took her show to London, her loves for singing and life as an MC. She also went further to proffer her loves for Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos state.
Excerpt:
You have a show being air on London TV. Can you tell us more about your it?
For six months now it has being airing in the U.K. I have being going to other countries to see how we can partner with them and also in other places that I can. That is on going. So I am also looking for people to sponsor my season two which is the one that is ready now. So that is going well. I have being receiving a lot of commendations from people that are viewing it in the U.K. There are a lot of people who has being called me, asking, ‘how can your own show not be airing in your own country and all that.’ So it’s a lot of work to try and get it to a lot of people that I can but people loves the show and they are happy with it.
Why did you decide to take it to far away London since we have TV stations here?
Unfortunately most of the people that I have met are asking me to buy airtime.
That was basically why you took it outside?
Yes because outside world understand the meaning of getting independence producers to provide contents for them. The independence producers has sponsor herself and paid for everything like camera and what have you, so you don’t have to paid for camera or anything. All you need do is pay for the right to air the show for your viewers to enjoy! If adverts should come it’s their money they are not paying me. So why should my own people be telling to buy airtime to air something that I have already produce by myself? If I should come and buy airtime how am I going to get my money back? Even if the adverts come, you give me 40% and takes 60%! So at the end of the day I will be the one to loose. Nigeria producers are suffering.
We learnt they charge money for airtime due to the cost of running TV stations like buying diesel and other related cost?
You know what? Most of them actually spend millions buying foreign contents, foreign soap opera where they don’t even speak English. They go out there to buy foreign contents while our independence producers are suffering. We don’t have money. We cannot even go to the corporate world to say sponsor my show. So you have to spend your own money to produce it and when you come to the TV stations they will be telling you, ‘Oh! It’s not nice enough. The quality is not good enough.’ When you are buying foreign contents and pumping money into their economy how will you survive? How can the quality be good enough? We have most of them that are so fantastic and instead of going for them they will abandon them and go after all these foreign films that they even pay for to air to us. Since my show has been airing in the U.K everybody has being calling to say. ‘Whao! Stella this content is so fantastic! Is it airing in Nigeria?’ and I told them no because there is no sponsor and they were shocked, ‘what? How can a whole Stella Damasus not have a sponsor in Nigeria?’ you see our people like foreign films so much that is why our economy is suffering. And now that my show is airing in U..K most of the TV stations here are calling and saying, ‘Stella I heard your content is now airing in the U.K let talk.’ and I say no. I first came to you and you didn’t believe in me is it because its coming from outside?
It’s like a prophet without honour at home?
Yes! It’s the same thing that happened to Asa. Asa was in this country singing nobody appreciated her. Now she went to France and get the recognition she deserved and now you are paying her millions to come and perform. Why didn’t you appreciate her before? You have to wait for her to take it abroad and come back again.
So who to blame the government or who?
They are not implementing their law.
Are you trying to say there is also law in respect to that?
Forget about what people tell you about Nigeria. Nigeria has serious laws. The enforcement of the law is the problem we have. Nobody cares. Nobody think about it. That is why I love Fashola. When he said something he backs it up with action. He implements it. That is why I like Fashola.
You appear a die hard fan of Fashola…
(Cuts-in) I am a die hard fan of Fashola o. this is one man that I have seen with my eyes and all the things that he promise to do he has being doing them. If they tell me Stella carry this man on your back and trek to Kafachan I will do it because if we have five of his type we will not be having any issues.
Is the TV stations in Nigeria in talk with you about airing the show at the moment?
It’s not me they are in talk with. They are in talk with the TV station in the U.K so that they can buy it from them so that I can be paid and then get money to start my season two.
Do you have any partnership?
I don’t have any partnership. It’s the TV stations here and the one in the UK where the show is being air that has partnership but they have already told me about the partnership and the percentages involves. They told me everything involved and they are treating me very nicely. The things that they are doing for my show in U.K I didn’t even expect them to do it. I am in their magazine. I am everywhere. They are advertising the show everywhere. And they are doing it because they want people to watch it and they are actually making the show more popular which is actually how it supposes to be.
You must have benefited handsomely?
Well I wouldn’t say handsomely. Like I said it’s a partnership and it’s good that is why I have being able to take it to other country. The kind of partnership I have with them is working for me. People like them make you want harder but our people here dem no send you o.
Let talk about your album which we learnt will hit the market very soon. How far have you gone with it?
I am working on it. I am taking my time. I don’t do kapkpakpa stuff. I am working with decent producers who are busy making the melodies that will suit the song. I am not a commercial artiste. I don’t do song that everybody will be jumping on the dance floor. Even if I have to do song like that it’s going to be a mature one. I go to the studio to see what is on ground and make the necessary correction. I also invite a couple of DJs and radio personalities to come and access some of these songs. So I will keep changing certain thing and working on it until my conscience agrees with me and say, ‘yes you have done a good job.’ If I am not satisfied I don’t see how other people will be satisfied with my songs. There is nothing as good as your own music. So I am still working on it.
So what kind of songs are we expecting is it something like blues?
It will cut across. I am not going to restrict myself to any particular songs…
(Cuts-in) maybe doing something like blues, reggae, hip-hop and afrobeat as well?
All of them. I will do all the type of songs that I will like to listen to. I want to be able to play my CD and enjoy different type of music. I want to be able to make sure that any mood I find myself there must be one song in the CD that will make me feel relax, encourage me, inspire me. Or to make me remember God and also to be able to identify with one song no matter who you are.
Most actresses are into singing from Genevieve to Omotola, Shan George to Jim Iyke. Is it that acting is no more profitable and has not being able to pay the bill again?
Nooo! Acting is more profitable. It’s not about that. The other people that have decided to go into music do so because it’s their choice. Maybe they want to sing, release an album for the fun of it whatever is it. All those people that you have mentioned are not hungry. They are not looking for roles. If it’s something that they want to do it’s their choice. For me…
(cuts-in) so you are just singing for the fun of it…
(cuts-in) the truth is I started singing before I started acting. I was into singing before I did my first movie.
So if you were so much in love with singing while did you dump it for acting?
For me to do an album and become a musician will take a long time and I don’t think the environment was favourable enough to do that. I don’t want to suffer like other musicians were suffering. I don’t want to do music then and start begging people ‘please play my music.’ You know...
(Cuts-in) but its still happening…
(cuts-in) yes is it still happening in some places but now its better because we have records labels that can actually help you get MAMA awards, MOBO awards and the others. Now it’s making more sense because it’s working.
Are you on any label at the moment?
No. (Laughs) I never do music finish na! (Laugh again)…
But you have being singing in a live band and you have such a great voice?
Yeah! I have being singing in live music and they know that I have a great voice but it doesn’t mean that they can package you. They have to be sure that they can package you and the kind of music that you are doing. For me I have being doing live music playing in parties weddings but it’s a totally different ball game when you now have an album. Your album will help determine whether the produce can actually sign you or not.
You talk about working with some producers. Can you reveal the identities of some of the producers you are working with at the moment?
I can’t reveal that now but one of the producers is the producer of midnight crew and one of my facilitators as well. He doesn’t make noise and he is fantastic. A lot of people might not even know him. He is somebody who has produced a lot of successful albums.
Let talk about some of your colleagues who has release…
(Cuts-in. Voice raised) I can’t talk about them o. lie lie. I can’t talk about them. I am not going to talk about anybody.
So how far do you hope to go with music?
For me, music has always being a part of me and people that knows me knows that I have being doing music for a very long time. I am not doing music to make money or make name. I am doing it because I want to. I have being doing it. I have being performing live. Society expects me to leave something behind so that I can say this is what I have being doing and to show that at least I have my own talent.
But you haven’t answered my question. How far do you hope to go with music maybe to win MOBO awards?
It’s like asking how far do I hope to go with acting? As far as God can take me.
So you are not even targeting the Grammy, MAMA awards or even Kora awards which are the aim of every potential artiste?
No. it’s not about the awards. Forget Grammy. If it come, it’s fantastic. I want people to have a copy of my CD in their house, their cars and their offices, everywhere they go. For me, I just want my music to touch people, inspire people. That is what I really want not winning awards. I have already being winning awards with my acting. An extra one or two is not something that will change my life or alter my destiny, you know! For me music is a passion, something that I love to do. I don’t do music because of awards or I want to perform in the international arena even if I want to perform in the international arena that wouldn’t be a problem.
Now you are into singing. It looks like a kind of deviation?
I didn’t deviate even when I was acting I was performing. A lot of people didn’t know about it unless you attend the parties that I perform in but the acting is better known because you watch it on DVD and on TV. It has made me more popular than performing live on show…
(Cuts-in) maybe the popularity is part of the reason why you settle for acting…
(Cuts-in) I didn’t settle for acting I was singing before I started acting but like I said I have being singing but I don’t do music video so a lot of people don’t know that I sing. The only people that know are the people that saw me singing in one party or the other but it’s not on TV.
And it pays well?
My singing pays me more than acting. I don’t make noise about it. I do MC. The money they pay me for shooting one movie by staying in location for weeks, I got more than that in one day just to anchor an event as MC but I still don’t make noise about it. I quiet about that aspect of my life and I like it like that.
Don’t you think you need more publicity about this MC and singing job so that more millions can keep tricking in?
The people that need knows, knows
What about those who doesn’t know?
I don’t think I am for everybody. I am not a commercial…
(Cuts-in) But you have taken it as a career already since its bringing in money…
For me (laughs) it depends on what I choose as my career. Relax and you will know what my career is. The truth is that the people need to know about me being an MC has already knows because I am not a commercial MC or singer that anybody call. I do specific show for specific people.
Why do you think you can’t do MC or sing for just anybody?
Yes that is because when you need an MC whether the person face is known or not as far as it’s a good MC that you want, you have a specific amount of money you can pay the person but if you call somebody like me (chuckles) its mean that you want the face because other people can do it so why Stella? Its means that you want Stella’s face to be identify with your brand and I am indirectly endorsing your brand if you call me to do MC because my face is all over the place for your event. That is why I said its not everybody that I don’t do anyhow MC for everybody that is why I am not advertising myself all over the place. My website is still under construction by the time the website is on everybody will be able to see all the work I have done, all the things that I can do and all I am going to work on.
For those you do it for, what does it take to get your service as an MC?
First I need to know what the event is all about and I make sure that it’s something that I can identify with and then if the date is okay with me and the money is right I will come and do it.
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