Flavour: I was once asked to leave the stage for Psquare

Flavour N’abania, the Nigerian highlife singer, has recalled how he was once asked to leave the stage for Psquare to perform. 

On the ‘In My Opinion’ podcast, Flavour said he started his music career as a choir conductor and drummer in the church.

The highlife artiste said the Psquare incident, however, became the turning point in his career.

Flavour said before he was asked to leave the stage for the estranged music duo, his “biggest dream” was to be a performer at events and bars.

He said that after the incident, he realised he needed to transition from “a music man to an artiste”.

“When I left the band, I went into the streets. That was when the game became hard. I was in a good place; the music had procedures and all, but now I was in the streets,” he said.”

“Like a street musician, hustling. I went to different joints to play. I could sing so many songs. I had like 5,000 songs I could sing and play to entertain people.

“We play from 8pm until 3am. But then I see these artistes, they play for like 30 minutes, and everybody is happy, clapping for them and hailing them. And I’m wondering, ‘what is going on? Are we not the same artistes?’”

“I remember one day with Psquare when they just came out with ‘Temptation’. They were promoting a show around and the promoters brought them to the spot at City Centre in Enugu.

“… Immediately Psquare came; the manager just said, ‘Hello, off that thing.’

“I switched off, passed the microphone, and went to sit. When Paul of Psquare picked up the microphone and sang, everywhere scattered.

“So I was like, It’s the same music these people are doing. I’ve been with you, and you never shouted like this. I was so cold; I was just watching. When they left, the manager just told me to carry on.

“Then it started occurring to me that these guys, the difference is that they create their sound, go to the studio, and record. That’s how it’s done. So you are just a music man.

“So I decided to change from a music man to an artiste. That was the difficult part of it because I thought it was going to be easy. I could play, I could sing, but to create your own sound, where are you going to start from?

“… The best way to go about it was to start afresh. So I met a studio engineer to learn this studio work.”

Famed for his ability to sing fluently in the Igbo language, Flavour was born in Enugu. He began his music career at 13; playing the drums for his church choir.

In 2005, Flavour released his debut album ‘N’abania’ through Obaino Music.

Since then, he has released eight albums. The projects include ‘African Royalty’, ‘Flavour of Africa’ (2020), ‘Awele’ (2018), ‘Ijele The Traveler’ (2017) and ‘Thankful’ (2014).

Others include ‘Blessed’ (2012), ‘Uplifted’ (2010) and ‘N’abania’ (2005).

Flavour has also established himself as a household name in the music industry.