With a thriving business, and new album on the way, Darey Art Alade cements his profile as a rare entertainer-executive. Darafunmi Olanrewaju attempts to paint a portrait.
You may wonder where that silky smooth baritone, effortless writing and creative mind comes from, but Darey Art Alade’s apple did not fall far from his father’s tree. Born to jazz musician and producer, Modupe Arthur ‘Art’ Alade, Darey got his first taste of music, right out of his father’s basement. Art Alade ran Art’s Place, a salon of sorts for the most promi nent Nigerian entertainers in the 60s and 70s, out of his basement after his retirement from the National Broadcasting Commission. Art’s Place was a club that had an art gallery and a restaurant and the likes of Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Orlando Julius, Oliver Jones, Zeal Onyia, friends and peers of Art Alade were regulars.
Art Alade was a legend of Nigerian entertainment broadcasting whose incredible comedic gifts were matched by his skill as a pianist and singer. He worked with the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation between 1961 and 1977, after returning from his studies in the United Kingdom. His iconic ‘Art Alade Show’, filmed at the National Theatre Lagos from 1977, was broadcast weekly, to millions of Nigerians witnessing an array of stars of the golden era of Nigerian music.
Though Art Alade died in 1993 when Darey was only 12, his father’s influence in his life was indelible. And he followed in his footsteps: first enrolling in the Musical Society of Nigeria (MUSON), and later heading to the University of Lagos to study music.
Granted that he had big shoes to fill, the originality of Darey’s art is undeniable. The young talent started out as a member of a five-man acapella group, Chordwebs alongside Benneth Ogbeiwi, David Bebiem, Kenny Iwatuje, and Nnamdi Amadi. With his group, Darey performed in places like the National Theatre, British Council, and on an edition of Ali Baba’s Tom, Dick and Ali, delivering thrilling covers of jazz, highlife, soul, and R&B melodies, even then already thrilling fans.
It was while at one of his performing gigs, that Darey will make a connection that will eventually lead him to work as a radio host on Cool FM. While at Cool FM, Darey, only 22 at this time, widened his listening audience and his skills, honing his presence as an MC and a host, garnering quite a following. His experience at Cool FM will expose Darey to the inner workings of the Nigerian music industry, as well as the opportunity to showcase his brand.
In 2004, after placing third in the popular Project Fame West Africa music competition, Darey etched his presence in the minds of audiences across Africa. Once he got his foot in the door, there was no stopping the budding star. He had a successful debut album following his appearance on Project Fame West Africa. From Me 2 U had several hit singles, including ‘Fuji’, ‘Escalade’ and ‘Original Naija’ which was used as the theme song for the first edition of Big Brother Nigeria in 2006. The album won several awards including the Awards for Musical Excellence in Nigeria (A.M.E.N) and the 2006 Channel O Music Video Awards for best R&B Video in Africa.
In 2008, the singer was back on Project Fame West Africa, this time as host, and his sophomore album unDareyted was on its way. unDareyted will ride on the success of From Me 2 U and surpass it by miles. The album featured some of the biggest Nigerian artistes at the time including, 9ice, 2Baba, Naeto C. Cobhams Asuquo, fresh off of working with Asa on Beautiful Imperfection, produced the unDareyted album. Not The Girl, a ballad where the singer bemoans his lover, who he claims has changed so much and is n longer the girl he fell in love with, was the biggest hit off the album. The song was nominated for several major awards and won video of the year at the 2009 Nigerian Entertainment Awards held in Washington DC.
Truly, Darey could not be underrated. His star power was evident. Soon, he was hosting several shows including Gulder Ultimate Search and Glo Naija Sings, performing across the world, securing high profile gigs and making his mark in the Nigerian entertainment industry. With a combination of his skills as an artiste, MC, Disk Jockey, and host, Darey was ready for everything that was ahead of him.
In 2010, he was invited by the then President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to the presidential villa to perform at an exclusive dinner in honour of Nigeria’s 50th Anniversary. He performed a medley of 50 songs with his band, before several dignitaries and world leaders.
In 2015, he released his fourth studio album, Naked, a 12 track album. On Pray For Me, the biggest song off the album, he collaborates with Grammy-award-winning South African group, Soweto Gospel Choir. Visuals for the song featured veteran Nollywood actors Olu Jacobs and Joke Silva. The song is a tale of hope in the face of travails and difficulties. No doubt that Darey has always been in tune with the reality of life as a Nigerian, be it love or survival that he pursues.
Darey has also been able to accomplish something that very few artistes do. Expanding his legacy beyond just being an entertainer, he created Livespot with his wife Deola Art Alade. Livespot, run mainly by Deola in her capacity as CEO, is a 360 digital marketing, advertising, and entertainment agency. In 2013, Livespot launched Darey’s Love Like A Movie, a valentine concert that brought in some of the biggest international stars to Nigeria. The maiden edition of the show had famous reality star, Kim Kardashian in attendance. Subsequent editions have featured award winning artistes, Kelly Rowland and Ciara.
The 38-year-old artiste has spent the last couple of years focusing on making a success of Livespot. In December 2017, Livespot produced and marketed Falz’s debut concert, The Falz Experience. They have also worked with brands like Airtel, GTB’s Fashion Weekend, United Bank of Africa (UBA), Heineken, World Economic Forum, Access Bank, and First Bank.
In December of 2019, Livespot had its biggest concert yet: the Livespot X Festival which held in Lagos and Accra. Grammy award winning rapper, Cardi B headlined the concert in both cities to great social media buzz, a major international success for Livespot.
In 2020, four years after releasing Pray For Me, Darey returns to the music scene with Jah Guide Me.
Why did it take him this long to release new music? He tells Netng ‘For the last two years, we’ve been planning and shifting the goal post. As far back as three years ago, I already had some “great songs” that were going to be released soon, but you record another one and it’s better than the last one…’
Hearing Darey speak about his newly released single, you can hear the excitement in his voice. This is passion from someone that genuinely loves music and enjoys making it. You can tell that he is excited to be back to his usual stomping ground.
Darey has always been an unconventional artiste. His discography shows a wide array of genres, and whether he is begging his girl to return to him in Not The Girl, or soliciting prayers in Pray For Me, or being adventurous and playful in Ba Ni Kidi, Darey’s baritone makes you feel something.
His identity as an artist has been consistent. The attention to detail in his collaborations, production and videos have stamped him as an artiste to court.
His new single Jah Guide Me, continues where Pray For Me left off. This time, he’s not looking around for anyone to connect him to the divine, rather his face turns directly to his maker, asking for guidance, acknowledging his human frailties. A fine blend of horns and a slight reggae mix, Jah Guide Me is an interesting choice of single to herald the artiste’s return.
Written by Darey himself and produced by Pheelz, the song is more than just a prayer. It is a reminder to himself and the world that God has got his back and therefore he is going to be victorious. ‘New music is like having a new baby, you’ve got to take care of it to watch it grow. I have to keep my eye on the ball. My music is great. I’ve written it, I’ve recorded. All that is left is for people to listen to it.’
It is also timely in the face of recent world occurrences. As the scourge of the Coronavirus pandemic spreads through the world, the past couple of months have been filled with fear and uncertainties. And though Nigerians seem to be able to withstand almost anything, we are still a hyper-religious society, relying not on our strength, but God’s help.
Darey taps into that, ‘I think Jah Guide Me is really the song for any season. It is one of those songs that anybody can see themselves in. It captures that reality that we are all in,’ he says about the single.
The pandemic may have been good for him as he has been able to spend more time recording, ‘I have recorded a lot of music, some of my best music I think. I think it’s a good trend to have. You up your game over the years, every song you sound better, you sound bigger. After this single, another will drop, then maybe a project.’
Four years out of commission has not jaded Darey’s sharp edge, rather he is pumped by the changes he sees in the Nigerian music scene and sound. He says, ‘I think I’ve reached the level that whatever I sing, you know that is Darey, but right now my vibe now is that of an upcoming artiste. I’m hungry, I’m hustling. I haven’t lost that drive.’
Jah Guide Me is accompanied by uplifting visuals brought to life by Darey and directed by Mex Ossai. It will be interesting to see how Jah Guide Me fits into the rest of his soon-to-be-released project.
Darey describes his creative process as a collaborative effort, working with various songwriters, producers and the like. ‘Expect to hear Patoranking, Teni and so many others. I collaborated with one or two writers on a few songs on this project,’ he says about the body of work slated for September.
The combination of skills and experience Darey brings as an artiste, broadcaster, event MC, DJ, and entrepreneur puts him in a distinct spot in the entertainment industry in Nigeria, even globally.. Definitely one to be reckoned with, Darey has left behind him a trail of successes that guarantee his legacy as an artist, and his reemergence into the music scene brings with him an enthusiasm that signals the beginning of even more to come.
And we’re waiting.
