One has to contend with the time and funds needed for recording sessions just to record a demo, getting noticed by a record label along with the associated contract issues, earning airplay on radio, recording an album, getting a chance to perform at shows and concerts. The list is endless as they are difficult.
As hard and torturous as the road might be, there are various ways of avoiding such obstacles. There is the music reality show route without the guarantee of success, even if you win the whole thing.
Or you could go grovel before record label bosses and hope one of them signs you to one of their slave contracts.
But a Nigerian singer, Klaus Uche Ume, is taking a much different route. To fund the cost of his first EP titled Klaustrophobia Words & Sounds, Vol. 1., he opened a GoFundMe account.
GoFundMe is a crowdfunding platform that allows people to raise money for events ranging from life events such as celebrations and graduations to challenging circumstances like accidents and illnesses.
The unsigned singer/songwriter who goes by the stage name of Klaus Ume was once a finalist on Idols West Africa.
According to him, ‘I’ve been out of the music scene since my Idols days because of some record label issues that left me discouraged for a long while.’
’For so long, I have pursued other career parts but I’m blessed with the presence of great people and friends who believed in and encouraged me, that made me realise that my gift in music is meant to be shared.’
At the time of writing this, only £5 has been donated to the GoFundMe account of the artiste, which has a target of £5,000. You can view his account here.
Klaus may or may not succeed in reaching his goal of raising enough money for his EP but he certainly shows that there is always a new way of doing things in the music scene.
