By Osagie Alonge
80’s child star singer Tosin Jegede made a shocking revelation to her friends and fans on Twitter, announcing she had just ended a 25-year music contract with Polygram Records.
‘I have just been released from my 25 year musical contract signed in 1989 with Polygram records for album Leaders of tomorrow… #March2014‘, she wrote on her Twitter.
I have just been released from my 25 year musical contract signed in 1989 with Polygram records for album Leaders of tomorrow… #March2014
— Tosin Jegede (@TosinJegede) March 31, 2014
Jegede signed the deal back in 1989, a period that saw her as the biggest child singing sensation in Nigeria. Jegede was well known for the reflective message in her music – highlighting issues with parents and children. She released two albums before relocating to the UK to further her studies.
She tells Nigerian Entertainment Today that the deal only covered the album not her as an artiste. ‘I signed the album in 1989, my father was my manager then. I could function outside their umbrella but couldn’t do anything with the album without their permission‘.
Jegede also explains that Polygram were so impressed with how much recognition her first album ‘Children Arise‘ (1985) and follow up single ‘Leaders of tomorrow‘, that they offered her a deal without hesitating. They promised to release the album and promote the album around the country.
In 1989, Jegede released the album ‘Leaders of Tomorrow‘ under Polygram. In 1992 she released her third ‘Children Africa‘.
She revealed that she was never paid for the album deal.
The only problem was, they had never signed a child star before and had creative problems pushing her brand. ‘They also has Ras Kimono and a few others. They got us gigs at Lekki Sun Splash but how could a kid perform there?‘, Jegede says.
‘Till this time, schools still reach out to me, asking me to use the songs or repackage the album to sell, I couldn’t‘, she explains. Now the contract is over, Jegede is free to handle her masters independently.
PolyGram Records was setup as a recording company by Philips in 1945, to cater for its its music interests . It was however sold to Seagram in 1999 and eventually merged with Universal Music Group (UMG). Other Nigerians signed to Polygram at the time include the late Highlife maestro Osita Osadebe and reggae musician Ras Kimono.
There’s been no response to our questions to UMG over the deal.
Jegede is now the Programme Director of children’s education charity organisation and initiator of ‘1 child 1 book‘.
Will she ever return to the studio? Jegede says she just might!
