Highlife musician Chinedu Okoli, widely known as Flavour N’abania, has opened up about his rise to fame, recounting how he was once asked to leave the stage for Psquare during a performance.
In an interview on the In My Opinion podcast released on Sunday, Flavour detailed his humble beginnings, sharing that he started as a choir conductor and drummer in his local church.
“They saw my dedication and introduced me to a man who owned a music company and trained young boys,” Flavour recalled.
“By chance, the day I visited, they were rehearsing. It was the first time I saw a proper music setup. I joined the band and stayed there for 13 years, growing with them until I became the band leader.”
Despite his early success, Flavour wasn’t fixated on becoming a star.
“At that point, I wasn’t thinking about being Flavour or being in the spotlight. My dream was just to play at events,” he added.
As his passion for music deepened, Flavour eventually left the band to perform at shows and events, where he began to build a fan base. However, his journey wasn’t without challenges.
“Things started changing when I started seeing some artistes. When I left the band, I went into the streets, and that’s when the game got tough. I was in a good place before, but now I was in the streets,” he explained.
A pivotal moment in Flavour’s career came during an encounter with the iconic duo, Psquare.
“I remember the day Psquare came out with ‘Temptation.’
“They were promoting a show in Enugu, and the promoters brought them to City Centre, where I was performing,” Flavour recounted.
“The crowd was always packed at my spot, but when Psquare’s manager told me to cut the music, I passed the microphone, and when Paul of PSquare started singing, the place erupted.”
This experience was a turning point for Flavour, pushing him to create his own sound and transition from being a mere musician to a full-fledged artiste.
Reflecting on the moment, he said, “I realised it was the same music they were doing, but with a different impact. It made me cold, just watching. When they left, the manager told me to carry on.”
