Babatunde Balogun is a talented, Afro-pop performing artiste with an avid bias for Saxophone, a consequential reason for his professional name, Saxtee. The Ondo State-born was influenced at a tender age and has been doing music professionally for 25 years. In this interview by Newton-Ray Ukwuoma , he speaks about how the love of music has shaped his life and music career. Excerpts:
Which musician ignited your early interest in music?
I grew up listening to a lot of Grover Washington, Eddy Okonta, Victor Olaiya, Victor Uwaifo, and Oliver de Coque. As a child, I grew up loving music. I never got any kind of objection from my parents. Those years when my uncles used to send me on errands, I would hang around local stores listening to music, especially foreign and jazzmusic, almost always never remembering what I was sent to do. I just used to listen then I didn’t even know who sang the songs.
And how soon did you begin to do music professionally?
Well, I once worked with the marketing department of the Guardian Newspapers for a couple of years before facing music squarely. I have been doing musicprofessionally for 25 years now. I started with the trumpet and later moved to playing the saxophone.
What have you achieved with music? Where has it taken you?
Music has taken me to South Africa, Durban Film Festival, Johannesburg and Capetown. I have been to Ghana, Amsterdam, Israel and USA in 2005 with Olatunde Silver band. I stood as the band manager then. But later this year, I am planning on going for Festival of Culture 2018 in the USA, courtesy of Mr Samuel Ekundayo, popularly known as Sammek, a US based promoter. I will be touring different cities with my band afterwards.
I mean, what bodies of work have you produced?
You know already my first album and second albums entitled ‘Stepping out’ and ‘Moving on’. I have released two singles entitled, ‘Elohim’ and ‘Time To Shine’. I am dropping two other albums very soon, which have been entitled, “Aseda” and “Peace”.
You talked about going on tour with your own band. What is the strength of your band?
I have a 12-man band. I have performed for with local and international artistes, such as Adlan Cruz, Ron Kenoly, Daniel Winans of the Winans music family, Eddy Okonta, Oliver de Coque, Steve Rhodes, Daniel Wilson, Charley Boy, Orits Wiliki, Chris MBA, Ayo Bankole jnr, among others. I played the maiden edition of the Lagos and Calabar carnivals.
What is your attitude towards challenges?
I like challenges as much as I like victories. I don’t like disappointments. So, when challenges come, I love to be around people who are focused so as to overcome them. Meanwhile, I dislike lazy and unprofessional people.
Where do you see your brand in five years?
And in five years, I see Saxtee bigger and better taking the African brand in music to places of repute.