Originality is going to prove me different — Victory Gbakara

After eight highly competitive weeks, Victory Gbakara was announced as the winner of the eighth edition of Nigerian Idol. In this interview with Gbakara and Precious Mac, the first runner-up, they unpack their journey through the show and plans for the future.

What was the Nigerian Idol journey like for you?

The journey was tasking mentally and physically. As much as the Nigerian Idol organisers made us comfortable, they didn’t let us get so comfortable that we forgot that it was a battle in the competition and beyond. They did their best to prepare us mentally and physically. It was tasking though. You must be strongly motivated, disciplined and possess a good mindset to go through something as rigorous as that. I am grateful God gave me the ability to do it. It is a blessing.

 

Now that the show is over, are we getting the gospel side of Victory Gbakara or the secular aspect of your music?

I feel like we are getting everything. I want to do as much as I can. But definitely, you are going to hear a lot of gospel because that is basically me. I am giving everything that is me, and a lot of gospel.

 

Do you have any new projects you plan to release now that the show is over?

I have written a couple of songs that I would like to rush into the studio and deliver, but I won’t let the cat out of the bag, just be expectant.

 

Long before the announcements were made, did you know you would win?

No. We were just hoping and praying.

 

The music space is competitive. What do you think you can bring in that is different and will keep people listening to you?

I believe that the best selling point in creativity is originality. I do not have to try to move with the trend, although it is good to evolve along with whatever the industry you are in is moving with. However, you must be original. If you are original, you feel it, and you are honest with your craft and you devote yourself to it, people will feel that honesty. A lot of people sing RnB and other genres for example, but some still stand out. In music, there is a lot of repetitiveness, we are almost singing the same way, it is the feelings and originality that makethe difference, and I think that is what is going to make me special.

 

What is the one lesson you learned from the show that you think would sustain you in your music career?

I learned that it is not enough to want something, you have to work for it. It is also not just enough to work for something, you have to prepare for it. Since I got on the show, people at home have been asking that even if I win, am I prepared for it? There is something they say in Christianity that when you pray for something and you do not prepare for it when the blessing comes, you won’t know how to handle it. That is one of the major lessons I’ve learned, to be prepared for it.

 

The music industry is a different world from reality show, particularly in terms of making music that a vast majority can relate to; commercial music. How do you intend to find the right balance between originality and a version of yourself that the general public can relate with that will help you create a broader fan base and stay in mainstream?

Originality does not always mean gospel. My view and my faith is the spreading of not just the name of Jesus, but the spreading of the message itself, which is love. Almost all, if not everyone, on earth can relate to love. If I can spread as much happiness as I can through my music, I would always be in mainstream. The reason ‘amapiano’ is one of the biggest trends to ever hit African music is because when you hear it there’s this click in your head, this happy feeling. You cannot be sad and listen to ‘amapiano’. My sound is just like that. You may not like gospel or a certain kind of music, but immediately you hear the sound that streams from happiness, you are there. I am not trying to streamline my audience, I am creating sound that everyone would be able to get into and benefit from, and the industry will be beautiful. To do that, we have to infuse originality, and I would do what I can.

 

Tell us about your growth in terms of craftsmanship and branding.

When we started, particularly during Theatre Week, I was trying things. There is always something about you that will sell when you are on stage. So I was trying to find that pizzazz that the audience could relate to, and I got my smile. There were so many times I was so nervous to go on stage, but I would get on stage and smile through it.

Secondly, I learned that I could do anything as far as it is not immoral, illegal, and against my faith. So whenever I have to do a certain kind of song, I know I can do it. The catalogue of songs that I have done stems from the mindset that I can do anything. That was the push behind the growth.