I breathe, live and sleep in music – J. Martins

 

For Abia State born Martins Okey Justice, a.k.a J Martins, seven years on stage is no mere feat. From being a performing artiste to also recording his songs, he has proved to be versatile in a rare genre of music

Being a music producer, singer and composer, what has been the motivation?

Music for me is life. I have been into music since I was a child. I didn’t dabble into it. I breathe, live and sleep in music. Then for me, being a musician is very personal. Not just to entertain people, I want to be viewed as an inspiration to people. That drives me and makes me happy.

So, that has made an impact in your life?

Yes of course. It has taught me as a musician, to be playful and remain young at heart so as to be able to make evergreen music that will appeal to all age groups. As a singer, it has made me to understand music. Even as a composer, I understand a lot of talents that I have worked with and know what works in this part of the world musically.

But with your new single entitled, Kpomo, what message are you sending to your fans?

Kpomo is the cow-hide used as delicacy in most local dishes and it’s one of my favourites. I like using catchy phrases in my songs and Kpomo is just one of such. Also, it is a birthday gift to my fans.

Has anyone been able to influence you in this career?

Yes. I have four people that influenced me musically, they are, Osita Osadebe, Nico Mbarga, 2face Idibia and Psquare.

Any plans for a collaboration with any artiste currently?

I am very careful about how I pick artistes for my job. Not everyone can fit into my kind of music. But someday, I would like to do music with international acts like Chris Brown, Shakira and Pitt Bull, just to mention a few.

Did you study music in school?

Ironically, I have an Ordinary National Diploma in Mass Communication from IMT Enugu, and I refused going for internship. So, I decided to go for a degree programme in Business Administration at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology.

How old are you now?

I am in my early 30’s

A lot of people are in music for fame, are you one of them?

No, but you cannot be a successful musician and not be famous. I went into music because I love it. My love for music actually sprung up from my mother. She was a chorister and I was in the choir. She was the choir mistress. There, I learnt a lot about music and started producing. At a point, I decided to record my first song and I delved into it full time. In this career, I have learnt to always learn from my own mistake and never repeat a previous one.

So, why did you release Kpomo to your fans as a birthday gift?

It’s my seventh year as a performing artiste, though I have been around for 13 years as a producer. I just utilised the opportunity to give something to all my fans. They have supported me from the day I decided to do music, and no amount of material gift would have been sufficient to go round. So, I thought of a better way to appreciate them and dedicated it to them.

Where do you see the Nigerian music industry now?

We are on a progressive journey and at the rate we are moving now, we will get there. A few years back, no international artiste would visit Nigeria and ask for a collaboration but today, it’s another story. We have Nigerian artistes clinching international awards.