I typically do not reach out to ask for comments or quotes from anyone when I blog on AfricaMusicLaw.com because this blog is not about that. I am here to lend a very distinct, clear and very strong voice on issues in pop culture that collide with the law. This comes in the form of my legal commentary and analysis. To the degree the alleged facts of what I discuss vary or more facts emerge, then it is yet another opportunity to further discuss and analyze the topic at hand. Nevertheless, in this instance I did reach out to Upfront and Personal’s Paul Okoye because I am genuinely intrigued by his rationale to launch a ‘One Africa Music Fest’ Houston event, and to do so on the same day as MTV MAMA, and less than one week after AFRIMMA Awards in Dallas, Texas. (I am yet to hear from him).
Frankly, I find his act to be crass/highly insensitive to the African diaspora music ecosystem and its stakeholders. I also believe his actions raise legitimate inquiries on the source of his funding for this event. I note he does have a sponsor for Houston but his sponsor, which is a local business albeit a larger brand name, simply cannot and will not agree to foot a concert on the magnitude Okoye just produced in New York. For that to happen, Toyota itself, not its individual owners in smaller cities, must chime in.
Here’s the deal folks.
Paul Okoye is the owner of Upfront and Personal, an agency that serves as an intermediary helping to broker endorsement deals for many artists in Nigeria’s music business. In addition, he dabbles into other business ventures, some of which have been controversial, from media to event production, among other things.
Last month, he staged an amazing and highly successful show called ‘One Africa Music’ fest, a gathering of about 15,000 African diasporans from all over the United States in New York. I gave him amazing kudos because it was awesome. It simply was.
However, without giving fans, industry stakeholders and media at large the time to marinate on the impact and significance of the event, among other things, he is about to stage a ‘One Africa Music Fest’ Houston edition featuring some of Africa’s biggest names: D’Banj, P-Square and 2Face.
Here are the issues I have with this:
1) Paul Okoye and his representatives represented to the press and public here in the United States that the 15,000 packed show at NY’s Barclay’s center was all self-funded. For the quality of the show he produced, the talent and the expensive venue, even if everyone donated their time for free, he would have easily drained over a $1million. That’s a lot of money especially when you think about the record low exchange rate right now (400 Naira to every U.S. dollar). Where is he getting that kind of money to rinse and repeat such costly show barely a month after?
How is it that the owner of a self-funded event that allegedly did not break even and drained a lot of money by any standard, worldwide, is already ready to produce the same caliber of event again in Houston?
This time he is actually producing an event with Africa’s legendary artists.
Even if you say he is producing a new event within weeks because he can afford it, isn’t he a business man? Is he Father Christmas? Why would you want to drain another alleged million or close to that for yet another event that soon? What’s the strategy? What’s the vision?
Even our local celebrity artists here do not act in such impulsive and crass way when they produce events. This is unacceptable from a man that should know better.
2) Independent of a cost standpoint and clear lack of vision in branding and marketing the One Africa Music Fest Houston event unlike New York’s, why is Paul Okoye undercutting the hard work and brand of AFRIMMA in Dallas? Yes. There is enough for everyone to eat.
But, he knows or should know of the AFRIMMA event which was scheduled months ago and marketed since the beginning of the year. Yet, he all of a sudden decided to have his Houston event, in the same market and five days after AFRIMMA? This, to me, is very insensitive and disrespectful to all industry stakeholders and the eco-system at large.
He is effectively forcing fans to have to choose whether to buy tickets for AFRIMMA versus buying tickets to go see Africa’s top legends at Okoye’s event. I mean who will turn down a ticket to watch some of the best performers in Africa all on one stage?
3) MTV MAMA is by far one of the biggest events on the continent. Their event is on October 22, 2016. Paul Okoye’s One Africa Music Fest is also on October 22, 2016. Why are fans who may want to attend these events forced to choose between his event and MTV? Why are talents who may be nominated for the event having to pick one event to perform or attend?
Paul Okoye did a good job of staging a great event in New York. But he needs to contain what to me is pure insensitivity and lack of respect to the African diaspora industry stakeholders, fans, media and ecosystem at large. He also shows he doesn’t know what he is doing and he is just throwing everything on the wall and hoping something sticks.
I don’t care how rich you are. This is not the way to do business, and create or manage relationships. The net result, I believe, is that it will mostly likely affect the growth of Afrobeat music in the United States. And when all is said and done, even if it should grow to its full potential, you better believe Nigerian and other African industry stakeholders won’t be the one holding the money bag. It will be everyone but us.
There should be a long-term and strong strategy on how Okoye intends to move Afrobeat forward in the U.S., if that is his thing. Whatever the case, it cannot be based on impulse, the need to just throw cash at it without any clear strategy or vision.
-Ms. Uduak
Ms. Uduak,
Your comments, are extremely inflammatory, malicious, borderline defamatory and clearly ignorant. If you have questions for UPGMC, LLC, or our CEO Paul O, it would be proper to reach out and talk to us rather than trying to malign our brand in an article that simply embodies the truest definition ignorance.
Patrick Okeke, Esq. (Member)
UPGMC, LLC