NAN
The 2010 Kora Awards Africa’s best reggae crooner of the year, Austin Peter, also known as “King Wadada” says he released his album “One Love” to promote unity and peace in the nation.
Peter told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the album which would be launched on March 11 in Lagos was also to douse tensions across the country.
“The need to douse agitations and unrest in some parts of the country by Boko Haram insurgents, IPOB, and the herdsmen prompted me to release this album titled “One Love”.
“The songs in the album preach that people should do away with killings of their fellow human beings; stop hatred for each other but that they should embrace love and peace for one another,’’ he said.
The reggae artist also advised other musicians to start using their talents to inform and educate the public on the current situations in the country and their implications if not corrected.
“Music is a tool which can accurately be deployed in curbing the rising negative developments in parts of the country which can be detrimental to the peace and unity of the people if not checked,” he said.
Peter, however, expressed his disappointment with some of the creative works of the present young musicians saying that they were only singing about money, drugs and women.
“Most of the youths these days prefer to sing about the vanities of life, creating a negative imaginary lifestyle perception to the public.
“I am not saying that singing about women or money is bad but creating a positive image about them and preaching decency in lifestyle should be paramount in their messages.
“Youths should understand that music is a powerful tool which if deployed negatively can bring disunity, corruption and encourage other vices in a country,” he said.
The reggae crooner advised up-and-coming musicians to thrive to improve on the qualities of their songs by channeling their messages toward development and sustainability.
Peter said that reggae style of singing was about emancipation and preaching to the masses the truth about occurrences of the past, the present or the future.
He also said that the lack of a record label for the sole promotion of reggae was the only challenge affecting the popularity of the genre.
“Most record labels available now are privately owned and they only market songs or songs produced by artistes signed on by them,” Peter said.