HOW I MADE FORTUNES FROM DANCING -CHINAGOROM

By NBF News

Isaac Chinagorom, the man who represented Nigeria at the 1984 World Disco Competition in London and returned in flying colours has said that the Nigerian music industry is in the upward swing. Chinagorom who said that he was the inventor of some dances like canoe paddling, imaginative rope, falling like a tree and backward dancing said that when he was dancing in the 80s he was not making any money.

Worst still, his father regarded him as a wayward son. According to him, his father was not happy that he took to dancing while in the school.

Today, things have changed as parents now encourage their children to go into dancing because they can now make fortunes from it.

He also hinted that the Nigerian music industry if well packaged can become a major source of revenue for the country as obtained in the United States.

Chinagorom recently spoke on the challenges facing the music industry, the difference between analogue and digital music. He advised the youths who want to go into music as a career.

My name is Isaac Chinagorom.I am represented Nigeria in world disco competition in 1984 in London. I have been singing and dancing but people seem to know me more as a dancer than a singer .After representing Nigeria in dance, I decided to revive my music career.

I attended a production school in Denmark for nine years to learn music production and after which I produced for PMG Records for some years before returning to Nigeria. On arrival, I opened my own recording company Ice Rom records located at the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex. That is what is keeping me busy at the moment, grooming up coming artistes. When I started, my first artiste was my humble self. Right now I have another artiste, Akeem but he lives in Denmark.

Albums to your credit
I have three albums to my credit. Two of them were released before I traveled to Denmark, Mr. Vendor which was produced 1991 by Nkono Teles and 'Stay With Me' which was produced and marketed by EMI. Tony Okoroji was involved in the production. Mr Vendor was a hit and it was my own little way of showing appreciation to the Nigerian media for supporting me . Right now I am into music production, video, event packaging, and record label. I also sign on up coming artistes and promote them. I have partners in other countries like Denmark that helps to bring out the best from artiste on our label.

Nigeria now and the 80s
For those in the entertainment industry, today is better than the 80s in terms of financial reward . Then when I was dancing, there was no money. I danced all over Europe and America but I was broke. I invented some dances from which people are making. These include canoe paddling, imaginative rope, falling like a tree, backward dancing . I invented them all and people are dancing them and making money but my father was not happy that I was dancing. He said that he sent me to school and all I could do was to go and start dancing.

Ice Rom Studio
We are professionals. If you come to our studio to work, if you don't know your keys, we teach you.. If you come to Ice Rom and you don't know how to sing, we will give you time to go and learn how to sing. You have to master how to sing with the right beat. We also have international affiliations for the packaging and promotion of artistes under our label.

Challenges facing label owners in Nigeria
Piracy is a major problem. After working in the studio, someone would come from nowhere, pick it and begin to market it without the consent of the artiste. But I know that government can stop it . It is only a matter of enacting anti-piracy laws and enforcing them as done in the United States and other countries where entertainment flourishes. In America, entertainment is one of their major sources of revenue and Nigeria has the potential to do same.

Between Nigeria and America
If the Nigerian entertainment industry is well packaged, I believe it can compare favourably with the United States because Nigeria is a great nation. It has a lot of potentials. There are many talented musicians who compete with others in the world. But the problem is that they don't have patience. They are always in a hurry to release albums. If they can be patient, they have what it takes to rule entertainment world.