The Making Of A Talented Intelligent Budding Musician:  OGUAMANAM UGOCHUKWU GEORGE

   BY IFEANYI NDUKWE

   A budding musician, well talented and intelligent young star has been born in Imo State. That budding star is Mr. Oguamanam Ugochukwu George.

   George, whose stage name is Brave, said that what inspired him to become a musician is the hardship he experienced while growing up. He said that his parents could not afford to pay his school fees and so he was able to help himself through self efforts to graduate from the Imo State University, Owerri (IMSU), where he read Economics.

   Said he: “What led me into music is hard times and singing is inborn in my family. It is also a genetic feature in my family. There was a time I used to sing in the Church. I love music a lot. That’s my inspiration.”

  Continuing, Oguamanam Ugochukwu George said: “Hardship drove me into music. Hardship in terms of the fact that my parents are not well to do. They couldn’t afford my school fees. I went through a lot of hardships and it inspired me. I helped myself through self efforts to graduate from Imo State University, Owerri (IMSU). I read Economics.”l

  Talking about his brand of music, Brave said: “My brand of music is precisely HipHop. I am actually versatile in music as a matter of factll. I have not been able to produce an Album but I have at least like three songs in Audiomack, Spotify, Instagram, Tik Tok and my latest song is “Never Stop.” I dropped it after dropping “Committed,” which is a high life song, then my latest song now is “Never Stop.”

    When asked how long he began his music career, the budding music star said: “I have been singing since I was a child. I started singing at the age of 16. There was a time I joined the Catholic choir in my Diocese. I

 joined the Holy Rosary Catholic Parish choir when I came back in my home town.  My voice didn’t fit into the Catholic Church choir, as I have specific kind of song I sing.”

    Brave said he has never made a dime from music, saying: “Since I entered music, it has been me sponsoring myself. I am still working on getting famous and well known. I am not after what I am going to earn for now. I am just after getting known first, that is getting popularized.

  “My means of publicity since I started doing music is through social media. Just like I have my songs on Apple Music, I have my songs on Audiomack; I have my songs on Spotify, Tik Tok (with TikTok name bravasfvck), Instagram (with Instagram  name, Bravesafvck) and some other social media platforms.”

  As to what lessons the young ones could have through his music, Brave had this to say: “I have passed through hardship. Growing up, I really passed through a lot of hardships. My music has an inspiring message for the youths to work hard and make money and never stop getting moved by what ever inspired you. It inspired you to work hard, no matter the circumstance. That is the actual message by my last song tilted “Never Stop.” There is a new song I am about to do. It is an Afro kind of music. A lot of people can dance the music because my last song is about drama and stories.”

  In respect of his parents, he said: “My parents are alive. My father is Lawrence Oguamanam and my mother is Ngozi Oguamanam. I have four siblings. With me, we are five on the whole. We are two boys and three girls and I am the last born in my family. My senior ones are grown up and married.”

  Asked how he intends to publicize his music, Oguamanam Ugochukwu George said: “The approach I am  going to adopt is to know how to get the heart of the people; how to sing and get the heart of the people; trying to put the song down to make people dance. I feel the impact of the music because through my social media platforms, I can see some praises and I can see some congratulations. I am not overwhelmed by my little congratulations from people. I believe that little by little, gently I will still get there and I am very very well encouraged by the little appreciation I get from my fans. My parents are aware and happy with my music career.

  “Based on my experience, the message I am going to drop for the youths is that you should just make sure that you keep bustling. Just make sure that whatever thing that you intend to achieve in life, that you will work hard towards achieving them; have perseverance. Make sure that you don’t back out because of people’s comments or criticisms. Just do your thing and make sure that you get results.”

  His advice to youths doing illegal businesses: “If you are doing illegal things to make money just be sure that those illegal things will sometime in life get back to you.

  “The challenges I encounter while dropping music are a lot of critics. I usually get a lot of critics. I usually get a lot of people telling me that you didn’t do it this way; you didn’t do it right that way. It is coming especially from people that do not really support me and it comes mostly from people you love. Friends that you keep; friends that you love most. Friends that you keep around you. They are the ones that always criticize your work. But people out there who do not know you are always there to appreciate your works.”

  Oguamanam Ugochukwu George further said: “I have monetary challenges because I am sponsoring myself because I do a lot of menial jobs to save up money and produce a particular song and production is costly.

   “One of my role models in Nigeria right now is 2Face. Other role models to me are Odumodu, Black, Phyno, Flavour and Burna Boy.”