17th October, 2014
Popular singer and producer, Terry G, is versatile, creative and controversial. Born Gabriel Amanyi, the weird singer, who has a huge fan base, recently shared with BOLATITO ADEBOLA his lifestyle, music and other issues
How has life been treating you lately?
I thank God; life has been so good and positive. I have been working around my brand, Terry G, making it look more attractive and appealing so that it can be widely accepted.
As a son of a deaconess, do you still go to church?
I don’t go to church always, due to my kind of job and tight schedule.
So you don’t find time to serve God?
Not going to church doesn’t mean one is not serving God. I have time for God always. My conscience is for God. I fear God and I know that the grace of God is more than sufficient for me. If you fear God and know that He exists and is always around to assist you, you are already connected to Him.
You recently disclosed on a radio live programme that you’ve stopped taking hard-drugs. But do you still take little before going on stage to perform or always help yourself with alcoholic drinks?
I don’t drink or take anything before going on stage. I live a normal life like every other celebrity. But when it comes to a job that makes you who you are, you have to take it every serious. I don’t drink before going on stage because a whole lot of energy is required for performance but once you drink, it will exhaust all your energy, but I still drink after my performance.
A lot seems to be changing about you. Recently, you announced an end to the rift between you and Timaya, as well as your erstwhile manager, Ozone.
Yes, there’s something about life and it is called maturity. It breeds changes both biologically and psychologically. Change is the only constant factor. At a particular time in life, I realised I needed people in my life to be happy and people also need me to meet their needs. I won’t block the flow of love by being adamant. I may be a source of an opportunity and at the same time I don’t want to be an endangered type or a barrier to other’s progress. I believe in peace, so we make peace to make things happen.
As a producer, what differentiates a musician from a singer?
A singer is someone who goes into the studio to sing but relies on the engineer to find him or her the sound-effect to complement what he or she sings. But a musician is someone who takes time to work and do research and bring out content before going into the studio and have 80 per cent assurance of a good job at the end.
Do you have any retirement plan?
I can never retire from music. Music is for life and forever. I’ll never retire. I’ll keep spreading my tentacles. I’ve a dream that one day – my type of music will be like a mission and every member of the society will adore my music than I expected.
We learnt you have ventured into pure water business.
Yes, you know music is a special part of my life; music is a hobby, it is what I love doing. In order to obey the rule of diversification, I ventured into other businesses, not just the pure-water business, because a lot of people ventured into so many things they consider good but Terry G’s water is the first business I ventured into apart from music and it has helped guide me into other businesses.
How is it doing in the market?
It has been doing massively well since we started. Though the challenges we are facing are high; the trucks we are using for distribution are not enough to move the goods around and the demands are very encouraging. In the first two weeks of operation, we ran out of stock, the customers’ requests were more than envisaged. Meeting up with consumers’ demands is the biggest challenge we are facing but I can tell you it’s quite an interesting and good problem.
There’s speculation that you are relocating to your house in Lekki?
Me ke? I didn’t buy any house in Lekki and I’m not relocating to Lekki. Even if I’m going to relocate to Lekki, it has to be my own house. Lekki is another environment I would love to reach out to because of my business but because my water factory is still in my neighbourhood for now, I can’t just leave here or my business.
Do you have any plan going into politics like other artistes?
I’m not a politician; I don’t have any plan going into politics. It’s not my way; I can keep fighting for the people with my voice and music. We speak the minds of the masses with our songs and that’s what makes us role-models, not politics. I don’t believe we need to join a particular party before we can fight or speak for the people.
But do you support entertainers delving into politics?
Yes, I support them. It’s their choice and in another way, it will help boost the entertainment industry and more money may come into the industry.
You recently posted a picture of your son on a social network playing musical instrument; but you earlier said you wanted him to be a footballer?
Yes that is true. All I know is that the boy will be great man in life but I want him to learn how to do many other things. When he gets to certain age, he will be able to choose and make a decision that suits him. What I’m trying to do is to make him understand different aspects of life. I’m not God to boldly say he’s going to be a footballer but that’s just what I want him to be. I am going to put him through the way by registering him in a football academy in London but when he gets to the age of decision making, he can choose to do whatever pleases him and we are going to support him with everything we have as parents.
Why have you not get married to Mimi, the boy’s mother?
She is my fiancée and we will get married one day. But I don’t want a situation where people will push us to settle down as if they own our lives. One thing many of them have not realised is that marriage is a decision we have to make once in life; I don’t want to make a decision now and change my mind later or else everybody looking up to me as a role-model or all of them agitating for marriage will call me an irresponsible guy. Besides, I don’t want to make a rash decision that I’d regret for the rest of my life. That is why I have been taking my time, putting things that make marriage worthwhile together and at the end, when that fruitfulness is everywhere – we can live our lives together forever. I thank God I have a good and understanding partner and we are working together.
What do you really understand about marriage?
I don’t know anything about marriage, because I have never been into it, but marriage is when two people of the opposite sex live together. Technically, I’m married because my fiancé lives with me and my son. I lived like a married man, though not by ring or court pronouncement. Everybody asks me about marriage but hardly talks about divorce. Let’s not go into that aspect so we don’t hurt the victims of those circumstances. If I can say it here, I don’t want to rush into marriage so I won’t become a victim of the circumstance called divorce.