J.Martins Says I’m He is in love with a medical doctor

At an age most children still enjoyed the comfort of a home, warmth of their beds and savoured parental care and love, J. Martins was living it rough and struggling to survive the harsh condition of an ‘area boys’ dominated enclave under the Ojuelegba over head bridge in Lagos.

•J. Martins

Like every young lad who wanted his dream to come true, J. Martins had fled home following a disagreement with his father over his choice of a career.
In fact, the conflict had escalated to a point the young man’s life was threatened by an ex-Biafran soldier father who pulled a gun and shot at him for daring to consider music as a profession.
To make ends meet, J Martins picked up a menial job, first a canteen hand, before graduating to become a bus conductor.

But like a prodigal son he soon got tired of living the streets and returned to the Onitsha home he shared with six other siblings. But his unrepentant father was not through with him yet, as he was pulled out of school and disowned as a son.
Like the proverbial cow with no tail and God helped chase away flies, J.Martins found a redeemer in the minister in whose Church he cuts his teeth as a teenage drummer.
The rest is history, as J Martins is not only a house hold name in Nigeria but in Africa where he has travelled extensively playing concerts, entertaining several African Presidents and top celebrities. The icing on the cake was playing at Monaco, France at the wedding of Chelsea haymaker, Didier Drogba.
Today, he’s carved a niche for himself as the only Nigerian to have the most collaboration with other African musicians.
He spoke to Showtime celebrity on his new project and latest musical works.
What are you up to these days? I heard you were in Angola?
I was in Angola to make my new video with one of Africa’s youngest and finest musician Kaboo Snoop who is also from Angola. And from there I had to leave for Sao Tome and the Praecipe because the President of that country was starting his campaign. They had to track me all the way from Lagos to Angola in other for me to perform in their country.

•J Martins and Fally Ipupa

In fact that wasn’t in my agenda when I left for Angola, but because they needed my presence in there, I was issued with a Sao Tome visa in Angola, which was unusual.
I’m grateful to God for that. My new video should be coming out any moment-we’re targeting 25th of August. Two songs and one video are coming. One is just me while the other features Fally Pupa in the accapella and in the intro but the entire song is done by me.
We have two versions, the one that has me and another that has Fally Ipupa. Of course it’s only my own version that will be released for now. Fally’s version will come later. And the second song and video is the one featuring Kaboo Snoop.
What genre does Kaboo Snoop play?
When I got to Angola, I found out that everyone was crazy about the Kuduru dance(a traditional dance). I eventually met the man that introduced the dance.
It was MTV that created the platform for us to meet and I’m grateful that the spotlight shined on me. There were four major people involved in the project. We had me, 2Face, Fally and Kaboo Snoop.

J Martins and Snoop

It was on that platform that I met Fally Pupa and others. And since what I’m known for is always stepping out of my comfort zone to try to infuse other genre of music into mine-it’s exactly what I did, Fally being from Central Africa and it worked.
Now I’m bringing another kid into the scene which is Kaboo Snoop, a guy already loved by Nigerians. Their music is not too African based but then, we did our best to make it what both the Nigerian and international audience will enjoy.
What was the experience like?
It was awesome and there was never a dull moment. I met their minister of tourism and entertainment who was the president’s former personal doctor.
It felt really good because no Nigerian artiste had ever crossed over to the South-central of Africa to make music or collaborations. So, it speaks a lot of volume and it was a well-welcomed idea. I had one of the best hands, the security, convoys, hotels were wow. So I had fun and they expect me back there anytime.
So in terms of lyrics, what’s the songs and video all about?
It’s a mixture of English, pidgin and Portuguese. Music is food for the soul. Sometimes you don’t have to understand what I say but the rhythm is good.
Did you go with your production crew?
They had the production crew. But I’d finished the production here, I did my verse and the hook. Snoop did part of the chorus too. What we did over there was to make the video, directed by Power House’s Huchifu(Big Papa).
And after that you crossed over to Sao Tome . . . ?
I don’t know how it happened. But that’s one thing music does for you. The kind of music I play cuts across Africa and God’s fingerprint was on me. I was already in Angola when I found out that they were looking for me.
The President of Sao Tome is a good friend to the Angolan President. I’m not a politician. All I know is that they took my passport on a Saturday night and on Sunday, I was on board a chartered flight. They gave me back my passport and I went to Sa Tome for the first time.
The reception there was massive. First, it created a platform for me to see Portugese artistes like Zook. I listened to their music too. I saw their ways of life and they said they know me because they watch me too and that they’d been wanting to meet me.
So all of us were in the same concert and it was massive. Over sixty thousand people gathered till like four in the morning. I performed Eva, Make We Dey Jupa-they loved it because they’d been listening to them too. They danced because the music is alive and speaks for itself.
So who’s the next person you plan to do collaboration with?
I don’t like to reveal my next plan because I don’t want people to start carrying it all around. I have contacts of a whole lot of them but I’ve not been able to reply them because I’ve been traveling.
I do strategic collaborations. I find out where my strength lies and work on them. While I was away, some artistes from Zimbabwe have been talking to my people for the possibility of a collaboration. They want me and my crew there.
Do you always travel with your band for shows?
Yes I do because I play live, except on sundays when you can find me without my band if the need arises.
Would I be wrong if I say your music is purely African?
That’s what I do and right from when I was young, I’ve been longing to do African music. And I’m grateful to God for having achieved that.
In how many countries have you done collaborations?
For now, I did with Fally Pupa, some guy from Kenya, AY from Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ghana, South Africa, Botswana and others. I love Nigeria and I always make them understand that they have to retain their originality.
That’s why in any country I do collaborations, I still retain my Nigerian tunes. I’m a proud Nigerian and it makes me happier where ever I’m introduced as a Nigerian anytime I travel abroad.
People hardly see you in Nigerian concerts, Why?
I’m more in African countries than in Nigeria and that’s because we’re about releasing another single. It’s God that makes a man. We’re dropping two new singles and a video. A lot of people have been expectant.
Do you have time for yourself?
Although it’s difficult but I have private times. Most of the time, I find time to relax whenever I travel. God has helped me to be the best I can be. It’s just that once you’re in this kind of profession, your life is no longer yours.
Naturally, I’m not the outgoing person. In some way it’s good and it’s bad on other ways because if you’re not outgoing, you don’t expect people to come to you. So you should be able to give what you expect to get back. I’m trying to make things work out perfectly now.
Some people get to criticize me that I’m proud. Because I’m not the outgoing person, it’s hard to correct that impression and it becomes a minus for me. Now, people will see more of me if I’m around.
How do ladies react whenever they see you on the street?
I’ll say that I confuse them in a way because I re brand in each project. Re-brand could be in terms of your look. From Good Or Bad, it was difficult because I wore what I call papa cap.
So it was difficult for people to spot me. Later, I stopped wearing caps. So it’s transitional. Some people tried to get used to the cap but I changed it. It’s not that it didn’t work for me. After the Jupa remix, I started wearing beards. Nobody has ever connected you with a lady, is it that you don’t love ladies?
If I don’t love ladies, who am I going to love? I’m a straight guy. have a steady relationship and it can never be with a guy. The relationship is more than three years now. She’s a medical doctor.
Doesn’t she complain whenever you travel?
I already told her that such challenge will come up when we were about to start. But then along the line she started complaining that it was too much. But I make out time for vacations with her.


source