Veteran highlife legend Bright Chimezie has disclosed that long before Afrobeats superstar Davido reached out to him, he and his team were already in discussions with Sony Music Publishing.
The 64-year-old made the revelation during his appearance on the CreativTea podcast, where he clarified the timeline of events.
“We were already talking to Sony Publishing before Davido’s call came in. I have been an active musician since 1984 before his call. I’m not disputing the fact that he popularised the whole thing – I have been running a 19-piece band till date. And I have been raising records.
We were already working on the acoustic version of Because of English before his call came through. So, when his call came through, everything began to work from there,” Chimezie said.
The Zigima pioneer also dismissed the popular belief that alcohol or smoking fuels musical creativity.
“It is a lie. If you are drinking something, you are just having fun. If you are smoking something, you just want to smoke. Music puts you in a mood.
For me, merely seeing an audience ready to listen to Bright Chimezie is enough to pump me up. Music is about having fun – you cannot be sad or frowning and expect people to enjoy your music.”
A native of Abia State, Chimezie officially launched his career in 1984 and created the famous Zigima sound, derived from the Igbo phrase Ozigama meaning a message you should know.
His legacy recently received a massive nod when Davido sampled his 2010 track Because of English on With You, a collaboration with Omah Lay. The tribute verse creatively mirrors Chimezie’s original lyrics.
Earlier this year, Davido hosted the veteran singer in appreciation, and by June 2024, Chimezie signed a promotional deal with Sony Music Publishing (SMP), further cementing his global recognition.
