Wrote my first song when i was 10 –BMG

Her parents named her Olure­mi Bunmi, but the music in­dustry knows her as Boomer­ang. Here is the story of the ‘Sweet, Sexy, Sassy’ crooner.

Every artiste will be excited about her album. Oluremi Bunmi a.k.a. Boomerang’s first album, ‘Sweet. Sexy. Sassy’, makes her feel the same way. “It has been so exciting and I am so happy because it has been a long time in coming. It is out there and I know that the next thing is to con­tinue going from here,” she told our correspondent at the launch. It was not just that a former La­gos State commissioner as well as a former police boss were at the launch. Or even that it was by all standards, a very successful launch. It was all that and the fact that this long-standing desire of hers was being ful­filled.

“I have songs in the album that are up to three years old but we worked on the album project for a whole year in the studio and I thank God it is done,” she said.

Boomerang has been a part of the Walkerman Movement led by the come­dian Koffi Idowu Nuel for some time, in fact, she said, she has been doing music professionally since 2005.

“I have been in the industry for quite a while now I have been doing this profes­sionally since 2005. People have been in the industry for less time than that and have gotten their break. I pray from here on, my break will come,” she explained.

Of course, she is not in the music for the sake of it and her songs, which she said are ethnic-centric, are pack full with messages.

“When I do songs, I try to put a mes­sage out there. So, if you listen to all the songs in the album you will see that there is something behind it,” she stated.

But she has not left the Walkerman Movement, with which she has done two albums, for a solo career in music.

“But this is my own album. We are a family that decided to come together and do an album, we did that album but we are all individual artistes who can also do solo albums,” she explained.

The artiste, who also does other things on the side including jewellery and T-shirts, said there is ethnic culture in her music, there is pop, a fusion of reggae, soul and rap, “everything is just togeth­er”.

Boomerang said she would pick many of the songs as her favourite in the album that also has an intro and whose videos have been enjoying airplay.

Boomerang said some of the songs to watch out for in the album include: ‘Cred­it’, ‘FlirtyFlirty’, ‘Take Me’, ‘Olowo Ori mi’ and ‘Yepa!’

“Music has always been a part of my life, when I wrote my first song I was barely 10. So when the time came for me to go fully into music I got the support of everyone at home including my parents,” she said.

The Ondo State native had her early childhood in the United States of Amer­ica, U.S.A. and is known by other appel­lations like: Bmg, Akanchawa Duchess, Rap Mayoress and Queen of tha clan, is the only female member of the musical ensemble, Workerman Movement. She has been at it for all of 10 years and has already released two albums with her la­bel mates as well as collaborations with other entertainers.

The sonorous vocalist sings in Eng­lish, Yoruba, raps and does a bit of Ja­maican patoi.

The album features family, soul-lifting and inspiring tunes, groovy ballads fe­male emancipative themes and content driven ideas and features artists like: W4, Sossick, Yemi Alade, Oritsefemi, Kiss, Butafly, Godwon, Q.A, Lowkeyz, Olujazz, Likkle Tee, Omalicha of Rhythm FM, and Westsyde. Among the producers of the songs are: Sossick, Lowkeyz, Ex.O, Joelex, Heartbeat, EL. Magnifique and Lord A.

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Expanding Nigeria’s fashion industry

Leading Africa’s contemporary music scene is a new generation of Nigerian artists redefining the continent’s creative landscape and craft­ing songs with international appeal. Ni­geria’s film industry, colloquially known as Nollywood, is the second largest film industry after India, in terms of films produced annually.

Equally, Nigeria’s burgeoning fashion sector is enjoying an unprecedented level of exposure that translates into a unique opportunity for designers. Nigerian de­signers are becoming regular features on some of the world’s runways and gaining footholds with celebrities including Mi­chelle Obama and Beyoncé to name a few. Today the question “Who are you wear­ing?” might just bring up names such as Duro Olowu, Maki Oh, or Jewel by Lisa.

Driven by fashion weeks and an explo­sion of print and online media, a grow­ing number of platforms are emerging in Nigeria for designers to promote their brands to a mass market. New trends in fashion retail are developing, with in­creasing numbers of local multi-brand boutiques and online shops looking to carry Nigerian designers. Additionally, the country’s fashion weeks are attract­ing the attention of international re­tailers. Selfridges, MyTheresa.com and Browns UK are among the international buyers that have attended Lagos Fashion and Design Week.

The growth of online retailing is also on the rise and offering new sales av­enues for fashion and other consumer goods. With 56 million internet subscrib­ers and 120 million active cell phone lines in September 2013, e-commerce has wit­nessed an impressive growth in Nigeria over the past few years, and will continue to grow as infrastructure and confidence in online retail both grow. Local e-tailers Jumia and Konga are aggressively roll­ing out, and British online fashion store ASOS now delivers to Nigeria.

But beyond the glitz and glamour, de­signers within Nigeria struggle to find a sustainable market locally and to keep up with the international fashion industry. The Nigerian fashion industry remains largely fragmented, suffering from a lack of internal and external patronage and a myriad of structural issues.

A lack of formal fashion training fa­cilities creates weaknesses in all aspects of the industry, from pattern cutting and styling, to marketing and PR. No nation­wide official body exists to encourage funding for designers, while poor infra­structure slows down production and raises costs. Nigeria’s textiles market, once the third largest in Africa, is virtu­ally defunct and dependent on cheap im­ports from China.

Rarely viewed as an integrated sector of the economy, the potential of creativ­ity as an economic force has been slow to find recognition in Nigeria. As a con­sequence, while rich in talent, Nigeria lacks the infrastructure and capacity to commercialise its creative talent and reap its vast rewards. In comparison, the South African fashion industry, in­cluding all its different sectors (manu­facturing, retail, media and recruitment sectors), is the fifth largest employment sector in the country, generating an an­nual income of several billion South Af­rican Rand.

Despite the challenges facing the in­dustry, fashion is arguably the next big thing in Nigeria. With a population of 160 million, Nigeria is Africa’s most populous nation, and its powerful demo­graphics position it firmly in the centre of Africa’s fashion scene. The growth in particular of the urban population, posi­tive macro-economic growth, an increase in disposable income from an emerging middle class, and a strong appetite for consumer goods offer a potent recipe for a lively fashion scene with real economic traction.

Leading the way in this endeavour is Lagos Fashion and Design Week. The showcase is focused on creating an event that highlights the commercial value of fashion. With partnerships with the British Council for the most outstand­ing ‘young creative entrepreneur’ award, and a Fashion Business Series to help designers learn about matters such as raising funding and running businesses, LFDW is working to position fashion as an industry in its own right.

Fashion provides an important oppor­tunity to diversify the Nigerian economy, and promote employment, particularly among youth. New entrants into the Nigerian fashion market, from interna­tional luxury brand Ermenegildo Zegna to high-street brands Zara and Mango, point to rising confidence in fashion re­tail in Nigeria, and a bid to capitalise on the benefits presented by an emerging middle class with an increasing dispos­able income and a strong appetite for consumer goods. With sound policies, targeted investment and global partner­ships, the fashion industry can have a significant impact on Nigeria’s economy.

Veteran fashion promoter Lexy Mojo-Eyes, founder of Nigeria Fashion Week, believes that, “The fashion industry can become a big business in Africa. It could contribute to the development of indus­trial fabric, infrastructures and even more with the support of governments. Fashion can create jobs.”

As Nigeria enters a new era in nation­hood, there is a sense of vigour and re­newal that makes the country’s prospects very appealing. The successes of its film and music sectors present a strong case for taking its fashion sector seriously and developing a strategy for doing so. If the institutional weaknesses in the industry are corrected then fashion can contribute to economic growth and posi­tion Nigeria as a major player in the in­ternational fashion market, in the way it has the potential to.

    Bukie Aje Lloyd is founder, Design­ers Foundry, based in London.

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