After the reunion, I went back to my city but made sure to check out some of the Nigerian discussion forums the Monday after the reunion to read about reunion gist. That was part of the fun of attending those reunions. Don't ask me why. Anyways, as I expected, there was a lot of criticism about the reunion and Banky W wasn't spared from it. A lot of people thought he was an Usher wannabe who was not going to be successful in the music industry. Needless to say, he didn't gain too much popularity.
A few years later, in the years of Myspace, I started to hear a lot more about Banky W. I think at that time he had recorded and released his song, My Regret. He publicized the song on his MySpace page and on some of the Nigerian discussion forums. A lot of ladies loved the song, but some people were not yet sold. I remember someone telling him to go to Nigeria to try to build his career there or write a song with a Nigerian feel to it. That person thought he would be more successful doing that. Looks like Banky listened because soon after My Regret, he recorded and did a video of his version of Rihanna's Umbrella, he titled it Ebute Metta and he also recorded the song, Capable. I loved both songs. Loads of people loved them too! I believe Capable garnered over a million plays on his Myspace page. Both songs caused him to gain so much popularity in Nigeria and abroad.
Today...well, I don't have to tell you all much about where he is today. You probably know, he is one of the successful artists in the Nigerian Music Industry and one of the great minds behind E.M.E records, which can boast of artists like Wizkid (love, love Wizkid). He is also trying his hand at acting and has received very favorable reviews for his performance on the show Jacob's Cross.
So, it's because of his journey, and the fact that he didn't give up on his dreams, despite the struggles of becoming successful in the music industry, that I say to Mr. Wellington, clap for yourself, well done!
If you haven't seen his Yes/No video, check it out below:
What do you think about the video?
