Sunday Are opens up on why he stopped managing D’banj

Sunday Are has worked with a number of
artistes including heavyweights like
D’banj , Don Jazzy and Omawumi . The
name definitely rings a bell in the
entertainment industry. In the heat of the
Mo’Hits separation, Are remained silent,
deciding not to comment on the situation.
In a recent interview with Encomium
Weekly, the popular artiste manager
opened up on why he parted ways with
D’banj after Mo’Hits packed up and also
details his current relationship with the
other members.
On partying ways with D’banj…
‘What many people don’t really know is
that before Mo’Hits eventually broke up, I
have made up my mind to stop working
with D’Banj. Don’t get me wrong, D’Banj is
one artiste I will continue to love whether
we see or we don’t see, whether we talk or
we don’t talk….The love I have for him was
dropping and two weeks before they
announced their break-up, something
happened between us during a show in
Asaba, and that night, I wouldn’t lie to
you, I said to myself, I am not going to
work with him again ’.
‘I think it’s not important anymore. Truly, I
was not happy during the period but that
was then. Life goes on and till tomorrow,
he’s somebody I still love, respect. So, I
thank God that he’s doing well and I am
also doing fine. I am very happy because I
know what I have achieved since they left.
I know what God has done for me since
they parted ways ’.
On working with the Mavin artistes…
The thing is, when I stopped working with
D’Banj, I still maintained my working
relationship with others in Mo’Hits but I
never knew they had planned to break-up.
When the break-up came, I went back to
the drawing board and planned my next
move. I still got shows for them and
connected clients who needed D’banj,
Wande Coal and others for shows, even for
Tiwa Savage. There’re sometimes I
collected service charge but in most cases,
I did it for free. So, it wasn’t like a working
relationship I had with them as members
of Mo’Hits.
On the rumours that he managed D’Prince,
Dr. Sid, and Wande Coal
Like I said, we still have a very good
relationship but not really a working
relationship. They call me ‘our daddy’
anytime they see me. So, where they
employed me as their managers I don’t
really know. It sounded a bit insulting
when I heard it but it is one of those
things. For me, I don’t think anyone of
them needs me as hype because they are
already superstars. The person that was
said to have sacked me (Wande Coal) and
the one they sacked me for (Nana Abbey,
Wande Coal’s current manager) are my
children. I remember how his parent
brought him (Nana) to learn under me, not
even to work. It was very ridiculous to see
the headline; ‘Wande Coal sacks Sunday
Are, his Manager, for Nana Abbey’! Nana
Abbey is my son and Wande Coal has
never employed me before .
His relationship with Don Jazzy
‘That word, ‘aide’ sounds weird because if
you check my age and that of Don Jazzy,
the gap is wide. Let me tell you the truth
about myself, I am a proud person and I
respect myself. I may not be more than
this but I know my worth. So, I am not
comfortable with the word. But, the truth of
the matter is that he called me one
afternoon that my children (referring to Dr
SID, and D’Prince) are missing me and
they wanted to see me. I told him I would
be travelling out of the country. So, when I
came back, we met and he specifically told
me that I should take care of Dr SID and
D’Prince the way I am taking care of my
artistes. That was about a year after they
registered Mavin Records. I accepted and
collected their materials, their singles and I
did the promo CD for their new songs. So,
it is not like a management deal but rather
me helping them because of the bond
we’ve shared together ’