While contributing as a guest on AIT Kakaaki Newspaper Headlines Review on Monday 5th June 2023 , the Editor in Chief of CKN News Chris Kehinde Nwandu while paying tribute to the Late founder of Daar Communications Dr Raymond Dokpesi stated how the Media Mogul helped in reshaping the carrier of a relatively unknown artiste then Lagbaja
Hear him
In 1996 or so as the Artiste and Promotoons Manager of one of the biggest Music Company in Nigeria then ( Sony Music ) when Lagbaja was to release his album Coolu Temper, Lagbaja and I went to Raypower FM then at Alagbado Lagos to seek their support to promote the yet to be released album
On getting to Daar Communication, we met Keke Ogungbe who requested we to go to the library to listen to the songs, so we could select the one hit songs to hit air waves with, out of the about 12 songs in the album.
But something miraculous happened as we were listening to the songs, Chief Raymond Dokpesi) walked into the library. He heard one of the tracks and asked whose song it was.
We told him it was Lagbaja’s songs. He knew Lagbaja because he was presenting Satz n Jazz on Raypower then.
Dokpesi fell in love with the album especially Baby Ta ni kofe wa, Coolu Temper and the remix of KWAM 1 song Baby mi Show Colour re and he instantly gave instructions that no presenter should go on air on Raypower FM without playing a track from the album.
He asked the GM Kenny Ogungbe to issue a memo to that effect immediately
That was how the deal was signed, sealed and delivered as we say in law.
Within weeks of constant airplay on Raypower FM, without paying a dime Lagbaja’s songs topped all the chats across Nigeria as other stations took it up thereby saving Lagbaja and Sony Music Millions of Naira that would have been paid for promotions
The album went ahead to win several awards within and outside the shores of Nigeria
Those were some of the impacts Late Raymond Dokpesi made in all spheres of human endeavours
Chris Kehinde Nwandu is Editor CKN News and former Artiste and Promotions Manager , Sony Music ( Nigeria)