Music is in my blood - C-Zar says as he returns to music

THE popular saying, "never say never" is ringing true for Mercy Lokko hitmaker, C-Zar, who after announcing his decision to quit music, has made a U-turn and is set to return to what he loves.

In May last year, C-Zar disclosed that he was leaving music to focus on his electrical business.

According to him music was no longer profitable but the retirement didn’t last long and he is back, telling Graphic Showbiz that it was difficult to stay away.

"As I mentioned last year, music doesn't pay anymore and I don't want to die a pauper, the reason for which I quit. But the truth is that, what is your talent or skill is difficult to shun and that is the situation I'm facing now.

"While concentrating on my electrical business to secure my future, I have had many admirers encouraging me to give music another shot.

"That is not a bad call, especially when I have a lot of passion for music and it brought me fame and took me to places I could never reach without it.

“It was not as bad as people thought when I decided to abandon it but the truth is that, the lack of proper structures have been a bane for the progress of artistes in this country and that is what I'm not happy with," he said.

C-Zar is billed to perform at this year’s Radio and Television Personality (RTP) Awards next month and that will be his first major appearance at any event since he announced his ‘retirement.’

Having been in the music industry for over a decade, the Araba Lawson hitmaker told Graphic Showbiz that he did not understand why it was not as lucrative as it used to be.  

C-Zar at his electrical shop

"I don't really know what is happening but during my peak, we made a lot of money from music. For instance, Araba Lawson and Mercy Lokko gave me good money and I know  people were not afraid to invest in it but it is a different ball game altogether now.

“There are no proper structures to get back your money's worth and as I mentioned earlier, it is making musicians poor. To say I haven't benefited from music at all is a lie because I know and can say that my popularity has helped my electrical business because people trust you for who you are but apart from that, what else?" he asked.

Though he didn't want to get into the "politics" of the music industry, he pointed out that there had to be structural reforms to attract great talents and not a situation that forced artistes to take the unpopular decision of quitting adding, "It is difficult to leave what you love doing and has been part of you all your life".

In the early 2000s, C-Zar was one of the popular artistes in the Hiplife industry with his style and rap which elicited both laughs and praise alike but he told Graphic Showbiz that it was his unique style that still earned him a slot to perform at prestigious events.

"I have been in this game for almost 15 years if not more, yet, I still get gigs to play and that means not only was I distinct in style, but I was greatly admired for my music art. And that is what I want to tell the young artistes, they should stay true to their identity and not be influenced to follow the crowd," he stated.