Why I can't disclose my endorsement deal's details -Bez Idakula

Bez Idakula

There’s A Fire singer, Bez Idakula, is one of Nigeria’s top celebrities who has achieved many things that

some other musicians are hoping for. These include an endorsement deal with Globacom and a record deal with Cobhams Asuquo’s CAMP. He told OSEYIZA OOGBODO BLOG how he got these two deals that have changed his life forever.

How does it feel to be a Glo ambassador?

It’s amazing. It’s an opportunity to represent a brand that is African and is going global as well, you know, which is sort of like my brand. So it’s a great thing for me, and definitely, I know they have accomplished a lot of strives and processes so it’s a brand that I’m happy to associate with as well, you know, because I’m trying to go that route, you know, increase my process, go global, so it’s just amazing being on the same platform with that brand.

What did you do to be chosen out of the numerous celebrities in town?

I got called. I actually got called and we had a couple of meetings and the negotiation process started so I didn’t do anything. I think I was just being me, you know, we are doing music and they paid attention and they called us. Seriously.

Are you saying categorically that your management didn’t go and lobby for it?

No. It was a surprise when they called us actually. It was like wow! And then we went to them and had a few meetings and that was it. So my management didn’t approach them.

We don’t actually get to know the details of Nigerian endorsements, unlike in America and Europe where they tell you everything about theirs. Can you tell us the details of yours, how much it’s worth and so on?

It’s because it’s a contract. When you sign a contract, you are actually bound to, you know, secrecy. So there’s no way you can share out the details. The only details you see online are speculations. They can never know the main details.

Why is it a secret? Why can’t you tell us about it? What’s the big deal there?

It’s because when you sign a contract, will you tell me how much your salary package is? You likely wouldn’t tell me because you signed a contract. It’s a job, you know. I’m employed by Glo to do a job, so it’s sort of like saying, what is your salary package, how much are they giving you for allowance, most likely I will not tell you that.

How did you get signed on by Cobhams to his record label?

I met him in 2008, and he was looking for somebody to open up for Asa because she was having a concert, and somebody recommended me to him, and we hit it off, you know, he liked my music and we became friends, started working together that same year, and it was a smooth transition to ‘OK, let’s do this for real. Let’s sign a contract, not because you’ll run away, we are friends, but this needs to be done properly.’ And that was when we made it official in 2011, but before that, we had a gentlemen’s agreement.

How do you feel about many of your colleagues just walking out of their record contracts?

I think there must be an issue or a problem, an internal problem, and I do not know what the problem is so I cannot advice or give my opinion. But in my case, if there’s an internal problem I try to sort it out amicably. And if it can’t be settled amicably, we’ll have to find a way of sorting it the right way because we signed a contract, it has to be done the right way through the courts or you bring your lawyers or something. Don’t just walk away. That’s what I’ll do. But right now, I’m pretty happy with my label.