BOLA SONOLA, a.k.a. the genie

Tell us how you got into doing radio, being an on-air host.

My passion in radio started when I was pretty young. I remember my dad used to record radio shows on tape when he travelled to the UK and when he came back to Nigeria, he would slot them into his car radio and play them when he was driving in town. It sort of put him in a different reality like he was in London listening to a UK radio station. There were very few radio stations that were that interesting at the time. I would steal some of his tapes so I could get into what he was into and unravel why he did what he did. What I found out was that the presentation style was different from ours and it was something that struck me then.

What stands smooth FM out from other radio stations?

The genre of music played on Smooth today is different from other stations and other stations are trying to copy what we do which is of course flattering. We pride ourselves in intelligent talk and I must say that our listeners are very intelligent. It is a niche we have carved out for ourselves and it is good to be different.

How are you preparing for the next five, ten years musically? What would you say are the new club classics, fairly recent now but we would be listening to in the next decade? And why would you consider them classics?

I became the Head of Music four years ago and helped to shape the Smooth sound you hear today. I believe five years from now Smooth FM would have an even wider appeal. Smooth FM will also help shape the music scape of Nigeria as alternative soul artists who we champion would increase substantially. My grouse with music today is originality, musicianship, content and longevity. The Nigerian Hip Hop artists are copying the American version of our Ajegunle. That is why the likes of Sunny Ade, Ebenezar Obey, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Onyeka Onwenu, et al are still being played today. Who do I see that their music will still be played today and would be termed as Classics? Asa, Tuface, Omowunmi, Brymo, Bez, Waje, Tiwa Savage. The ones who have caught my eye have to be Adekunle Gold and Bemyoda. I am also happy that some young artists have started embracing Jazz. A genre I am very passionate about. I hope that genre grows and grows. We have Ayo Sadare trying real hard to make that happen.

Where do you see the smooth FM vision beyond radio? shouldn’t there be more off-radio events in the offing?

I see the Smooth brand veering into television and possibly have other radio stations across the

country. And what has been fulfilling for me is spreading the smooth mantra (Love Music…Love Life) not just in Nigeria but around the world where we are also popular especially on the internet www. smooth981.fm.

What has been the most fulfilling part of the last five years, working with the station; what keeps you going every day?

What keeps me going and doing what I do is the passion. Once the passion goes I would stop. While the journey is still on keep on loving music and loving life and tune in to the smoothest dial on Lagos radio.

What keeps me going and doing what I do is the passion. Once the passion goes I would stop.

While the journey is still on keep on loving music and loving life and tune in to the smoothest

dial on Lagos radio.