Barely four years after storming Lagos with so much energy and promise, Alec‘s Music and Videos may have hit troubled times.
Very reliable sources disclosed to us last week that the label, which once housed acts like Segun Obe, Rymzo, James Munor, T.W.O., Gordons and Kefee has ground to a halt, following a series of unfortunate events that have seen most artistes – including Kefee, who was until recently married to CEO Alec Godwin- desert the label.
Kefee, a best-selling gospel act, and T.W.O. were the label’s biggest earners. Kefee‘s latest album was released on her own imprint, Branama Afrique while T.W.O.’s upcoming fourth album will be on their KopyKat imprint. And while they are the last set to part ways with Alec‘s, other acts — Segun Obe, Rymzo and James Munor — had earlier separated from the label, under very controversial circumstances.
The label‘s youngest act, Dude Tetsola, has also reportedly parted ways amicably with the label, leaving with his master tape to continue plotting his career. Tetsola neither pick nor return repeated calls put through to his mobile phone.
Other ventures, including a nation-wide talent hunt and a TV programme have yet to see the light of day, while the label is not in demand for production jobs.
A worker at the Gbemisola-Ikeja office of the company told e-Punch “Business has been rough, until he (Alec) decided to put a stop to it all.”
The label boss, who also doubles as music video director, is reportedly relocating to the UK where he hopes to attend Film College as well as re-organise his life, following a messy divorce with his singer wife, Kefee.
e-Punch findings revealed that he has put up his audio visual equipment for long lease or outright sale, and he‘s even willing to transfer his rent on his office property to a third party.
But Alec Gowdin, in a telephone chat with e-Punch denied all the allegations, insisting there is no way he‘ll be shutting down his business.
‘‘Yes, I was supposed to go to film school. But I‘ve put that on hold for now‘‘, he said. ‘‘Even when I go, it‘ll be a short term thing. Alec‘s music is still very much on. We‘re resuming our talent hunt again. We‘ve done Lagos and Port Harcourt, next is Benin and Abuja. It‘s true that we don‘t have any act on the label now, but by the time we‘re through with the talent hunt, we‘ll have a new artiste on our label.”
“I took time off to heal up, after all the issues I had. But now I‘m back, very much around. Alec‘s music is very intact. It‘s not closing.”
