Getting married is the hardest thing I’ve done...my wife and I had a terrible quarrel two days before our wedding — Dr. Sid

Mavin Records artiste, Sidney Esiri, who is
popularly known as Dr. Sid, speaks about his
career and marriage in this interview with
Sunday spice.
The video of the single Surulere, was quite
unique. What were you trying to achieve
with the concept?
I was simply trying my hand at acting. I had
already shot a film with Moses Inwang, titled
The Last Six Digits. So, with Surulere , I
wanted a fun video. Frank Donga and I were
the lead actors and Donga’s facial expressions
were spot on and hilarious. I call him the
Nigerian Frank Spencer. We both came up
with the concept and I planned for Oba
Saheed Elegushi to play a cameo role in the
video but it wasn’t possible.
You seem to have an inclination for dance
songs…
My last album had a variety of songs like
Chop Ogbonna and Surulere. I like to get my
audience involved in my stage performances.
I intend to direct more videos and that was
why I attended a film school in order to
pursue my passion in filmmaking. I also have
a short film, which I released on YouTube. My
goal is to make movies that will keep you on
the edge of your seat.
Do you think you have gotten to the stage
where you can leave music for video
directing?
Both industries are intertwined which means
that I can make music and also come up with
a creative concept for the video during my
spare time.
Some say your songs sound alike. Do you
agree?
I don’t think my songs sound alike. Baby
Tornado sounds completely different from
Surulere . I think people need to change the
way they listen to my songs. The only thing I
think is peculiar to my songs is that I like
songs people can sing along to. I have been in
this industry for 13 years and I have studied
the market to an extent. A friend recently
drew my attention to the fact that the only
musicians who started out at about the same
time I launched my music career are Sound
Sultan and 2face. I was stunned and it means
that I must be doing something right to still
be around till date. I must thank the fans who
have taken out time to listen to and
understand my sound. I constantly try to
improve on my sound and craft. My happiest
moments are when I am performing on stage.
You’ve been around for over a decade. Are
you happy with where you are now?
I don’t regret any stage I find myself in life.
Some people might say I am not as big as I
am supposed to be but that’s their opinion.
God has his plans for me and every step I
take brings me closer to fulfilling my destiny.
I could have been more aggressive with my
career and fade off like a lot of artistes but
I’m still here 13 years on. I can’t really
complain about that because I make enough
money to feed my family and invest in other
businesses. I am not greedy but content with
life.
Your industry is quite competitive, how do
you handle that aspect?
I will give my late dad and my mum the
credit because they raised me well. There is a
popular saying that “you don’t have look at
someone else’s watch to look at your time.”
I’m not envious of anyone. As a matter of
fact, what makes you a success is what you
do with your achievements. Not many are
aware of the fact that how you comport
yourself helps to determine your personality
and shapes your future. My dad thought me
to strive for perfection but he also told me
that consistency is what keeps you relevant.
That is one of the reasons why I keep putting
out good music.
In what ways does your family plan to
immortalise him?
To be honest, my father is already
immortalised through the way we live our
lives. I have a family name to protect and I
also want to be known as Justus Esiri’s son.
He is being remembered and celebrated
through my actions. I am a representation of
his legacy and I can’t reveal what my family’s
plans are in this area. Irrespective of what
comes my way, I always remember that I
have a name and pedigree to protect.
Has being his son put you under so much
pressure especially from his fans?
Yes, it has and right from the outset of my
music career, I was committed to building my
own name and brand. I didn’t want to ride on
the fact that I am Justus Esiri’s son. Till date,
some people still don’t know that I am his
son. This is good for me because it made me
realise that all I have achieved in my career is
by merit and not because of my father’s
name. I would also be lying if I say that my
father’s name didn’t open certain doors and
make certain things easier for me. I have
attained a certain level of contentment, so I
don’t need to prove myself to any one.
Do you have an album in the works?
Unfortunately, the cycle of music release has
changed worldwide. People aren’t really
buying into albums that much because the
moment you drop an album this week, people
will begin to ask you when the next one will
follow. People have started consuming music
a lot and you need to give them constant
quality content. I released so any songs on
my last album, Siduction, so all I have to do
is promote the album throughout the year.
Right now, I am thinking of releasing a few
singles and when the time is right I just might
drop an album.
What are your thoughts on international
music collaborations?
I don’t think international collaborations are
a necessity. How much international
collaborations has made an album a hit?
None readily comes to mind but I respect it
because it serves as a good platform to
export the artiste’s music and I am not going
to knock it down. I had a collaboration with
Alexander Burke who won the X Factor
United Kingdom on my last album and it has
opened a lot of doors for me in the UK.
How would you describe your marriage so
far?
Marriage is the hardest and best thing I have
ever done. I have learnt how to adapt and
connect more with my wife. I thank God that
I have such a beautiful wife who is
understanding, loving and caring. She loves
me more than I love myself and constantly
encourages me to be better.
How involved are you in the nurturing of
your daughter?
My wife took some time away from work to
raise our daughter. After our wedding, she
was supposed to start her business but she
became pregnant and had to adjust to her
new role as a wife and mother. Now that she
is back to work, I have taken up the daddy
role, which includes changing diapers and
caring for our daughter at odd hours. I am
extremely happy and I have never felt this
way before. A lot of people hear about
marriage and think it is hard. It can be
beautiful if you work towards it. I remember
us quarrelling two days before our wedding
and even threatening to pull out. But, our
love for each other has kept us going. Right
now, our marriage is on autopilot and we are
just cruising because we understand each
other absolutely.