Today we’d like to introduce you to Wilson Joel.
Hi Wilson, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Back in the day, my mum ran a restaurant and bar; we call it “Beer Parlor” in Nigeria. LOL! Music played all day, all sorts of music. Michael Jackson, Kool and The Gang, All types of Gospel Music both local and foreign, Fela Kuti, Ebenezer Obey, King Sunny Ade, Bob Marley and The Wailers, Naughty by Nature, you name it.
But the real interest started from Church. My dad was a leader in St. Paul’s Anglican Church, and my mum sang in the Choir. My family is Semi-Musical. My immediate brother (Now late) played the drums, he inspired me a lot to do music. He would always allow me to sit and watch him, may his soul rest in peace. My only sister sang in the choir too.
My love for music started when I became so curious as to why a cassette tape or a Vinyl can play all that band and we can’t even see them! GOSH!!! I would break some tapes, Vinyls and sometimes disassemble the record player or tape player just to see what’s going on inside. LOL! I believed there were some “Super Powers” in there.
You could see a few lessons in those early curiosity _ Doggedness, Diligence, Perseverance and wanting to always know how things work!
Fast forward to after high school, I wanted to give music some more attention but not without some “resistance” from my family and friends, I had an interest in music when musicians were very broke people, so the concerns were somewhat valid but I persisted. I would rebel sometimes, I would try to explain myself sometimes and sometimes I’d just shut down on everyone. LOL!
It was tough to get a music teacher hence I taught myself how to play the piano. There was no Youtube, No community centers for music and no MONEY!!!
Some guy repairs pianos and music instruments behind my home, I would go there and see if he can teach me. He tried to teach me for two days and stopped So, I asked if I can pay to just sit and learn myself and he agreed. I would sing and look for the notes on the keys and that’s it, I started to listen to Anita Baker’s music and Hosanna music a lot and that helped me further.
Fast forward to 1999, I would go to a studio hoping to learn how to be a music producer. This I did for two years with no learning. In 2002 a man by the name Johnson Davidson of blessed memory took it upon himself to teach me music production; he did for free and employed me afterwards. That is where my career started from!
I have made music for two decades. From Lagos, Nigeria to Johannesburg, South Africa and now Maryland, USA.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I would say overall; it has been smooth. This is because I’ve been presented with amazing opportunities all through my career. From living in South Africa and getting to work with Universal Music directly. So many memories comes to mind but one that makes me happy is how my music has been a blessing to so many lives on the face of the earth. At the end of the day, that’s what I live for and want to be known by! “The guy whose music blesses lives”. I value everything that formed me till date!
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was very inquisitive, very curious and very daring! Nothing passes by without me getting an understanding of it. I like to research; I like to know how things work.
Growing up, I served my peers and a lot of people who were ahead of me. This afforded me the opportunity to acquire new skills and information. I was a very benevolent young man who was always ready to serve others. My philosophy was and still is that “To achieve your dreams, you need to help others achieve theirs”.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Wilson Sunday Joel, popularly known as “Music Magnate” is a Nigerian-born, currently based in the United States of America, self-taught multi-genre music producer, music director, music composer, audio engineer, songwriter, voice and talent coach, multi-instrumentalist and media entrepreneur who has made a tremendous impact within the music and production space, first by his innovation and caliber of artists and creatives whose works he has given direction and prominence. With over two decades of professional experience globally, he has directed concerts such as “THE EXPERIENCE” ‘the music score and direction at the concert has been provided by Wilson Joel since 2013.’
Wilson Joel is a member of the GRAMMYS’ the recording academy and the Emmys Television Academy.
He has worked with Universal Music and Sony Music Artistes Judith Sephuma, Lulu Dikana, to name a few in South Africa as well as is published by Universal Music South Africa. He has produced and worked with other major local and international talents such as Timi Dakolo, Sinach, Nathaniel Bassey, Gloria Braimah, Chevelle Franklyn, Onos, and more.
Wilson Joel has written, produced, mixed and mastered many hit tracks, working with leading and notable artists in Africa, Europe and the United States of America, and Universal Music Group (since 2008) and Sony Music, independent producers and others. Wilson Joel’s unique and outstanding works, published on multiple platforms of expression, have been directly received and admired by over 40,000,000 (forty million) enthusiasts.
He’s the creative head of Doxology Music Entertainment LLC, Maryland U.S.A where he now resides after being granted a petitioned visa as a “person of extraordinary ability” by the United States immigration. Creative growth, fair and equitable participation of music stakeholders, truncation of exploitative practices against artists as well as talent management have been passionate projects which he advocates for in Nigeria while extending to other African countries and now to North America and beyond.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.musicmagnate.pro
- Instagram: https://www.
instagram.com/musicmagnate - Facebook: https://www.
facebook.com/musicmagnate - Linkedin: https://www.
Linkedin.com/in/wilsonjoel - Youtube: https://www.youtube.
com/musicmagnate
