BUKKYSAX: Playing Saxophone Does Not Enlarge Testicles, Affect Womb
Bukola Olorunsola popularly known as Bukkysax is a multi-talented instrumentalist, and musicologist that has mastered the art of playing Piano, Trumpet, Clarinet, Violin, Drums, and Guitar to cap it all, her manipulation of the Saxophone has made her a celebrity in the male-dominated art.
Bukkysax as she is fondly called is an indigene of Ekiti State but was born and raised in Lagos State.
The beautiful mother of three attended Shokunbi Primary School, and for her secondary school education, she attended New State High School, Mushin Papa Ajao and rounded up at Ilupeju College.
Amazingly our Saxophone celebrity studied Music Technology and Music Education, apart from her professional exams, she has to her credit an Ordinary National Diploma (OND) from the Polytechnic Ibadan; her burning desire for music led her to the University of Ado Ekiti where she did Music Education and these studies earned her a Bachelor of Arts (BA).
The name “Exploit”, was a vision she took to the tertiary institution, and it was derived from the book of Daniels 11:32, that those that know their God shall be strong and do exploit, before she got into the higher institution, she has already started playing some musical instruments like; the Piano, Recorder and Violin while in the secondary school, and has also started teaching music in her church.
The eloquent musicologist was admitted to study Economics at the University of Ibadan but fortunately, there was a strike that took almost a year, so instead of sitting at home she went to study Music Technology at the Ibadan Polytechnic, she found it difficult and disrespectful to inform her parents about the switch in institutions, because it was against their decision.
But for her, it was an answered prayer and she started to learn how to handle other musical instruments within a month she started to manipulate the Saxophone perfectly which made her a popular saxophone icon and the toast of the town, moving from one event to another displaying her dexterity with musical instruments.
Watch her short video below;
Her manipulation of the saxophone soars and her popularity became wild like a wild campfire.
She broke the paucity of female saxists in Nigeria and lured several females into the treble clef music system already dominated by men.
She took a few questions from CREEKVIBES OLUWADAMILARE DANIELS. Excerpts;
Can you tell us briefly how you dived into the Saxophone business?
There was a concert audition for keyboardist which I was part of, so it was announced that all those that will play Sax should come to one side then I realized I could play Sax too, and I was the only female among them, after the audition, I went to one of my coursemates that plays the Saxophone to teach me how to do it, the guy laughed and said, ‘you ladies like to learn Sax and after a while, you will run away’, he is Femi Philip Dededo, I said, Femi please teach me, I will not run away, so he said I should come the next tomorrow, when I came he just gave me his Sax, so when I started to play it with the idea of manipulating a recorder during my secondary school days, the guys was bewildered because he only showed me some keys, and I took it from there, Femi was asking if I have not learned it from anywhere else before coming to him for the tutorials.
He became enthusiastic to teach me more techniques, and in one month I became a full fledge saxophonist during one of my rehearsals, I got an invite from a man that heard the tone of my Saxophone.
The invite was for a concert around Sango area in Ibadan where Samson Ayorinde and some other great men of God were billed to minister.
I and Femi got another trumpeter and went to the concert, at the event the organizer came and asked for the group’s name at that point we started to search for a name, and then I remembered Daniel 11:32 ‘Those that know their God shall do exploits,’ I took ‘Exploit’ and the trumpeter added ‘The’ so that was the emergence of the name ‘The Exploit’. To God be the glory, He took control.
The flare and strength kept growing I and my group members attended several shows and after our OND, they went back to their different locations, so I was alone but God was with me, about that same time a lady sax too started trending (Omo mama fere) so each time we meet at shows we were both introduced as lady saxes which were not going down well with my spines, so I decided to leave lady sax coinage for ‘Omo mama fere’ I pitched my tent with the name Bukkysax. Remarkably my friend Imoleayo Balogun said, ‘Bukkysax you were the one that brought about the idea of adding the ‘sax’ to trumpeters’ names.’ before we knew it, Daresax and other trumpeters started to add ‘sax ’to their names.
What prompted the Gold Female Band’s name?
When I was small, I like Gold a lot because I know it is something special; that song, ‘Alade Wura De’I also like it. The crown of Gold, so I added Gold it became ‘Bukkysax and the Gold’, so as I progress I got some guys, I established them, and as a teacher, I started encouraging some young girls instead of them flirting about there is something they can do that will add value to their lives, so when they picked up, the thought of having a female band came that was how I started ‘The Gold Female Band’.
How many years now in the music industry?
I think I started fully in 2004.
Is there any group for those that play the Saxophone in Nigeria?
Yes, I think some group of guys started one but it wasn’t consistent, BJsax organized one but it wasn’t a consistent one with a permanent or sitting provost.
What is the brain behind the scholarships you dished out?
I got the inspiration to make children happy, especially the less privileged. Some parents have enough for their children and in some other cases reverse is the case.
There was a day I went out with my husband and my child, and when we got out of the car, some children started to call my child ‘Oba’ because of what he wore, when I saw them I said, ‘wao’ the inspiration came that I can make these children feel like a king too, from there I started children party so later, I got the inspiration to start the Bukkysax Exploit International school.
Is the school for music alone or general studies?
It is for general academic studies while the music school remains Bukkysax Music Institute.
Do you also run an NGO?
The children’s party runs like an NGO, but we are yet to get sponsors.
Sometimes when you play your Sax, do people fall under the anointing?
There are testimonies, some people said while I was playing it, they got healed while some said, their depression vanished.
That is why I usually like the praise aspect, many people will say I inspired them to play Sax, it is to the glory of God.
Has music taken you out of the country?
By His grace.
Which are the countries you’ve visited?
I have been invited to the Uk, US and Ghana.
Will you want your children to tailor along your chosen career?
Haaa, they have started already, my first son can play at least 4 or 5 musical instruments like; drums, keyboard, Saxophone and the base Guitar.
What are your relationships with other Saxophonists?
Like Bjsax we’ve met several times in shows we hug each other as saxophonists, like Herbert Kunle Ajayi, and others are close friends.
There is this myth that goes around that when the male gender plays the trumpet or saxophone they may end up having swollen testicles, how true is it?
General laughter, it is not true, it scared most ladies from playing horns instruments, my father also said, it will affect my womb ‘you won’t be able to get pregnant’, I think what brought about that was that somebody played the trumpet in a wrong way and his testicles got swollen so it was generalised, there is embosser for all these playing notes, if you get it all right fine, otherwise it might affect you, for those that play with all their bodies, some swollen necks or swollen stomach, that shows you are not playing it right, it may affect you.
When I was pregnant I still played sax and nothing happened to me, some will say riding motorcycles could cause an abortion, but it all depends on the body.
What could be an obstacle for those that want to start learning?
You need a teacher, that will ensure you get the right embossers what will be left is practising, music needs a lot of time to rehearse.
Under your scholarship how many pupils do you have?
I have got some pupils whose parents could not afford to pay school fees, not necessarily less privileged.
What else do you think Nigerians should know about Bukkysax?
By the grace of God, I believe music is what God has assigned me to do, so I believe I am doing exploits with it, with God you can achieve your greatness with what so ever he has assigned you to do, I started with the recorder and move on to Piano, Violine to Trumpet and Saxophone, today people marvel how I my thing, but by God all things are possible, He took me from one grace to another, and before I could say; ‘What?’, he gave me a studio, recently the London College of Music, stretched a hand of affiliation to my music school, Bukkysax Music Institute, now we run London College of Music Exams, it is a great plus to me and Nigeria.
