By Christy Anyanwu
For the past nine months, Nigeria has been like home for Samuel Peterson, a multi-racial American, who is engaged in researching and developing a reality show, through which he mentor and motivate Nigeria youths in classic music. The forthcoming reality TV show, Stars and Legends, aims to empower a newbreed of raw talents in music from across the African continent. In essence, Peterson is focusing on the three-point agenda, namely, talent development, showbiz and entrepreneurship. In this interview, he sheds light on how he expose the young talents to international entertainment experts who will guide them to become world famous stars.
Tell us more about yourself?
I come from a mixed race background. Basically, I am of African-American and American Indian descent . I have a very diverse background. I studied at the North East University, Boston, Massachusetts and Darling College, Long Island, New York, USA, and graduated with Bachelor of Arts and Science. I studied classical music; I gathered all my experience in the entertainment industry. I’m working with many disabled students and artistes, helping them to cultivate their writing and develop their artistry. I came to Nigeria to create content for new artistes that want to break into the United States, and help in launching their music. We are looking at the international market as well and to create a distribution channel for their music and to link up with labels that may be interested in their music.
Are you working with some artistes already?
Yes, I have one who is like my first artiste. He is a Nigerian. I have helped to develop his music. Working with him has been quite a journey. Of course, he had to get used to how to best utilize his voice. Most artistes already think they know the technical stuff but they really don’t because everything that you embark on in life, you have to be a student first. When you become a student of whatever you are going to do, it enables you to be a master at your craft. In essence, the Legend Reality TV Show which we are working on here understands what it means to be a student and then going on to do your craft. Most television shows focus on the singing and winning singing competitions. But the TV show I’m working on in Nigeria is more about education, empowerment, and understanding how to be the best entrepreneur you can become. It will allow the audience see the transformation behind the lens of just the singing. The Star and Legend Reality Show will be an effective change maker.
How long have you been in Nigeria?
I have been here for nine months. It’s been a journey, there have been some ups and downs; there are some beautiful people in Nigeria, I mean really great, beautiful people but there’s a lot to learn. Success is not measured in terms of money. Success is measured by your ability to know who you are and A lot of times you measured success by what impact have you have had on humanity, what you done to cause effective change in your community, your environment or wherever you are. Because in that is true legacy.
When is the television program starting?
We are currently engaged in the pre-production and filming. By December, the show will be on air.
Who is the brain behind it?
It is my show. I conceptualized it. I have been writing shows for over 35 years. I produce movies and shows. I have a movie coming on in the United States right now.
Why did you choose to come to Nigeria, despite the reports about insecurity?
Why not Nigeria? I think wherever God purposes your footsteps you go. We don’t understand why we end up where we are. My family knows Nigeria but I don’t know Nigeria, so that’s a learning curve for me. When I arrived, it was a little conflict and a little craziness at first. I almost wanted to go back on the plane. But I said to myself, these people, they want something. These children need something and if I just impact a little bit of what I know to enable them to be empowered, to enable them to be the best of themselves, then I have done what God has asked me to do. Prior to coming, wanted to create a fashion line, do a reality TV show as an education platform but on landing, I realized my purpose was much greater. To be able to do all of that, I got to understand the culture, I got to understand the dynamics of the people, no matter the chaos, no matter what’s going on. There are people who thrive and want excellence and want to achieve. So, on why I came to Nigeria, I think it’s God and ambition. I am a very ambitious person. I’m not afraid or scared of whatever I have heard of. I believe faith is evidence of what one hopes for and not yet seen. You exercise your faith. Your fear is not your faith and your faith is not your fear. The journey is finishing the show and turning it into a Pan African tour. We would start from Kenya, go to South Africa, Ghana and finally United States of America. The artistes that win the show would go on the tour.
Tell us a bit about your growing up.
I grew up in Long Island, New York. I’m one out of 10 children and I am the baby of the family. My father wanted a large family. He was a pastor and my mum was a missionary. My grandmother was a missionary while my grandfather was a pastor. I came from a lineage of Pentecostal worshippers. That’s where I got my musical inspiration from by the way. (If you don’t have your personal relationship with God you can’t know him). I learnt about God from them. The idea of God is to be celebrated in many ways. I learnt that my relationship with God is never the same as someone else’s relationship. If you don’t have your personal relationship with God you can’t know him. Because He got to speak directly to you. I grew up to know my father, mum, my grandparents as prayer warriors, they were praying by faith. I learnt that the greatest element of God is Faith. I guess that was why I was courageous to come to Nigeria. My sisters are singers and lawyers; I’m from a lineage of good family.
You are talking like a preacher already?
Before my father died, he said to me, ‘God showed me you standing in front of millions of people preaching the gospel.’ And I said to him, that’s not my calling. I love to write, I love to write gospel music, I love to write songs my son could sing and perform but I think God wants me to do a global mission around the world; it doesn’t have to be a church. Wherever you are, God is. You don’t have to even be in a building to know God because sitting in a bus, sitting in your car, walking down the streets, you are a true reflection of God in his grace and his glory. You don’t really have to be in a building unless you want to.
Aside music and entertainment, what else do you do?
I have 19 patents in technology for hair restoration and hair replacement. I deal with people who have lost their hair due to cancer or other immune diseases. I draw technology for that particular industry. I have to work in the entertainment industry from the back end in movies where they do all the hairstyles for the characters; I used to get different hair pieces for them to wear. Some of them are losing the top of their hair, so I began to create this technology for them to put on top of the hair they lost. When I developed that, I patented it. So, I have 19 global patents around the world in hair restoration. I created the technology to replace the hair that’s lost in the head. Being an inventor, writer, artist and entrepreneur, I have always been innovative as a child. When I went to college I was very gifted in analyzing data. I studied psychology, education, business entrepreneurship and combining all those skills I realized that I could take those skills and take them beyond just the classrooms.
What lessons has life taught you?
Believe in yourself. The key thing is that you are your own best friend. You shouldn’t forget that. Because if you’re looking for cheerleaders some people will not cheer you on. Some people might cheer you on but if you can ginger yourself up (like you say here) and accomplish what you need to, then do it. Don’t be afraid to become great. No matter what circumstance, whatever thing you have gone through, you are born to be great. If you are a writer, be a phenominal writer, if you are a politician be a phenomenal politician, an actor, if you are a singer be the best singer that you can be, if you are a cleaner, whatever it might be, do it with excellence. Your money is not tied to your success; your success is tied to your money. When you do what you really love, it’s endless but doing what you don’t love just because you want to make some naira or dollar, money, that is not living.
