Episode 16: Dr. Alban RMN Podcast
Alban was born Alban Uzoma Nwapa into a middle-class family of 10 children in Oguta, Imo state, Nigeria. He is Igbo.
Education
He got his secondary education at Christ The King College and spent most of his youth in his hometown of Oguta. At age 23, he traveled to Sweden to study dentistry.[1] To finance his studies, Dr. Alban became a DJ at the Stockholm club Alphabet Street.[1] Very quickly, his name became widely known, especially since he often sang to the records he put on turntables. DJ René Hedemyr discovered him. Alban finished his studies and even opened his own dentistry practice, keeping his DJ-ing as a lucrative sideline.
Denniz Pop and achieving success: 1990s
In 1990, he met Denniz Pop from the SweMix label and, together with Denniz and rap artist Leila K, released his first record Hello Afrika. At this point, he took the stage name Dr. Alban, a nod to his dental studies. His debut album included hits like "Hello Afrika" and "No Coke", both of which ended up being million-selling singles.[1] The album itself was quite successful and earned him gold certification awards in numerous markets including Germany (for sales of over 250,000 units), Austria (25,000), and Switzerland (25,000).[5][6][7]
One year later, this success was surpassed by his second album One Love. The album included European hit singles such as "It's My Life" (which was used as background music for a Tampax advert) and "Sing Hallelujah". The single "It's My Life" reached No.1 in Israel, Austria, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Germany, and No.2 in Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.[8][9][10] The song "It's My Life" went platinum in Germany (for sales of over 500,000 units), in the Netherlands (75,000), and it sold over two million copies overall in Europe.[1][11][12] The album in turn reached the top of the album chart in Austria and entered the top five in Switzerland, also reaching No.6 in Germany.[13][14] It went gold in Germany (for sales of over 250,000 units) and platinum both in Austria and Switzerland (both 50,000).[6][15][16]
Alban's third album Look Who's Talking!, released in 1994, hit the top 10 in numerous markets including Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.[14][17] The album was the first to earn Alban a gold certification award in his home country of Sweden for sales of over 50,000 units.[18]
Dr. Alban founded his own record label Dr. Records, whereon he released his 1996 album Born in Africa. The album was unable to match the success of his previous releases. It only reached No.12 in Finland, while it peaked at No.37 in Switzerland and Sweden, No.52 in Germany, and No.41 in Austria.[14][19] The single "Born in Africa" went to number 1 in Finland.
In 1997, Alban released the compilation album The Very Best of 1990–1997, which only charted in Austria, Sweden, and Germany. The same year, the artist also released the studio album Believe, which peaked at No.27 in Sweden, No.30 in Finland, and No.41 in Austria.[20] In late 1998, Dr. Alban released a single with German-based artist Sash!, entitled "Colour the World", which experienced moderate chart success in Europe
Decline and return to music: 2000s
In 2000, Alban released the single "What Do I Do", which charted only in Sweden at No.43; it spent only two weeks on the charts there.[22] The album Prescription was a flop as it failed to chart anywhere.
In 2007, after years of absence from the music scene, Dr. Alban released the studio album Back to Basics. It was sold on the internet only through Dr. Alban's official website. In Russia however, both the physical CDs and cassettes were released.
Later activities: 2010s–present
In 2010, Alban collaborated once again with Sash! to produce a remake of "Hello Afrika", "Hello South Afrika", dedicated to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It was followed by a single consisting of 16 remixes.[23]
On 15 February 2014 at the Scandinavium arena in Gothenburg, Dr. Alban teamed up with Jessica Folcker in the third heat of Melodifestivalen 2014, performing last with the song "Around the World", to win the right to represent Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
In 2015, he released the single "Hurricane", which failed to enter the European charts.
In May 2020, Alban released the song "Hello Sverige" (in Swedish) to encourage the population of Sweden to respect social distancing measures put in place to counteract the COVID-19 pandemic. The next month, he released an English version titled "Hello Nations". The song is another remake of his classic hit "Hello Afrika".
In June 2020, Alban released the single "Drama", also in Swedish, in collaboration with singer Folkhemmet. The song talks about Alban's long-running acrimonious relationship with Swedish tabloid journalists.
00:00:00 - I sold my soul, I prostituted my talents for R.M.N.
00:00:18 - Yeah, that's right.
00:00:21 - What's your answer?
00:00:23 - I remember
00:00:27 - If I could hear that city face
00:00:32 - Doctor, I'll go
00:00:51 - It's my life, take it or leave it, set me free
00:01:18 - What's that crap, Baba Nobitaal? I got my own life. You got your own life.
00:01:21 - Bring your own life and set me free. If I got business, I need my business.
00:01:25 - You know everything Baba Nobitaal. Very little money is dangerous.
00:01:29 - Stop fucking me, stop fucking me, stop fucking me, stop fucking me.
00:01:32 - Albin, welcome to the Aramene podcast.
00:01:36 - Hi. How are you? Good morning.
00:01:39 - Good morning Dr Albin. How is life in Sweden?
life is good, good, but the COVID thing is disturbing everyone, isn't it?00:01:49 - Absolutely, absolutely. No doubt about that. The COVID thing has changed the music and changed the way people are in the music industry a little bit, hasn't it? Because no one's out doing shows at the moment and everyone's sort of locked at home or locked in their countries a little bit, so it's changed a little bit.
it. Yes, it's changed everything. So how is Dr Albin? How are you getting through this kind of process at this time? Well, I'm okay. I'm staying home, washing hands, keeping the distance. It's really boring. It's kind of boring. But what to do? Not much to do is just to hold on until I get the vaccine, which I'm hoping to get soon. Yeah. Well,00:02:39 - I mean, I think I think they're sweet.
00:02:41 - Sweden's quite they're quite behind some of the other countries in Europe, aren't they?
00:02:47 - In vaccination. Yeah. Yeah.
00:02:50 - Yeah. It's like it's like one point, something million people vaccinated already, 10 million.
00:02:54 - Come on. Yeah. Yeah.
00:02:56 - No, it's it's it's a bit slow.
00:02:58 - It's a bit slow.
00:02:59 - But let me tell you, let me let me ask some questions, Alvin, because I mean, you know, I'm fascinated by your career because, you know, for many years, you've been in the charts and making all these fantastic records.
00:03:13 - And so for the people that are listening, could you give a bit of background to your story?
00:03:19 - How did it all begin for Dr. Alvin?
00:03:22 - Well, I used to be a DJ in the 90s and the early 90s.
00:03:26 - And that's how I got started.
00:03:28 - And DJing and I was talking in between records.
00:03:33 - I was singing.
00:03:33 - I was rapping all for fun.
00:03:36 - While I was in college of dentistry, University College of Medicine in Sweden, so that was what I was doing part time, DJing, making some noise, changing records in between and then going to school Monday to Friday to become a dentist, which I succeeded in becoming.
00:03:57 - And when this David single got very big, I couldn't stay in the dental clinic anymore
00:04:04 - So I had to quit it to pursue this new career of mine.
00:04:07 - That's incredible.
00:04:08 - So you gave up to being a dentist to be Dr. Albin the pop star.
00:04:14 - You can say that, yeah, correct.
00:04:17 - So that's incredible.
00:04:18 - So is that where the name Dr. Albin came from because you were a dentist then?
00:04:24 - Is that how the name?
00:04:25 - Yes, definitely.
00:04:27 - So everything is original kind of.
00:04:28 - It's not a fake one.
00:04:30 - No, that's incredible.
is not like Trump, fake president.00:04:34 - Ha ha ha ha ha ha.
00:04:37 - So tell me, I mean how, what was your first, you know how did you get to making your first record?
00:04:44 - Because being a DJ is very different from going into the studio and actually making your, you know, a record.
00:04:53 - So how did you get to the point of actually being a DJ to getting into a studio and actually making your first record?
00:05:01 - Well, as I told you earlier on, while I was DJing, noising between records, talking, rapping, or whatever I was doing for fun.
00:05:10 - Yeah.
00:05:11 - Another DJ came to me and said, come on, come on, guy.
00:05:14 - This thing you're doing is quite good.
00:05:15 - Let's do something.
00:05:16 - Let's make a record out of it.
00:05:17 - That's it.
00:05:18 - So a DJ that was present in the club at that particular time.
00:05:22 - That's it.
00:05:23 - That's amazing.
00:05:24 - That's amazing.
00:05:24 - So the first big record then, the first record that broke you, was that Hello Africa then?
00:05:33 - The first record was Hello Africa, the second one was No Cook, and then came the one love album, the big one, The Smile Life and Sing Hallelujah, yeah.
00:05:41 - Those records are all fantastic records, I mean, but let's concentrate.
00:05:45 - So how did you think about Hello Africa?
00:05:48 - What was the process behind the thinking of that record?
00:05:53 - Well, it was also so simple, the other DJ came to me and said, let's make a record.
00:05:59 - I said, what am I supposed to be an artist now?
00:06:02 - I mean, Dennis, I just do this for fun to make money to support the studies.
00:06:06 - Okay, why not?
00:06:07 - So when into the studio, I thought, well, being an African, being in Nigeria, the topic, the lyrics has to focus on Africa.
00:06:16 - And that's what I just did.
00:06:17 - Yeah, fantastic.
00:06:18 - So you just concentrated on that.
00:06:22 - And then, of course, you had records like,
00:06:25 - You know, I mean, when you mentioned there, you went on, but you had the It's My Life.
00:06:33 - What did, was that a big jump then, because you were working with Dennis Pop back then, weren't you?
00:06:41 - Yeah.
00:06:42 - But the It's My Life also was with Dennis Pop as well.
00:06:46 - But that was the second album.
00:06:49 - So we just went from Hell Africa, which people thought It's My Life and Hell Africa were two different sounds.
00:06:55 - So people were like, come on, hell, Africa to this sounded two different sounds.
00:07:02 - They say, yeah, we know that, but that's what we have.
00:07:05 - And that's what we got.
00:07:06 - And that's what we believe in.
00:07:08 - And Ismalah got even bigger.
00:07:10 - Yeah.
00:07:11 - That was a monster hit.
00:07:13 - That was a monster hit.
00:07:14 - I mean, fantastic record, fantastic record.
00:07:17 - And one of my favorite records was actually one love that you made, because I just like the vibe of that record.
00:07:26 - I mean, that record had a kind of a real soul, kind of R&B kind of flavor to it.
00:07:33 - You know, it had a really nice vibe to it as well.
00:07:38 - Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:07:41 - And that's, that's...
00:07:43 - Whoa, we're getting some sirens in the background.
00:07:47 - Just in time for one love there.
00:07:48 - That's my favorite Dr. Albin record, one love.
00:07:54 - Yeah that's a fabulous record and then you know I mean so I mean how did you because it's a very unusual sound you've got Albin I mean I mean when I listen to other people you know I think
00:08:10 - I think Dr Albin is actually underrated because I've listened to a lot of your records and a lot of what you've done and through all of your career and I mean some of your stuff's incredibly brilliant in his way you know you come across with sometimes you've done some original stuff where you've kind of used the kind of African style rap and then the next records you've got really kind of pop and big soul and big vocal type arrangements and then you've got these fantastic grooves and I mean and we're not talking about obviously Dennis
00:08:53 - Pop was a legend and Dennis Pop was a great a great producer but I'm talking about even you know newer records than this you've always managed to create this fantastic sound
00:09:05 - And it's definitely a Dr. Albin sound.
00:09:10 - It's a sound that you don't really hear anywhere else.
00:09:13 - It's either, you know, it's Dr. Albin's thing.
00:09:16 - And when I hear some of your things,
00:09:19 - I wonder how you managed to come up with these ideas and because it's not a straightforward rapper.
00:09:26 - It's not a straightforward, you know, verse in a hook.
00:09:30 - It's, there's more to it than that.
00:09:33 - Yeah, you're actually correct in describing it.
00:09:36 - It's exactly how I would describe it as well.
00:09:38 - No, I just felt that I should do exactly what I think I should do.
00:09:45 - And the way I want to do it, I wanted to keep the originality that this is original, this is urban.
00:09:52 - I'm not going to be somebody else.
00:09:54 - So that's my thought.
00:09:57 - That's all I was thinking that is going to be me.
and I have to focus on myself and I have to do it my way.00:10:06 - And it's gonna be my way.
00:10:07 - I'm not, I'm not gonna look forward.
00:10:08 - I'm not gonna look back.
00:10:10 - I'm not gonna look at anybody else to do it.
00:10:13 - It's gotta be the way I wanna do it.
00:10:15 - And that was my focus.
00:10:17 - Well, I mean, it's fantastic because I mean, you were ahead of your game and I mean, ahead of the whole pack and still to this day, some of the records, I think.
00:10:29 - I mean, Sing Hallelujah for me was a record that it didn't just get played in the sort of pop scene.
00:10:39 - Sing Hallelujah was in Ibiza and the clubs.
00:10:42 - Sing Hallelujah was in the underground dance scene and all the credible DJs around the world were playing Sing Hallelujah.
00:10:52 - And you had this, and also very few artists artists that are from the pop industry managed to cross over to the sort of EDM dance world but that record did that and that was amazing and then you know you also had the credibility of mixing these almost tribal drums with hip-hop drums with an R&B flavour but you had this original tones and original sounds to it. I mean it's an incredible package really.
00:11:26 - Look at it from the point of view that it's very very different considering that you know when you think of some of the other artists that that have came out and they they have a particular style and they never changed their style whereas you obviously came out with the style and your style was was this Dr Albin flavour but you also had all these other variations to it so I mean I even heard a record and I don't know if it was released or not but I heard a record that you made and it was yourself and Warren G and I've heard that hey Mr.
00:12:10 - DJ hey Mr. DJ I mean it's like I mean I mean even I know but I heard that record and and what I'm saying is is that I heard that record and I thought to myself that's one of
00:12:25 - Warren G's best record and I didn't know that you were on it and then someone said that's Dr Albin and I said no way and then I heard and it was Dr Albin. Do you have it? I do yeah I have a copy of that yeah. Send it to me, send it to me. You don't have that one? I don't have it. I record this with WRNG but the deal was kind of floppy. So we didn't get to a point that we had to release it. Oh well I have a copy. Probably he did it over there in the US. Yeah well maybe that's maybe that's how yeah yeah I've got a copy of that but but but I mean that isn't that amazing though because it was sounded to me like this is this is a hit record this is absolutely a hit record and and you know and yet again it's it's not because Warren G does does what Warren G does he's talking about coming to Sweden in the rap I think and he's talking about he's bringing rap to Sweden Canada and then you've got this and it's got the
00:13:37 - Girol on the chorus singing Hey Mr. DJ and it's fantastic. It's a great record.
00:13:43 - It's a great record.
00:13:44 - Please send it to me, I would like to have it as well.
00:13:47 - Of course, of course. So tell me then, I mean you're in Sweden and you've been in Sweden all your life, has it been all your life you've been in Sweden or?
00:13:57 - I've been here over 35 years.
00:13:59 - Amazing. Amazing. So what brought you to Sweden? Was it the dentistry thing? Was that the thing that took you through?
00:14:05 - Yeah, I came all the way from Nigeria just to study, yeah.
00:14:09 - That's amazing.
00:14:10 - That was my aim and I was supposed to study dentistry, graduate and go back, but it never happened.
00:14:17 - So what, tell me about the sort of, I mean you had doctor records as well. What was that all about Alvin?
00:14:26 - It was, it was all about releasing my sound, my songs at any, at any time I want, without nobody poking nose in it, without anybody telling me, you have to do it, you have to do it now, you can't do it and all that, just, that's where the song comes.
00:14:42 - Stop telling people out to run their business, it's my life.
00:14:46 - So, it was all about, it was all about having your own label, you can release, you can stop, you can do anything you want at any particular time, that's how I got started with Dr. Rekha's. And I released other stuff as well, not only my stuff. I really did release other people's tracks and all that.
00:15:05 - And how did that go for you? How did it run in a record label for yourself?
00:15:13 - It was good, very good in the 90s. But when all this internet thing came, then it was not it was not good to run a record company anymore when people were downloading here and there internet you can hear me get anything anywhere
00:15:29 - YouTube and all that then it was not so we're not so good to run a record company so I had to have it down like yeah yeah you also had your studio in
00:15:42 - Sweden as well didn't you had a recording studio and everything there over there my wife you had a recording studio in Sweden as well didn't you
00:15:49 - Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. With the doctor across the level, in the same building where we had the level, we had recording studios, we had three recording studios. Yeah. Amazing, amazing. And so what's been your struggles? I mean, for people listening to this album, I mean, music students around the world that are learning the craft of music, they're, you know, working out what they're going to be, whether they're going to be an artist, a music producer or whatever. What struggles have you had to go through to keep in the game, to keep in the business, to maintain the standards that you've managed to maintain through all these years?
00:16:28 - Well, there's been lots of struggle just as I told you. When the internet come, I had to do it the other way around. It became a lot of thoughts I was told in every week.
00:16:37 - So there's been a lot of struggle and there's been a lot of changes that I've made to to sustain myself and to keep myself where I am now.
00:16:44 - But just as you said earlier on, most of the songs I did, they're like evergreen songs.
00:16:51 - They were like big songs.
00:16:52 - They're like songs that people, when you play them today, people still like them, like sing Hallelujah, they're big songs.
00:16:58 - They're evergreen songs.
00:17:00 - It's my life.
00:17:01 - So that has kept me also on top as well.
00:17:04 - The songs were very good songs.
00:17:06 - They were well written, they were well produced.
00:17:08 - They have also kept me up to now.
00:17:11 - That's great. And what advice would you give to people then that are starting out in the industry just now, Albin?
00:17:20 - Well, what I always believed in is originality, to do it your own way and don't look at anybody, don't copy. Just do it your own way, original.
00:17:29 - Be original, be the only one.
00:17:32 - Yeah.
00:17:33 - Absolutely.
00:17:34 - Originality is the key to success.
00:17:38 - Absolutely, absolutely. I mean, you've been doing a lot of 90s festivals all over Europe and everything before COVID.
00:17:47 - Yes.
00:17:48 - And how's all that going? Are you planning on getting back to doing shows again soon or?
00:17:55 - Yeah, we're just waiting for the COVID, all the vaccination and all that. I think we started off in August.
00:18:03 - Hopefully, if everyone gets vaccinated by that, hopefully we'll be back in August.
00:18:11 - Well that would be fantastic. That would be great. That would be fantastic.
00:18:15 - So okay, regarding records then, what are your future plans for making music and what are you planning in the future?
00:18:26 - Well I've done so many records so many albums I'm not really into now I'm gonna do a new album now I would love to do remixes I'd love to do remakes a lot I would love to do duets featuring somebody else like the Warren G thing you just spoke about yeah I'd like to do I'd like to do some more duets duets I would like to specialize more on duets than making a new brand new Dr. Alban.
00:18:51 - So working with other artists and collaborations and so on.
00:18:55 - Definitely.
00:18:56 - Fantastic.
00:18:57 - Albin, listen, thank you so much for your time.
00:19:00 - And you know, this is great because, I mean, it's great for people to be able to hear you.
00:19:06 - And I mean, the music you've made is celebrated all over the world.
00:19:10 - And it's fantastic to have you on.
00:19:13 - And I wish you well.
00:19:15 - And I'll send you the Warren Jeeves track.
00:19:17 - Don't worry about that.
00:19:18 - Thank you.
00:19:19 - And yeah, but thank you for coming on thank you very much. Thank you for inviting me. Thank Dr. Albin. Thank you. Take care
00:19:49 - Attention my name is Papa John
00:19:51 - We come for telling a mother thing called one love
00:19:53 - We have our love on Chamber 6
