Ego, external influence major causes of music group splits – Praye Tietia

While many believe money and romantic relationships are the leading causes of music group breakups, Praye Tietia holds a different view.

The veteran musician opined that ego and external influences are the biggest threat to the survival of music groups, arguing that growing fame can make members compete for recognition instead of working towards a common goal.

He elaborated that tensions often emerge when an artiste begins to feel more important than the rest of the group, particularly when success starts to come.

Drawing from his experience in the Praye trio, Tietia explained that members may begin to see themselves as the most valuable contributor, whether because they sing more choruses, attract greater attention or believe they are the main reason behind the group’s popularity.

“I can say group breakups, from my experience, are caused by ego. It’s not money or women that normally break groups. It’s just a perception out there, but it’s not correct. You will get friends telling one member, ‘you are the pillar of the group’ or ‘you sing better’ and such influences can break the team,” he said.

He noted that the friends he had during his time in Praye were different from those of his colleague Eugene, suggesting that different conversations and outside influences could encourage members to view themselves differently from one another.

On the issue of money, Tietia argued that funds will not necessarily become a source of conflict when group members have agreed on how their earnings will be shared.

“If it’s money, we all share the money equally, so money can’t cause any confusion. When the money lands, production take theirs and the artistes split equally. This shouldn’t cause any problem,” he added.

Despite the challenges that can come with working in a group, Tietia maintained that forming a music group remains a worthwhile venture.

He urged aspiring musicians not to allow the experiences of groups that have broken up to discourage them from collaborating with people who share their creative ambitions.

He advised prospective group members to establish clear expectations from the beginning, respect one another and remain committed to their collective objectives.

“Group is a very beautiful thing to do and as it’s always said, two heads are always better than one. If you can form a group with a friend or someone you think you have something in common with and you can come up with something good together, it’s a beautiful thing,” he said.

He also hinted at plans for the trio to reunite on stage in the near future, raising expectations among fans who would like to see the group perform together again.

“We’ve all learnt from the mistakes we’ve made. As we’ve left, now we’re back together again and very soon, you will see all three of us perform on one stage,” he said.