Obadale Adepoju
London
OBAdale ADEPOJU is a Nigerian Pop Artist with a difference. His passion and the energy he brings with him is highly infectious as well as exciting.
His songs, lyrics and tunes are all geared to bring out the best of good times to everyone who dares to listen.
OBADALE ALABI ADEPOJU (a.k.a OBA ADEPOJU) hails from Osun State, Nigeria from a line of Kings and Royalty. Legend has it that he is 79th in the line of kings. He was born on the 14th of July, 1983 in the city of Ibadan. His parents were both school teachers and earlier on in life, his passion was to be a teacher.
However, a school project in secondary school brought him close to music and it was about this time that he picked up an interest in music. Little did he know that his interests would become much more serious but as time went by, he picked up musical instruments and learned to play keyboards and guitars as well as produce and arrange songs.
By the time secondary school was over, OBA knew he had something going, originally writing gospel tunes and changing songs on radio into his own compostions. Since that time, he has developed his talents into a fine art. Because of his deep voice, OBA initially didn’t want to sing but just performed and produced for other artistes. “It took a meeting at some point with some female singer who was so upset with me for having loads of songs and doing nothing with it to kick me out of shying away from singing”, OBA says.
That meeting pushed him into his destiny and ever since, he started working on his own style of music which he believes can be called ‘Naija POP’. He describes his music as a mix of everything, every genre, every idea and infact, secular and sacred sometimes. “I am a musician, I hear things in my head, I rarely attempt to filter the musical thought process. I just let it out and its amazing how your head can come up with some of these crazy stuff”, OBA says. “In fact, I love to use sounds and musicial ideas that wouldn’t naturally fit the regular mould people have in mind especially in the Nigerian context. You may call the sounds dated or too much but as long as I have a point to get across or can get people dancing and singing along, then I think my intentions are justified. It don’t matter if I am rapping or singing or talking, I just want to make memorable music”, OBA continues.
His inspirations for songwriting are usually drawn from real life experiences and sometimes, the absolutely mundane. His music is influenced by everything he has heard in his life. “I grew up on NTA and BCOS TV back in the 80s and then I would literarily memorise all the Fuji, Juju and Afro songs on TV and Radio. So to some extent, you will be able to hear some of these legends in my music”, OBA explains. He also says 70s Soul, Funk and Disco music have been sources of great inspiration. He is also a rhythm freak and loves things that can get people moving and mostly singing and thinking. He cites Asha, D’banj, M.I, Cobhamsand Dare Art-Alade as musicians he admires on the current Nigerian music scene. “I think those guys are quite innovative and unique in their delivery of musical ideas. Infact, when I think of their work, I really don’t know what I want to be again, a singer, a poet, a rapper or just a performer. I guess, I will just stick with everything”, OBA says with a smirk on his face.
OBA ADEPOJU plans to shake the Nigerian music scene with an artistic storm in the near future with his Naija Pop music. He believes the industry is getting to a point where people want to see all rounded musicians, people who can deliver on an art form and also live; musicians who can entertain, enligthten and sometimes, challenge the norms for the sake of social progress. All of these thoughts, OBA hope to bring on board with his music.
His first single, Iyawo has just been released on iTunes and many other digital stores and it takes its inspiration from a 1998 experience. Infact, OBA ’s first album is hoped to be titled ‘Good Boy Gone to 1998’, of which OBAexplains is a collection of ideas he’s been playing with in his mind since 1998.
In the words of OBA ADEPOJU himself, “Nigeria, are you ready for this?”.
Stay tuned for more……
Obadale Adepoju’s tracks
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