Afrobeat queen, Princess Funmilola Fisher, popularly known as Princess Wonda, has said that she uses her music to tell stories and deliver massages to her listeners and fans.
Speaking in an interview, she said that she is following in the footsteps of Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and Lagbaja, who she said “introduced me to the storytelling side of music and how language can evoke strong meanings.”
She stated that with her RnB inspirations and vocal development, “Afrobeat felt like the best way to express my art. It is part of who I am”, adding that Afrobeat chose her and not the other way round.
On whether she agrees that Afrobeat is a protest genre of music, she states that ‘Afrobeat’ sometimes brings light to social change and covers issues across the board, adding that Anikulapo-Kuti used it effectively to deliver messages to the people.
She asserts that Afrobeats is relatable and draws inspiration from political socio-economic realities of the times. She, however, posits that the music must resonate with the people listening.
She charges her fans to know they are the boss of their life “and you deserve joy and the finer things in life. And that it is important to be in love with you first because that confidence is what turns heads.”
In her debut single “City Boy”, her lyrics were a mixture of English and Yoruba lyrics; she explains that she did this because, “I have heavily inspired by language which in my case is the use of Yoruba. I love how the same message in English can be expressed in a completely different manner. For a topic related to men faking appearances, the element of parody they kept the song comical by introducing broken English and Yoruba.”
The female musical star disclosed that she admires Yemi Alade “because she is this unstoppable force that just keeps going. She maintains her femininity, doesn’t take herself too seriously but produces excellence in her craft.”
It would be recalled that in “City Boy,” her debut single, she lets loose unconventional melodies that would make some assume she hails from the same slums in Lagos that birthed street Afro-pop stars.
The single had hundreds of thousands of streams and views across all platforms and critics described it a comeback for another “Yemi Alade” kind of artiste.
Princess Wonda employed relatable lyrics that are a mixture of different local languages such as Nigerian Pidgin and Yoruba, which she confirmed on her social media channels about her being influenced by her predecessors sounds and looks to join forces to ensure Afrobeat is given the acclaim it deserves.
The debut single recorded over a 100,000 views within a week and this could be attributed to the dancers in the video and sultry moves by the singer herself.