Damilola Fatunmishe
For fast rising Urban Afro musician, Adegboyega, a good name combined with good music are worth more than gold.
To the Physics Engineering graduate, old things have passed away and new flowers have blossomed. Like an old wine in a new bottle, Adegboyega has rebranded. His new appellation, Yega, sounds more stylish and groovier.
And in a bid to etch his new image on the minds of his numerous fans, Yega has dropped a new song, For Say, which he described as a “pleasurable gift” to Nigerians.
In this chat, the artiste opens up on his brand new identity, inspiration behind his song, challenges and future plans. Enjoy it.
Not much has been heard from you since your last release. What have you been doing lately?
The music never stops for me! I haven’t officially released anything but I have two albums ready. I’ve been working on my craft since my last release. I have been going for advanced saxophone lessons, voice training and working with different producers to create good music.
Tell us about your engagements during the Yuletide and also Valentine’s Day?
The Yuletide season is a busy time for us musicians. It’s a period of going from one show to the other, having family commitments and generally enjoying the festivities. But then, on Valentine’s Day, I was cuddled up with my baby (laughter).
What’s the title of your new song and what inspired it?
The title of my new song is ‘For Say’. It’s a love story that doesn’t have a happy ending. It was inspired by a true-life event, something that happened to me. I really adored a lady but she didn’t reciprocate the love simply because I’m a musician. I tried to convince her that all musicians are not the same… but then, you have to listen to the song to get the full gist of the story. It’s my best music yet; it’s an instant hit, a classic.
Who produced the song?
The song was produced by the amazing Omyde.
Do you write your songs or someone writes for you?
It works both ways for me. I have songs I wrote and I have songs that my producer and I bounced ideas and melodies before writing.
How does music come to you?
Music comes to me through real life events, experiences, dreams, and also through watching movies.
What challenges do you face as an artiste?
Pushing the music out there is a capital-intensive venture. Also, there is a challenge of getting the right team to work with. There are a lot of charlatans out there, people that would promise heaven and earth but end up not delivering anything. That translates to loss of investments.
Do you have plans of collaborating with any of the big artistes like Wizkid, Davido etc.?
That’s really not my plan now. The plan is to get my brand well established to the point where these artistes would want to feature me, because I’m bursting all the speakers.
We understand you are changing your stage name from Adegboyega to simply Yega. What informed this?
This is a very well thought-out decision. I just want to create a stellar brand that people will remember. The name ‘Yega’ is unique to the brand I intend to portray and it makes acquiring more listeners easier. I’m the only ‘Yega’ in town. But there are plenty Adegboyegas.
What are you doing to ensure your fans are carried along with the new name?
I’m going to give my fans sweet music, music they can relate to and music that they would love to dance to. I’m also going to gift my fans top-notch imaging. The name ‘Yega’ would soon be in everyone’s mouth.
When are we expecting the video of your new song, For Say?
After the listeners have digested the audio very well, then we’ll push a state-of-the-art visual in their faces
Who is handling the shooting of the video and which locations do you have in mind?
I don’t want to let that out yet. It will be announced in due time.
Women flock around artistes a lot, how do you handle your female admirers?
I admire my female fans from a distance and appreciate them immensely, because they are the ones that buy tickets and troop out to watch our shows. They also tell their friends about us. In fact, I cherish all my female fans.
What are your plans for the rest of the year?
My plans are to put out more music and more visuals. I had a few modeling gigs last year. This year, I’m trying to get more modeling gigs. And to cap it all, I’m going on a tour of Canada with Teni the Entertainer in April. It’s indeed going to be a busy year for Yega.