In a
chat with Punch Simi, talks about being raised by a single mother, why she left the gospel music genre for secular music.
Excerpts from the Interview:
On being raised by a single mother and how the experience shaped her:
“I recall that my siblings and I visited my dad during weekends and at some point, the frequency reduced. I felt bad whenever I saw my peers with their parents and I had a mature mind as a young girl growing up. My parents’ separation left an impression on me that life isn’t always a bed of roses. It also made me realize the need to work harder to achieve my dreams.
It made me grow up really fast and also made me a realist. As a result, nothing fazes me and no bad situation affects me. Even though I am not a pessimist, I am always prepared for the worst. Subconsciously, I am also a lot pickier and careful about whom I date. My mum has always been there to guide me.”
On the challenges she faces in her music career:
“It’s very difficult for an artiste to succeed independently before he or she is signed on with a label.This is because having a successful music career is capital intensive. The ability to keep my head straight at times when it seems as though I am wasting time, is no walk in the park. There are so many talented artistes competing for the top spot, so keeping faith alive is hard. Coming and breaking into mainstream music is also hard. I recently realised that I have to work harder as a woman because I can’t afford to make any excuses.”
On changing her music style from gospel to mainstream:
“The first thing that comes to the mind is that I did it for monetary reasons. However music became about ‘more’; I wanted to have a broader purview. It was a tough decision for me to make at first. I wanted to explore music more. My faith in God hasn’t wavered because before I went mainstream, I prayed to God to bless my career if it was his plan for me. I also don’t see myself doing gospel music again.”
Read the full interview
here
