Music Artist or Songwriter?

If you are trying to figure out what this question means, you are not the only one. And the question is correct. A songwriter is quite different from an artist, though one person could be both. 

As the name indicates, a songwriter is a person -a musician, who writes songs professionally. While this might sound new to you, it is not in any way a new concept in music. It might even interest you to know that some of your favourite songs were written by songwriters, not your favourite artist. 

Music writing is an art, and it takes more than having a great voice to come up with good music. There is the pressure of coming up with music that meets the demand of each season and remains relevant for all seasons. Finding the right words and rhythm is no easy task for anybody. It requires mastery of musical elements and has nothing to do with the quality of your voice. 

Furthermore, songwriting is not so straightforward. Some writers are only able to come with the right words and have someone else turn them into a song. While some write the perfect words, turn them into the perfect songs, and have a successful musical career to top it. The most important thing is in knowing what works best for you.  

Many artists started their careers writing their songs and got nowhere meaningful until they started working with songwriters. And many artists have spoken about not finding fulfilment until they began to write their songs and share their voices. 

A common mistake many upcoming artists make is that they assume they have to write their songs themselves. Some don’t know they can work with songwriters. And some view it as shameful and indicating a lack of talent to be unable to write your own songs. This misunderstanding is further fueled by the invincibility of songwriters to people outside or new to the music industry. 

For those passionate about music and seeking to build a career in it, proper research would show that the stage and spotlight are not for everyone. There are other options in the industry to explore and express your passion. And, of course, songwriting pays well.  

Upcoming artists could also try working together with songwriters to create songs suited for their voice and artist/brand identity. This move could be the boost your career needs. Whichever career choice you make, Epoh Music is the right place to share your content and connect with your audience. 

On Epoh Music, you can create an artist account to manage all your songs on the platform. And it’s free. Click here to get started - Register.

Tips for Launching a Successful Music Career

If you conduct a poll on how many people can sing, you would be surprised to find out the number of people that can sing and actually have a good voice. When you go further to ask how many of these people want to build a career in music, then you will understand why the music industry is remarkably competitive. Let’s not even talk about those with no musical talent but insisting on a musical career. If you know any of those people, kindly advise them to repent and change their ways. 

Looking at the stories of those who have made it music, one would see that being talented is the most basic thing you need to be successful in music. Another thing that is consistent in these stories is hard work. But talent and hard work is a requirement for success in virtually all other career paths.

The music industry has its own rules, and while you are expected to be creative, there are some steps to take and decisions to make that will give you a better shot at success. Here are six tips for building a successful musical career.

Build your brand/artist identity

Define who you want to be in the mind of people, what you want to represent as an artist and work towards it every day. Let it reflect in your music style, lyrics, your fashion statement, the people you work with, and the shows you perform. 

Be original

There is always the temptation to switch to what is in vogue or copy someone who is currently in the lights. But success comes with consistency, not switching to every new thing in town. Create or find your own sound and stick to it. If you want to switch, do so because you connect to the sound, not because you feel it’s a shortcut to success.

Network and build a community

It is easy to imagine that a million people would somehow hear your music, fall in love with you, and the next day you are a celebrity. Well, it doesn’t happen that way. You need to build your fan base from the ground up. Get the little people who appreciate your music to introduce your music to their friends and share your music on their platforms. Look for people of influence to promote your songs and introduce you to the right people.

Be business-minded

It is good that you are passionate about music, but a career is more than passion. It is work. Come up with strategies to increase your earning power, have an established price. Know what it cost you to perform and charge accordingly. In business, you are expected to make profit, so factor this in when setting prices for song sales and performing at shows.

Invest in learning

Whatever talent you have is raw, spend time and money to develop it. Admitting that you need the training to refine your raw talent does not in any way translate to not believing in yourself.

Have a platform

Now, here is one final and essential tip you won’t hear from most people. You should have a platform. And Epoh Music is a great place to start.

Epoh Music offers a platform to showcase your music, connect you with your audience and with promotional tools to give your song more exposure. You can manage your music sales, downloads, and promotion from your Artist account. And this is the best part -it’s free. 

Don’t have an account here? Click here to get started - Register.

 

The Juju Music - something truly Nigerian

When you search Afrojuju on the web, the first thing you are likely to see is the name, Sir Shina Peters. A man that carried this style so well that it became synonymous with his name in the mid to late 1990s. 

However, the original genre of this music is actually called Juju music, and it dates as far back as the early 1920s in Nigeria. The style’s name, ‘Juju’, is actually derived from the Yoruba word ‘Jiju’ which translates as ‘throwing’ or ‘to be thrown’. Not as erroneously believed by some to have originated from the word ‘Juju’, meaning magic or the practice of magic. Well, that’s a tricky one. And we can’t blame them, can we?

The Juju style finds its roots in the traditional Yoruba percussion and is said to have been created by Ababababaa Bababtude King, popularly known as Tunde King. Other early performers include Ojoge Daniel, Irewole Dengel and Prince Benjamin Aderounmu, known as Kokoro, the blind minstrel.

While the phrase Juju music might sound a little distant when you hear it, many of the elderly musicians we respect so much today actually belong to this genre. People like the legendary King Sunny Ade, Chief Ebenezer Obey, Adeolu Akinsanya, Fatai Rolling Dollar, I. K. Dairo, and Dele Ojo,  just to name a few. 

This generation of musicians were the ones who incorporated new influences like Funk, Reggae, and Afrobeat into Juju music. This incorporation also led to the birthing of genres like Fuji, Apala, Waka, Sakara, and most notably, Afrojuju, a mixture of Juju music and Afrobeat. 

While Afrobeats is the trend of the day, we cannot worry that Juju music will go into extinction anytime soon. This is because of its deep cultural roots and communal acceptance among the party-oriented Yoruba people.

5 Reasons You Should Listen to Music Everyday

When asked why we listen to music, the default answer from everyone is that they love music. It’s one of those questions we don’t have to think to reply to. Music is woven into us. And our body responds every time it comes on. And that includes when we are asked about music. 

While some people just love the feeling that music gives them, it means much more to others. When they start to talk about music, you can almost touch the passion and love flowing through them. And, of course, some have built their whole life on music. It is quite a rewarding career, although it holds little space for those at the top. 

But have you ever stopped to wonder why it is important to listen to music? Have you ever asked yourself what music does for your well-being? 

The reality is we need music. And this has nothing to do with how much you like music or not. As long as you can hear and interpret sounds, you need music. And here are five reasons why.

Mental wellbeing: music helps us to relax, cope with stress and pressure, and improves our mental wellbeing. Mental disorders have been on the rise lately. And more than ever before, people are now paying attention to their mental health. The benefits of music for your mental wellbeing is so immense that there is actually a type of therapy called Music Therapy. 

The next time you are feeling overwhelmed, take a break and listen to a few songs. That’s why you should have different playlists so you can select a suitable one in times like this. Looking for the right song at this time can add to your mental stress. Click here to create your playlist on Epoh Music. You can also listen to playlists created by DJs on Epoh Music.

Sharpens your Creativity: when you are relaxed, you can think better. And music helps you to do just that. Music helps you to think creatively when you are working. The song you are listening to is the fruit of a creative process, and it inspires the same in you when you are listening to it.

Connect with others: music is a universal language. Everybody speaks music. Music is present in every language and across all cultures. Music helps you to connect with people with whom you have no other thing in common. This is not to sound philosophical, but music does unite us. Music can open you up to an entire stranger just because of a shared love for the same style of music. And this can be helpful when having a bad day or in need of something. 

Educates you: as funny as this may sound, it's actually true. Music educates you. Not all music is a bunch of random words as its lyrics. Some lyrics are very informative, exploring history, arts, philosophy, religion, social reforms, and many more. Just singing along is teaching you something useful. 

Makes you smarter: many of us are audio-visual or audio learners. We learn by sound and can recollect vast information well as long as it is represented in sounds. Just imagine how many songs you know and can sing along perfectly. There are songs you might have forgotten, but the moment you hear the intro beat, all the lyrics come rushing back. Music engages your brain and makes it easy for you to recollect information.

Who would have thought listening to music can do so much for us? Well, now you know it is not just about enjoying yourself. Listen to the songs you love and grow into someone you love. Epoh Music is a great place to start. We have your favourite Nigerian songs waiting!

The Queens of Music III - 2011 till date

You thought we were done? No way! 

The last ten years have witnessed even greater participation of women in music all over the world. And, of course, Nigeria was not left out. If you have had to google some of the names mentioned before, this going to be different. 

We have had good music and many of them from women we didn’t even know ten years ago. The women from 2000 - 2010 particularly liberated more women to give music a shot. They blazed a trail of excellence that became the standard for women who began coming up. 

What is more interesting is that we still have both groups of women today. And they are all thriving together. But the focus of this article is the queens that have come up since 2011. It was not easy coming up with this list because they have all done well and are all queens.

Tiwa Savage debuted on the Nigerian Music scene in 2012 and has since become one of the biggest female artists on the continent. The 'No 1 African Bad Girl' currently has four albums to her name with the 5th promised to be released this year. Her first album, Once Upon a Time, released in 2013, was nominated for Album of the year in 2014 and Best R&B/Pop Album at the 2014 Headies. The singles from this album remain a favourite of many to date. 

Before starting her solo career, she had worked with several notable international artists and producers like Mary J. Blige, Whitney Houston, Chaka Kahn, Andrea Bocelli, and Kelly Clarkson. Encouraged by the growth of the Nigerian music industry, she moved from the UK and signed with Mavin Records in 2012. She remained there till 2019 when she signed with Universal Music Group. The talented queen has 20 awards to her name alongside many other nominations. She remains a top name in the industry today and was cited as an inspiration by Mavin’s Ayra Starr.

Yemi Alade first graced our screens as a participant in the Peak Talent show in 2009. She later emerged as the winner of the show and was signed to Effyzzie Music Group. However, we were not to hear of her again until 2014, when she released her hit single Johnny. Her music uniquely features a mix of Yoruba, Igbo, and Pidgin. She currently has five albums and two EPs to her name. Called Mama Africa by her fans, Yemi’s music particularly highlights the versatility of the African culture. It is also a celebration of the African woman. This style is why she is welcomed in so many African countries. And it is even said that the majority of her fans are not even Nigerians. She has several international and local awards to her name among several nominations. Yemi is also a social activist and has a foundation named after her parents. 

Although Simi started her career as a gospel/Christian artist and released her first album title Ogaju in 2008, she gained prominence for her song Tiff, in 2014. She has since released four other albums and two EPs. Simi's voice can be described as nothing short of magical and has no doubt enchanted many to be lovers of her music over the years. We can all agree that when it comes to good music for relaxation, Simi is your sure plug. She currently has 14 awards to her name, and I am sure there is a lot more on the way for her.

The Apata sisters are out here boldly writing their names in the sands of time, and we are loving every moment of it. 

Niniola finished as a runner up in the sixth season of the MTN Project Fame West Africa. She released her first single, Ibadi, in 2014 and has since gone to release two albums and an EP. Her 2017 song, Maradonna, has remained a favourite of many to date. And it was certified Gold in South Africa in July this year. Niniola describes her style of music as a mix of Afrobeat and House music. Fela also had a major influence on her and can be seen well represented in music style and music videos. She currently has six awards to her name among several nominations. 

Teniola, the younger sister, took us by storm with her single, Fargin, released in September 2017. We just could not get enough of the humour and the creativity ringing throughout the song. Actually, her debut single was released in 2016 while she was in Magic Fingers Records. Since 2017 Teni has been dropping hit upon hits for us, and she is not slowing down yet. She released her debut album Wonderland earlier this year and had released two EPs in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Teni continues to top ranking list and music charts and has won almost every award she was nominated for. I am quite excited about the feats Teni will claim in the industry if she continues this way, and honestly, I can hardly wait.

Omawunmi is one of the gifts West African Idol gave us in 2007. And while she has positioned herself at the top ever since then, you will agree with me that much of her glorious reign is within the last ten years. And she sure is not done yet. She currently has four albums and an EP to her name, but I don’t think we will ever get over her debut single, In the Music. She is also an actress, and in 2019, she co-produced a movie titled She is.  

Chidinma, also known as Miss Kedike came into the limelight as the winner of the 2010 MTN Project Fame West Africa. But Miss Kedidke isn’t a name she might favour anymore as she transitioned to a Gospel/Christian singer early this year. While a secular artist, she released a self-titled album, Chidinma, and several hit singles. She also has some singles and an EP as a gospel/Christian artist. That was quite a smooth transition if you ask me. 

Sheyi Shay began her music career at a very early age. And this was inspired by her family of musicians. Her mother was a chorister, her sister was a songwriter, and her brother was a DJ. However, she made her mark in Nigerian music in 2011 by releasing two promotional singles Loving your way and No Le Le. In 2015, she released her debut album, Sheyi or Shay, featuring some hit tracks she had earlier released as singles. Sheyi is considered a strong voice in the industry and rightfully deserves her seat at the table of queens. 

Tems is committed to making us proud locally and internationally, and this list will not be complete without her. In 2019, Tems released her hit single, Try me. It caught the attention of the international community. And Dj Khalid asked her to join him on an Afrobeats remix of Know Your Worth in 2020. Her debut EP, For Broken Ears, was released in 2020, and she has just followed it with another EP If Orange was a Place, earlier this month. 

Tems continues to receive praise for her part in Essence, which earned her first Billboard Hot 100 feature. She was on Drake’s Certified lover Boy album. Hopes are high as to what Tems will come to achieve industry. I think she is destined for great things, and she has proven she will have it no other way. 

It is the year 2021 and the start of another decade. The last ten years has taught us that it can only get better, but while we wait for the better, we know we have enough supply of good music to keep us busy.

Are there any artists from this period you think should be on this list? Kindly share your thoughts in the comment section. 

Happy Independence Naija!

Music liberates us to become more. In Music, we can be anywhere, and we can be anything. Some songs remind us there is hope, some songs remind us to love, some songs put laughter on our faces, and some songs plant happiness in our hearts. 

To one melody, we can sing, we can dance, and we can cry. But in all these songs, we are free. We are free to choose hope, love, happiness, and strength in the midst of all that is going on around us and in Nigeria at large. Now that is true Independence.  

Well, today is a day to feel patriotic, so here are 7 songs dedicated to Nigeria you should check out on Epoh Music.

• The Way Forward - King Sunny Ade
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• Oh Nigeria - Blackface
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• Greenland - TY Bello
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• One Nigeria - Solidstar
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• Motherland - Sound Sultan ft Ada Ehi
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• New Nigeria - Solomon Lange
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• Fellow Nigerians - Mode 9

On this independence day, and every other day, may you find freedom in the songs you choose.

Happy Independence Day Naija

From all of us at Epoh Music

P.s. It’s Friday. How about checking out some songs on the TGIF Playlist? You’ll love it.