Terh Agbedeh
Diana Bada, recently in Kenya for a promotional cum collaborative work and performance tour, has said that she is very proud to be making her kind of music she calls Afro Soul Fusion.
“Afro Soul Fusion is what I represent and I am very proud to be making this kind of music coming from Africa, and also what keeps me going is feedback from fans,” she said while responding to TheNiche’s question about whether Afro Soul is working for her.
So, who is Diana Bada? You are probably asking already. We can tell you for free that she is a recording artiste who knows and adores her music, definitely one of the best out of Africa. Break down the music and you find soul, hip hop, jazz and reggae in equal measure.
“I love all (of them) equally. They all carry great importance to me based on their history and their composition, lyrical content and emotion,” Diana Bada said.
One gets to comprehend this love just by listening to her music for the first time. However, introducing her first album, Wardrobe Sessions, to the Nigerian music industry, she said, was quite challenging.
“A lot of people contemplated how different the sound was, still is, and how it won’t work in the Nigerian market, and how my sound is way ahead of my time,” she explained.
But two albums under her belt and currently working on a third, she said it has been a journey of experiences, growth and understanding for her.
Be, her second album, involved a lot of collaborative work with instrumentalists, producers and musicians from different parts of the world.
“I am highly grateful. So far, so good. I am still an evolving being and I am currently working on album number three,” she stated.
Among the producers and musicians she has worked with in Africa and Europe are: DJ Mango, Elmarcee, Sena, Jahcub, Marcel, Yonderboi, Alan Redfern, Resn, Grandmotif Ilpo, Billy Bao, Polaak, and DJ Vadim.
Others are: OJB Jezreel, Benny Paladin, General Pype, Godwon, Mr. Raw, Olu Maintain, Orits Wiliki, Teemac, Bantu and Ruggedman.
Born of a Russian mother and a Nigerian father, she has been globetrotting before the music, which she said is a gift from her Creator, came along.
And her introduction to music?
“From a very tender age, I had always loved singing and song-writing. My parents too had musical influences; my dad being a vinyl collector and my mother being opera-trained. In school, I enjoyed participating in musical activities and the rest is history,” she said.
The history she talks about is highly influenced by her time living in Europe and working in-between Nigeria and the UK, culminating in her first album. The said history also speaks of her part in the 2008 edition of MTVBase/Zain Advance Warning that had artistes like M.I,
Kel, Terry G, Durella, Waje, Terry Tha Rapman and a host of others.
Diana Bada was also part of the Gimme Shot Crew touring in Europe as well as the lead vocalist for the Tripanation Band.
So, would it be correct to say that being a woman in music has opened doors for her or maybe even closed some?
“No,” is the songwriter’s assured response. “I don’t agree with the opening of doors. Being a woman, you have to work twice as hard, setting your priorities right, recognising you are in a male-dominated industry and being focused as to what you are trying to achieve.”
For someone who has always wanted to contribute in building our nation, that dream is coming true in more ways than she realises it.
Her unique sound and compositions are a big contribution to the art of music coming from Africa.
“I am putting more focus on the creative industry and encouraging the up-and-coming creatives to realise their opportunities in these times. Eventually, I would like to start an art and music foundation that also improves the development of our communities,” she said.
Responding to the question about what stands her apart from other musicians in Nigeria, she said: “I believe we are all wonderfully unique in our own way and have our own calling as to what work we put out there. My music is conscious, soulful and experimental.”
To 18-year-olds seeking a career in music, she said, should always get their education going considering that at the age she was at university.
“It is very important. I studied Business Studies and it has helped me kick off my entertainment company called Boulevard Entertainment,” she said.
Among the best moments in her professional life is when a fan approached her after a performance and encouraged her work “or after listening to my work, the feedback is motivational, then I know it’s all worth it”.
Agreeing “to an extent” with the assertion that children of the very rich have taken over music in Nigeria, she explained that it might not be just those born into rich homes, but also having a formula that works.
“So, investment is a very big part of it. To be able to put your work out on a large scale, you need good financial backing, because the music industry in Nigeria hasn’t fully structured itself, so you can work it out as an independent artiste, rather than relying on the record labels. At the same time, you need a good song to work for you; you need good promotion, meaning a good hold of the media network,” she added.
