Award-winning gospel artiste, Asu Ekiye, has said he is dedicating May 24 to 26 to a special three-city concert to launch his new album titled Seiyo.
Asu Ekiye
Already held in Abuja on Saturday, today will be the turn of Port Harcourt, and Monday the turn of Yenagoa.
He will feature his friend and American gospel artiste, Alvin Slaughter.
“We will be showcasing gospel much in a fashion that will be rare in our annals as a country. Please note that this is not just sweet talk; check me out in all the shows, as it is a fresh and new sound,” Ekiye, who just returned from a concert he headlined in Canada, told TheNiche in an interview.
Ekiye, who, back in the days helped pioneer the shift to indigenous preference in music, particularly gospel, explained that the launch has come after a long while on the waiting list.
“It has not been without the thorough crucible of incubation, while engineering some of the sounds that will revolutionise music in Nigeria forever, especially traditional music. We have been able to extend the embers of musical exploration beyond the boundaries of obvious sounds we are used to,” he stated.
Seiyo means dance in Ijaw, said Ekiye whose songs in the language of his origin enjoy appeal nationally and internationally.
“It is such a highly-electrifying album. Most of the songs are dance songs, because where I come from in Ijaw land, dancing is a major part of ceremonies. The Ijaw are not much into dirges and sombre folklore; they are more attuned to dancing rhythms and lyrics. So, this whole contraption is developed from that foundation,” he said.
Reminded that the album took a long time in coming, Ekiye said it is because it is not just an album, but a movement.
“There is a saying that the quality of your preparation determines the power of your performance. Most albums produced in Nigeria are simply just products of financial necessity. This is not just an economic project; it is impact-driven and, for your information, it will make so much of a difference. This is a different era,” he declared.
About his recent trip to Canada, the gospel artiste said it was one of the biggest musical tours he has ever made.
“I was a guest at the gala of the Nigeria South South Heritage, an event meant to add to the great Canadian cultural mosaic. I was so elated to be the only guest artiste. My brother, a serious fire burned there, and from that event, quite a lot of other things have come on stream,” he stated.
Indeed, this is a year pregnant with so much, Ekiye said, with tours lined up here and there for both national and foreign destinations.
He added that he intends to build more on the area of internationalising his brand of music, as this is a great year.
