Acclaimed Nigerian singer, Davido, has always projected Africa in good light with his craft, and anywhere he goes he’s not ashamed of his root.
Although, in a recent interview held in Washington, DC, United States of America, with Okay Africa, the ‘Fall’ crooner admitted growing up in Africa wasn’t cool, but the current state of the continent is splendid and everyone wants to be involved in it.
At 26 years old, Davido has placed himself to be one of the most sought-after musicians to come out of the continent of Africa and he’s still not relenting on his oasis of taking over the world. He confirmed he started out with the American rap and hip-hop music, but discovered African music is really for him when he visited his home country – Nigeria before his full relocation to the country.
Despite achieving so much at his young age, Davido said he has waited years before his music eventually became accepted in the continent he represents. “I dropped my first song when I was 17. I’ve been in the game for 9 years, but when you think about it, I’m still only 26. A lot of people who have done what I’ve done are in their 30s. I mean I was lucky to have a head start. I’ve been making African music for years and years, and I’ve waited to be accepted.”
Counterfeiting the negative perceptions foreigners have about Africa, Davido stood firmly to defend his continent, telling the interviewer most of the things they were taught about Africa were not all accurate and not totally factual.
“It’s a great time for Africa, it’s a great time for African music. The whole culture as a whole,” Davido said, adding that “Growing up it wasn’t cool to be from Africa, but now everyone wants to be involved in the culture. What you are taught about what Africa is not really 100 percent of what it really is, because everywhere has its good parts and its bad parts.”
He continued, “they don’t show you the good parts, the beautiful parts of Africa. The music is being accepted, the movies, you have Wakanda showcasing African power, even the clothing, and the food, everything is just coming together.”
Buttressing further on the wide acceptance of African music and the culture, Davido pointed out that foreigners are now reaching out to Africans for collaborations, in fashion, style and music.
“These past months I’ve been in the studio with a lot of people and they are more open to collaborating, whereas before they were just taking the music and trying to reproduce it. But they can’t really get it like we do back home,” he said.
“So these days I have them calling me going, ‘Can I get that producer to come from Africa and touch this song?’ Rather than them trying to get their producers to try and do it. They will never get it the way someone from back home will get it.”
Davido confirmed to the media outfit that his next studio album is slated for release in June and would be going on tour after its release, but the album has no title yet.