Artistes looking to make a statement in 2023 (2)
Although talents abound in the Nigerian music industry, these ones have what it takes to shine, following the steps of the likes of Tiwa Savage who lit up the Coronation stage.
The Nigerian music industry continues to reign supreme in the global spotlight and another timely reminder is Tiwa Savage lighting up the Coronation stage with a memorable performance, proving why she’s the undisputed queen of Afrobeats. It may have been King Charles’ coronation but African music still found a way to make the headlines.
Feats like this often make many forget that these superstars started from somewhere. Tiwa Savage was once a backup singer before going on to become one of Africa’s biggest music export.
As the likes of Tiwa Savage shine on the biggest of stages, there are talents in the wings waiting to take the industry by storm. In this second edition of our talent spotlight, we examine 3 music stars who have what it takes to be the next superstars.
Lamar Shima
Starting out as a poet and writing rap lines in 2014 was the (lyrical) background that Lamar Shima needed before he ventured into singing in 2017.
Out of sheer tenacity and the will to not be deterred by lack of financial might, Lamar Shima decided to save up for a studio session to record an EP of covers. Even if it didn’t get the kind of attention he wanted, it was a learning curve which made him get better at his craft.
Since then, drawing sonic inspiration from Tay Iwar, Smino and Amir Obe, he has gone on to work with artistes such as Straffiti, TOD SZN, Cozy Kiyo and the result of collaborations was chart-topping projects like G.burners Guncho Cruise and Shaun Mbahs Crescendo.
The singer remembers fondly opening PsychoYp’s 2019 star-studded YPSZN2 live concert and cannot express the joy he felt when he finally dropped his first mixtape, Project Lugbe, in April 2021, named after the place he lived. The project debuted at number 30 on the Worldwide Apple Music charts, marking the fourth body of work he has worked on to chart.
His latest single, Peace, comes as another evidence of Lamar Shima’s impressive talent. Listen to the jam here.
Voltage Magix
Driven by the energy of Port Harcourt, the famed music city that plays home to African giants like Burna Boy, Omah Lay and a legend like Duncan Mighty, fast-rising music star, Samson Ogbeide is another talent raring to take the industry by storm.
The singer, popularly known as Voltage Magix, started his journey into music with art, taking in a lot of poetry and music as a child before evolving into songwriting and singing.
Speaking with AfroDives, the singer explains how he carved out his own ‘dancehall fusion’ sub-genre and how he is a huge fan of Grammy-winning Burna Boy.
“The inspiration for my songs comes from personal life experiences and emotions. My best works are those that were deeply emotionalised. I'm a massive fan of Burna Boy and the dancehall genre. This has helped me to fashion my own rhythm and sound that I like to call dancehall fusion.”
His latest single, Innit, is available on digital streaming platforms. He is a talent to watch out for.
Watch out for more stars in this series. If you are a talent who wants to be featured as well, hit up afrodives@gmail.com or book with our partner, hello@whipafrica.com