Chicago born, Nigerian Soul Muzik singer, Zaina Agoro had an interview with Vanguard newspaper where she spoke on the rumour that she is dating Don Jazzy, and the inspiration behind her hit song ‘Sarewale’ among other issues.
Read interview below....
How has your law background helped your music?
Education in any capacity is very helpful. For me, it helped me in the sense that it made me understand the legal aspect of the music industry to an extent. I didn’t study entertainment law, so I didn’t know anything about that .It made me have an idea of signing a contract, of how to protect myself, what is acceptable and what is not acceptable .It helped me just to be more armed and guarded in the business side. Knowledge is power.
With the acceptance of Sarewale, would you say you have hit the bull’s eye?
I will say it was a nice opening. I won’t say that is the bull’s eye. A lot of people got to know me through the song .It was an eye opener, a crack in the head. I won’t say it’s the bull’s eye yet. It’s the bull‘s eye when you are visibly known everywhere and your song as well is number one out there.
Growing up in the U.S, how has it aided your music?
Growing up in the U.S made it a bit difficult to be able to connect with the Nigerian market. Luckily for me, being at home around my family made me connect easily because I grew up listening to Fela from seven years old. My family is very musical. I might not have been in Nigeria, but I wasn’t very far from the culture.
Unlike In the U.S where you get to eat pizzas and hamburgers, my favorite food then was Eba. So it wasn’t difficult blending. The only difficulty would be communication because I didn’t grow up speaking Yoruba or pidgin, so that is the only barrier I had to conquer over time.
What’s your relationship with Shizzi, the music producer?
Shizzi is like a brother to me. We blended from the first day we met. We just understand each other. I understand his personality, he understands mine. He was in South Africa before he came back to Nigeria. He has an open mind. We have great chemistry, he is a fantastic producer.
Have you ever regretted being part of any collabo?
I won’t say I have ever regretted being part of a collabo because no one can force you to do collaboration. Before it was released you would have listened to it. The push might not be the kind of publicity you wanted, but everyone has to play some kind of part.
What is the craziest thing ever written about you?
I think it’s yet to be written. I have been quite fortunate media wise. I can’t think of anything that will make me say: “Wow, how can they say that?” Headlines tend to be a little bit funny. May be it was something I said in passing and that becomes the headline
How about the news making the rounds that you are dating Don jazzy?
That’s the media for you. People do whatever digging they have to do. Don Jazzy is a good friend of mine. I don’t think it’s a big deal; I just kind of laughed it off.
How did your music journey begin?
My music journey started from secondary school. I did my first solo at 13. It was a jazz solo. I was put on the spot to sing, I want to say that was when the idea and the dream came from. From then on, I continued loving music. I started writing my own songs at about sixteen .I started recording when I got to college.
There was a time I went to New York with my mum to audition for a label. The label we went to audition for was at the time the management company working with Alicia Keys. We went there prepared and with the mindset of “If they say yes, what next?”I never actually followed up with them. Between 2003 and 2004, I met Eldee Tha Don, we were all living in Atlanta at the time. Eldee was the one who introduced me to the Nigerian side of music. He was the one who told me things are beginning to happen and the sound is changing in Nigeria. That was when I got familiar with everything that has to do with music In Nigeria.
Can you quit music for your relationship?
I could, depending on the context. If, let’s say my partner was ill and required a lot more time and attention and my music was going to be a hindrance to that, it would be a yes. But if it is just a matter of “I don’t like what you do”, I am not too sure about that.
What if he isn’t comfortable with the fact that you are in the public glare?
It would never have gotten that far. How you found me was in the public glare in the first place.
Can you go unclad in a music video?
I won’t do anything that I cannot back up. I won’t do anything that my parents and my two younger sisters won’t be proud of. Anything that I won’t be able to comfortably talk about with my loved ones, I probably won’t do it. I can only do what I am comfortable with and I can stand by it. If it’s a matter of going nude for the sake of viewership I won’t do that. That is not what I am selling.
What defines you?
What defines me is my environment, my experiences and my emotions. By birth, I was born in June which makes me a Gemini. What defines me is being a down-to-earth girl who is pretty much a ‘What you see is what you get ‘individual. My personality is very big and also honest. There is no forming like they say.
What part of your body gets you the most attention?
That will be my eyes and legs. They have always been my attention getter.
What is the inspiration behind your famous Ankara picture?
That picture has gotten more famous than me even before I moved back to Nigeria. I didn’t even know instargram existed as at that time and the picture was on instagram. A friend of mine who is a designer was the brain behind it. We had a photo shoot and I liked it. I like the fact that it was Ankara. My style of dressing is often very enigmatic. I was comfortable in it, I wasn’t necessarily trying to sell anything. It’s something I would wear. I looked into the mirror and I liked it and I said” let’s go for it”.
So were you surprised at the response it generated?
Yes, I was; I was surprised at how far it went. I didn’t look up in the picture. My head was bent down. When you are yourself people will pick up on it and fall in love with that.
What is the inspiration behind ‘Sarewale’?
The inspiration behind ‘Sare wale’ is a common love shared for the late musician Fela. The producer ‘Shizzi’ and I happen to be huge Fela fans so it wasn’t much of a surprise when he played me the beat. After listening once, I let my creativity take the driver’s seat and started to freestyle whatever came to mind at the same time . 75% of the song was created at that moment. It all came together naturally and spiritually.
I would actually say my back ground is more Afro-beat than R n B. Even though I was raised in the U.S, I grew up listening and knowing all of Fela’s music, as well as Fuji musicians and High-life. As an entertainer I would consider my ability to confidently blend my western orientation with my Nigerian background and entertain my audience as my selling point.
If you were to start all over again what would you do differently?
I would take all opportunities as they came .I would do what I believed, would do what I felt. I would be more like a Davido and just go for the opportunities around me. As you grow you become more cautious, but I would have that ‘One life to live’ mindset. That is what I would have done differently.
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