J. Derobie on his debut EP ‘Nungua Diaries’ and his musical journey

Ghanaian artiste, J. Derobie is thankful!

Thankful for the ability to make a career off his love for music, and the journey he is on. Born Derick Obuobie Jnr., he was discovered through Mr. Eazi’s emPawa Africa project – an initiative to mentor and support emerging African artistes.

His song ‘Poverty,’ released on January 11, 2019 earned him mainstream acclaim, and has garnered over 1.4 million views on Youtube. His talent and co-sign from the likes of Kranium and Popcaan have propelled his craft onto the global music stage.

On July 3, 2020, he released his debut EP ‘Nungua Diaries,’ named after the community he grew up in, and life experiences.

In this interview with GQ South Africa, J. Derobie talks about the themes on the project and the premiere of ‘My People’ on Diddy’s Revolt TV.

GQ: Your debut EP is titled ‘Nungua Diaries.’ Can you speak on one specific thing that has been of great benefit to your career because you grew up in Nungua?

JD: Starting to love music. It all started in Nungua. I heard a woman sing, and I also wanted to sing and sound just like her. I used to watch shows with my mother. My love for music started in Nungua.

GQ: The theme of songs on your EP and previous works are experiences people can relate to. Is there a reason why you feel it is necessary to be real instead of making up stuff?

JD: As an artiste, you always have to know what you are creating. And you always have to create relatable stuff. That’s the only way the fans can enjoy the work of the artiste. Most of the songs are basically telling a story one way or the other. That is my main target on the EP because all these were my influences as a result of growing up in Nungua, trying to reach people and creating a good project.

GQ: One of the songs on the EP is titled ‘Fake Friend.’ Have you had any such experiences in the industry? What’s the story behind the song?

JD: I’ve not really experienced it yet but ‘Fake Friends’ was inspired by the story of a friend of mine who experienced something like that and told me. And I felt like it doesn’t only happen in movies. It happens in real life. And it makes me cautious about who to hang out with, and who to call friend. We just need to be careful and to know that too many friends could actually cause problems.

GQ: What is the goal regarding your new EP?

JD: I want to reach out to a lot of people around the world. I feel that a lot of people need to hear my songs because I believe they are good. A lot of people need to hear my sound and what I do. My goal is to reach a lot of masses in the world.

GQ: Is there anything you want fans to know about the EP that isn’t already known?

JD: A documentary has been shot for the EP so I would want them to anticipate. The video will be out very soon. For now, ‘My People’ video is out. They should go stream, watch it and enjoy. And also anticipate the rest of the videos.

GQ: The past few months have been crazy because of the corona virus pandemic. Is there anything special you did to ensure the quality of your work isn’t affected by everything happening in the world?

JD: The pandemic has distracted a lot of artistes including me a lot but we’re still fighting our way through. It has helped me create something good for my fans. It has helped in terms of gathering my project up which is ‘Nungua Diaries.’

GQ: The video for your song ‘My People’ premiered on Revolt TV in early July 2020. What does it mean to you to break into a new market?

JD: I feel so great. I feel so happy. And I feel so honoured as well. It’s not easy to get your stuff out there like that. And for me, it’s been able to happen kind courtesy emPawa Africa and I am so grateful for that.

GQ: Anything else you want to talk about?

JD: My fans should go stream ‘Nungua Diaries.’ Share with family around the world. Stream, and buy the project because it is for them. And help artistes earn revenue considering corona virus has upended the other means by which artistes live off their work.

GQ: How are you dealing with the loss of revenue because the corona virus pandemic has upended live shows which was a major source of revenue for artistes?

JD: For now, streaming is the main source of revenue.

Listen to EP here> https://empawaafrica.lnk.to/NunguaDiaries

Originally published by GQ South Africa READ HERE on July 18, 2020

Comments

Sarkodie's 'Ralph Lauren' Staying Power

‘Sarkodie is still the Man,’ reads the headline of a culart.blog review following the debut edition of his ‘This Is Tema’ concert in October 2019. The headline might be easy to dismiss but casual observers of the Ghanaian music industry will admit the past few years, especially 2019 was a difficult one for the ‘Lucky’ artiste. Going by his own standards, recent songs he’s released, which are largely considered rotation-heavy, don’t compare to the level of ‘Adonai,’ ‘you go kill me,’ ‘Illuminati’ and or ‘Original.’ In an industry where an artiste’s relevance is based on whether he or she is a hit-making factory, the two-time Ghana Music Awards ‘Artiste of the Year’ winner surprisingly hasn’t lost his star power or become a ‘victim’ of diminished relevance according to the unwritten rules of the industry he finds himself. Sarkodie still rubs shoulders with talents who are enjoying mainstream relevance like Kwesi Arthur, Kidi, Kuami Eugene, Fameye and Stonebwoy among others – w

The Journey from Jane to Efya

Songstress Jane Fara Fauzzier Afia Boafowaa Yahaya Awindor, known in showbiz circles as Efya continues to ride up high. Her recent success stories, which include winning Best Female Video at the just ended 4Stye Muisc Video Awards, justify the hope many personalities in the Ghanaian music industry have in her as the next big thing. Efya got introduced to the Ghanaian music scene when she made it as one of 12 finalists of the music reality show “Stars of the Future” in 2008. She placed second in the competition to winner Irene Logan. Efya is a product of Yaa Asantewaa secondary School and University Of Ghana, Legon, where she graduated with a degree in Theatre Arts and Music. Between 2008 and 2011, she was part of the group ‘Irene and Jane’. They released one album “Unveiled” before going their separate ways. After the break up, the then Jane changed her name to Miss Jane and then later, to Efya. Efya got signed to One Nation Entertainment in 2011. Her first single after she left th

Ria Boss on her song soundtracking Michaela Coel’s ‘I May Destroy You’ TV series

In July 2020, a song by Ghanaian soul singer, songwriter and producer, Ria Boss debuted on HBO, the American pay television network and BBC One, the first flagship television network of the British Broadcasting Corporation. Titled ‘Intro,’ the song plays as Terry (Weruche Opia) and Kwame (Paapa Essiedu) engage in a heartfelt chat in a bathtub in episode 7 of ‘I May Destroy You,’ the critically acclaimed British comedy-drama television series created, written, co-directed, and executive produced by Michaela Coel who also plays the lead role of Arabella in the show. The song is off ‘BORNDAY’ EP – one of 11 EPS Ria released within 11 weeks on her #ThankGodItsRia project between September and November 2018. She produced, mixed and mastered the song herself. Maria Emmanuelle Grace Bossman-Damiba was born in London to Ghanaian and Burkinabe diplomat parents. She was raised in Ghana, and relocated to the United States of America in her late teens. She moved back to Ghana in 2017, and in the

Steve Harvey to host Ghanaian version of 'Family Feud'

American comedian and Television Host, Steve Harvey is heading to the African continent with popular show ‘Family Feud,’ livefmghana.com can exclusively report. His company, Steve Harvey Global has obtained rights to launch and host Ghanaian and South African versions of the television show. Harvey’s company got the franchise license from Fremantle, a British international television content and production/distribution subsidiary of Bertelsmann’s RTL Group. “Bringing Family Feud to Africa has long been a dream of mine,” says Harvey who has hosted Family Feud since 2010. “I believe Family Feud will become a household name for local South African and Ghanaian families. And this is just the beginning in Africa. I expect this show to lead to multiple media and business projects in and throughout the continent.” ‘Family Feud’ features two families competing to name the most popular responses to gathered survey questions in order to win cash and prizes is one of televisi

Kenyan podcaster Adelle Onyango talks about 100 episodes of her podcast 'Legally Clueless'

In early February 2021, Kenyan Media Personality and activist Adelle Onyango celebrated a new achievement – 100 episodes of her Legally Clueless podcast. On the podcast, Onyango documents her journey as an “evolving unapologetically African woman.” She also shares experiences of Africans around the world. Since its debut in March 2019, Legally Clueless podcast has grown to become a chart-topping favourite. It averages about 10,000 plays per week, and has over a million streams in total. Onyango resigned from her high-profile Kiss FM job to focus on the podcast . “This milestone validates my journey, as well as tells other Africans it is possible to come into the [podcasting] space and have agency over their stories,” says Onyango. Legally Clueless was ranked as one of the most popular podcasts in the East African country in 2019 per a OnePulse research, tying with Joel Osteen’s podcast for the top spot. In 2020, following a deal with Trace FM Kenya, Legal

In 2020 Live Performances Went Virtual

Once considered a marketing gimmick, virtual shows have become the premier musical experience in the past five months following the complete change of the live music industry due to the restrictions presented during the coronavirus pandemic. Said shows have moved from the early days of being streamed largely via low quality smartphones to being well-produced by a professional camera crew and offering fans experiences akin to in-person concerts. The format is regarded as a reliable source of income for stakeholders in the music industry regardless of whether in-person concerts return or not for now. Platforms like CEEK VR, Facebook, Instagram, Fortnite, Youtube and Twitch have made it possible for artistes to visually interact with their fans through performances streamed online. StreamElements, a live streaming service provider reported that users of Twitch watched 1.1 billion hours of content when lockdowns started in March in the US – a new record since the platform was launched in 2

Juliet Ibrahim on her directorial debut and memoir

Actress, producer and author, Juliet Ibrahim stays winning! Her career is thriving in a season marked by job losses, death and delay of projects brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. Even challenges caused by the pandemic instilled in her the need to continuously brave the odds, and keep a positive mindset. “The lockdown made me look at life in a whole different view,” explains the award-winning actress. In September 2020, her directorial debut ‘Every Woman Has a Story’ premiered on Showmax, the video streaming service from pay-TV giant, MultiChoice Group. The drama series follows the lives of five women (played by Juliet, Pascaline Edwards, Beverly Afaglo, Sonia Ibrahim, and Vanessa Gyan) from different walks of life as they journey through challenges of everyday women in the city of Accra, Ghana. Through it all, they have gained the power to tell their stories of joy, happiness, heartbreak, pain, disappointment and love. Her memoir ‘A Toast to Life’ released in July 2019 is

Season four of ‘Revealed With Bola Ray’ previewed

An episode of the upcoming season of popular lifestyle Television show ‘Revealed With Bola Ray’ was exclusively previewed to a select audience Tuesday evening. Held at Front/Back, Osu, Accra, it also afforded the audience a behind-the-scenes look at one of Africa’s most engaging productions on television. The event was attended by known public figures including Kofi Okyere Darko, and Jay Foley. Scheduled for premiere in July 2019, the South African Tourism-partnered season will include a tour of Vilakazi Street in Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa, famous for housing two Nobel Prize Winners, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and the late Nelson Mandela. Interviews on Kaya FM and South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) was also captured in the first episode and behind-the-scenes video. “For me tonight is historic because it is the year of return. Just last week, I was in talks with the Minister of Creative Economy of Barbados and he said ‘We’ve seen the stuff that you

Clare-Hope Ashitey cast as series regular in new American Drama pilot

Ghanaian-British actress, Clare-Hope Ashitey has been cast as a series regular in ‘Harlem’s Kitchen,’ a family restaurant drama pilot by American Television network, ABC. The production is set in a dining restaurant in Harlem and centers on Ellis Rice (played by Delroy Lindo), Executive Chef and patriarch, who runs a successful restaurant with his wife CC (Sheryl Lee Ralph) and three daughters. An unexpected death thrusts the family into turmoil and puts the restaurant’s future in jeopardy as long-buried secrets are revealed. Clare-Hope Ashitey Ashitey plays the role of ‘Zadie.’ She lives a perfect life, with a perfect little baby and husband. Ivy League educated, she could work anywhere she wants but her her perpetual sense of responsibility brought her back to RICE as the front-of-house manager. The eldest daughter of Ellis and CC, Zadie never wants to disappoint her parents but all of the pressure has lead her into a third-life crisis that could jeopardize everythi

Ghameli

Search This Blog