Imanse Ajala is a singer, song writer and entrepreneur. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, she talks about her inspiration, memorable moments and more.
HOW did you get into music?
I have always liked music as a lady. My parents, especially my dad, used to play a lot of music in the house. He used to play King Sunny Ade; that was huge. Others included Ebenezer Obey, Whitney Houston, Michael Bolton, Mariah Carey Celine Dion and lots of Kelly.
In fact, our house was a big choir for the greats. The music that filled the air was extremely well done, quality music. It was pretty cool and it kind of filled my head. I didn’t even know that I would be this musical. But it filled my head in a way where when I started towards music, I could tap into some of those sources from the past.
Also, when I started writing my early write ups, they reminded me of how R Kelly would write a song or how a Whitney Houston would do it. I was kind of tapping into a lot of music that filled the air as we were growing up as children.
I would say that I pulled in from a lot of those experiences and it poured into my future self as I was growing up. I remember even as a child, as a ten-year old, I would get to parties and out dance everyone. I would sing if there was a chance to sing. It was just a lot of constantly taking opportunity to express myself creatively. Then majorly, I think I had a slight bored moment when I started working.
I had gone to Howard University and had started my investment banking job with Morgan Stanley. There I would write songs on my work desk. In the middle of work, I’d kind of drift away looking for beats. From university, I worked and in between that I joined the choir. I was just very good at coming up with stuffs. I went to Queens College and in college, I remember always being part of the people that would lead the chart, in changing songs or making the covers.
We would just take a popular song and change the words. So, I wouldn’t say that I came into music; I have always been in it. Now, I am just manifesting it fully. I have left everything for it. I have always been attracted to young people singing. So, music has always been magnetic to me. I am also the kind of person that is emotional. Anytime I watch all this performance, I cry. I also cry when music is beautiful. I cry when people put it well together; it’s something that is like a fabric of my existence. I am just stepping into the full manifestation of being a musician and an artiste.
Tell us about some of the things that you have done
I feel like before I started officially writing for myself, I had always written for people and I mean no one popular. In church, we tried to put a gospel album together and was part of the people that wrote for the album. I was creative and always knew how to put words together. I just put melodies together as well and one of the significant things that I would say that I have done was the big church body production and I would say that I worked on 90 per cent of the songs and melodies. I would say before I started to realise that you know what, I can actually write my own music. I can write, produce and supervise and do all those little things. So, if you ask what are the other things that I have done before recording my first in 2014, then going to release my EP, then the single Ajala and other new singles too followed.
What was the experience like at the beginning?
The challenge, for me, when I first started music was that I was faced with two challenges. The first was that I had just moved back from America, so I was really green in Nigeria. I didn’t know how people did things; their music business here and I didn’t understand some of the subliminal languages, tone and things that people expected. I felt that I didn’t have a fantastic guide at that time, to be fair. I think that with hindsight, I should have teamed up with someone who really knew the terrain and had a lot of contacts on ground.
So that I wouldn’t have to run into a lot of the situations without knowing what to do or what to say. I was just doing everything off the curve and I was making some mistakes. In fact, at some point I was making some mistakes that I didn’t know were mistakes. I was saying things to people that I shouldn’t probably have said. I just didn’t know all the right ways to do things at that point. Now, I am way much wiser. I definitely now understand not just the entertainment industry but Nigeria as a whole. And I think working in Nigeria requires social intelligence and it requires a different set of skills. So, it takes time to gather that skills, it takes time to attend to it. And if I can tell anyone that wants to do what I did, I would say if you are just coming back into the country after a while, take your time, try to understand where you are and even understand whether your foot is standing strong before you proceed to do business in that area. Every business has its code of conduct, every area has its style, way of doing things; every area has its culture and it is good to understand what those things are before you go in deeply.
So, I was pretty much making my mistakes learning and growing as I was moving along. It definitely wasn’t a bed of roses and it had its ups, downs and I think everything that you go through makes you what you what you become. It’s been a really rewarding experience.
What are some of the memorable moments?
There are quite a number of such moments. Meeting a number of people and it was like taking them out of the TVs and meeting them in person. Those were memorable moments and when I came back to Nigeria. Obviously, I performed at the Howard graduation for friends. I had done various birthday parties, fiestas and all kinds of things. But starting to perform in Nigeria was kind of electrifying, like the bar beach shows; it was a lot of meeting legends and kind of being in the space was super duper experience for me. So, I would say that those were the memorable moments for me.
What should your fans expect from you this year?
They should expect to see some growth from me. They should expect me to also learn to develop some other skills and go back and learn two instruments, probably a piano and guitar. Just kind of go back for vocal training and improvement all around. Get back to recording sessions, get back to my records. So, we a looking forward to a difference, change and growth. I remember when I first moved back, I had all this big ideas for videos.
I had all these ideas of videos that Michael Jackson or Beyonce would do but then I realised quickly that you have to start from somewhere and grow big. So, I hope that I would be able to do one of those videos but in the absence of doing those kinds of videos, it is better to be consistent with the ones that are possible in this part of the world and just get to blow people’s minds with all those stuffs.
What are the challenges?
The challenges in the music industry are numerous to be very honest. In being around a bit, I go to a lot of conferences because I am the kind of artiste that wants to be on the management side as well. I want to know how we are working to make our industry better. How are we students of the game and teachers of the industry? I have gone around and seen some of the challenges. It starts with lot of us in the game who are not professionals.
What are some of the lessons learnt?
I once saw that a nice girl should never have an opinion. So, there are lots of lessons learnt. But, basically, when I first moved into the game, one of the things they told me is that a female artiste should be very nice. She must smile with everybody, she must not have any enemies; almost like an impossible task. It’s an important task. I have learnt to hold back some of my opinions, share the ones that won’t upset people. At least where it doesn’t really count; if it is something that matters to you and your development, I think you should let people know. But you learn as you go, get deeper as you move on. It is important to have more friends, be that nice girl that people admire. As you are assertive, demanding excellence, try not to step on toes.
What are the other things that occupy your time?
I am an entrepreneur and recently I have been working on building a beauty brand. I have always been passionate about beauty and this includes skin, hair, nails, make-up, serums and anything beauty. I am like a walking test board for products. I also love organic skincare, things that are natural and teaching yourself with stuffs from nature. I have learnt that if you are using bleaching cream, you are damaging your skin. I have learnt to choose safer products. I also love to swim; I love to walk, investing in learning a musical equipment or two. Also investing on my all-female show titled Night of emancipation, night of freedom. I love to pay great attention to details.
Who or what do you consider as the greatest influence in your life?
I would definitely have to say it is my mom. I have seen this woman build castles in the sky. I have seen this woman make mountains from thin air. I have seen her do things that some men cannot do. I see her break boundaries; it is from her that I get my entrepreneurial spirit. Never say die spirit; it is from her that I get my zeal. I cannot see how the world is going down but she still goes to work and does so much. It’s so amazing and sometimes, I ask her how she does it. She believes in Nigeria, against all odds and this is pretty inspiring. I am following a lot of great footsteps and when you do this, you land in a good place. For music, it is more divine. Inspiration comes from God. I don’t take that for granted. God gives it to you as a gift and you ‘unbox’ it.
Let’s compare when you started singing and now, what has changed?
I think one of the things that have changed is the use of the social media. It has become a huge vehicle for music and a lot of other businesses. In the past, you can be an artiste and live your life behind the scene. Now, behind the scene is more important than the scenes. Also, a great thing about the social media revolution that has happened is that also is the fact that you can go online and be your own record label. You can easily set up a company for yourself as an artiste, unlike what we had in the past. Obviously, there are the bad sides but if you use the good side, you can fly.
What are some of your expectations for year 2020?
I want to be a value-added; someone of impact in the entertainment sector, to do live shows and people would say waoh! There are people doing that and I want to stand beside them. There is Bolanle Austen-Peters, Mo Abudu, Deola Art Alade and lots of amazing women. I want to stand beside them, making amazing things happen.
Who are some of the people you admire?
I admire them for different things. I admire Beyoncee because you discover that God endowed her with a lot but she didn’t just say it. She took that beauty and she ran with it. She is one of the most single-minded, focused individual I have ever seen. She is not easily distracted; she does not let the noise get into her head. She is talented but talent is not enough. If you are not pushy, demanding or assertive, you don’t know what you want and do not go after it, it would not happen. I like Asa because there is some uniqueness and mystery about her. I think there is a value to that mystery and that uniqueness. You can tell that she knows a lot, sings a lot, being through a lot but she releases it to us, little by little. Then Brandy; I love her technical-focused skills. Brandy is so beauty to hear and listen to, to copy at times but it is just that Nigerian music does not allow you to go too far and too deep with some vocal techniques.
What is your definition of style? What wont you do for fashion?
It is what makes you so comfortable and most beautiful at the same time. I am someone that loves to take it easy when it comes to fashion. I am actually a double edged sword; one moment I want to be the most dramatic and another moment, I don’t want to be noticed.
I just want to pass by, wear my white tee shirt and my jeans, with my Fedora hat and I am gone. So, I look at how I am feeling at the moment; I don’t do everything that is in style or fashion for the moment. But I consider myself to be extremely stylish. I know what to wear at every turn and I thankfully have some appropriate things to wear at every occasion because every occasion requires a different set of skills and a different set of wardrobe. You don’t have to be a trend but style is classic. I’d rather be at the end of style and class than just be a passing phase.
What are some of the things that you treasure most in life?
It is definitely peace of mind; you can’t trade just being at peace. Being able to sit with yourself everyday and be happy with who you are becoming. You can’t trade that for anything in the world and it is something that I truly value. Anything that would compromise my peace of mind, I am usually not interested in getting involved. I also treasure integrity, honesty and loving luxury real estate. I can spend a lot of time just looking at architecture, designs and wondering how they came about some of the designs. I like the complexities of certain real estates, even the simplicity as well. It is just something that I am really getting obsessed with and I hope that in the future I can collect some.
How do you relax?
I love the beach, I love going to the beach, taking a book, reading and learning from people who know more than me. Run into the water for as many times; at least two hours at a time. It’s the best thing in the world and it is like God is speaking to you.
How would you assess the Nigerian entertainment scene today?
It’s growing, it’s booming and I feel like we are being recognised for just being a great musical nation in all and I appreciate being part of the narratives.
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