Additional Information
Afrobeats, a composite style of which Yemi Alade is one of the greatest icons, is now a key word in the lexicon of globalized pop.
Dominating the dance floors, the Afrobeats trend refers to the updating of styles from the English-speaking fringe of West Africa, i.e. highlife, juju, hiplife or afrobeat, musical genres from Nigeria and Ghana to which reggaeton, dancehall, R&B, soul and hip-hop are included.
Beyond the Afrobeats movement, Nigerian Yemi Alade is undoubtedly one of the female superstars of black Africa, she is in the leading group formed by Tiwa Savage, Aya Nakamura, Asa, Sha Sha, Moonchild Sanelly, Simi and others.
Last July, Yemi Alade was invited to close the Nuits d’Afrique festival in style, but the pathetic slowness of Canadian customs to admit non-Western artists caused the unfortunate postponement of that concert. This time, visas were delivered on time, Yemi Alade and his band will fill the M TELUS, this Thursday, November 10.
Even better, PAN M 360 obtained an interview with the singer, who was reached in Paris before flying to Montreal.
PAN M 360: You are finally coming to Montreal. We were supposed to interview you last summer, and nothing happened because of what we know. Things are finally getting better!
YEMI ALADE: Yes, we can now laugh about it now !
PAN M 360: In the last five years, a lot has happened on your end. Your rise is huge. You are now one of the main stars of Africa, so how do you live it?
YEMI ALADE: I try to take everything with grace, you know, as it comes. I don’t try to overthink about, I focus on the moment. It avoids unnecessary pressure, the kind that is harmful.
PAN M 360: Where are you mainly based?
YEMI ALADE: I’m based where the money is ! (laughs)
PAN M 360: Joking aside, is there a particular place where everything starts from?
YEMI ALADE: Today I can’t really say that there is a particular place. But I have found a way to feel that the cities I work in become my home. Cities like Paris where I am able to settle down when I spend too much time in my luggage.
PAN M 360: In recent years, you became an African superstar, an ambassador of your culture and at the same time a citizen of the world because you adhere to many musical trends and cultures from outside and inside Africa.
YEMI ALADE: Yes, you can say that. Thank God I’m really happy to be alive in this era where the Afrobeats style is getting so much love.
PAN M 360: Most definitely, you are one of the leaders of Afrobeats. It also speaks to the back and forth between Africa and the Americas because Afrobeats has something to do with Colombian cumbia, Latin reggaeton or even Jamaican dancehall. And all this is African, isn’t it?
YEMI ALADE: Yes, Afrobeats has found itself on a path that leads to the right place and I’m just happy that it’s gotten there. We can’t say what the next step will be, but the journey is already remarkable. All of us who are the pioneers, singers, beatmakers, musicians, fans, are all enjoying this journey. We have to take it step by step and look at where it’s going. Anyway, we can say now that Afrobeat is global right now and we appreciate all the love it is getting.
PAN M 360: How do you see your own contribution to the Afrobeats movement?
YEMI ALADE: Yes. Well, I would say that from the beginning, the most important thing for me has always been to be original, to be myself. And I realized that many people love and respect me, especially because of my apologetic love for Africa. And I get all the love that comes with that wholeheartedly. So what I have to do is to stay original in my music, videos, shows, look, etc.. All you can see and hear from me is Africa.
PAN M 360: Indeed, your identity is totally African. You are an ambassador, not only of Nigeria, but of the whole continent. But at the same time, it is international, which is beautiful.
YEMI ALADE: Exactly.
PAN M 360: Nigeria is a difficult country, but at the same time, very exciting. There’s a lot going on there. But there are also a lot of difficult things going on. How do you see the country?
YEMI ALADE: It’s not a very good time for Nigeria. Those days, the economy has yet to rebound from COVID and the recent floods. And of course, the third world countries are the ones that are suffering the most. From that, even though the whole world in general is suffering.There’s a lot of desperation in Nigeria right now. How will this all end? I don’t know. But our hope is also that in the next elections in 2023, that is next year. I pray that our votes will really count to the point that we get the right leader to get us out of this mess.
PAN M 360: And since you are such an admired public figure in your country, what is your responsibility in this context?
YEMI ALADE: The most I can do at the moment is to lend my voice where it is needed for the people who need my help. Personally, I’m just waiting for a better country and government, beyond what I can do myself. I can only really control my music. But I can’t control how the recipients feel. As for the responsibility in the context lies on the shoulders of so many people.
PAN M 360: If we go back to the music itself, what are your main steps? What have you and your band achieved in the studio recently?
YEMI ALADE: I’m totally involved in this ever-evolving experience, because I’m learning along the way, just like they are. As far as sound goes, I don’t like being put in a box. For example, this year I’m really not holding back on showing my love for dancehall music. I let loose! And I passed that energy on to my band.
PAN M 360: So there is not only afrobeats in your music, there is dancehall as you say. There is also the Afrobeat of Fela Kuti, the juju of King Sunny Adé, many styles in fact.
YEMI ALADE: True, exactly.
PAN M 360: And how many musicians are you bringing to Montreal?
YEMI ALADE: Depending on the context, it can go up to 13, but I’m coming to Montreal with a group of 7 people this time: keyboards, percussion, machines, guitar, bass, etc. We’ve been working on it for a few weeks now because we’re very excited about it, and also because I created a special song for the Montreal show.
PAN M 360: That’s very nice of you! Do you do this everywhere you are invited?
YEMI ALADE: No, not all the time. I mostly do it at my solo shows. But this time. I just had to do something different. I felt, from this conversation, that I follow what I feel. That’s how I feel right now.
PAN M 360: You know, the city is very open to African music.
YEMI ALADE: Fantastic. I’m going to be in the right place at the right time !
PAN M 360: Is this concert in Montreal part of the North American tour?
YEMI ALADE: No, I’m going to do this show and then go back to Europe. Because I have commitments in other countries that I have already accepted. Normally when I come to Canada, we always go to different cities. You know, I also shot one of my videos in Toronto too. But this time it won’t be a tour, unfortunately. I will be back.
PAN M 360: Yes, you also featured in Black Is King, that movie directed and produced by Beyoncé. How was the experience of appearing in a very important film showcasing the new African and Afro-descendant culture in the world ?
YEMI ALADE: As you can guess, it was a dream come true. It’s still a vivid memory in my head. Being able to meet Beyoncé personally, and even be on the album itself, is something I didn’t take for granted. Growing up listening to her music, I remember learning certain things from her that helped me become the artist I am today. And for me to get an email and a phone call from her team to mine, that was really important to me. It shows that in this day and age, if you keep giving your best, your work will speak for you. And that’s exactly how I defined this moment.
PAN M 360: Beyoncé probably felt that, beyond your Afrobeats culture, you also had a very strong R&bB and hip hop culture, right?
YEMI ALADE: Yeah, I think the people that were chosen to be part of this work were carefully selected. And you know, if you look at her team very closely, you can see that they do a lot of research, so yeah, don’t be surprised if they had all the necessary information about me before I even arrived.
PAN M 360: Since she made this film, by the way, there are a lot of afrobeats and creators involved in her own productions!
YEMI ALADE: Yes, we are all part of this dream, so a lot of good things have happened. A blessing!
PAN M 360: So, you integrate the music of the Western world, or Afro-Western world, into your West African world.
YEMI ALADE: Correct. I like to say that in music, music represents a world apart. There are no boundaries in this world and I draw from this endless well for my inspiration. Even as a little girl, I used to rap while the songs were playing on the radio. This interest in international music goes back to my early childhood.
PAN M 360: On occasion, you are also involved with French rappers. So your openness is not limited to the Americas.
YEMI ALADE: Oh yes. At one point I decided to do French versions and I was having fun! Since then, there is a strong love connection between me and the French-speaking world.
PAN M 360: France has always been open to African music for at least 50 years. So as it continues with you, in particular.
YEMI ALADE: Yes, I know that in France there is a deep appreciation of the cultures of people of African origin.
PAN M 360: By the way, have you ever performed in Jamaica?
YEMI ALADE: Unfortunately, I never sang in Jamaica, but I went there on vacation. And I felt right at home there. As for the Caribbean, I had the opportunity to perform in Barbados about a month ago.
PAN M 360: In the short term, what are the next steps in your career?
YEMI ALADE: First of all, I just presented my solo show at the prestigious Olympia in Paris. After that, I’m flying to Montreal for a custom concert, after which I’ll be releasing my new EP, African Body. So look out for that!
PAN M 360: Is there a disparity with your impact in Africa and the one you have in the West?
YEMI ALADE: I can fill stadiums in Africa, yes. But you know, I’ve also been in front of huge audiences in North America and Europe. Wherever I am when I get on stage and I feel love, I see my tribe. When I’m on stage, I don’t see any difference between audiences. You know, my favorite mantra is this: I go where the love is.
PAN M 360: Being a pop superstar also means that you are a conqueror. You are said to have great authority with your team. Is that true?
YEMI ALADE: People often say that about me ! (laughs) So yes, I think I am a force of nature. I know that I have a huge influence on people through my music. And that’s a blessing for me and my audience. The main goal is still to spread some joy with my music. There is so much sadness in this world! And so I try to spice up my music with happiness and joy, I want to infect my fans with it!
PAN M 360: As a female leader, how do you see yourself?
YEMI ALADE: A woman representing the music industry is a relay race. We, as women artists, must pass the baton so that the next generation can achieve success as those who came before me did. So when a generation of women does better than the previous one, it’s a sign of success. We should be grateful.
PAN M 360: As an influential leader, do you produce and encourage emerging artists?
YEMI ALADE: I have been mentoring some female artists who are doing very well today Nigerian artists, female artists in general. We need to do this because I feel like most of the time we don’t have the same opportunities that our male counterparts have. So if I see that the door can open for my sister, I will definitely give her a hand. Right now? I am a big fan of Guchi, a singer from Nigeria. There is also Zuchu from Tanzania, whom I like very much. And I hope the world will give them the opportunity to really show what they have, because they are very special.
PAN M 360: So are you at the peak of a new generation that will emerge in the near future?
YEMI ALADE: Let’s wait and see how it goes. I am definitely a key actress, but I don’t know what roles I will play in the future. I don’t know. But I know that the force of nature that I am is there to give it my all. I just want to get better at what I do and be able to keep the conversation going on.
YEMI ALADE PERFORMS AT MTELUS, NOVEMBER 10, 8H30 PM. FOR MORE INFOS & TICKETS, IT’S HERE
