Interview with Somadina

Calm, casual and honest are three words I'd use to describe Somadina. In this interview we talk about her growth as a musician, her personal influences and how her life has affected her music.

How would you describe your sound?

I feel like I'm genre fluid at the moment, because I don't really know what my sound is per se, but I think if it's something, it would be Hip-Hop and RnB.

What's your professional journey been like so far?

It's been very eventful. I feel like music has just gone in many different directions for me, especially when I first started and went on tour with Odunsi. It's been very fun, like it's been a very fun ride because I've met a lot of people that I just love, and that understand me, so I'd say fun in general.

What made you know that you wanted to do music professionally?

I don't think I wanted to do music in the sense that it just came about. It's just always been there and been a crucial part of my life. My parents nurtured me through music and my family is very musically inclined, so it's just something I've naturally been attracted to I guess. I've never had a 'wow' moment, if you get what I mean.

What musical achievement are you most proud of?

I released my debut project, that's something I'm really proud of, but I think performance wise, when I did the show with Davido.

Going off that question, who's been your favourite person to work with so far?

The weirdest thing is that I've actually worked with some artists like in the studio, where I've helped them write. Like I've helped write with Niniola; that was very fun. I think she's the person I've enjoyed working with the most.

What is your favourite song of yours, and what is the story behind it?

My favourite song is not out yet, but I do have a song called 'Cruel Love' that I really love, however, it's not out yet.

How would you say you've grown as an artist throughout your musical journey?

I think I've learnt to understand the difficulties in the industry, especially for women. When I came in...I won't say I was naïve but I had a greater vision for myself, and it's not gone, but I've started to realise that there are a lot of shortcomings in the industry, especially for women, and being able to tackle that is like a hurdle on it's own and it's something that I'm coping with everyday, being a dark-skinned woman in the industry.

Really? Even in Nigeria?

And I feel like in Nigeria it's even strangely worse. People think it's not, but the light-skin privilege is so, so clear and so abundant. It's just that I feel that a lot of women who do music in Nigeria aren't light-skin, but I feel genuinely, if a light-skinned woman was to do music, her skin tone would be a head start for her journey. It's like that everywhere to be honest, and the system has always been rigged, but when you definitely get there and you have to confront it, it is very different and it's very new.

Who would you say are your biggest musical influences and inspirations?

In terms of who has influenced my work, or let's say influenced me to start really digging deep into music, I'd definitely say John Legend, because I grew up listening to him; my dad always played him every Saturday. I would also say definitely Aṣa (Asha). I just love Aṣa so much. Those would be the two artists I'll say have definitely influenced me.

In terms of inspiring me, Frank Ocean is one of my favourite artists. I think he's just so in depth and so cool. I also really like Flo Milli. I just think she's so dope, like she's the coolest person ever. I love Flo Milli, I love Tierra Whack- she's so cool. Who else....Snoh Aalegra. She's definitely one of my faves. And Pharrell actually. Those are people that really inspire me, but maybe not necessarily influence my music style.

I've had a lot of people that I've interviewed in the past say that doing music has affected their confidence in two ways where in person, they're more confident when it comes to talking to people, but when it comes to themselves, they've actually become more critical. Is that something you relate with at all?

I think I've always been super critical of my work; I've always been a perfectionist. I had really bad OCD growing up - the type that you need proper medication and therapy for - so that has always been something I've been very critical about, being perfect. I don't think it can get any worse than it is, but yes, I am very critical of myself. I don't think I care about what anybody else thinks necessarily speaking, but I very much care about making the best of the best from my personal self.

So what does your music tell us about the kind of person you are?

It's so weird because my music is like, right now from what's out, it shows some part of me, but I feel like its not a full representation of who I am because a lot of my friends know that despite me being an emotional person and being in very in touch with the way I feel, I'm also like very crazy, so I think it shows one side of me but definitely not the whole picture, just one small side.

What does music mean to you?

It's literally like my Jesus. It's just so special. It's something that I get to believe in, something that reminds me everyday to keep going.

So who are your top three artists that you're listening to right now?

So I'm listening to Chloe x Halle right now; I've been listening to them a lot. There's also this girl, she's really dope, she's like a rapper. Her name is Junglepussy. I find her so cool, her bars are ridiculous. And I love B.B. King. I'm listening to him so much right now.

Do you have any advice for anyone wanting to get into the music industry right now?

Do it. Just do it. It'll be hard, but its worth it. It's better to try and fail, keep trying and fail better. Just do it.

So can we expect anything from you in the near future?

So honestly I've been working on a lot of music this quarantine, but I've decided to really just give myself space to explore at the moment, so releasing music right now is not my priority, I'm not going to lie. I'm trying to just get into different things like visuals, productions, and just exploring my craft and perfecting it before I put out anything again. So yes and no, but there's no time stamp.

Interview done and written by Oluwadara Apampa

*This interview has been edited for clarity.

Click here to listen to Somadina's latest EP 'Five Stages'

Follow Somadina on social media to stay updated on her journey!

Instagram: s0madina