14 September 2024 |
9:55 am
Although Nigerian feminine teams have largely light from the music scene, London-bred journey Shiikane is celebrating their roots. The sisters purpose to encourage future feminine teams whereas honouring their late mom’s legacy via music and philanthropy. After the golden period of Nigerian feminine teams—from the reggae-pop Lijadu Sisters to the Naija-pop trio Determined Chicks—phased out…
Although Nigerian feminine teams have largely light from the music scene, London-bred journey Shiikane is celebrating their roots. The sisters purpose to encourage future feminine teams whereas honouring their late mom’s legacy via music and philanthropy.
After the golden period of Nigerian feminine teams—from the reggae-pop Lijadu Sisters to the Naija-pop trio Determined Chicks—phased out within the late 2010s, the Nigerian music scene noticed a notable absence of latest feminine singing teams. Nonetheless, the sororal Afro-pop trio Shiikane has been exploring the Afro-pop scene for over a decade.
Fashioned by twin sisters Annamay, and HRH Shay, together with their sister Child-Kay, the London-bred sisters started their musical pursuits in 2013 with their debut tune, Afurum Gi N’anya, produced by veteran hitmaker Legendury Beatz. Hailing from Delta State, the group is thought for his or her catchy indigenous lingo and dancefloor-leaning melodies, constructing a discography of singles and an prolonged play, main as much as their just-released debut album, Sixty Diamond Seconds.
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Navigating numerous love experiences, the sisters naked their hearts on Sixty Diamond Seconds, helming all sixteen tracks right into a cohesive expertise. With fusions of Amapiano, RnB, and pop, the album presents a daring introduction to their artistry, highlighting the fantastic thing about woman teams within the African music scene.
Uncovered to music at tender ages, they drew influences from artists like BoyzIImen, Tiwa, Queen, Prince, Usher, and the Jacksons. “Our mom was the fourth member of our group,” they mentioned, revealing how her demise formed their artistry and likewise birthed a memorial non-profit for girls and youngsters, The Anthonia’s Girls and Youngsters Basis (AWACF).
Forward of their international tour throughout Europe, the US, and Africa, Shiikane sits with Guardian Music, reminiscing on their come-up journey, creating their debut album, their sisterly dynamic, humanitarian actions, and their mission to encourage different feminine teams.
Congratulations on the debut file. Inform us about the way you all discovered your paths in music.
Shay: We had a really musical family. Our dad all the time performed data from Michael Jackson, Fela Kuti, George Benson, Whitney Houston, and all types. Our late mom additionally liked music, and we’d all the time hearken to music on the weekend. Each Sunday, we might go to church, and we’d be singing within the choir—we have been all the time surrounded by music. So, I really feel like we form of knew that music was in our household and in our blood and that we all the time wished to carry out ultimately.
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What have been your first experiences with making music?
Shay: Born and raised in London, we grew up in a musical household. Our dad performed drums and guitar, in order that helped as properly. However our first expertise, typically, was within the church. We have been singing within the choir. It was even prophesied that we might do music professionally. We all the time knew we wished to, nevertheless it was truly the prophetic phrase as properly that sealed the choice for us.
Kay was extra within the theatre and appearing whereas we have been at college, however after we obtained somewhat older, Annamay and I began singing collectively as a bunch at school. Regularly, our mum persuaded Kay to hitch, and that was the way it started. So, our first official tune was produced by Legendury Beatz.
How did you decide the identify?
Shay: The identify Shiikane got here from combining our names—Sh for Shay, Kay for Child-Kay, and Annamay. However there’s additionally a non secular that means behind the identify. Our mum was additionally very non secular. There’s a passage within the Bible that talks about Shekinah glory. In order quickly as we instructed her concerning the identify she relayed it again to the biblical phrase.
How have you ever managed to stay collectively?
Earlier than our mother handed away, she was a really sturdy supporter of Shiikane. Anytime we did one thing, we might all the time cross it by her. She helped us financially. She helped us journey. She was the fourth member of Shiikane. She would name herself Mama A. So, realizing that our mother was 100 per cent behind what we have been doing when she handed away, we have been much more wanting to proceed the journey. And so I feel even after we argue and we fall on the market’s all the time a standard understanding that separation isn’t an choice. It isn’t nearly music for us. We additionally do philanthropy. We do charity work. Now we have a basis. We’re additionally entrepreneurs, and now we have companies collectively. So, we’re musicians but additionally sure collectively in different methods.
How do you agree on ideas to your music?
Kay: It relies upon. Typically we’re going via one thing particular in the meanwhile in time after we’re within the studio, and we resolve to deal with that. Typically, any individual comes up with an concept for a tune, and we go to the studio with the intention of writing that tune. What is going on in our lives at the moment dictates how we write.
Inform us concerning the inventive course of behind your new album, Sixty Diamond Seconds.
Shay: Among the songs on the album have been recorded a few years in the past, truly, after we first met Blaise Beats. He was launched to us a number of years in the past, simply earlier than the pandemic, on considered one of our many journeys to Nigeria. We sat down with Ubi Franklin and instructed him that we wished to work with some actually good producers. He took us to Blaise Beatz.
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At this level, Blaise hadn’t began working with any of the massive names that he’s working with now. So, we spent the entire time within the studio with Blaise and his associates, and all of us grew to become household. We recorded our first EP, on the time referred to as NWA. However then there have been among the songs we didn’t use that really made it to Sixty Diamond Seconds.
The writing course of was enjoyable. We prefer to have enjoyable within the studio, however we like to attract on our personal private experiences as properly, and it was troublesome breaking down the tracks as a result of we had a lot stuff in between that point.
What do you guys folks to remove out of your artistry?
Shay: One of many issues we would like folks to remove is that Nigerian music is available in completely different types. There isn’t one sound that you may put underneath the umbrella of Nigerian music. I feel our challenge Sixty Diamond Seconds reveals that now we have a number of completely different influences on the album. It’s a really eclectic piece of labor. I additionally suppose our album is historic as a result of it’s a reintroduction of an African group. I don’t know of any profitable African feminine teams. So, in addition to exhibiting the flexibility of Nigerian music, I feel the album can be a historic piece of artwork that needs to be seen in that means.
Annamay: I’d additionally say that the business is attention-grabbing as a result of there’s all the time a stigma in the case of feminine artists, perhaps with the declare that they’re troublesome to work with. However I really feel being sisters and a bunch, and we’ve been collectively singing for a number of years, we’re shining a light-weight on feminine artists and teams, for that matter. We would like folks to know that ladies can do it simply in addition to the blokes.
What’s subsequent for Shiikane?
Kay: Our imaginative and prescient is to maintain pushing African music ahead for females and exhibiting that girls can collaborate. I feel ladies can collaborate much more, and it will be useful. Additionally, for us, philanthropy is basically vital. , all points are vital, however now we have a deal with ladies and youngsters: female hygiene and poverty alleviation. Our basis, Antonia’s Girls and Youngsters’s Basis, is in honour of our late mum. She was a really beneficiant spirit—actually an angel on Earth—and we need to proceed her legacy. That is our debut album, however we need to launch much more music and likewise do stay reveals as properly.
