Oyin answers your questions around the release of her first EP.
'Hi dearies, it's Oyin. I have gathered questions around my EP that you have asked me through my socials while anticipating the release. Hereafter you will find the answers and hopefully everything you want to know about 'Ijapa And Fairy Tales'.'
Question: What is the EP about?
Answer: The EP narrates different stories of my life, of course also my life and experiences in Lagos, Nigeria, like a book with different stories. Each song is a story on its own; the four songs tell stories about love, hope, commitment, betrayal, grief, men and women, temptation and seduction, life in Lagos; light and shadow, the hustle, the struggle, the cruelty of this massive city.
Question: How did you choose the title of the EP?
Answer: Animals play a vital role in the traditional Yoruba worldview. Ijapa is Yoruba language for tortoise, an animal that is often referred to as trickster in Yoruba folk tales. Ijapa folk tales are used to teach life lessons and they express some of the core values of Nigerian Yoruba society. Life in Lagos has been a lot like that to me; you have to deal with a lot of difficulties, stress, be smart, wide awake and try your very best to maneuvre, all while staying real and not loose yourself in the madness.
Fairy Tales stand for the beautiful, sometimes literally too good to be true, sides of Lagos, including the little and bigger lies, the dreams, opportunities and chop life moments. The title Ijapa And Fairy Tales also reflects the languages I am singing in on the EP; Pidgin English, English and Yoruba.
Question: Do you have Yoruba music on your EP?
Answer: As I am devoted to Yoruba faith and culture and consider it as part of my identity, you would always find elements of Yoruba in my music. This can be language, instruments, rhythms, visuals etc. Also Lagos has a very strong Yoruba influence, you hear and see parts and bits of the culture everywhere and a lot of Lagos slangs are derived from Yoruba. For my first EP, I consciously chose these elements as part of my sound and visuals.
Question: How did you come up with the idea for the artwork of the EP?
Answer: The artworks of the EP look like realistic drawings of pictures you would find in a fairy tale book. I wanted to create strong visuals for the artworks of the songs, just as intense as the stories that the songs tell. Those experiences in life can make you feel like in a dream, whether its a sweet one or a nightmare. At times you feel like a princess or fairy and sometimes you have to be an amazon or magician, just like the main character portrait in the songs and artworks. The artworks also refer to four deities of the Yoruba cosmology, that represent different elements of nature. Each of them has their own characteristics, strengths and weaknesses.
Question: How many songs are on the EP?
Answer: The EP contains four tracks. Track 1, 'For Life', is the love song of the EP and narrates the story of a deep and committed love, also the hope that this love will last for a lifetime. Track 2, 'Promises', is a song about betrayal. You trusted a person with your life and the person deceived you and went behind your back and hurt you badly. Track 3, 'Jaiye', is about enjoyment, the dynamics between men and women, temptation and seduction. Track 4, 'On Your Own', is about life in Lagos; the hustle, the struggle to survive and trying to build a future.
Question: What genre is the EP all about?
Answer: The genre of the EP is contemporary Afrobeats with RnB / Soul, Amapiano and Afrohouse elements. I feel like I have finally been able to approach the sound that I always had in mind for myself and want to be associated with.
Question: Do you have any features on your EP?
Answer: I decided not to have any features for now on my first EP. I wanted to do it alone, take my time to find my own sound and style and to build from that.
Question: Why did it take so long to put out the EP?
Answer: When I first came to Lagos, Nigeria, I did not know anyone here, I did not have any relatives, friends or business contacts. I had also just started to dip my toes into the music industry and of course, the sharks were waiting already. I had to learn how to swim gradually, all while not being eaten alive. I lost everything at some point, several times almost even my life. I had to go through this process though to get ready for everything that is yet to come.
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