In this episode, I spoke with Le Mav, a dynamic producer, songwriter, audio engineer, and DJ who over his ten plus years as an artist & producer has helped shape the sound of the modern generation of Nigerian musicians. Listen we discuss how he's able to develop chemistry with so many different talents, how he's developed as a songwriter, and how he's grown from just a producer into a holistic musical juggernaut. I always have a great time talking with Le Mav, and I hope you enjoy this as much as we did. Le Mav's links can be found below:
Joyce Olong is a gifted songwriter and producer with a soothing voice that magnifies music's ability to calm the mind & spirit. On this episode of Bridging The Gap, I had the opportunity to speak with Joyce about her musical inspirations, the process of growing as an artist, and her newest project, Soseo. You'll learn more about how Joyce views her art and the world in which she creates, as well as the team that helped bring her vision of Soseo to life. This is another great episode and I hope you enjoy it. Links to Joyce's work can be found below:
In this episode of Bridging The Gap, I spoke with Aniko, one of the most talented DJs in Lagos, Nigeria. She is an electronic and afrohouse powerhouse, but she's also a driving force for Lagos becoming a global hub for electronic, techno, and house music via Group Therapy. Tune in to hear us discuss the origin of her love for electronic music, the rise of Group Therapy, and her approach to ensuring that Lagos and its DJs are on the map in the world of house and electronic music. This episode is one that will get you excited for the future of these genres in Lagos as Aniko presents a clear vision of how she sees things evolving in the near future. Aniko & Group Therapy's links can be found below:
In this episode, I spoke with DAP The Contract, a talented rapper, producer, singer/songwriter, and classically trained pianist. DAP has been making music for over 10 years, releasing 9 solo projects and blending rap, RnB, jazz, and soul in exciting and captivating ways. We spoke about the musical foundation that his classical training provided him with, and how that impacted him as an artist. We also touched on the deep and personal nature of his lyrics, how his perspective on musical heroes has shifted and much more. Gems galore await for you in this episode, I hope you enjoy it!
Check out DAP's work at the links below:
For episode 21 of Bridging The Gap, I spoke with Daniel Obaweya, the singular mind behind the Instagram account, @nigeriangothic. Daniel is an archivist, art director, and image maker with an eye for capturing indelible visuals. His resume includes Mowalola's Bratz and Beats By Dre collabs, work in Dazed and Garage magazines, art director for Made for Hue, and much more. We spoke about the foundation of his visual language, and how he has used his unique vision to create a career and path authentic to him and the things he loves most. This was his first podcast interview and I'm deeply honored he chose to do it with me. This was a fun conversation and I hope you enjoy it! Daniel's links can be found below:
In this episode, I spoke with Tami Makinde, an esteemed journalist, editor, and cultural researcher/analyst who has been instrumental in telling the story of African arts and culture over the past decade. From her rise from social media manager to managing editor of The Native Mag, to bylines in Vogue, Rolling Stone, and more, she has always centered and elevated the voices of African women in her work. The launch of her new newsletter, Tell It Our Way, is the culmination of this work as the platform focuses solely on telling the stories of African women in music and across the arts. This is an episode rich with gems from Tami's journey that I truly hope you enjoy. Stick around at the end to hear us make a couple of predictions about African arts for the remainder of this decade!
Tami's work can be found below:
For Episode 20(!), I spoke with Mark Sabino, a designer and jeweler with discerning taste and a genuine appreciation for timeless aesthetics. With apparel handpicked by Rihanna and unique pieces of jewelry that sometimes pay homage to icons of the internet age, Mark has managed to resist the allure of virality on his quest to produce work wholly authentic to himself. We discussed so much in this episode including his background in industrial design, his approach to advertising his work, and how he remains just a guy, not a brand. Mark’s links can be found below:
In this episode, I spoke with Jessica Udeh, a multifaceted creative powerhouse whose various roles include: DJ, creative director, and visual artist. The conversation begins with an analysis of how her collage work acts as a microcosm for her creative practice at large. From there, we dive into a range of topics including how she remains grounded with her globetrotting lifestyle and etiquette tips for dealing with a DJ. This was a fun conversation and I hope you enjoy it!
Jess's links can be found below:
In this episode, I spoke with Kondé Oko, a talented rapper with a wide range of creative skills ranging from production and audio engineering to graphic design. I previously interviewed Kondé in 2019 under his former artist name, YCG, so this was a perfect opportunity to catch up and discussion his creative evolution. We also talked about the thesis statement in his latest project, and how he's using different platforms to share what he's learned about the breadth of genres within Nigerian music. This was a really great conversation and I hope you enjoy listening to it! Konde's social media can be found below:
My interview with Kondé in 2019 - "Meet YCG, A True Innanet Baby"
In this episode I spoke with reclusive star AYLØ, a Nigerian musician who has removed the lines between Rnb, Rap, and soul in the creation of a sound wholly unique to him. We covered a number of topics in this episode, including his tendency to record projects a couple of years before he releases them, struggles he faced while building up his career in Lagos, how he maintains his work ethic and much more. This was a wonderful conversation and AYLØ was really open in sharing stories from his journey. Thank you for tuning in, I hope you enjoy!
AYLØ's links can be found below:
In this episode, I speak with a few members of 44DB, the hottest producer collective in Nigeria. Trill Xoe, Johnson IP, and DJ Lolu all walked me through the dynamics of balancing personal goals with group goals, how the group's vision has expanded over time, and much more. We cover the upcoming 44DB project, solo projects, and I try something new: rapid fire questions! It's a fun episode with a lot to learn inside, I hope you enjoy!
44DB's website can be found here.
Here is a link to 44DB's Spotify page which includes playlists for their members' discographies.
In this episode, I speak with Anthony Azekwoh, an author, digital artist, entrepreneur, curator, and philanthropist with a relentless work ethic. I've known Anthony since the beginning of his creative career and seeing him go from a writer with an independent blog to a digital artist with artwork in global demand has been a trip to say the least! Anthony reflected on his origins as a writer, spoke on the challenges of separating your personal identity from a personal brand, and shared many lessons he's learned along the way. It was great to have him on the show, he was very candid and I feel that aspiring creative individuals will be able to get a lot from this episode. I hope you enjoy!
All of Anthony's work and links can be found at his website: AnthonyAzekwoh.com
In this episode, I speak with digital artist and art/creative director extraordinaire, Niyi Okeowo. Niyi has gained a wealth of experience on his journey, utilising his talents for clients including Show Dem Camp, Ladipoe, Fireboy DML, Empire, Smirnoff etc; We dive into what makes good design, the difference between art direction and creative direction, and some of the challenges that Niyi faces between both roles. Niyi has a really special way of looking at the world and he shared that with me, helping to shift my own perspective. I'm sure he'll shift yours too, I hope you enjoy!
All of Niyi's work can be found at his website: helloniyiokeowo.com
In this episode, I spoke with Ashley Okoli, a cultural icon who has set herself apart with her unique style and unrelenting confidence. She has acted as creative director and stylist on music videos for songs including Alté Cruise and Point and Kill. She has launched her own brand, Sillet, and worked with a variety of fashion brands from around the world. You will learn about the origins of her interest in fashion and the development of her personal style, her approach to styling for others, the importance of separating her identity from the alté conversation and much more. I hope you enjoy! We had a lot of fun recording this, I hope you enjoy! Ashley's links can be found below:
In this episode, I spoke with Tochi Bedford, the talented producer/artist who is most likely behind one of your favourite alternative Nigerian records. Tochi's approach to music is rooted in his love for computers and he shared how those passions began, and how his technical background helps him when it comes to making music. You'll get to learn about how he started working with artists like Odunsi (The Engine) and Santi, how he developed his own sound, the origins of 44DB and much more. I had a great time during this conversation and I hope you enjoy! Tochi's links can be found below:
In this episode, I spoke with SV, a rapper whose unique vision and determination have helped him create a style and sound all his own. Whether its his love for the Sopranos or fine cigars, SV's personality bleeds into his music grounding everything he says with an aura of authenticity. Learn about the intention behind his first 3 projects, his cinematic approach to making music, and much more in this great conversation. You'll also get to learn the name of SV's next project and some additional details that he shared with me exclusively! I learned a whole lot in this episode and I hope you enjoy! SV's music and socials can be found below:
In this episode, I spoke with Bunmi Agusto, one of Nigeria's most exciting young visual artists. Prepare to be transported to a new world as Bunmi shares 'Within' with me, the world that she has created which serves as the setting and inspiration for her artwork. We discuss her creative process, her approach to making these unique visual pieces, and we go deep into 'Within' as she provides context around the world's lore and its manifestation through her art. This is a really great conversation and I'm grateful to Bunmi for her openness and generosity, I hope you all enjoy!
For more information about Bunmi, to see her art, and learn more about the Lore of 'Within', visit her website: www.bunmiagusto.com
We're back! In this episode, I spoke with singer/songwriter Somadina, a special talent who is molding her world as she sees fit. We discussed a whole lot including her childhood in Amsterdam, her time in a band, and how she's been able to push boundaries with her voice and sound. We had fun on this episode and Somadina was very open as she reflected upon her creative journey. Listen and see why this young star is one to watch, I hope you enjoy! Somadina's music & socials can be found below.
Instagram: @somadina
Follow us on Instagram! @Bridging_Thegappod
In this episode, I spoke with the Pan-African Rockstar, Lady Donli. Her expansive discography is just one of the topics we covered, as we discussed her creative intuition, zigging when people expect her to zag, and why she dislikes the reductive nature of the conversation around alté music. This episode provides a lot of context for Lady Donli's work and shows why she's been a trailblazer in Nigerian music for nearly a decade, I hope you enjoy! Lady Donli's work and music can be found below:
Twitter: @LadyDonli
Instagram: @LadyDonli