Rising singer, Alabo Tuonims, aka Ninety, says though the Nigerian music industry is currently doing well, it needs better structures.
Speaking about the changes he would like to see in the music industry, he told Sunday Scoop, “I would definitely like to see more structure in the music industry, with laws and various awards shows. I want us to build an industry so renowned and powerful that African musicians would no longer feel they need recognition from the West for validation. It would also be great to see more diverse genres being accepted within the African music industry. Nigerians have a tendency to reject any sound that is not explicitly afrobeats, and I would love it if African artistes would be allowed to explore and incorporate other genres into our music without limitations or fear of rejection. Also, I would like to see more women given more opportunities in the industry.”
Ninety also stated that he is getting set to release his debut Extended Play album. He said, “I am currently working on my first EP, which will be released on April 28, 2022. It is titled, Rare Gem, and it will contain seven songs. I believe the songs on it are incredible and have to be shared with my fans. I have been working on it for about three years now, so I’m very excited to finally share it with the world.”
Asked to define his sound, the singer said, “I have personally dubbed my sound, New Wave Music, because it is a fusion of different genres and elements that blend into a sound that is unique and fresh. I think a more familiar term for it would be afro-fusion, which encompasses the sound a lot of new African artistes like myself are creating.”
The singer also stated that the positive reception enjoyed by his first single remains one of the highlights of his career. He said, “The overwhelmingly positive reception of my first single, Touch and Follow, remains one of the highlights of my career. I wasn’t expecting it to get that much love. My collaboration with Magnito and Zlatan on the song, Sunday, was also a big moment for me.”
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