Afrobeats artiste, Ariehwe Odafe Isaac, popularly known as 06a, has restated his readiness to shake up the Nigerian music scene. The Firewood Records artiste said: “I know that where I am now was not where I was last year or last two years ago. So, I have to keep going.”
Last year, he performed in several shows, fulfilling some of his goals. He recalls his first stage performance, sometime in 2022, in the presence of over 2000 spectators at Nana’s Event Centre. “I told my parents I was going to the cinema, meanwhile I was going for a show,” he said, laughing. Not like his parents would have stopped him from going, but noticing his drive towards music, they expected or would rather prefer the gospel genre.
But that doesn’t count. “Because I have been in love with music before I started singing.” he said.
What genre of music is he inclined? Pop music, as it were, but later traversed to afrobeats.
“I used to listen to Justin Bieber, Justin Timberlake, that’s when I was still in Junior Secondary School. I even used to sing for my seniors, and they tell me I sound like these artists mentioned.
“Those were the people I used to listen to but then as I kept growing I started having this passion for Africa, African music then started listening to Burna Boy, Buju (BXN), and the rest like that and as I kept listening to afrobeats, it was just changing my mindset on Africa and everything. I began focusing more on afrobeats than other genres.”
“I can sing any genre but prefer afrobeats. When I sing afrobeats, there’s this way it feels easier. If I have to rap I have to sit down first and think of lines and all of that, I have to make sure the words I’m saying people are hearing and connecting with the words. But afrobeats, I just flow with it straight.”
When asked if he is looking for any future collaboration, he said: “I don’t want to overstretch it. Some people will say Davido, Wizkid, Burna Boy; yes I want to work with them. I know it can’t just happen just like that. But if I am chanced to work with somebody, it’s still going to be Buju (BXN). I would love to work with Buju,” he concluded.