Monday 22 April 2013

WALE APPLAUSE INTERVIEWS NEW SKOOL AFROBEAT ARTISTE LESU LEMON

Read interview Here.....Sometmes during the week, I tuned my radio to a popular station in Lagos and then this music hit me. It was not the conventional everyday kind of music that we have around these days. It was very different and had an instant connection with me. I felt the passion and difference in the song. It was a beautiful tune. I impatiently waited for the presenter to introduce the artiste as I needed to know the new generation artiste that decided to do Afro this good.
The OAP introduced him as Lesu Lemon. I was fascinated with his music and Google helped me know more about him. He has 2 songs currently being aired on many radio stations across the country and also doing well in the online media.
African hair and Silifaa are 2 very good songs which promote our African culture and pride without failing to entertain. These songs made an entire playlist on my phone which was on repeat for days.
This young man Lesu Lemon is indeed a great artiste with a difference. I am sure he picked up a couple attributes from Fela Anikulapo Kuti. In my opinion, I think we need to see and hear more of this young man Lesu Lemon.
Here are excerpts of our conversation

Lesu lemon, what’s the concept behind the name?
It all started in the hood, I mean with friends in my area years back, we usually have competition like street jamz and football ,anytime we lose to them I used to say Forget Ile A Su Ile A Mon (LeSu LeMon) that was where the whole concept came from.

Why and when did you decide to do the Afro beat genre of music that you do?
Yeah I decided to choose Afro beat because I love Late Baba Fela and his Music a lot, it sounds matured, real and natural to me, so one day I made up my mind to be like him when I grow up. That why I chose Afro beat.

What is your connection with the maestro FELA?
I call him My Music Father.
Lesu lemon, can I meet you?
My name is Fagoroye Oluropo Opeyemi a native of Ibadan Oyo State Nigeria, born in mid 80’s in Ibadan, last born of three, two sisters, A Christian. An undergraduate studying micro biology at University of Abuja.

A brief into your past and how growing up was for you?
Let just give thanks to God because the past was kind of rough but with God we survived. Like every ghetto man will say, living in the ghetto is not that easy, but all thanks to God we coped and survived till today.

Do you mean to tell me that you are a strictly Afro beat artiste?
Yes O, ararara orororo, like I said, I wanted to do Afro beat like baba Fela, but one thing is that you can't do it as baba Fela did, but now I want to modify or let me say create New School Afro beat by blending Afro beat to Afro-hip hop, Afro-Street And Many more, but still Afro beat with message.

Do all your songs always carry messages; I mean you don’t do songs just for dance halls and parties?
Like My Music brother Seun Kuti would say Afro beat without message is not Afro beat, so most of my music have messages ,like that of African Hair is a message for everybody. Even my second track Silifaa with Suspect still has a message like an African girl driving me crazy, so it all messages

What should we expect from you in the nearest future?
Expect more big tunes from me I mean real Afro beat tunes because am ready to show the whole world that I have the energy, passion and have the spirit in me and also Afro beat lives on.

What was the reaction of your family and people around you when you started doing music, especially the Afro beat genre that you do?
Let me be real with you, some friends and people around did not believe in my dream. I remember the first day I told my people back home that I want to do music, my parents asked me if I was OK, but later on after I released my first track *African Hair* my mum told me well done and prayed for to carry on with my dreams also most of my friends have joined the movement now.

At a point, do you fused other genres of music into yours tell us more?
Yes o, As you know Naija people love to dance because we are happy people, that’s why i featured Suspect on the Silifaa track, it is just Afro beat with a different rhythm and people enjoyed it because i received a lot of positive comments.

When you dropped African hair, what do you think the reception of your fans was?
African Hair is message for everyone, like I told you the track is super dope and rich in lyrics and tune, some girls disliked me because of it, but later on agree with me that am saying the truth ,they all accepted it.

Message to your fans
To all my fans out there, I love you guys, you guys are wonderful for accepting my genre of music thank you all, i promise to continue to deliver and give you guys good music. Eledumare be with you all.




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