QSC Aspiring interview: Godwin On Bringing The Sounds of Nigeria To The World

There was a time when music artists from outside of the USA and UK would have a difficult time finding mainstream success outside their home countries. Hailing from Kaduna, Nigeria, Godwin is showing that with the current tools available, it is indeed possible. A singer, songwriter and filmmaker, he signed to Sony Music after amassing 80 million views on TikTok singing covers of African songs. Following the release of his debut EP and a brilliant performance for Colors, Godwin releases his latest single Abeke, the lead from his upcoming debut album, drawing on afrobeat, soul, and R&B.

Already drawing favourable comparisons to the likes of Sampha and Jacob Banks, Godwin has been garnering praise thanks to his music that draws from his northern Nigerian upbringing, love of filmmaking, and various African-centric genres that create a stunning and unique sound. He initially used TikTok as a vehicle for covering classic African songs, and after amassing 80 million views, Sony Music came knocking, and his debut EP was underway.

Since signing his record deal, Godwin splits his time being based between his native Kaduna and Frankfurt in central Germany. He’s speaking to Headliner from Paris, where he is due to perform a show and is promoting Abeke.

“My dad was a big music fan and he collected a lot of records,” Godwin says when asked about his earliest memories of music. “And they were records from all over the world. Sometimes he’d have hip-hop playing on a Saturday morning. Sometimes it's French music. Or a traditional Nigerian artist that I've never heard of. I remember being around eight years old and waking up to the songs playing and just randomly singing to them. I think that did something to my voice and my taste in music generally.

“Because when I lost my mum in 2017 it felt like there was no other means that I could express all the emotions that I was feeling. It felt like something kept piling up inside of me, and music was what I resorted to. It was such a relief when I realised that with music I can ease myself off from certain feelings. It's such a quick art form that I can use to heal myself.”

This experience of loss and grief, and the profound discovery of music as a tool for healing himself and others lead to the release of his debut EP, Road To Nirvana, earlier this year.

Built on these life-altering foundations, it’s unsurprising what a powerful collection of songs it is. The opening title track sets this tone with raw power, a cinematic acapella with touches of gospel. Sophomore song, Now, begins more peacefully with lush strings, Rhodes piano, African instrumentation and a backing choir as Godwin sings, “Don’t give me love when I’m gone, I ain’t gonna need it”.

The fourth track, Proud Of You, is one of Godwin’s most streamed tracks, currently sitting very nicely at almost 158,000 streams on Spotify alone. The filmmaker in him is heard audibly again with its cinematic scope, with big spacious piano chords, the spaces filled by his powerful vocals with subtle and deft touches of curated autotune.

Now is accompanied by a music video, and a truly stunning one at that. Created with the film production company he is involved in with his brothers, The Critics company, the video was shot in the Nigerian countryside not far from their home city of Kaduna, and it showcases Nigeria’s natural wonder gorgeously. And if you enjoy cinematography that utilises the golden hour to devastating effect, this video should be on your watchlist.

“That was filmed in the neighbouring state, which is Plateau State,” Godwin says. “It is very beautiful with mountains and greenery. Not a lot of people know it, it's a well-kept secret. We had a quick shoot with my brothers there for the song. Beauty is very subjective. If I say to the record label that the video should be shot in Nigeria because it’s beautiful, that might not be a strong enough argument.

“I think what really pushes my arguments is the fact that as a filmmaker; I've always made films with my brothers, and we've got to a point where we really do understand how and what we want to do, not just with films, but with our music videos. Even videos that the company makes for certain clients, it's always a very clear vision, and I would not trade that for anything else. 

"No matter who it is I'm going to be working with, whether in Paris or the UK, if it's not on a collaborative note, then it doesn't have a good purpose to me. It's beautiful that I get this much creative freedom as an artist because I know it's not that common.”

Social media certainly comes with a massive baggage of pros and cons — many musicians struggle under the weight of keeping up with the constant algorithm changes, having to be present online constantly and being their own marketing managers. And for everyone, there are all the privacy, political and mental health implications revealed in The Social Dilemma documentary. 

However, there is also the argument that it has, at least in some respects, levelled the playing field a little for musicians and creatives, who can now promote their music and art without being heavily backed by a record label, manager or otherwise.

For example, 15 years or so ago in the traditional music industry, musicians living outside the USA and UK were at a huge disadvantage if they hoped to achieve mainstream success beyond their home countries. Today, African pop artists are now beginning to get the plaudits and international audiences they so richly deserve. 

Tyla, who fuses pop with the African amapiano genre, was the first South African singer to enter the US Billboard Hot 100 in 55 years in 2023. She also won a Grammy at this year’s awards, with her expertly planned social media campaigns guiding her there. Likewise, with Godwin, it’s hard to imagine having a base in Germany and signing to a European arm of Sony Music without his consistent and deft use of TikTok.

“I feel like so much has changed,” Godwin says about the changing tide. “I always use the opportunity to say it's a great time to be African because the culture will continue to grow. The music has always been there, Nigerians have always been making music. South Africans have been making music. It's been a part of the culture. It's beautiful that Africa gets to share a piece of the cake now. 

"Even with my TikTok, we are united by the nostalgia of how beautiful African songs used to be then and how they are now. I started out doing covers because I wanted to build on my voice. And, you know, I just realised that people love both the traditional and the contemporary African songs, and I just have to find a way to make it unique to myself and just present a tradition that feels like something Godwin did.”

Godwin has just dropped his latest single, Abeke, a collaboration with German producer duo KITSCHKRIEG, who have done a joyous drop of fusing the track with an afrobeat feel. Atop a bed of soulful piano, sub bass, and a wavy beat, Godwin’s vocals soar. The chorus sees him singing of heartbreak: “Abeke, you do this one, you broke my heart, You walked away from all we built, Follow another, left me stranded, Hooked in pain, I need morphine”.

“Abike, and my debut album, are songs about love,” Godwin explains. “There's a certain stage in loving someone where the gaslighting happens, and it can come from the smallest of issues. So Abike is a song that is a song about the balance between gaslighting and asking for forgiveness. Music is also visual for me, so I always try to imagine what I think the subject of the song is doing, and why he's doing it. It’s a pure afrobeat song — I can’t wait to see how people receive it.”

Speaking a little more about his upcoming album release, Godwin talks about how the album is inspired by love from the perspective of two characters.

“A working title I had for it The Cycle Of Love,” he says. “You know, when you see somebody, approach them, talk to them, know more about them, fall in love with them. Then you hate them, you don't call them anymore. You try to reconnect. So that cycle is what I was trying to explain with the album. And I try to dedicate every part to a particular song. The theme of the album is love and forgiveness because those two work hand in hand.”

And finally, what does Play Out Loud mean to Godwin? “I think playing out loud means in the perspective of being a performer, being very genuine with the performance, Not just in terms of the vocal strength or the voice. I found out recently that I like to give people the context of what I'm singing about before I sing it because it helps carry them along as well. When I'm able to do that, that is the loudest I can be with the performance, when I'm able to help people connect to the music a certain way and for them to understand how I felt when I wrote the music.”

It will be wonderful to follow Godwin on his continuing journey as he releases his album, and his international growth steadily increases. And for Godwin, it’s a case of enjoying this wild ride he’s on. “I just got into Paris today, and then I’m going to Frankfurt for a few days. Life is so different now, but it’s everything I ever hoped and wished for.”