Since her first big hit ‘Fargin’ (a spelling variation of virgin), where she portrays herself as traditional and conservative, Nigerian singer Teniola Apata has metamorphosed in the last seven years into a more daring artiste.
In her latest album, titled Tears of the Sun the singer sets the tone from the first track titled, ‘YBGFA’ (Young Black Girl from Africa) where she dismisses sanctimonious platitudes and stereotypes, questioning normative ideals on sexuality which sparks controversy among young Nigerians living in a society where unconventional sexual orientation is frowned upon and is considered criminal.
Teni’s lyrics are imbued with innuendos and double entendres as words like rainbows which could connote sexual diversity or hope are used in the song, suggesting a story about her hidden truth or the struggle of a black woman who wants to break free from the chains of societal limitation.
“Sorry, I’m not what you thought I was,” she says in the song’s first line, adding, “Why are you worried about who I love, why are you worried about who I f**k. Making the feeling so wrong when it feels right. Tell me I’m wrong for living my life. They think they know it all. But they don’t know it all.”
A lively concert set
During a recent, albeit short, visit to Abuja, this reporter caught up with her for an interview. She had been invited to perform at the Press Play Concert at Harrow Park in Wuse 2 which ought to have started at 7pm. She insisted that the interview take place after her performance.
We strut into the venue at 11pm and are ushered into a VIP section and are informed that she will not be performing until 1am. We begin having discussions about her new album as she plays some tracks from it. ‘Malaika’ seems to be her favourite as she grooves to the music seeping through the speakers.
As the clock hits 1am, Teni is beckoned upon by the organisers who lead her to the stage.
She sings and dances, sending the hitherto lethargic audience into a frenzy of excitement. The euphoria reaches a climax as she performs For You which features Davido; ‘Injure Me‘ and the traditional Ondo folk Ballad, ‘Uyo Meyo‘, which she transformed into an award-winning Afro-pop hit.
Within 20 minutes her performance is over as she leaves the audience clamouring for more. Teni bounces off the stage with her entourage into a waiting SUV and zooms out of the venue and to her hotel where she changes into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt.
She is tired but honours her promise to grant the interview and we head right into it.
Sex is personal
Prodded about her latest song which many see as her “coming out of the closet” moment, Teni says the song is about freedom.
“For me, it is freedom; freedom to be yourself in every area of your life. When you have that freedom, you can change the world because you are yourself. Why does another person’s opinion matter so much to your happiness and life?” she says.
But when asked if she is not worried about the interpretation of the song given how controversial issues of sexual orientation can be in Nigeria, Teni says, “Why do I have to be worried over the interpretation of the song when so many people want to come out of bondage?”
The entertainer, however, refuses to reveal intricate details about her sexual life, insisting that such matters are private and should remain so especially because of her line of work.
“For me, I keep it private because I realise what you love, you hide. I don’t care. I swear to you, I only care about two things – my mum and my sister. Everybody could f**k off. I’m not joking. For those of us in the public light, our love lives suffer so much because we are only human.
“I could be with a brother. No one knows the relationship we have and when they see us together, someone would write nonsense. I hide what I love but I am not hiding,” she says.
Teni insists that she will continue to live life on her own terms and express herself through her music without any reservations.
“Everything for me is a process. I swear to you, the day I am willing to show the world who I am dating, you will see it. But I never do anything based on what I am supposed to do. Remember, I spent seven years at university,” she says, calling herself the ‘black sheep’ and indicating that her younger sister graduated before her.
She says when she is ready to let everyone know who she is seeing, they will know.
“While you’re here, it is about your own happiness. That is how I live my life, on my own terms as Teniola Apata,” says the songstress.
Meteoric rise
Teni goes down memory lane, recalling how she was brought up in a home where discipline was the golden rule. Her late father was a soldier and her mother was a school principal. Her widowed mother sent her to the University of Georgia to study business but she had other plans – music.
The singer recalls how she started as an event host. On one occasion, she was paid $300 as an MC and tried to make the party guests laugh but they were unmoved. Teni says she decided to sing for them and this held them spellbound. It was at this moment that she decided that she would go into music full-time.
She recalls travelling for several hours from Atlanta to New York just to record music. The entertainer says although it was expensive, some people who believed in her gave her free sessions. Her first song, Amen, was born out of this and she has continued to make hits.
Explaining what goes into her thought process when writing music, the songstress adds, “Music is a gift from God. You know what it means to create a song and when you are asleep, people are dancing to it. Some people have sex to it?”
“You go to different parts of the world and people are singing to it word for word. You cannot tell me that is not power. It is spiritual. So, when I make music, there are different ways it comes,” she adds.
The musician tells The Africa Report that she has no defined goal but to continue to break records.
“The finish line is the day I die. Of course, I want a Grammy. But even after the Grammys, I know myself. I will also want more,” says the singer.
The price of fame
But she understands that not all musicians had it as easy as she did.
Recently, fast-rising musician Mohbad died under controversial circumstances, exposing the dark side of Afrobeats.
The musician, Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, whose hits Peace and Feel Good were an instant hit, was said to have been harassed and bullied for daring to break away, an allegation which is now the subject of a police investigation.
While Teni is careful not to make direct comments about the incident since investigations are ongoing, she says upcoming musicians must never be in a hurry to sign contracts and must read the terms carefully before signing the dotted line.
The Afrobeats star reveals that her first contract was also exploitative, but her mother bought her out of it. She says parents of young and aspiring recording artists must also be involved.
“You as an artiste, should see yourself as a business. You are a walking currency which means your face, voice, silhouette, and everything about you is valuable,” she says, advising the younger generations that they need a lawyer.
“It is hard because upcoming artistes don’t have money to pay lawyers but I was approached by a lawyer who believed in me. A lot of people are not that fortunate,” Teni says.
AI is God’s gift
The entertainer believes it has become a lot easier to make hit songs, especially with the boom in Artificial Intelligence.
“I think AI is God’s gift. God always gives each generation a couple of things to make their lives easier, support them and help some people get richer. It is just perspective and how you choose to use it. Some people may see it as bad,” the musician stresses.
She argues further that AI cannot replace real musicians but will only help in boosting their careers.
The advancement in technology that moved music distribution from CDs to streaming services has not only brought piracy to the barest minimum but she maintains it has also helped to protect intellectual property.
“Streaming has brought more revenue for us artistes unlike when we had to buy CDs,” she says, which has made music more accessible for everyone.
“With streaming, I am protected by copyright laws. You can’t make money from my song. I will sue you for all you’re worth,” she says, adding that her lawyer is always at the ready for a case.
She ends with a warning to those who might try to take her profit.
“There is an inflow of wealth in the industry now. So, mess with me and see how that goes. Things have changed in Nigeria,” the musician adds.
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