Meet the master of Nigeria’s neo soul wave

DW (English)

Born into a musical family in Nigeria, Jable Osai, also known as Ogranya, is a remarkably talented musician gradually making his mark on the global music scene. Meet the master of Nigeria's neo-soul wave.

Transcript

00:00 ♪ You make me feel the rhythms of the universe ♪

00:03 ♪ I don't need much time for the worst ♪

00:05 ♪ It's like you've most likely been cursed ♪

00:09 - Finally, funk and soul has come home.

00:12 ♪ If you're not around, you're voodoo on the low ♪

00:14 - There's a saying,

00:16 "He who writes the song of the nation, moves its soul."

00:19 - His soothing music has got him climbing global ranks.

00:22 ♪ I know how to walk with you ♪

00:25 ♪ If you don't show me who you are ♪

00:30 - This soulful musician, born Jebo Osaie,

00:35 but fondly known as Ogranga,

00:37 was born into a musically inclined family

00:40 following his father's footsteps.

00:43 - My father used to perform music

00:46 with a band called Blackstones back in the '70s.

00:48 And pretty much he's my first influence with music.

00:53 So obviously I have direct access,

00:58 I have direct access to that generation, to that sound.

01:02 The '70s has influenced me a lot.

01:05 ♪ That's why I wanna keep you to myself ♪

01:08 ♪ And nobody else ♪

01:10 But I still like to employ balance.

01:14 I don't know how to completely dive into that era

01:18 in terms of the rebelliousness of the aesthetic

01:22 and branding and all of that.

01:24 But in appreciable doses, I borrow from that time.

01:29 ♪ No mistake, it's somebody ♪

01:33 So how the youth connects to my music?

01:36 First of all, I'm still relatively young,

01:39 I'm still a youth.

01:40 So in that regard, I feel like, yes, the youth will connect.

01:43 But beyond that, I draw inspiration

01:49 from my everyday experience.

01:51 And I feel like at Tehato Life,

01:55 we're all experiencing the same thing,

01:58 even though it varies in specifics and details.

02:03 - Nigerian music genres are taking global center stage.

02:08 One of these genres being the Alte music sound,

02:11 which is a fusion of Afro beats, Afro soul,

02:14 hip hop, R&B, and other beats.

02:17 They say music connects people,

02:20 and its beauty is that it carries messages.

02:22 ♪ Up all night, it feels like insomnia ♪

02:24 ♪ Maybe it's the lights ♪

02:25 - I feel like what makes me unique,

02:28 or what makes my music unique is my songwriting.

02:31 I put in a lot of time, a lot of energy,

02:36 a lot of effort into making sure every word,

02:40 every syllable, every note is inch perfect.

02:44 It's like some songs, I write them in five years,

02:47 some in five months, some in one day,

02:51 but I put in time 'til I'm satisfied inside.

02:55 So I guess that's what makes my music unique.

02:58 - They say music connects people,

03:00 and its beauty is that it carries messages.

03:02 And musicians are the ones who use sound

03:05 to reach our souls with their music,

03:07 just like Ogranye is doing.

03:09 ♪ See the wonder what you did ♪

03:13 - I draw my inspiration from my music, from everything.

03:17 Make Monkey No Go Market Go.

03:19 I've clocked it somewhere in my head.

03:22 And one day when I'm writing a song,

03:24 I will lean towards that statement.

03:26 So it's in my everyday interaction,

03:28 I meet people, I hear their stories, I connect with it.

03:32 I'm basically trying to write songs

03:35 that everyone can listen to and find themselves in.

03:38 So that's the heart of my inspiration for music.

03:41 So in my everyday life, I find something,

03:45 a story, something that I draw inspiration from.

03:48 - Ogranye studied architecture in Ghana,

03:53 however, later pursued a career in music

03:56 when he returned home to Nigeria.

03:58 ♪ For you I pray for heaven ♪

04:01 ♪ Or one hell of a life ♪

04:02 ♪ You bring out what feel you ♪

04:03 ♪ You make one hell of a wife ♪

04:05 - The shift from architecture to music was inevitable.

04:09 So quitting my 95 to do music, a lot changed.

04:14 The security of 95 you have, first of all,

04:17 that is stripped away from you when you decide to go,

04:20 when you decide to go into music

04:21 where you're pretty much starting.

04:24 No regrets, but I would change things.

04:26 Like I'm currently in this phase

04:28 where I'm looking for the best way

04:31 to have the best of both worlds.

04:32 - Embracing one's talent and history

04:36 is an important part of Ogranye's life and storytelling,

04:40 which he does through his music and passion for the arts.

04:43 - Both sets of grandparents when I was born

04:45 named me Ogranye individually, like separately.

04:49 They named me Ogranye and to me,

04:53 it just felt more, it felt like a more true name for me.

04:58 So that's why I decided to,

05:00 I would like to be known as what,

05:03 the first name that was properly given to me.

05:04 So that's why I decided to go with Ogranye

05:07 and Ogranye means wealth, it means prosperity.

05:11 I was born at a time where my parents quote unquote,

05:14 made it and yeah, that's where that name comes from.

05:19 - But it's not wealth that the soul touching musician

05:22 is looking for, Ogranye is aiming to another level.

05:25 - In terms of aspirations and recognition,

05:29 I feel like the height of it or the place I would go

05:33 that would make me feel very accomplished

05:37 and successful in music is if I would been a Pulitzer

05:41 prize, Nobel Peace Prize award,

05:43 I would pat myself on the back.

05:46 (laughs)

05:47 Yeah, that's it.

05:49 - This multi-talented musician is a force to be reckoned with

05:53 and his music is definitely worth a listen

05:55 as his sounds are different and relatable

05:57 across various age groups.

05:59 ♪ I really care for you ♪

06:02 ♪ So just take care of you ♪

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