Despite majoring in Political Science and African American studies in the university, Offiong Bassey still feels she has a strong passion for music. In this interview, the Cross River State born songstress who dropped her debut album last year, talks about her upcoming album as well as her plans to break into the Nigerian entertainment industry among other issues.
For sometime now, nothing has been heard about you. What are you up to?
Well, I released my debut album in 2013 titled, “Offion Bassey”. The album is a fusion of African jazz and gospel. Right now, I am working on my second album. I am going to produce the second album myself and I am really very excited to do that. In my first album, I was the associate producer. But this time around, I am going to be the executive producer. I am really excited to explore that aspect of my talent.
How do you combine African jazz with gospel music?
I have listened to all sorts of artistes. From Micheal Jackson to Fela, Shade, Nyong Makebba among others. And I learned from each of them. I feel like infusing all of those aspects of me and my influence into my music. It is all guarded by messages of empowerment and inspiration.
With your American accent, how were you able to sing in Efik fluently in some of those tracks in your first album?
Don’t doubt, believe it, because I did that. I sang two of my tracks in my first album in Efik. And they were inspiring. “Edidem” was one of the tracks I sang in Efik.
What inspires your kind of music?
I just feel that I have travelled round the world and as I meet people and hear stories, I put them down in my poems and from there, I wrote my songs. So, all of those stories and images that I got from my environment transformed into songs. They are what I put together as my songs.
What determines the beat for your songs?
The level I am now as far as production is concerned, I make my own beat. It varies. Some of the engineers I have worked with, would tell you, this is the beat they want. Then they will add something to it, so that it will be better. Sometimes, I have it all finished in my own mind before I hit the studio. I just put my lyrics on it and the music is good. At other times, I have to go to the studio and I have a beat that has already been made but, I will like to actually add some instruments to it.
Why did you choose your name as title for your first album?
Because, it is my first album and I have been working on it for so long a time. While I was working on the album, I was asking myself, what should I name this album. When I taught about the stress that I went through, I concluded that the most appropriate title to give to the album is my name because of the effort I put into it. The album is titled Offiong Bassey .
How many tracks are contained in your new album?
I don’t know yet and I don’t have a date for the release of album. But many of the songs in the album, I have written them before now. My visit to Nigeria has inspired most of my songs and has also made me to write more songs. It has also made me to enhance what I was doing at the moment.
I will need more time. Tentatively, the album will be called The Gathering. I say that because, I feel that people gather together when the harvest is closer. People gather to celebrate the harvest after working so much. So, this album, will be a celebration of that kind of harvest.
Also, I am here in Nigeria for another kind of gathering because, we just buried my great- grandmother who died at the age of 95 years. I am her oldest great grand child. So, it is just an honour to be home in order to celebrate her life and it was also one of the biggest family gathering we had in a long time.
Would you say that the death of your great grand mother inspired the title of your album?
It actually did. I had in my mind to title the album, The gathering before she passed on. So, I would say that her passing on has also influenced the title of the album. Also knowing that I am here speaking about this dream that I had and knowing how great she was, I feel that I am doing an honour in her memory.
In the Nigerian music industry, we have seen artistes who made names with their music in the 80’s but have gone into oblivion. How do you intend to stay relevant in the industry?
Every industry is dynamic, like Engineering, Architecture, Music and others. There is nothing that we have now that is exactly the way it was many years ago. Also, there is nothing that we have now that is completely new. For me, I feel there is an African soul jazz fusion in my music which is one unique thing about me.
So, you probably will not hear me doing a completely pop album. But, I might have elements of pop and popular music in my catalogue of songs. But, I am going to stay through with who I am and what I am doing. And I do believe that there will be a market for it. Also, when I introduce new artistes, they will all have their own styles and audiences.
Are you saying you have plans to go into popular music apart from gospel?
No, when I said that my music is a fusion of African soul jazz and gospel, it is really a fusion. The sounds that you hear are sounds that you can hear in the Nigerian high life music, some in jazz and also in American soul music. Now, when I say inspirational piece, those are the messages but I do not consider it to be a genre of music. I consider it to be a representation of the inspirations that I have.
That will always be there, but you will not say that all the songs that I do will be for the church on Sundays. It is not all praise songs. What I would say is that, it is gospel and the inspirational part of it is the message. That message can sound like so many different kinds of music, it can even sound like a reggae.
What matters to me is the message not the sound. In my first album, there is a song called Conclusion, it is an afro-beat song. The song is talking about how many times we have jumped into conclusion about things.
Listening to the song, someone that is used to a particular type of gospel sound might not believe it is not a gospel music . What I am saying is that there are different ways of communicating as far as the message is consistent and that is what I am always concerned about. It is not always going to sound like the familiar gospel sound that people are used to.
Are there plans for you to relocate to Nigeria in order to pursue you musical career?
I see myself as being here as well as in the USA. I think there are things I can do in both places and also, there is a market for my music in the USA as well as in Nigeria.
You know we have an easy way of getting front and back and anywhere I stay, I can easily get to the place that I need to. But I definitely do want to build a relationship with some producers and Engineers back home. I am also hoping to come back for the Calabar festival.
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