We meet Copenhagen-based artist Abudebi Zonjon who has a new single out to get you in the mood for the weekend! Find out more about the artist’s background, plans for 2021 and his sound, which he describes as “[swinging] from a typical Afrobeat sound to Afro-soul, then to Hip Hop and RnB, creeping to Afro-pop, Pop, Afro-trap, Dancehall all the way to Reggae blues and Afro-EDM.”
Where are you from and what are your favourite places to experience there?
I am from Ghana in west Africa,but originally I hail from a royal family in Tamale in the Northern part of Ghana. However, I was born and raised in Ashaiman, a multi-ethnic and multicultural suburb in the Capital City of Accra.
Growing up as a child in a city of diverse cultures such as Ashaiman, the influences affected my open mindedness generally, and in turn extended to my versatility as an Artiste.
I was fortunate to have travelled the length and breath of Ghana growing up thanks to School trips and excursions to historic places. As a kid back then one of my few favorite memories ironically happened to be the Danish built ‘’Christiansborg Castle’’ built in the 17th century which happened to be the first contact between the Danes and the then Gold coast now Ghana. I loved history so I cherished every bit of our trips to historic places and this being our first historic trip was stuck in my mind till this day as one of my favorite memories
Little did I know I was going to be living in Denmark at some point in my life. However as an adult some of my favorite places I like to be every time I get the chance are the ‘’vli waterfalls’’ in the Volta Region, a perfect place to connect with nature. The kakum ‘’National park’’ in the central region and then the “Mole national park’” in the Northern region of Ghana. But whenever I want to feel cozy in the city of Accra my favorite places are Labadi beach hotel or the Titanic beach in Sakumonor outside the Tema outskirts.
How would you best describe your sound?
I usually refer to my artistic person as a musical cocktail because my sound stems from a broad collection of musical influences. Stemming from vast cultural exposures to different musical influences, including that of my late Dad’s daily playlists and music library when I was growing up as a kid, both live music and studio engineered sounds.
I can confidently say my creative process fly’s on the back of a collaborative effort between the subconscious of my childhood musical memories and my conscious of today. As a result my musical mood could swing from a typical Afrobeat sound to Afro-soul, then to Hip Hop and RnB, creeping to Afro-pop, Pop, Afro-trap, Dancehall all the way to Reggae blues and Afro-EDM. In all I try not to put barriers or restrictions to my creative abilities. However, in all my vibe you can find that unique African Tone that signifies my African identity varying from sound to sound.
What have you got planned for the year?
I am poised for the release of my first single for 2021 titled ‘’Dopest Kid In Africa’’ which will be available in all digital stores on the 26th of February. It’s an Afro-trap sound expressing my stands and staking my claim as the Dopest kid from Africa who aims at taking over the world without fear or hesitation with my music. It also seeks to project African cultural pride and excellence in a way that best describes the African Millennial.
I also have plans of releasing my second EP later in the year and an Album afterwards in the latter part of the year.
When can we expect to see you start to play some online or live music?
I am so looking forward to things getting back to normal so I can get to perform again. Performance gives me nothing but joy and true satisfaction. Seeing people from different backgrounds vibing and connecting with you through your performance is a great achievement and take home for me. It is my dream to tour the length and breadth of Scandinavia, Europe and many parts of the world with my music and message and I honestly can’t wait for the world to be normal again.
What can we do to help support your music and where do we need to go to do that?
Thanks for the concern, very much appreciated. Right now, I could use support to introduce my music to your network of Playlist curators, Movie scorers, bloggers, Radio personalities, event promoters, Tour booking agents etc if any, in order for my music to reach a wider audience and in turn help in making some sustainable revenue in this difficult Covid-19 period especially for artistes.
Below are links to my Spotify, Apple music and Youtube. A follow or a share and recommendation will mean a lot.
Spotify: https://artists.spotify.com/c/artist/1sfVmtJd0j5SXSjxhkggcI/home
Apple Music: https://artists.apple.com/a/artist/1535163416/?period=w4
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AbudebiZonjon
Finally, what was the last thing you read, watched, and listened to?
The last thing I read was a Biography about the originator of afrobeat Fela Kuti called “ This Bitch of a Life”. It’s quite an interesting book which i like to read again and again.
The last thing I watched was a series on Netflix called “Luther” I actually saw it by accident when my wife was in the process of watching and then a scene caught my attention and I ended up following the story. I hardly have time to sit and watch TV because I always have so much to do in my homebase studio,and things to do on my computer and my phone as well,all music related hence making it difficult for me to have time to watch TV.
Last thing i listened to was music from my unreleased catalogue and that is typical of me.
Interview by Alex Minnis
