Somadina
Somadina | |
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Born | Port Harcourt, Nigeria |
Genres | |
Occupations |
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Instruments |
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Years active | 2018–present |
Labels | Somadina Sounds |
Website | somadinasounds.com |
Somadina (born 22 March 2000) is a Nigerian singer and songwriter.[1] She officially started her music career in 2018 with her debut single titled "IHY" which stands for "I hate you".[2][3]
In March 2023, she was announced as one of the African artists to perform at the American Musical Festival, Lollapalooza Chicago alongside Nigerian artists, Tems and Rema[4][5][6]
Early life
[edit]Somadina was born in Port Harcourt, Nigeria on 22 March 2000 to Nigerian parents. At the age of one, she moved to the Netherlands because her father worked there.[7] After her secondary education at St. George's School, Ascot, an independent girls' boarding and day school in Berkshire, England, she moved to London, England where she got a university degree in Sociology from the University of Warwick. After acquiring her degree in London, she returned to Nigeria to fully pursue her career in music.[8]
Her musical experience typically started from childhood owing to her father's love for music.[9][10] Growing up in a music-oriented family, she composed her first song at the age of seven and started taking music lessons at the age of nine. She was taught by a Russian music teacher how to play the piano.[11] At thirteen, she had become a performer with her first public performance at her mother's 40th birthday celebration.[3]
Music career
[edit]2018–2021: Career beginnings
[edit]Somadina officially started her music career in 2018.[12][13] She debuted her first single titled "IHY" which stands for "I hate you" in October 2018, a breakup song which was recorded in the studio.[14] She soon started her own independent label, "Somadina Sounds" in partnership with Chin Okeke. In 2019, she released a single titled "Lay Low" featuring Orinayo.[15]
In February 2020, she debuted her first 5-track EP titled "Five Stages".[16][17][18] However, Five Stages was not a commercial release and is not available on SoundCloud. In December 2020, Somadina released a single titled "Kno Me" featuring SGaWD.[19]
In October 2021, she announced a single titled 'Supersoma"[20][21]
2022–2023: Heart of the Heavenly Undeniable
[edit]In November 2022, Somadina released her EP titled "Heart of the Heavenly Undeniable" (HOTHU),[22] comprising 11 tracks including Small Paradise, Time 2 Time and Dirty Line.[23][24][25] She launched the EP with a one-off immersive audio-visual exhibition of HOTHU exclusively at Africa's largest art fair, ART X. This was shortly followed by a London showcase at Kindred Member's club and a release party at Soho House Berlin, capping off her promo run opening for CKay at Koko in London.[26] To mark the project, she released a single titled "Y I Want You".[27][28] It featured artists like Zamir, The Cavemen and Odunsi the Engine, and was released under Somadina Sounds.[29]
In September 2022, she released a single titled "Rolling Loud".[30][31] This was her first official release under her independent label, Somadina Sounds. In October that same year, she released the remix-EP of Rolling Loud.[32] The release featured 6 remixes from DJ's connecting Africa and the diaspora including Jelani "Pops" Shaw, TNK Musiq (aka Kyle and T-man), DJ Van and Ghanaian masked DJ, TMSKD.
In March 2023, she was announced as one of the Nigerian artists to perform at the 2023 Lollapalooza Chicago alongside Tems and Rema[4][5][6][33]
Artistry
[edit]Style
[edit]Growing up, Somadina was highly influenced by R&B, which clearly shows in her style of music;[34] however, she revealed that she prefers to identify with afro-psychedelic rock.[35][36] The Guardian describes her as an "eccentric and captivating musician, churning out a radical discography baked with influences from Pop, Alternative rock, and RnB".[37]
Influences
[edit]Somadina grew up with early exposure to music. She considers her father, a lover of RnB music to be one of her strongest inspirations. In several interviews with the media, she revealed that she had experienced a wide range of musical influences, including John Legend, Fela Kuti, Asa, Avril Lavigne, Williams Onyeabor and Shampoo.[36][38] She was also greatly influenced by music of the 70s making her combine African musical elements and the 80s metallic-instrumental rock style.
Discography
[edit]As lead artist
[edit]EPs
[edit]Title | EP Details |
---|---|
Rolling Loud (Remixes EP) |
|
Heart of the Heavenly Undeniable (HOTHU)[39][40][41][42] |
|
Singles
[edit]Title | Year | Album |
---|---|---|
IHY | 2018 | Non-Album Single |
Lay Low (feat. Orinayo)[43] | 2019 | Non-Album Single |
Kno Me (feat. SGaWD) | 2020 | Non-Album Single |
Supersoma | 2021 | Non-Album Single |
Rolling Loud | 2022 | Non-Album Single |
Y I Want You | 2022 | Non-Album Single |
As featured artist
[edit]Title | Year |
---|---|
FLAVA – Lady Donli (feat. Somadina & Amaarae)[44] | 2019 |
POPSHIT – SGaWD (feat. Somadina)[45] | 2021 |
Cruel Love – NATIVE Sound System & Sholz (feat. TAR1Q & Somadina)[46][47] | 2023 |
Achievements
[edit]Throughout her career, Somadina has received recognition and accolades. In 2022, her EP "Heart of the Heavenly Undeniable (HOTHU) was listed as one of Times Magazine best albums.[48]
In January 2022, she was listed in Vogue Magazine as one of the musicians set to rule the music industry in 2022.[49][50][51] She was also listed by NME as one of the 100 emerging artists for 2023.[52] In March 2023, she was mentioned as one of the African women redefining Pop on Billboard.[53] In same March 2023, she was announced as one of the African artists to perform at the American Musical Festival, Lollapalooza Chicago alongside Nigerian artists, Tems and Rema[4][5][6]
References
[edit]- ^ "Somadina…The Rebirth of Africa's Songbird". The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News. 8 October 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- ^ Onabanjo, Adedamola (17 August 2018). "Somadina Takes A Deep Dive Into Her Emotions". The Culture Custodian (Est. 2014.). Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- ^ a b "Somadina: The nomadic teenager spreading her wings one bop at a time". The NATIVE. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- ^ a b c "Lollapalooza lineup 2023: Kendrick Lamar, Billie Eilish and Red Hot Chili Peppers". Yahoo Life. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ a b c Placko, Dane (21 March 2023). "Lollapalooza 2023 lineup: Kendrick Lamar, Billie Eilish, Red Hot Chili Peppers among summer fest headliners". FOX 32 Chicago. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ a b c "Lollapalooza lineup 2023: Kendrick Lamar, Billie Eilish and Red Hot Chili Peppers". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ "Get To Know: Somadina". www.newwavemagazine.com. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- ^ "Meet Somadina, Nigeria's Musical Finest — Raydar Magazine". raydarmagazine.com. 11 January 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- ^ "Ten Nigerian Artistes To Watch In 2022". The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News. 2 January 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- ^ "12 Nigerian Artists to Watch in 2023 – OkayAfrica". www.okayafrica.com. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- ^ Aromolaran, Michael (30 September 2022). "Somadina is Not Just A Musician; She is an Artist". The Culture Custodian (Est. 2014.). Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- ^ Staff, Notion (24 February 2023). "Somadina: "My Voice is my Engine"". Notion. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- ^ Adebiyi, Adeayo (13 March 2023). "Women's History Month 2023: 10 fast-rising female artists to watch out for [Editor's Pick]". Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ "The 15 Most Exciting Artists For 2023". dmy.co. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ "FEATURE: Spotlight: Somadina". Music Musings & Such. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- ^ "Somadina steps out with five stages". The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News. 22 February 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- ^ Makinde, Tami (14 February 2020). "Essentials: Somadina takes us through the 'Five Stages' of grief in her debut EP". The NATIVE. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- ^ "5 Stages of Perfection: SOMADINA's Debut EP". MoreBranches. 13 February 2020. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ Onabanjo, Adedamola (23 December 2020). "Somadina And SGawD Are Femme Fatales On 'Kno Me'". The Culture Custodian (Est. 2014.). Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ Alake, Motolani (29 October 2021). "Somadina returns with new single, 'Supersoma'". Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- ^ "Somadina Is Here | Latest Afropunk Music Blog is Live". AFROPUNK. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- ^ Esomnofu, Emmanuel (23 November 2022). "A 1-Listen Review of Somadina's Debut EP, 'Heart Of The Heavenly Undeniable'". The NATIVE. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ Staff, Wonderland (30 November 2022). "Somadina Talks Her New EP "Heart Of The Heavenly Undeniable"". Wonderland. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- ^ "Somadina and the sweet danger of the heavenly undeniable". PAM – Pan African Music. 20 December 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- ^ Murray, Robin (24 November 2022). "Somadina's New Project 'Heart Of The Heavenly Undeniable' Is Exceptional | News". Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- ^ "CKay London – Koko – Nov 20, 2022 – United Kingdom". JamBase. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ "Somadina Shares New Single "Y I Want U," Annouces [sic] Debut EP". www.turntablecharts.com. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ "Somadina: Y I Want U". Frontline Magazine. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ Okim, Itty (11 March 2023). "Interview: Somadina – Beyond walls and boxes – Digimillennials". Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ "Rising singer-songwriter Somadina shares bold new single "Rolling Loud"". DapperMobster – Music Media Platform – The Future of Music Media. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ Chuks, Joseph (2 September 2022). "Somadina Soundtracks Summer With Bold New Single "Rolling Loud"". 360NaijaHits. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ Osikoya, Wonu (18 October 2022). "Somadina Updates "Rolling Loud" With A Remix EP". The NATIVE. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ Mukherjee, Soumyajyoti (22 March 2023). "Chicago Lollapalooza 2023". www.sportskeeda.com. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ "10 Nigerian Artists To Watch (2020 Edition)". Complex. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ "23 Nigerian Artistes to Watch Out For in 2023". NotjustOk. 16 January 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ a b Alabi, Jacqueline (16 March 2023). "Somadina: Originality, the Key to Creating Timeless Music". Radr Africa. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ "Somadina…The Rebirth of Africa's Songbird". The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News. 8 October 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ "The Femme Mag". The Femme Mag. 27 September 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ "Somadina Releases Debut EP "Heart Of The Heavenly Undeniable"". The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News. 23 November 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- ^ "6 Takeaways From Somadina's Heart of The Heavenly Undeniable (HOTHU)". www.turntablecharts.com. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- ^ Cairns, Dan. "The best albums of 2022 so far". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ Johnson-Omodiagbe, Conrad (7 December 2022). "We're Judging Anyone Who Didn't Listen to These 10 Albums in 2022". Zikoko!. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ Onabanjo, Adedamola (7 March 2019). "Somadina Is In Tune With Her Emotions on 'Lay Low' featuring Orinayo". The Culture Custodian (Est. 2014.). Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ Native, The (9 August 2020). "How Lady Donli's Collaborators Are Enjoying Their Lives". The NATIVE. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ Onabanjo, Adedamola (16 July 2021). "SGaWD Is Gunning For Hip-Hop Royalty And She Stakes Her Claim With 'POPSHIT'". The Culture Custodian (Est. 2014.). Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ Adebiyi, Adeayo (3 March 2023). "NATIVE Records' Sholz releases 'Cruel Love/Vex' ft. Somadina, TAR1Q, Teezee, OdumoduBlvck, & Candy Bleakz". Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ "Sholz taps native sound Ssystem {sic} on Cruel Love, Vex". The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News. 4 March 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ Cairns, Dan. "The best albums of 2022 so far". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ "The 22 Musicians Set To Rule 2022". British Vogue. 17 January 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ BellaNaija.com (18 January 2022). "Ruger, Ayra Starr, TeeZee & SomaDina Make Vogue UK's List of Musicians Set to Take Over 2022". BellaNaija. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ "See Nigerians on Vogue UK's List of Musicians Set to Rule 2022 – Ayra St". RefinedNG. 19 January 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ NME (6 January 2023). "The NME 100: essential emerging artists for 2023". NME. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ Obi, Ify (24 March 2022). "How a New Generation of African Women are Redefining Afropop". Billboard. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
External links
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