Bukola Damola is a British born Nigerian, she grew up in Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and England has been performing since the age of eight. She is half Yoruba and half Delta parentage and decided as a tribute to her Itsekiri roots to go by her Itsekiri name EBISAN!
Her first entry into the Nigerian music scene was through the title track for the critically acclaimed movie, Tango with Me titled “Suru” and “Dance with Me”. Now she is a bonafide solo artiste with the riveting single…”LoveStory” that I just adore and JOWO and her latest work “rest of our lives “ with chidynma,
This girl has the voice of an angel,sweet n powerful vocals I tell ya 😉
Do enjoy this short interview with the amazing Ebisan
Dayniike — Tell us more about yourself, educational background and other things,
EBISAN — I’m not just a girl with a passion for music; I also have interests in other things such as art, sports, good food and of course chocolate! I studied Accounting and Finance at the University and then went on to obtain a Master’s degree in International Business Management.
Dayniike — How did it all start?
EBISAN — My love for making music and performing started at a very young age. My siblings and I used to make up songs, plays and dance routines to entertain our family and friends. It always felt great and I knew I was going to do this professionally in future.
Dayniike — How deeply rooted is your passion for music?
EBISAN — It is deep enough for me to want to do this for the rest of my life.
Ebisan jowo video [youtube =http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4A07cffmtI]
Dayniike — So you have a degree in accounting. Why didn’t you study arts instead? Somewhere around music
EBISAN — Let’s face it, I have Nigerian parents haha! There was no way they were going to let me study music as a first degree but perhaps they would have allowed me do that afterwards. Who knows? I don’t regret choosing to have a background in accounting and finance though. I believe no knowledge is lost and it has helped me in many ways.
Dayniike — Why did you come back to Nigeria to push your music? , I mean, most people stay over there.
EBISAN — At the risk of sounding too spiritual, let’s just say it became clear to me at a point that God wanted me to be back here. All roads led me to Nigeria and I am glad it worked out that way.
Dayniike — What inspired “Love story”?
EBISAN — At the time, I was dating a guy who was hell bent on bringing out the best in me whether I liked it or not. He was more concerned about my personal growth than anything else. I found that refreshing and decided to write about it. Also I had read a book called The Road Less Travelled and it basically talked about the true meaning of love and how it is about helping the other person be the best they can be. It also inspired me.
Ebisan love story [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txP1UPL20v0]
Dayniike — How do you see the music industry here in Nigeria as compared to the British music industry?
EBISAN — There is a lot of promise here. The music industry here is growing fast and it is pretty exciting. I feel privileged to be a part of its growth spurt. The British music industry as we all know is established and doing well too.
Dayniike — Where do you see yourself in five years?
EBISAN — Still making great music, still meeting talented people and I intend to be a much better musician and person than I am now. It’s all about growth for me. Oh and I definitely will still be a chocoholic!
Dayniike — Who can you say inspired you?
EBISAN — A lot of people and artistes have inspired my music and me. The likes of Elton John, Barbra Streisand, Whitney Houston, Sade, Norah Jones and much more have inspired my music but most importantly, my nuclear family! They are all just as talented and are the main reason I fell in love with music.
Dayniike — Tell us about the challenges you have faced as a female singer
EBISAN –I always say my main challenge as a singer is having to come out of my shell and mingle. I love being on my own or with my very close circle of friends so I have had to make some changes and mingle a bit more.
Dayniike — Can you name a few artists’ you would like to work with?
EBISAN — Ceelo, Labrinth, Norah Jones, Bez, Burna boy… the list is endless.
Dayniike — What should we expect from you like say before the year runs out?
EBISAN –I do have a few gigs lined up in the near future and I will be posting updates on my twitter account; @ebisan_online.
Dayniike — What else dyu do asides music:
EBISAN — Music is a full time job for me
Dayniike — From your songs, it’s obvious you believe in love n its powers, you always sound hopeful, why?!
EBISAN — For now I guess that’s the side of myself I have exposed, the hopeful side, but there are much more songs to come and many more sides to expose. My fascination with love and all it’s emotions started a long time ago.
Dayniike — Ok, really nice chatting with you, I’m sure you know I am your number one fan 🙂 , hehe, any last words for your fans?
EBISAN — Don’t be afraid to be yourself, it’s what makes you special; it’s what makes you unique.