Flashmag March 2020 www.flashmag.net
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and others are there. With this opus do you think you have reached another level, or it’s simply a way to reintroduce yourself, like a road map of your music that showcase all your main stop so people can keep following you in this venture?
This record it’s not about me, saying anything. It’s not even about me. I simply think, I have been simply the vessel carrying this type record. I was going through depression when I wrote this record. I know I had to go through some emotions to come up with this type of record. It’s simply me being a light worker. I did, what I had to do. When I was in the studio, I felt a presence, I felt God. I know that God has been with me protecting me all these years in my life. Sometimes you disconnect yourself because of hardship and others. Sometimes, things that are supposed to bring you closer to God, move you away from him. The thing with this record, was that the idea was to covers songs of my first records. I called my manager and I told him I didn’t want to do any record. I was busy thinking, what will people think about me, if I was to do that type of records. Like, ok, she is just trying to jump back in the train of her old records … I didn’t want to do that. Singing “Down on my knees” all night long. For me it was important to make a record that has a new message. A new energy. I was grateful just to be in the studio. There was no ego involved, this is not only an album from Ayo. It’s a record that belongs to all the great musicians, I was with in the studio.
Everybody brought their colors it’s an incredible experience, something I cannot explain… in the studio we all felt a presence. We all thought this was beyond us. More powerful than us. It brought the light that came to my life, and I needed that light at that very moment. I was in the dark and what is light? God is light, and I don’t want to talk about any religion. It doesn’t matter if you are Christian, Buddhist, Muslim or something else. All you have to do is to believe. Believe in God. God is love. You decide what path you want to take; no matter your religion. Religions exist just to bring you closer to your spirituality. It’s not supposed to be something that will disconnect you from the collective. How can it be one love, if we are separated by beliefs? You know I love Jesus; I think he is cool; he is very inspiring I’ve read the bible. But the religion should not separate us. I want to love and respect others in their choices in spite of fear and segregation.
A few years ago, you expressed yourself about being famous, and how when you moved to New York city, you had the pressure to stay on focus. And this led you almost to depression. Now years after, do you still feel the same pressure ?
Not almost, but to depression; but it has nothing to do with my music, but personal life. The decisions I had to make, the choices I had to make. There was no way around. For example, I was in the US., and my daughter could not come because of Donald Trump policy on immigration. And it was a bizarre situation while my son who has a name that sound American had his green card delivered me and my daughter with names sounding Nigerian like, Ogun Makin, to this day, we have no green cards. And after they sent me a letter telling their decision has nothing to do with my name.
Now how do you feel about your life?
Now I’m feeling better, I’m grateful, I’m at ease even before going to studio to record this album there was already a change in my general state of mind. There were several events that lead to that depression. Another one is this Netflix series I was supposed to play on, and it didn’t happen. I think it happened because it was supposed to be that way. And that is why my record turned the way it is.
Honestly, we have, as journalist, always favored a bit woman in arts, because we believe the job can be very demanding for them, especially when it comes also to bear and raise children, at the same time. Now, how being a mother has affected the artist and public person you are? do you see life differently now?
Absolutely it adds something, but at the same time, what is funny… it is a question I cannot even answer, since from my first record, I have been a mother… for me it’s very natural. I don’t know how it could be different. My kids are always around, and I’m grateful. There is no greater love, than the love I have for my children. It is very inspiring children are like your engine.
How do you define yourself in art? An artist who just want to bring some joy to peoples, or you always try to carry a message that will influence people’s lives, for a positive change?
If I was just trying to bring joy, I will not play this kind of music. The message is the most important thing. You can put poison in somebody mind with the wrong message, and this is unfortunately what some artists do. Drugs, violence and others things…