A Prayer for Afro Roots-Reggae
Nigerian singer QueenDalyne is looking to break ground with Afro Roots-Reggae, a new sound that blends beats from her homeland with the rebel tones of Jamaican Rasta music.
“Prayer”, her recently released song, is the first to showcase that sound. It is produced by Tuffgig Music Empire, a company with offices in Nigeria and New York.
The single addresses difficulties aspiring artists face in the Nigerian music scene.
“It's so hard to break through in the industry as most opportunities for the upcoming artist are quite rare and it could really take luck for one to break in. So, Prayer was my daily prayer to Jah to bless my hustle and get me a support so I can easily penetrate in the industry,” she said.
QueenDalyne added that, “The song was my answered prayer from Jah for all those times I was doing music and it seemed like no one was hearing or even cared.”
From Igbos in south-eastern Nigeria, she has been recording for the past six years. Her main influences are Nicki Minaj, Rihanna and her countrywoman Tiwa Savage.
With the support of Tuffgig Music Empire, QueenDalyne decided “Prayer” was the perfect song to debut Afro Roots-Reggae.
“Basically, we decided to create that niche with the rich and evergreen reggae beat whilst going back to the root of our native Motherland dialect of Nigeria, which is the 'Afro' and then Roots itself, while it's lyrical word is the rich Pidgin language, and this is how Afro Roots-Reggae originated,” she explained.
Written By Howard Campbell