These days, the borders between countries is nonexistent when it comes to music and one of the artistes taking maximum advantage of this new, free world of entertainment is a certain Sean Dampte. Born Oluyole Oluwaseun, the Nigerian sensation is fast gaining attention different parts of the globe with his Afro-Pop music from the comfort of his UK base.
Sean Dampte is one with dedication and passion for his craft; he has hit singles and positively received projects dating as far back as 2017. His July EP, a joint project with his brother Don Crucifixto, is still making waves but he’s not one to keep the fans waiting for long and with this new project, he aims to take the next step to global prominence.
Titled “Baba Won – Awoodah”, Sean Dampte served us 5 tracks on his latest release. He stays true to the Afrobeat and Afro-Pop sounds that have earned him the success he’s enjoyed so far. As it is with most songs of the genre, emotional and physical attraction are prominent subject matters in Sean’s lyrics, featuring heavily on 3 of the tracks. Nizzy joins the duo Dampte and Buju (who collaborated on the original in 2020) to make a trio for the remix of “Pé Pé”. Full credit to Nizzy – and Dampte for his decision to include him – because he somehow manages to elevate the standards set on the original, making this song and its sensual message more enjoyable. “Choke Oh” tows similar lines, as Dampte expertly matches the energy of the mid-tempo Afrobeat instrumental to create an ode to the stunning body of a certain Philomena. He runs the risk of sounding like a broken record with “Oji Mo” which shares too many similarities with “Choke Oh” in terms of sound and theme, but on its own merit, “Oji Mo” sounds good, and arguably better than “Choke Oh”, thanks to its catchier hook.
Sean Dampte steps away from sensuality, and in so doing he creates the project’s best record with “Agbada”. The tempo drop and increased detail that characterizes this instrumental gives him the perfect setup and he does due justice to the beat. His lyrics, which feature more metaphors that sound like Instagram captions in the making, speak of overcoming obstacles and the need to adapt to life’s challenges in order to find success. “Allow Me” with Seyi Vibez completes the quintet and though the featured artiste threatened to run away with the song, Sean Dampte is able to hold his own on this track about the need for enjoyment and self-indulgence every once in a while.
On personally assessing his performances, it’s hard to find too many faults with Sean Dampte. He seems to be an artiste very much aware of his abilities and limitations and as such is able to deliver his best more often than not. Take his style of singing, for example. He makes his vocals work despite not possessing the most powerful of voices by using a laidback approach to roll the lyrics off his tongue and onto the mic. As much as we praise artistes with deep lyrics, simple lyricists like Sean Dampte should also get credit for the relatability their verses bring. This is not to say he completely lacks depth though – there are elements of that on Agbada – but resisting the urge to do too much is one of the hallmarks of an experienced musicmaker.
Standout track: Agbada
All in all, the average listener will find “Baba Won – Awoodah” EP enjoyable. It’s easy on the ears and mind. It needed more high moments to make it memorable, but the absence of low moments during the run time is better than can be said for most projects these days. Give it a try on your favourite streaming platform as soon as you can.
Verdict: 7/10