Gospel music in the Nigerian music industry is a unique space, dominated by the likes of Sinach, Frank Edwards, TY Bello, Lara George, Nathaniel Bassey and a number of others. With over fifty music genres, the Gospel music genre comprises artists, constantly seek to explore the different range to musical sounds and style.
Sal Ly is a fast rising, Nigerian Gospel artist. Since the release of her single, “Translucent” three years ago, Sal Ly’s trajectory as an artist has been one of immense growth and critical acclaim with each following drop. She brings all of that growth to the table on Premiere; Her very first body of work, which she describes as the first of many to come.
49th Street: Who is Sal Ly? What can you tell us about you, if you’re given the microphone to say something real about yourself?
Sal Ly: Okay so, I always find that a very tricky question to answer, because I am so many things, and I couldn’t possibly describe all of that, because I’m still discovering that everyday. But, I’m a weirdo, I think. I can be really awkward, and I love the dark. I absolutely love cats. And Ice-cream.
49th Street: Cats, darkness and ice-cream. You seem like the type of person, who prefers to work in a quiet place, all by yourself, with a pretty cat littering about.
Sal Ly: Oh yes, definitely. I like to be by myself a lot. It’s very comfortable and peaceful, for the most part.
49th Street: What’s your favourite ice-cream flavor?
Sal Ly: I can never really make up my mind. It usually comes between Chocolate Chip and Strawberry (The ones with actual strawberries in them).
49th Street: Beautiful. So, down to the music. What kind of music do you make?
Sal Ly: My music is RnB based, with combinations of Hip Hop, Trap, Pop, and very recently, EDM and Afrobeat. So a lot of stuff, but with RnB as it’s base.
49th Street: You’re a gospel artist, yes?
Sal Ly: Yes, I am a gospel artist. More importantly, I’m a Christian and my music is always a reflection of what I believe.
49th Street: Still on what your music is about, generally, what is music to you?
Sal Ly: Music is my life’s blood. It’s my expression, my maintenance. It’s everything. It’s the thing that comes naturally to me. It’s my thing.
49th Street: What’s your inspiration to keep making music?
Sal Ly: For me, it’s two things. First, because it’s a means for me to share the love in my heart for everybody willing to hear, there’s a drive to keep making music.
Second, it’s expression for me. Music, poetry; that’s how I express myself. The need to speak and sing how I feel pushes me, and doing it actually helps me stay sane.
49th Street: Sweet! What made you decide to pursue a career in entertainment?
Sal Ly: Like I mentioned earlier, I’m a Christian. The decision to make a career out of my gift was based on God’s leading. Also, I’d really prefer to spend the rest of my life doing what I love, so yeah.
49th Street: As a gospel artist, what challenges do you encounter in the industry?
Sal Ly: Well, quite a number of people/opportunities don’t go to gospel artists, because the content doesn’t particularly appeal to them. However, I think the quality of my work has spoken for me, and I’ve gotten some of those opportunities, so it’s only up from here. I believe more opportunities are coming to me.
49th Street: That’s beautiful. It’s amazing to see you keep your heads up. More opportunities will definitely come.
Sal Ly: Yes, definitely!
49th Street: What do you love most about your sound?
Sal Ly: I love that I can do the most with my vocals. What I create does not restrict me from singing the kind of melodies and harmonies I want, and that’s really amazing. It’s also amazing that I’ve found my sound. Not a lot of artists find their sound this early in their careers.
49th Street: What was the journey to finding your sound like—the experimental phase?
Sal Ly: It was really tricky at first. I started out making music that people said would sell, and it was not it, at all. I cringe anytime I hear any of those songs. I wasn’t enjoying what I was doing, so I decided to stop for a while.
During the hiatus, I allowed all the sounds of the music I love to flow through me. I always loved RnB, and so I went back to it. I absolutely love hip hop, and I let it flow too. By the time I started creating again, I already knew how I wanted to sound. It took some time to get to where I am now, and I’m still working to perfect that sound. But I’m proud of how far I’ve come.
49th Street: If cracked nicely, hip hop would be a nice element to witness in Gospel type music. It’s nice you didn’t let the stereotypes silence your inner muse. Self discovery is an important phase for all creatives.
Sal Ly: Yes! There’s actually a whole community of Christian Hip Hop artists, in Nigeria and out. They make amazing music. You should check them out.
49th Street: Any recommendations?
Sal Ly: Lecrae, Jackie Hill Perry, AI the Anomaly, KB, Angeloh, Soul Flame, Jekasole. There are so many of them.
49th Street: Who do you look up to in the industry and who do you hope to work with soon?
Sal Ly: Growing up, I had influences from artists like The Clark Sisters, Whitney Houston, Cece Winans, Beyoncé and Destiny’s Child, Marvin Sapp, Commissioned, and other black gospel and RnB artists. They really shaped my music and really respect them.
I’d definitely love to work with Kierra Sheard, Koryn Hawthorne, Aaron Cole, amongst others.
49th Street: Lots of names popping up shows you’re deep in touch with those in your field. It’s great.
Sal Ly: Yes, I was a mad fan before I started creating, so I’m very much in touch. Thank you.
49th Street: You have made quite a good impact so far with just four singles out. What is the idea behind your new project, Premiere? What do you hope to achieve with this?
Sal Ly: The idea of the project is double fold. First, it is a launch for me; my first actual project. It is the first performance of me; a theatrical work. It’s the first of many more to come.
Second, it is the description of my relationship with my first, my love. It highlights and describes different aspects of my walk with Christ.
Honestly, I hope it helps people see what I see in Christ. I hope it gives people life, and joy, and peace. Strength to pull themselves out of terrible situations and fight for their lives.
49th Street: The way you talk about this project—it already feels good. What song(s) did you enjoy making the most on this project?
Sal Ly: I really enjoyed making a Drip. I featured a really amazing singer, Bethel Olaje. She literally sounds like Beyoncé. It’s crazy. We recorded in the studio together and bounced ideas off each other. It’s everything I wanted the song to be!
49th Street: Interesting. We’d keep a special eye out for Drip then. If the artist says there’s a special gem in there, then there is. Speaking of featured artists, could you tell us a bit about the featured artists on this project?
Sal Ly: Oh yes definitely! I featured four artists; two rappers, one singer, and one poet (Oshey, VonTrap, Bethel Olaje, AyagGrace respectively). They’re all my friends and they’re all amazing. Working with them was really awesome, and I’m sure we’re going to do more together in the future.
49th Street: Great. How is it like being a female in the Nigerian Music Industry?
Sal Ly: It really isn’t any much different from being a female in any other industry. The get to the point where your work actually gets recognized and begins to really matter, you have to do twice the work, twice the effort.
However, I’m blessed with the best team who have worked tirelessly with me to find ways to navigate that, and now I don’t face a lot of the challenges I used to.
49th Street: Working with a good team is very important. It largely determines just how far you can go. The creative journey is one the creative does not walk alone. What else do you have passion for besides music?
Sal Ly: I love poetry. I love to explore and travel. I can’t wait for when I get to travel the world and see all the amazing sights on our beautiful planet.
49th Street: What are your top three destinations?
Sam Ly: Italy, Singapore and every beautiful island with beautiful beaches.
49th Street: There are actually colored beaches, with colored sand. You could add them to your travel bucket list. Black sand beach in Iceland, Green sand beach in French Guiana, Northern Brazil and White Sand Beach in South Whales. There are a number of others too.
Sal Ly: Yo, this is a really awesome idea. I’m so going to do this. Thank you!
49th Street: By the way, your name, Sal Ly, how’d that come about?
Sal Ly: Sally is short for my name, Salamatu. I put a space in there for distinction.
49th Street: That’s quite thoughtful and distinct. Is it still pronounced as Sally?
Sal Ly: Thank you. Yes, it’s still pronounced the same way.
49th Street: What advice would you have for someone trying to follow in your footsteps?
Sal Ly: I’d tell them the same things I say to myself. You’re a unique entity. Know that, and act accordingly. Don’t follow every bandwagon you see. Talent and skill are very important, but character and discipline are more important.
Stay your course, do your time, and build your character. That’s what will keep you on track.
49th Street: Stay your course, do your time, and build your character. We’d take these words and keep them dear. There’s a lot to learn from them. Thank you.
Sal Ly: Thank you so much for the opportunity. I appreciate it.
