How cool would it be to start every week knowing that your favourite singer drops new music at the end of the week? For fans of Ogranya, this is their reality, as the Nigerian singer launched #Project52 at the start of the year. #Project52 is a music series that will see him drop at least one new song, every week in 2021. Currently at Week 21, Ogranya is still going strong and even the doubters are starting to believe that he can achieve the incredible feat of reaching Week 52.
Make no mistake, #Project52 is as much about the quality of the music, as it is about the quantity. The music is beautiful and there is enough versatility in-between to keep the fans wanting more. With all the amazing things going on in the Nigerian music industry right now, Ogranya’s current run stands out as fascinating.
We caught up with Ogranya to discuss #Project52 and how it came to be. We also discussed the process behind the creation of the songs, as well as other aspects of his music career. Read the conversation below:
Taiwo: Ogranya is a unique name. Is it your birth name or something that you coined?
Ogranya: Ogranya is one of my birth names. Ogranya Jable Osai being the full thing.
Taiwo: A lot of people (myself included) misread and even misspell your name as “Ogaranya”. How do you deal with that?
Ogranya: I’ve always had my names misspelled and pronounced wrongly. I think time and some recognition will fix that. The more familiar people get with me.
Taiwo: How long have you been making music for? How has the journey been so far?
Ogranya: I made my first song in 2012 but I’ve been writing songs since I was ten years old. It’s been a spiritual journey more than anything else to be honest. Soul searching, learning to communicate, learning to manage difficult situations. It’s been a lot.
Taiwo: Let’s get into #Project52, when did you decide to embark on this project? Was it something that had been in the works for some time or it was a spur of the moment decision?
Ogranya: It was mostly spur of the moment. At the end of 2020 we (my manager and I) decided it was the route for 2021. He’d mentioned a weekly release to me a few times but I felt uncertain about it even though it appealed to me somewhat. But after the kind of year 2020 turned out to be, all apprehension towards the idea died. Throw me right in.
Taiwo: What is the inspiration behind #Project52? Why did you decide to drop music all year long, instead of going the normal route of releasing a full length album?
Ogranya: I feel like music has gotten a bit too formulaic – in composition and dispersal. The idea seemed like it would give me a real kick. Make me feel something any other type of rollout at my avail wouldn’t. Besides, and most importantly, I have so many different types of songs from over the years I never got to put out. So this was a way to clear the backlog. It promised to be a real treat for my listeners.
Taiwo: Going through history, there is no record of any Nigerian artiste doing anything like #Project52. What do you aim to achieve by doing this?
Ogranya: Well, that for one would go down as an obvious objective in itself – to be the first person from around here to do it. Idealistically, it’s killing a number of birds with one stone or with 52 stones if we’re being precise. It’s PR/Marketing, it’s bolstering my discography, it’s streaming revenue, it’s exciting for the listeners, its content, it’s acquainting myself a bit more with the DSPs and personally, its therapy for me – to get to finally share all the emotions/thoughts locked in those songs.
Taiwo: How has the reception for the project been so far? Has it opened you up to a new market and gained you more fans?
Ogranya: Most definitely. At least five or so people reach out every day saying how they just discovered the songs. It’s very encouraging.
Taiwo: What is the music-making process for the project? Are they all pre-recorded songs or do you record during the course of the week?
Ogranya: So far, they’ve mostly been prerecorded. Old stuff from the archives. Which makes it all the more heartwarming how it’s being received. However, I’m always recording so one or two new ones make it onto the lineup every now and then.
Taiwo: What is your favorite song off the project, and why?
Ogranya: Blood. I wrote it amid dealing with some existential crisis. Our lives can sometimes seem like spin-offs or sequels of the lives of those who birthed us, those who we grow up around. This is where the song came from so it’s very personal to me.
Taiwo: “Men in Black” speaks to police brutality and oppression. Was it inspired by a personal experience?
Ogranya: No, I haven’t directly experienced police brutality in my adulthood but I’ve had a few people I know suffer at the hands of law enforcement. The stories are very heartbreaking so the song inevitably came.
Taiwo: Jessica Bongos, LasGidi Bully, Tha Beatsmith are some of the artistes that you have worked with over the course of the project. Should we expect more collaborations?
Ogranya: Most definitely. It’s always a blessing finding artists to collaborate with and there’s a few more.
Taiwo: Any chance that we will get the debut album as a #Project52 surprise?
Ogranya: An answer to this will defeat the point of a surprise. Breet though, lol.
Taiwo: Have there been any setbacks during the course of the project? Any week during which the streak was threatened?
Ogranya: Lol, yes there has been, but nothing that couldn’t be resolved immediately. So far so good, it’s gotten tricky at times but we get a kick out of the rush.
Taiwo: How is life as an independent artiste in Nigeria?
Ogranya: It’s obviously challenging as music is a very capital-intensive venture but at the same time, it holds a lot of promise and freedom, especially if you keep improving on the art and consistent with the good material. It pays off slowly and surely.
Taiwo: What should we expect after #Project52?
Ogranya: The craziest groove this side of the Atlantic.
Taiwo: Any final words?
Ogranya: Learn love, know thyself.