I wrote ‘ABEFE’ for my wife and daughter — Bluwhale

By: Owoyemi Eniola

Nigerian Afro-Fuji artiste Bluwhale is preparing to take listeners deeper into his personal world with an anticipated music project built around love, family, past experiences and stories from his life.

The emerging artiste, who describes his sound as a fusion of Fuji and contemporary Afrobeats, said his forthcoming body of work will be part of his attempt to tell his story through music, one song at a time.

Bluwhale said fans should expect what he described as “premium music” and “new unfiltered sounds” as he continues with a steady run of releases and visual content.

“Fans should expect premium music back to back contents and new unfiltered sounds from me. Back to back,” he said.

Among the songs connected to the project is “ABEFE,” a deeply personal record inspired by his family.

According to Bluwhale, he wrote the song specifically for his wife and daughter, with the title taken from his daughter’s name.

“ABEFE is a song I wrote for my wife and my daughter, her name is ABEFE,” he said.

While “ABEFE” draws from his family life, another song, “THOMAS PARTEY,” takes listeners into a different chapter of his story.

Bluwhale said the song reflects on his former lifestyle and his experiences as a self-described “badboy,” explaining that there is a much bigger story behind the record.

“THOMAS PARTEY is me reflecting on my old lifestyle. Badboy. It is a long story that I am trying to use music to tell, single by single,” he said.

Rather than presenting his music as entertainment detached from his experiences, Bluwhale said he wants his records to document different parts of his life and allow listeners to gradually understand the person behind the music.

That approach also feeds into his Afro-Fuji identity, which he says draws from the music of some of the biggest traditional and contemporary Nigerian acts who influenced him while growing up in Abeokuta.

The artiste has cited the late Ayinla Omowura, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Sefiu Alao, Wasiu Ayinde Marshal and Saheed Osupa among his major influences, alongside artistes such as Sunny Neji, Paul Play Dairo, Lagbaja, Eedris Abdulkareem and Olamide.

Bluwhale said the combination of those influences has helped him develop a sound that draws from Fuji while embracing the possibilities of modern Afrobeats.

He describes the sound as “Afro Fuji,” comparing his approach to late Fuji legend Chief Sikiru Ayinde Barrister performing on modern Afrobeats production while retaining the musical composition and delivery of Ayinla Omowura.

For the artiste, however, the project is not simply about experimenting with established sounds. He said originality remains central to his identity and insisted that his music must remain an authentic representation of himself.

“My music and sound is me and I’m my music,” he said.

Bluwhale also sees his current releases as the beginning of a much bigger plan for his career. He said he wants to move from being an emerging artiste to becoming a creator of opportunities for other talents.

Within the next five years, he plans to establish a record label that will provide a platform for what he described as the “next generation of superstars” across different areas of art and entertainment.

“I want to help people fulfil their dreams and teach them how to live it,” Bluwhale said.

For now, the artiste is concentrating on his music, with “ABEFE,” “THOMAS PARTEY” and the anticipated project offering different sides of the story he wants to tell through his Afro-Fuji sound.