Nigerian Afropop Music inspired me ―Ms.Bodega, Israeli-American born musician

Singer, songwriter and record label owner, Ms. Bodega, has a lot up her sleeves at the moment. With a music career that has taken her too many countries across Europe over the years, Bodega, born to Israeli parents wants to bring her trade to Africa, with Nigeria and others being her first point of call.

Over the years, the light-skinned multi-talented singer wants to penetrate the African market with her Afro pop music, a genre that is not popular where she was coming from.

But Bodega is not new to breaking new barriers and taking bold steps. This explained her music voyage to different European countries, where she has managed to establish herself as not just a musician but also a music producer, writer and performer.

“I am a true believer that “when in Rome Do as the Romans” and this helps me a lot when I travel around the world. When I travel to a country, I like to get to know the culture from the inside as much as possible. To eat the foods, learn some of the language and customs so as to really connect and not only come with the eyes and attitude of a tourist. As a woman, it is often harder to cut through some of the business that is often run by men. I do my best to stay strong and at the same time respect the local culture and traditions.”

She had her first contact with music at a tender age and since then the passion to keep learning music from different cultures has grown without borders. For her, the excitement and energy of constantly creating and performing kept her going. Sharing her music experience days back, Bodega said she was on a mission. “Creation and creativity is endless and once I am on a mission, I don’t stop.”

Speaking further on how she came in contact with music, the soft-spoken music producer said music and dance were her first love, adding that there is no one without the other.

“Yes music and dance are my first love as they are intertwined to me. There is not one without the other. As a child, I grew up in a musical household as my mother was a pianist and composer. I played violin extensively and sang in choirs growing up. I loved dancing to all the latest music and took dance classes. I became a professional Hip Hop and Jazz dancer, among other styles. I always loved blending different sounds and styles and choreographies such as Latin, African, middle Eastern.”

Bodega, since her arrival in Nigeria, has worked with Nigerian musicians on a number of projects as music lovers have lauded her talent and work rate. When asked what prompted her to work with Nigerian artistes, she said, “Nigerian musicians are some of the best I have seen and worked with. And in today’s popular music of AfroBeat/AfroPop, they have somehow  been able to take their traditional sounds and fit them perfectly into a popular and catchy  genre with the perfect blend of sweet melodies, hot rhythms and an energetic dance style. It is no wonder Nigeria is the hub of this genre, which reaches all over Africa and now receiving worldwide attention. I am glad to be part of that dream.”

With a new project, a music video and campaign which she called ‘Live Your Life’, which is meant to inspire people to live their lives to the fullest, the radio presenter said it featured six international music artistes including Jamaican Superstar Gyptian, Mc Galaxy, Young D, Neza, Neil Bajayo and herself.

“We are very excited about this project as it’s meant to inspire people around the world to Live Their Life to the fullest and not be afraid to take chances. Also part of the proceeds will be going to charities and foundations that support sustainable education in Africa and help at-risk youth in growth and development.”