Dr Adaku wants to calm the world with her music

MUSIC IN AFRICA: Have you always been involved in music, or is this your foray into the art form?

DR ADAKU: This is the first-ever single I’ve released. Music, however, is everything to me and always has been. When I was younger, I would always gather my cousins and sisters to rehearse, sing, dance and create mini shows for our family in the living room. I’ve also been part of a number of gospel choirs both in secondary school and at university.

What was the creative process like for ‘Jisike’?

I recorded the vocals for ‘Jisike’ at home during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. By doing so, I learnt a lot about recording myself and making the most of out the situation at hand. Knowing that I wanted to release this song to help people, especially during these hard times, was my key motivation. Recording at home enabled me to build up skills that I’ll continue to use throughout my music career. It was also really important for me to work with African instrumentalists based in African countries, and that is what I did. 

What did you seek to communicate with the record?

I wrote this song to help the world relax during what has been an intense year of uncertainty and injustice. I want people to close their eyes as they’re listening, take deep breaths and relax. I believe that music has an undeniable power in improving everyone’s well-being and I wanted to create something that could truly make a difference. ‘Jisike’ means ‘take care‘ or ‘try your best’ in Igbo. The premise of the song is that everything will be okay, even when it doesn’t seem like it. It’s definitely a ‘close your eyes and relax’ chill vibe, which everyone needs right now.

How have you straddled academia and your interest in music?

One key aspect of my PhD studies was looking at how stress affects health – both physical and mental health. I also used the biopsychosocial model, so I always had a comprehensive view of these nuances. Music, for one, improves my well-being and there are actually several academic studies on this. In general, I am determined to make the world a better place with music and research.

Has your PhD influenced your creative process at all? If so, how so?

Creativity helps when doing a PhD: you have to think outside the box and essentially create new theories and contributions to literature. So, tapping into my creativity really enabled me to do so.

The core message of ‘Jisike’ is a strong emphasis on hope ­– that things will be fine even if they don’t seem so at present. Why is that mindset important, particularly in 2020?

It is extremely important because of the ongoing social injustice and uncertainty that has transpired, particulalry in 2020. It’s fundamental for us to be present and to take each day at a time. In ‘Jisike’ I sing, “Hold your head high, you made it to another day, and everything’s gonna be okay”, because ultimately, this year has been rough, to say the least.

‘Jisike’ also blends Igbo and English. Was that deliberate or did it happen organically?

I was born and brought up in London, where I reside, but the Igbo culture is a huge part of my life. It’s a part of me. Hearing the Igbo language and Igbo music feels like home. When people call me ‘Adaku’ it feels like home. There’s also something special about the word ‘Jisike’, which has always meant a lot to me growing up. While writing ‘Jisike’, I also imagined singing to my people back home in our mother tongue, so it means so much to me that I’ve been able to blend Igbo and English in this way.

You label your style of music ‘soulful Afro-lofi chill vibe.’ What does that mean?

I grew up with Igbo highlife music playing in my house, but I also listened to R&B and soul every day, especially the likes of Lauryn Hill. Naturally, my style became a blend of Afro and soul.

Though you are new to the industry, are there any artists you admire and want to collaborate with?

I’m so proud of the African scene, always and forever! There are so many artists that I’d love to collaborate with, and I’ve already started planning stuff, so watch this space.