On March 11th, 2021, our Editor-in-Chief Ivie Ani and Nigerian artiste Teni sat down for an IG Live interview. With her signature big grin and casual-cool glam, Teni joined us straight after a photoshoot for her upcoming album WONDALAND, which has been in the making for two years and is dropping on March, 19th. Inspired by her annual trips to Disneyland, the album is a gift that will leave you warm inside and will include surprise features.

Teni doesn’t want to confine herself to just one genre. In her own words, she “just makes good music”. This versatility comes from prioritizing music that makes her feel good. Being an entertainer is to her, about joy. Music has long been one of the loves of her life - she’s been singing since she was a child, and sometimes even got punished for it. She not only draws inspiration from her own life when creating music but also her vast imagination and other people’s experiences, too. 

What would she do if she wasn’t a high profile singer? She’s adamant she’d still be singing in her hometown somewhere or even better, counting money: one of her passions. Inspired by an entrepreneurial father, she aspires to create job opportunities for others and is interested in branching out into tech, business, and acting.

Family means a lot to Teni, and in her hectic lifestyle, they have remained her support system - alongside her team. She is the ninth out of 10 children and credits her sister Niniola for teaching her to sing. Even though she came from a family with lots of siblings, she said she hopes to have two children one day.

Considering the physical demands of being an entertainer, her mum has stepped in to help her take care of herself and she has since bought a treadmill and got a chef. She also has helped her with learning to manage her finances and build a team that can propel her forward. It truly takes a village to raise a superstar. Yet Teni’s definition of success has stayed the same over the years: being able to help and give back to people. Her music does just that. After the year we’ve had, I’m ready to let my inner child get lost in the world she’s created with her next album.

       Image Courtesy of Teni

Key Quotes from Teni’s Instagram Live with AMAKA:

On her upcoming album, WONDALAND:

“This is the best album I’ve heard in my life. I just wanted to do something that made me feel like a kid again. Last year was the first time in seven years that I haven’t gone to Disney World - I was stuck in Lagos- so I wanted to make music that made me feel like I was in Disney.”

“I recorded most of this album in lockdown, so I was stuck inside with the producers and I think it made for good music.”

On her entry into music:

“I knew I was never going to be a 9-to-5 person. I was very spontaneous, very all over the place so I just knew music was the path for me. In school I always sing, even in uni so I just knew it was going to be this. I knew as far back as primary school.”

On the Nigerian music industry’s growth:

“We still have a long way to go. We need to give songwriters an opportunity to express themselves and I think it's also an art for people to coin words together and make up a song, do you feel me?"

"I think people need to stop doing other people’s jobs - do what you’re good at. Like A&R is not a manager, and a manager is not A&R. Not everybody can be a creative director, not everybody can be a road manager so you have to have different roles assigned to different people. Because when you’re good at something you’ll definitely excel at it but when you’re juggling something you’re not good at, you’re bound to not be the best at it.”

On her advice for up and coming musicians on the continent: 

“You need a lawyer, your lawyer is like your lifeline. In music, your lawyer is as important as your doctor. The same way you can fall sick and die is the same way you can sign nonsense and your life is f****d - excuse my french. You need a lawyer, you need an accountant - you make money, you need someone who helps you make wise investments. You need a doctor who can check your health because you’re flying so much and travelling so much. I think you should get checked once a month at least because we fly so much - I can be in like three places in a weekend. All that flying and all that jumping is stress - so you need a doctor so you can check your vitals. Lawyer, accountant, doctor: to me are the three most important parts of an artist’s life - minus your manager and your publicist.”

Image Courtesy of Teni

You can watch the full interview on our IGTV, below: