Today we’d like to introduce you to Olayinka Ehi.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I was born and raised in Nigeria before I moved to New York. A lot of who I am as an artist comes from my culture even though I was raised in two countries. All I ever wanted to do was sing but being a Nigerian child education came first in my household and there was little to no negotiation. I wanted to be a full-time musician so bad that I did everything I could to fasten the process while getting my bachelor and masters degrees and was able to finish early. I loved learning at school but music was always where my heart was. When I finished, I quit my job after a while, I moved to LA and prioritized music. It’s a struggle and a consistent hustle but I’m happy that I’m doing what I love.
Please tell us about your art.
I am a singer-songwriter. I write music about love and life. It could be my life or inspired by other people’s stories. I like to write about a woman’s role in relationships and how she can be empowered and showcase her vulnerability. I like playing with the opposite of society’s expectations when it comes to the role we play in relationships and life.
Given everything that is going on in the world today, do you think the role of artists has changed? How do local, national or international events and issues affect your art?
I definitely think the role of an artist has changed especially with social media being a huge platform. Philanthropy has always been my goal and one of the major reasons why I want to expand globally as an artist.
I am very big on female empowerment and I believe that education plays a huge role in that.
When I released my first EP, I dedicated the event to raise funds for an all-girls school being build in Tanzania. We were able to raise more than 2000$ online and at the event. The school is planned to open in 2020. (https://www.gofundme.com/chriffa-girls-secondary)
I plan to start up my own non-profit to continue events like this where I link my music to global awareness.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
My music is on all major streaming platforms.
My Instagram is @olayinkaehi where you can follow my music and hear some new upcoming work! I also have a website
https://www.olayinkaehi.com/
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.olayinkaehi.com/
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/olayinkaehi/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/OlayinkaEhi/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/olayinkaehi?lang=en
- Other: https://linktr.ee/olayinkaehi
Image Credit:
Kayode kaykay Olowu (@kaykaysublime), Dotun Abeshinbioke (@doseofdots), Williams Babatunde Peters (@bytunde)
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