Exceptionally brilliant TV talk show host, Funmi Iyanda, has sent words of accolades to Nigerian French singer-songwriter, and recording artist, Bukola Elemide better known as Asa.
Funmi who took to her social media to narrate her encounter with the singer, explained that watching the singer for about 12 years, struggling to craft a niche for herself in the Nigerian music industry, it was indeed necessary for her to have left the country because if she had stayed, there wouldn’t have been an Asa today.
Here is what she wrote about the singer;
Let me tell you why l love @Asa_official so. About 12 years ago, she walked into my TV studio, hesitant, smiling shyly. She started.
Playing and the entire studio went quiet in awe. I recall that l involuntarily started crying. We all knew we were witnessing greatness.
The next few years l attended every gig she did in Lagos, watching with worry her struggles and gosh there were many. Suddenly she left.
She had to. If she didn’t, there’d be no Asa as we know her today, at best maybe there’d be a very unpleasant mutant making noise about.
Her first few years in France is a case study in endurance and perseverance which l hope she herself will tell one day. The one thing.
They never changed was her dedication to her music and the disciplined focus to perfecting it. The result was that amazing first album.
She and l connected again after that first album and l was intrigued at how unchanged by fame she was and how hard she continued to work.
In the past year. I have observed her from LA, Nashville, Hastings and Paris to Lagos whilst she wrote and made her new album though.
Thick or thin. She’s fiercely disciplined. Getting up at dawn to run, returning to write and play through snow, rain, hail or storm.
Incredibly perceptive, intuitive. She’s endlessly curious with an endearing impish sense of humour. Clowning and dancing at will.
She’s compassionate and empathetic. Dedicated and trust worthy. An assured star without an insatiable ego or need to belittle others.
I love her very much. She reminds me of what is possible for Nigeria if we apply disciple and focus to our potential greatness.
