The full story of how singer recorded the breath-taking “Simisola” album

The reviews have come in and generally, everyone thinks Simi’s debut album “Simisola” is the best full-length project that Nigeria has had in 2017. The album, which was released two years after the 29-year old sang her way into mainstream consciousness, and offered a unique take on everything.

Her vocal driven music has seen her climb steadily, conquering new grounds and crafting popular records with an alternative style and delivery. It is interesting to see her collaborate with Falz on the “Chemistry” EP, which served as a precursor for the album. And that’s why “Simisola” does feel like the end of the beginning. That symbolic point where the ‘early’ light departs, and the day truly begins.

But how did Simi Ogunleye create such a fantastic project? Did she do it alone? What was the inspiration? Who were her core pillars of support? And what amount of work went into making something so special?

“It was a lot of work and a lot of pressure that I was feeling. I wasn’t afraid that people won’t like it. I was just excited by how people would receive it, what I would learn, and what I could change,” Simi said.

 

The first motivation lay in her contract. In 2014, Simi was offered a contract by Steve Babaeko, the founder of X3M Music, the label that produced Praiz, and currently, has Sammy and D-Truce on their books. An integral part of that contract required her to make albums. It is a necessary clause of recording deals in Nigeria. No matter what happens, at least one album has to come through. If the artist shows promise and success, just like Simi, there’s the opportunity to do more than a debut project.

The bulk of the “Simisola” album was done in 2017. In 2016 plans were underway to make the album drop. Conversations were held, meetings were scheduled and things were on to a great start. But then “Chemistry” EP happened. Simi and Falz struck a mutual understanding on her single ‘Jamb Question’, and then on ‘Soldier’, off Falz’s “Stories That Touch” album. After listening to a growing request by fans to see them explore their chemistry, they made concessions, pushed back the album release, and pursued that project.

In 2017, Simi had to be more selfish with her music. Time was ticking, and that album had to be dropped. “I actually underestimated the process, and the work that it would take, if not, I would have started the work earlier,” she says.

 

To get the act on the road, Simi needed something different. She wanted another vibe where some electricity and inspiration would flow. Together with her producer, Oscar Heman-Ackah, and some key members of her team, she travelled to Inagbe Grand Resorts and Leisure, in Lagos. This is a place set on the tranquil banks of the Lagos Lagoon, and the Atlantic Ocean. A chill breeze constantly washes your face, and relaxation is a paramount necessity. Tapping into that peace and serenity, they set to work, and created ‘Hip-hop Hurray’, off the album.

 A key part of the project was Simi’s over-dependence on herself. Her label boss, Steve Babaeko, who was bankrolling the entire process, took his hands off the creative process. He refused to hear snippets off of it, trusting her with the entire process. Simi wrote, recorded, and mixed the entire album, pouring her entire self and skills into making such a crucial project. But although she wanted to, she wasn’t allowed to mix the project. Why did she trust herself with almost the entire work?

“I did that because I am not afraid to fail,” she tells me. “I feel like failure is part of life. Sometimes I feel like we could fail so that we can grow. I was excited to see how people feel about how I wanted to be. The pressure was too much.”

One person who was crucial to the entire process was her producer Oscar Heman-Ackah. They are a winning team, working like they share a brain. While Oscar supplied the sound, Simi did the vocals and the lyrics.

Oscar is a music producer, song writer, vocal instructor and sound designer, born to Ghanaian-Nigerian parents. He has written and produced records for a large pool of talented musicians, including Psquare, Simi, Adekunle Gold, Darey Art-Alade and Chidinma; including international celebrities, like Rihanna, Marian Mereba, Akon, Chris Brown and many more.

It was Oscar that made the hit song ‘Joromi’ happen. Simi explains it clearly below:

“Actually, I had already finished most of the songs on my album, we thought it was already complete. Oscar my producer said he was going to send me a beat, but I was actually tired of writing already. When he sent it, I fell in love with the beat, and then I started to write it.

“It was a bit hard for me, because creatively I wasn’t in that space. I was mixing all the songs on my album, and it was a bit hard for me to create that song. But because I really liked the beat, I just kept going. I wrote 4 songs before I finally got ‘Joromi’.

“I was trying to think an angle, I just sang the chorus and really liked the way it sounded, so I just built around that. One thing I did in my entire album is that I try to get inspirations from the work of legends. Not too long before I created the song, I was listening to ‘Joromi’ by Sir Victor Uwaifo, and I really liked the call-and-response thing he did, and it was inspiring. It makes the song more interactive. That’s one of the main reasons why I did the call-and-response in the song inspired.

“I also wanted to use the name. I have not heard that name in any other song before, so I thought it was going to be nostalgic and all.

 

Simi’s interaction with Adekunle Gold also showed up on this album. Both singers are reported to be lovers. Although neither party have confirmed their relationship to be more than music, the stories persist. Simi was the only featured act on Adekunle Gold’s eponymous album. And she repaid the favour on a song about lovers’ reconciliation on ‘Take me back’.  The normal response from fans is that it is simply a part of their love story playing out.

“Take me back’ was written four years ago,” Simi said with a straight face, but there was mischief in her eyes. “It’s a hard story to sell, but it is the truth. I wrote the song before I ever met Adekunle Gold. I guess sometimes, fate just aligns perfectly.”

Oscar, she says, made the decision to put Adekunle Gold on it, solely for musical reasons, and based on the merit of his artistry.

Another important contributor to the album is her mother, Mrs Ogunleye. The singer enjoys a close relationship with her mother, who isn’t music-savvy but acts as an inspiration. She doesn’t understand the workings of her daughter’ career, but as long as it’s important to Simi, then it’s important to her.

“My biggest prayer is that she should live forever…she’s always rooting for me, and that one alone is bigger than everything else,” she says.

 

Simi is a perfectionist. You could feel it in the music, but if you dig deeper, her processes are pedantic. She listens to every note, every string, every bounce, and adlib. If something is in the music, just know Simi analysed, critiqued and signed off on it. She does prefer to record herself in her personal studio, simply because “If anyone does, she will probably be frustrated.”

Making an album of this quality takes a lot from a person, but in its wake, it leaves a long list of lessons. Simi’s favourite of them all was that she started too late. But she also did learn that trusting herself is important for her creativity to thrive.

“I remember that there was one of my friends that I played a song for, and this was a song that I wasn't really feeling at the time. And he agreed. But when the song showed up on the album, it became his favourite. Luckily for me, I am very stubborn. When I want something I like to fight for it,” she says.

 

“Simisola” made it into the Billboard World Album chart. She’s also received nothing but positive reviews on the project, and there’s now talk about her ratings in the Nigerian music industry. She’s rightfully regarded as one of the leading voices in Nigerian music. But that isn’t her concern. She’s only focused on herself.

“When I am winning, I am happy, when others are winning I am happy too. The sky is big enough for everyone to shine. I am not trying to be the hottest female artist in Nigeria. I am just trying to be the best at what I do, and I’m also trying to shine,” she concludes.

On the evidence of her debut album, she is achieving that.