Briefly about GreenPRAY
IYEUWA
GREEN PRAYER popularly known as
GreenPRAY (also known as New Day Balladeer) is an Abuja-based inspirational
songster, songwriter and concept consultant who is very passionate about visions
and dreams. ”I love people and their visions…” he remarked in a brief telephone
conversation with Igbomor Joseph (CEO,
Hotnaijamusic.com). GreenPRAY has so far been recorded as one of the
fastest growing songsters in the music industry with multiple downloads and
entertaining air-plays worldwide. With his delivery prowess, vocal vigor,
inspirational/lyrical ability and aesthetic beat (cooked by his ingenious
producer GID on the Regular), GreenPRAY
seems to be working towards creating a new genre of music which will someday
trail him into the Grammy and if possible bringing it home. Now let’s hear from
him…
Sir, how did you come about the name
“GreenPRAY”?
GreenPRAY was mathematically gotten from my
other names; Green Prayer. Instead
of looking for a strange name (although GreenPRAY is somehow strange anyway
because of its etymology), I thought of making use of my real name but in a
unique way. Taking out the ‘er from Prayer leaves you with Pray. Green + Pray = Green Pray. I also thought of making it look
artistry, I then came up with a simple merge “GreenPRAY”. But promoters, authors, bloggers, designers and
interviewers prefer the spelling to be GreenPray,
Greenpray, greenpray or even GREENPRAY based on their preferences. Whatever…!
As long as they don’t mistake me for Green Day (an American punk rock band
formed in 1987). Even if they do, I won’t complain because the sound of our
music is definitely enough to spell out our differences.
How did you become a Musician?
That question sounds rhetorical in the
sense that becoming a musician to me is no longer oddity. I was born singing. I
was barely informed by witnesses that the day I was delivered, few seconds
after 12am on Sunday morning, the first song I sang was …Nye! Nyee!! Nyeee!!! Which lasted briefly before the midwife’s pet;
some people described that as crying
but to me it was musical because such
sound makes good communication in the music world. And such, exactly, was what
brought about Jay-Z’s success in the song titled Glory ft. Blue Ivy Carter.
I grew up in a musical home where my dad
does more of the dancing to good music with hoarse background tone in addition
to the playback and my mom very passionate about her high-pitched tone, using
it to console herself sometimes in her worst mood. My elder sister enjoys her
outlandish tenor while my younger sister hobbles more on her smooth soprano,
then I do the best of the adlibbing, falsetto, high-pitching, most of the
backups and everything that’ll make it differs from the original. With all
these, the home is fully ready for a special gospel hit.
I have been in the choir throughout my
teenage life, even if I’m not always opportuned to take the lead vocal as at
then. My unique contributions were still heard despite the opportunity of
occupying the backseat. I sometimes enjoy making use of backup microphones
during ministrations.
In 2007, I was made to attend a programme
in Port Harcourt as a backup crooner to Mark
Ogbanje (sometimes called 'McAustine') which was full of so much success.
After our ministration, the Prophet of the day made it to the podium and called
me out, saying to the entire congregation that I’ll sing and play music for the
world to listen. Three (3) years later, I knew that prophesy had come to stay
when a chorister mate linked me up with ‘Mistah
L.-Hustle Well’ (a confluence city rapper) and we made it to Jos where our
first recordings were made; though it wasn’t as successful as we hoped.
What inspires you into Music?
Passion, love and pain.
What are your greatest challenges in the
Music Industry?
I would have centered it on money but I
won’t because money is not everything, I still have the early record of
promoters such as hotnaijamusic.com, 365praise.net, outof9ja.com,
undergroundmusicng.com, starsofnaija.com, topnaijamusic.com, 360nobs.com,
sweetnaijamusic.com, freenaijalyrics.com, mp39ja.com, eazygist.com,
friendsmade.net, kingdomboiz.com, ukwubenda.com, mizsunshine.com,
ngdailynews.com francisgold.blogspot.com and others who assisted me gleefully
with little or no money. Let me curtly say my greatest challenge is dub on fame
unlike DJ Khalid who said he’s
suffering from too much success. It’s difficult to be you once you start
climbing the ladder of fame; everything about you becomes framed or even fake
if not carefully made. I’ve tried to be me and I’m still trying because I don’t
know how to handle fame. I’m always trying not to express someone’s self rather
than myself.
Were you still in the choir when you
started a professional recording?
Nope! The reason was because the choir will
in no wise appreciate my kind of music. In the choir we were thought or
compelled to sing like others not like us because they thought the congregation
will flow more when they are familiar with the song(s) you’re ministering,
which turns out to be true anyway. So, coming out with something different...
something that’s not in line with the sound everyone is used to will definitely
not communicate wisdom. So, I have to quit.
Do you still have the intension of coming
back to the choir someday?
Yes! No good musician will ever make it in
music without the choir. The foundation of every good music comes from the
choir because it is a platform for real music; it brings the harmony of good
music and music is all about harmony. I even have the desire of featuring sole
choristers in my next album.
Many people never believed NEW DAY to be
your debut single because of how strange it is that such a song can actually
come out of a Nigerian and the success it has recorded so far. Will you tell us
about this debut single of yours?
Download New Day
by GreenPRAY http://t.co/idXTteKmkg
(Clearing throat) New day
was first recorded in Jos where Mistah
L.-Hustle Well was featured, but the taste as at then didn’t meet the
original fashion for the song. So, I took it to G.F. records at Gwarinpa
in Abuja where the beat was
underestimated. I felt ire, loath to go on and then lost the courage to proceed
not until when I met GID on the Regular.
As soon as GID was done with the beat in less than 5minutes, I actually knew
that day was a brand new day for me.
How did you get the inspiration for New Day
because studying the lyrics proves to me that you wrote that song at the verge
of your breakdown?
Click link for
New Day lyrics
http://t.co/98JGwGSYSV
Yes! The inspiration of “New Day” came at a
point in my life when I thought everything was against me. The fortunes of ill
lucks was been celebrated in my life. I could feel the mockery of failure
around me. At that point, I thought the whole universe was resting on my shoulders;
so I went to the studio and cried: if you
see me facing night you need to know it’s time for me to truly see the light…
after which I echoed ‘tis a brand new day
oh. Oh! Oh!! Oooh!!! I was actually talking to the whole world then because
what happened to me could befall on anyone. It happens to Tupac Shakur et al. It’s called midlife crisis. Anytime I
experience weakness and I listened to the bridge of that song I feel
strengthened because it’s a message to me that the darkest part of the night will
always bring a new light.
How did you meet GID on the Regular?
(Laughing) I met GID on the Regular at Garki, Abuja when he was playing piano
for a branch of The Redeemed Christian
Church of God. I could recall the thick sound of that piano breaking through
those helpless speakers into thin air like the smoke of a convenient flame; I
couldn’t bear it but was tempted to confront the pianist who happens to be GID on the Regular. So, I explained the
vision for New Day after disclosing to me his vast experience in music
production. He invited me over to Luscious
Studios Entertainment and that was it. In less than five minutes the beat
was ready, so I was eager to edit my lyrics and within ten minutes my voice was
recorded. He mixed it before me, went to Samsung’s studio for the mastering and
then the following day the master of the song was sent to me. Since then till
now New Day has been a shock to my life and destiny.
Finally, what advise do you have for
Upcoming Artistes?
(Taking a deep
breath)
The only advise I’ll give to Upcoming Artiste is for them to develop the
attitude of listening to their inner-selves. It will enable them to proceed
whenever they are loath to continue because it might be the only whisper
they’ll need to go on. My inner-man was the only courage I got when I almost
gave up. It gave me a whole lot of hope. It kept telling me I’ll make it
whenever the time comes, and that was the only hope I could beacon on then.
Your inner-man can give you inspiration too, but it’s always a complex thing to
comprehend because it doesn’t make noise, it has a small-still voice. That
inner-man can be your God or your Guardian Angel.
Comments
Post a Comment