“God Planted Me in Lagos to Be Bridge Between Naija and India”: Kanika Kapoor Discusses Afrobeats
- Indian singer Kanika Kapoor recently made her debut as an Afrobeats artist while expressing her love for the Nigerian culture
- Kanika recently spoke to Legit.ng about her foray into the Nigerian music industry while doing a hybrid of Punjabi sounds and Afrobeats
- She also spoke about her personal life and what it's been like being married to a Nigerian and having to start living in Lagos
After years of admiring the Hindu culture, its music, and theatre from afar, it seems like a bridge between both cultural powerhouses, Nigeria and India, is finally here.
Talented Indian singer and dancer Kanika Kapoor recently debuted on the Nigerian music scene with a beautiful track, Koka, an electrifying fusion of Punjabi and Afrobeats genres.
Source: Instagram
Kanika Kapoor recently spoke to Legit.ng's Nosa Oke-Hortons, about her love for Nigerian culture, lifestyle, music, and sound.
She also shared her plans to immerse herself into the Afrobeats sound and help export it to India and Asia.
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Below are more juicy bits from our interview with Kanika:
"Koka was a starter" - Kanika Kapoor
During the conversation, the Indian singer shared her plans to release an album with a strong influence from Afrobeats. She revealed that her plans before dropping Koka were to test the waters. However, the reception of the track from Nigeria and India was quite exciting, reinforcing her decision to delve deeper into the Afrobeats space.
"I thought I was going to be testing the waters with Koka. But the feedback for Koka was too good to ignore. I saw so much excitement not just in Nigeria but also in India. For the last 18 months me and my team have been working on an album with almost 12 collaborations with Nigerian artists coming up."
"I live in Nigeria" - Kanika Kapoor reveals
During the interview, Kanika shared personal details about herself and her husband and why she considers herself half-Nigerian.
"I have a big project in works and I will be in Nigeria to promote properly. Koka was just the soup before the starter. I live in Lagos, Nigeria. My husband is Nigerian, the universe is bold for me now and I am here to stay to do a lot of Afrobeats."
Mixing Punjabi and Afrobeats
Kanika Kapoor shared how unsure she was about mixing Afrobeats with the traditional Punjabi sounds. She spoke about the difference between the Punjabi and Afrobeats sounds. However, she was able to find the right formula where both sounds would mix seamlessly and help create magic. Kanika said:
"I was very unsure how people in India would accept the mix of both sounds. We are very conscious people when it comes to mixing our traditional sounds with foreign influence. We very use to a certain beat which is called the "Cupping Upbeat". It is a strong beat whereas Afrobeat is much more lighter and intrinsic sound. But I am happy I went ahead with it because they're currently loving it in India right now."
Working with Nigerian producers
During the conversation, Kanika Kapoor spoke about her upcoming album and how all the songs on it were written, produced and mixed in Nigeria.
"I am super-excited about the great things I and my team can achieve with the upcoming project considering that the new project was writing, producer, composed mixed and chopped here in Nigeria. Even the video for Koka was shot in Nigeria. My new sounds is a complete Nigerian project."
Being married to a Nigerian man
Kanika also touched on life in Nigeria and being married to a Nigerian man. She said:
"It's been a completely new experience for me. I came to Nigeria for the first time in 2017 and it's been blissful. I have been here now for two years, though, constantly in and out. I am enjoying the experience making friends, meeting more people and getting to learn more about the country and it's diverse culture."
She revealed that her husband is of Indian heritage but has spent most of his life here in Nigeria:
"I'm hoping that the Nigerian people will accept me and take me in as the Naija wife. Also, Nigerian men are the best. They just know how to take care of their women."
The growth of Afrobeats globally
The Koka crooner also spoke about the global acceptance of Nigerian music. She also revealed how Afrobeats grew tremendously amidst several other competing music genres.
"The recent growth of Afrobeats globally has been spectacular. I think Indians and Nigerians are very, very similar in terms of their listening choices. The power of streaming in India has become so big because of the population. Also, somehow, we love Nigerian music and its voices. Even though we don't understand completely what they're singing because of the local languages, we understand the language of music."
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Kanika revealed how Afrobeats is the in thing in India:
"You might not know it but Afrobeats is huge in Indian. It has a massive following especially since after Rema and Burna Boy's success over there. Calm Down was a 15x platinum sales. But beyond the commercial success and massive following the music itself, the culture I love it. You can't listen to a proper Afrobeat song and not be happy."
She also spoke about her plans to be part of the growth of Afrobeats globally.
"Somehow, Afrobeats has just taken over. It is doing very well in India. Also, I think Nigerian music and artists all over the world have sort of taken over, and I think this is just the start. And I believe God has planted Kanika Kapoor in Lagos to have that crossover and help create that bridge between the two countries in music. This is not just my music; many big artists in India are asking me to help them make more music with Nigerians. As it stands, I am practically becoming an ambassador for the music scene from Nigeria to India, and I am proud of it."
Rema meets India's famous fashion designer
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported how Rema was undoubtedly having a blast in India following his first trip to the country.
The Mavin signee, set to perform in the Asian country, will reportedly be dressed by one of India's finest and most celebrated fashion designers, Manish Malhotra.
Taking to his Instagram story, Rema posted a photo that captured a conversation between him and Malhotra.
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Source: Legit.ng
