NATIVE Exclusive: Duke Amayo Is Coming Home
"Dem no dey give us our dues, so therefore, we have to create that."
Home can mean many things. For Abraham “Duke” Amayo, who has travelled for decades and learnt the details of several art forms, Lagos is home. The ex-Antibalas co-founder and frontman made a return to the city this past October, partly to pay homage to his musical hero Fela Kuti during the heralded Felabration, and also to kickstart a solo career. With an inscription of “Black President,” the legendary artist’s raised fists are emblazoned boldly on Amayo’s black polo, right at the middle.
“I’ve been coming back over the years, periodically,” he tells The NATIVE some moments into the conversation, although “without any real mission”. Amayo’s early impact in Lagos came when he brought a Green Team from New York, raising funds by winning a competition which saw them design a rainwater collection system at his mother’s house. That was part of his reconnection to roots, having left the city when he was seventeen. This year, being at the Felabration was particularly spiritual because Amayo had just exited Antibalas, the iconic Grammy Award-nominated band shortly after the death of Fela in 1997.
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The band already existed some months before Amayo joined in early 1999, and afterwards, the process of coming together was very organic. “I feel like Fela’s music just rose and expanded,” says Amayo. The 2000’s saw the band explore the dense, incandescent sound of Afrobeat, releasing four albums in seven years. Each album consistently propelled the band’s vision, incorporating their own designs to the ethos of Fela’s music. When their third album ‘Who Is This America?’ appeared in 2004, the music of Antibalas had taken compact form. Their several instruments, the messaging, and the tone of the messaging was beautifully allied, and Amayo stood as an exemplary figurehead of this synergy. Complementing his sonic contributions was his singing or, as described in a Pitchfork review, “compelling lyrical fomentations”.
At the time, Antibalas shared members back and forth with The Dap-Kings, the Funk/Soul band who had created a timeless legacy alongside Sharon Jones. That musical alliance inspired Amayo, who founded the offshoot Fu-Arkist-Ra, a year after joining Antibalas. “I wanted to compose music that was very forward,” he says. “Music that brought together the ideology in kung fu and the sound of Afrobeat. That was where I was experimenting, I was trying different rhythms – it’s very subtle in terms of when someone says ‘hey, what’s the kung fu in this music?’ When you hear it, if you’re spiritual and have some sort of connection to the universe, you feel it”.
Amayo nurtured this fusion over the years, and before 2020 had the intent to move on from Antibalas. The band was well into its third generation of musicians, and the Nigerian was among its longstanding purveyors. His vision was urgent—he needed to hear those movements of the ancient body come into life. Within every step, chaotic or composed, life was unravelling and the grace of music mirrored the tussle of reality. During the pandemic Amayo welcomed a baby boy, he tells me with the widest grin, naming him Olokun, after the Yoruba goddess of the sea. “Naming him Olokun was part of my process of working my way back in a more deeply spiritual way. My daughter was also named after Oshun, because it is always my intention to pay homage to our culture”.
His son’s birth preceded his visit to Edo State, where his mother is from, and where an old friend presides over a traditional healing house. Reconnecting with that spiritual source burnished his soul. ‘Fu Chronicles’ was created shortly after, born from Amayo’s established tradition of creating music inspired by Afro spirituals and kung fu philosophy. He was moving on and so was the perfect time to release that body of work.
“They are all my compositions, my illustrations, concepts—that was kind of, like, goodbye and hello,” says Amayo. “It was goodbye to my crew at Antibalas and hello to my Naija folks. Just like a new journey, you know, I really want to dig into our culture. ‘Cos our culture is on a platform; everyone is listening to our culture, Afrobeats obviously is on the forefront. You know how the times are, all these things start, but can we sustain it? Part of my work is to make sure we can sustain our culture at a very high level”.
As a boy, Amayo loved illustrating. He could draw life-like images and before ten was being commissioned to create portraits. This was in Ghana. His mother had moved him and his siblings there during the heat of the Nigeria-Biafra Civil War, and Amayo settled in a neighbourhood called Railway Quarters. Mandatory communal activities introduced him to drumming and fighting in the martial arts tradition, which made his years in the country very influential on his current explorations.
The prodigious artist belonged to a large family in Surulere, Lagos. His father was the first postmaster in the country, and had eight wives to show for his prosperity. Amayo’s mother was the beloved one, and together they eloped to London where they bore him. At an early age Amayo knew the potential of community, forming a Jackson 5-esque band with his half siblings. “I was either five or six at that time. At that age, everybody was trying to be Michael Jackson — I was one of them,” he reveals. “I had already developed my dancing skills and, you know, Michael Jackson was mimicking James Brown”.
When James Brown visited Nigeria in 1970, Amayo snuck out of the house to the host stadium in Marina, Lagos. Trees clustered around a section of the stadium’s fence, and climbing one of them Amayo caught sight of The Godfather of Funk. “My whole mind was expanded,” he says with a sudden flush of enthusiasm. A revered football player, his uncle Anthony took him to the Afrikan Shrine where he saw Fela perform. Then he would entertain with his dancing skills, which accelerated his acceptance within the community. The Shrine was close to his mother’s house, and whenever he returned from boarding school holidays he’d branch into it, spending a few days before returning home.
“I’ve always had this personality of going, moving on, ascending,” he tells me, working his hands to demonstrate movement. He attributes this to his practice of martial arts’ which continued when Amayo moved to the US as he became a senior master at the Jow Ga kung fu School. He makes a point about Yin and Yang, the purpose of equilibrium which flows through his work. “This is where me I dey draw my inspiration from and then I would layer in all these rhythms,” he affirms. “And when I think of rhythms, I’m thinking of Lagos, the breath of Lagos—that na Afrobeat, you know? If you can be an invisible presence and move through space. If you move through Lagos, all those rhythms of resistance; people are always resisting, connecting, breaking up, shouting, for me it creates a certain type of vibration”.
Not many people are able to escape their true purpose in life. Amayo’s multi-hyphenate creativity kept shifting through forms—illustrating, designing, fashion—but music remained a constant feature of his lifestyle. Across three decades as part of Antibalas, he took those many components into their well-received projects and live performances, which Amayo always starts with a kung fu dance, echoing the spirit of the music that’s about to be played.
When the Recording Academy recognised ‘Fu Chronicles’ in its World Music Album (won by Burna Boy’s ‘Twice As Tall’), that was also part of something larger for Amayo. His wife, a manifestation coach, was involved in the album’s creation and being on the esteemed platform was actually planned towards. Per musical vision, the farewell project was a connecting bridge to Amayo’s forthcoming music. “You will feel the journey of my compositions,” he says. Titled ‘The Lion Awakes,’ the debut solo project from Amayo is expected later this year. It is a trilogy, and continues his lifelong immersion into kung fu—this time though, the musical connection emerges through the Lion Dance, which is a customary event among followers of Chinese spirituality.
Amayo’s project was accompanied with mythological world building, shifting the boundaries of its typical geography to include Nigeria. “The lion landed in Freedom Park,” he says, explaining the journey. “When he landed, he separated. His head was in Freedom Park and his body was at the Shrine. In my story, in terms of how I express the actual story, the Lion resides in heaven, was mischievous, and Jade Emperor who rules the heavens chopped his head off. Because the Lion is immortal but it can learn lessons. So, I placed that inside Africa. When he tossed it down to earth, where did he land? Right here in Africa. That’s where my story starts—as the Lion lands in Africa, he starts to get Africanised. He starts to learn about the beginning of things, and meets a Babalawo who teaches the Lion about African culture. So that’s where I’m building all my stories from musically. The music is telling it, I’m acting it out, the martial arts is happening in there, so eventually you see all that actualised as a theatrical movement”.
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Amayo already has ideas written for the next two records, which is something he likes doing — linking a narrative chain around his projects. “I’m really open at this time,” he says about working with Nigerian musicians and producers. “I would like to represent most of my Nigerian musical connections”. Listeners of Antibalas know, however, that Amayo has always reflected those qualities. Often singing in Yoruba and Edo lingua, he brought the orisha world of Fela into their music. He joined the band to fulfil these spiritual functions, to infuse culture and language while his bandmates echoed the flamboyance of the legendary musician.
“I intentionally became part of that because I didn’t want anyone to bastardise our culture,” says Amayo. “I don’t want anybody to put accent inside where accent no suppose to dey. That was important for me. So my role in the band was to authenticate. I was an authenticator, a catalyst, a person that pushed to go deeper into Fela’s language. In that sense, we influenced so many other bands, because of our mission, everyone was forced to go and listen to Fela. Our intention was to play it as best as Fela can play it”.
These days, Amayo has his mind set on ownership. From working in the corporate world to leading an iconic band, he’s come a long way and knows the power of Black people resides in creating their own platforms and sustaining them. “I’m building a place in Atlanta that will bring all of this together,” he says, “where we can really present our culture at a very high level, so we have a place. Dem no dey give us our dues, so therefore, we have to create that. So na ownership level we wan’ enter now.”
Skyla Tylaa Is Taking Off
For the next phase of her career, Skyla Tylaa is actively working on creating music while entertaining with...
As a child growing up in South-east London, Skyla Tylaa had a natural affinity for the arts. Whether it was music or stage performances, she found herself exploring these interests intently from a young age. That devotion manifested in multiple ways – her attending the BRIT School and Sylvia Young Theatre School where she performed in a West End production of Annie or her fiddling with several musical instruments while she figured out her creative identity. Through it all, music was a constant, the backdrop to her home life where she grew up between Jamaican and English influences. She remembers being exposed to Drum & Bass, Funky House, and Garage. “I think that’s had a big influence in my DJ career,” Skyla Tylaa admits.
Progressing into adulthood, those musical influences persisted even if she didn’t always engage with them professionally. Things changed when she started DJ-ing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Possessed by a visceral desire to experience the euphoria of interacting with people through music, she burrowed deeper into DJ-ing. “I couldn’t be in my room and just have people commenting,” she recalls. “I need to see people’s energy, and feel everything in the moment.”
Since then, she’s enjoyed a meteoric rise that has taken the world by storm. Mentored by DJ Tunez, she performed multiple times on the American leg of Wizkid’s ‘Made In Lagos’ tour and came out of the experience raring to go. “Opening for Wizkid on his tour was a transformative experience,” she says. “It taught me a lot about resilience and adaptability in my craft. I was still pretty much a start-up DJ when I went on tour and it made me really realise how important it is to connect with the audience. Touring from city to city with different crowds, it helped me to learn how to read the room and keep the vibe going.”
Almost as importantly for Skyla Tylaa, Rihanna was present at one of those tour stops and was impressed by her set, stopping by after the show to congratulate her. “After that I felt like I could conquer the world,” she says. Since then, she’s been selected by Rihanna to DJ at a Fenty X Puma Creeper launch event in London in 2024, marking a full-circle moment between the women.
Like Rihanna, Skyla Tylaa is inspired by music from the breadth of the Black diaspora, playing sets that take as much influence from the fervid restlessness of Hip-hop as they do the wavy melodies of House music, and the dancefloor summons of Afrobeats “I love partying! I genuinely love it,” she explains. “When preparing my sets, I’m always thinking of people having a good time. Whatever I can do to connect with them, I’m down to do it!”
In the last few years, few genres have shown the propensity for inspiring a great time with the regularity that Amapiano does. From Johannesburg to Windhoek, to Lagos, London, and New York, the log drums and mutating basslines of the genre have proven integral to a new Pop framework that is as amorphous as it is exhilarating. Since first hearing the genre while on a visit to Ghana years ago, Skyla Tylaa has been hooked. “It was the log drum, the sound, just the vibes that came with it,” she says. “I was like ‘wait – what is this?’ When you hear Amapiano, it’s one of those sounds that no matter what, you’re gonna dance.”
Diving into the genre, she’s picked up valuable lessons from important figures like Maphorisa, Uncle Vinny and Major League DJz while putting her youthful spin on the sound. It’s all coming together for the DJ who’s working with her sister, music heavyweight Jada Pollock, to figure it all out one step at a time. “When I found my passion for DJing, Jada was right there, urging me to dive into the ‘Made in Lagos’ tour,” she says. “I wasn’t sure I was ready, but she believed in me and knew I could handle it. My love for music has been with me since school; it just took some time for me to realize that this was the direction I wanted to pursue. Once I found my calling, her support became endless–she attended my early gigs and pushed me to perform at major festivals like Afro Nation.”
She’s since performed at leading festivals such as Wireless, Piano People and Australia’s Promiseland as well as selling out headline shows across London, London, and Ghana. For the next phase of her career, she’s actively working on creating music. This month, she released her debut single, “Bombshell,” a searing Amapiano banger that has all the hallmarks of a potential summer hit. “Bombshell” features Tanzanian Bongo Flava act, Diamond Platnumz, as well as South African acts, Tyler ICU, Khalil Harrison, and DJ Exit. It’s a blockbuster showing that sits well in the tradition of the genre. “The idea was initially played to me by Tyler ICU in March 2024,” Skyla Tylaa says. “He and I had a session while he was in London, and this was one of the ideas we worked on. Khalil was already on it, at the time, and I loved what I heard!”
After seeding it into her live sets last summer and starting live teasers with a dance challenge, Diamond Platnumz reached out about potentially working on the song and it was arranged. “I started teasing the new version of the song in my sets and then a whole new viral dance challenge came about online in December,” she says. “From that point, I knew the track had all the elements (features included) to be a big release in 2025 !” For DJ Exit, a chance to be part of a transformative song like “Bombshell” was an opportunity he didn’t want to pass up. “What drew me to this single was the chance to be part of something boundary-breaking,” he explains. “Gqom and Amapiano are both powerful in their own right, but fusing the raw, percussive energy of Gqom with the soulful, hypnotic swing of Amapiano creates a sound the world hasn’t fully experienced yet. This isn’t just another collaboration–it’s a cultural statement.”
The Xhosa word, ‘basazomangala,’ meaning ‘to be shocked,’ is uttered several times on “Bombshell,” and it reflects the message that Harrison was trying to pass on the track. ““Bombshell” is really about letting people know that there’s still so much more to come from me,” he says. “It’s a celebration of the present moment, but also a reminder that this is just the beginning. We’re all dancing to what’s happening now, but there’s an energy in the air that says the best is yet to come.”
In light of Amapiano’s rise to global prominence and the international acclaim it enjoys, Harrison is right about more things being on the horizon, and Skyla Tylaa agrees with him: “When I was introduced to Amapiano, I fell in love instantly and that time it was just on the verge of global appeal. It’s global now and still growing and that makes me appreciate it even more! I love it, and the world loves it! The feeling is mutual ! We can all enjoy it together!”
For Tyler ICU, having DJs from the diaspora like Skyla Tylaa engage with Amapiano and its culture is a win for the genre. “This shows the power of the genre–it’s not just a sound, it’s a movement,” he says. “When someone like Skyla, who appreciates the culture and brings her own flavour, plays Amapiano in places like London, New York or Toronto, she’s not just playing music, she’s building bridges. That’s how we grow–by letting the world feel it in their own way, but staying true to where it started. It’s important that the roots are respected, but the branches can reach far.”
Just a couple of weeks since its release, “Bombshell” has crossed over 650,000 thousand views on YouTube and continues to be a sensation on TikTok. Like everything Skyla Tylaa has done up till now in her career, it’s shaping up perfectly and has shown that she has a knack for the right collaborations. She intends to keep making music. “This year, my focus is all about music,” she says. “I recently signed with Robots and Humans (Sony) in the UK and Epic in the US, which has given me a different level of drive to really want to create good music. I’m also looking forward to exploring the Afro-house genre and collaborating with other talented artists.”
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What OdumoduBlvck’s Greatest School Tour Could Mean For Touring In Nigeria
The rapper’s decision to embark on a local university tour of this nature could go on to become a...
There’s no denying that OdumoduBlvck’s 2023 mixtape ‘Eziokwu’ established his musical genius. While the half dozen projects that preceded ‘Eziokwu’ almost served as target practice, largely showcasing the early iterations of Okporoko music – his unique melodious rap fusion – it was his major label debut that truly grounded the rapper in Nigeria’s rich Hip-Hop lineage. The album’s far-reaching success culminated in a historic joint tour with fellow 2023 breakout star Shallipopi, which saw the two share the stage across 9 cities in the United States. Similarly, riding the high of his latest mixtape, ‘The Machine Is Coming,’ the Anti-World Gangstar head huncho recently announced a new tour. This time, however, instead of taking his new collection of infectious bangers to stages abroad, the rapper decided to visit different universities across the country for what he calls the ‘Greatest School Tour Ever.’
Touring in Nigeria is a subject that has become somewhat controversial over the last few years, splitting opinions amongst many fans, industry experts, and artists themselves. Back in the mid-2000s to early 2010s, local touring was very much the norm. Platforms like Star Music’s ‘The Trek,’ as well as a few prominent local promoters, enabled some of the biggest names like 2face, Olamide, and M.I to hold annual nationwide tours. These tours included stops in cities like Warri, Makurdi, Owerri and many other places that artists are less likely to visit today. University tours were also popular as they presented an avenue for these artists to connect with their younger audience, who mostly served as the bedrock of their fan base.
The rise of digital streaming platforms, which has partly informed the industry’s rapid evolution over the past decade, coupled with other economic and infrastructural issues, has, however, forced a sharp decline in local touring, making it an almost altruistic endeavour in today’s Nigeria. Afropop gaining global exposure meant that the international market immediately became more viable and lucrative to our biggest stars, and this reshaped their priorities. The extensive, multi-city shows became reserved for diaspora fans, while the local audience, in most cases, are treated to a solitary annual show.
OdumoduBlvck looks to buck this trend with the ‘Greatest School Tour Ever,’ prioritizing his primary audience before tending to those abroad. In truth, the Lagos-born rapper is not the only one who has embarked on this type of tour in recent times. A couple of years ago, UK-based rapper Kida Kudz and Ckay also went on similar campus tours, with the latter making stops at 10 different universities across the country. Llona, one of the breakout stars from last year, is also currently on a nationwide tour coming off the success of his impressive debut album ‘Homeless.’ The ‘Greatest School Tour Ever,’ is however, peculiar and momentous because of its timing and OdumoduBlvck’s standing as one of the biggest names around.
At the recent 17th Headies Awards, the rapper became the latest recipient of the Next Rated award, a highly coveted plaque that’s historically reserved for standout acts whose music defines the zeitgeist at a given period. He received the award just two days after he gave an electrifying performance at Afe Babalola University. His latest mixtape, ‘The Machine Is Coming,’ a precursor to his highly anticipated forthcoming debut, currently sits at the No. 2 spot on the Turntable Top 50 Album charts. It is unheard of in recent times: that the Headies Next Rated act, who has one of the top projects in the country, is on a local university tour. The Abuja-native has, however, shown on numerous occasions that he has never really been one to abide by existing standards. The famous opening lines from his breakout single “Declan Rice” (I can do without their Policy I Know), did not only serve as a message to gatekeepers and naysayers but also as a manifesto that declared his mode of operation going forward.
At the time of this writing, the rapper has only made two stops on his ongoing tour, but his decision to embark on a local tour of this nature already looks to be paying dividends. The first two shows have produced viral clips that capture his star power, the hysteria of his headline shows and his rapidly growing influence, especially amongst younger listeners. The viral clips have already created an increased demand for shows, with many young fans harassing the rapper to add more dates to the tour. With the release of ‘The Machine Is Coming’ and his recent crowning moment at the Headies, it’s safe to assume there’s more attention on him now than ever. While it is, of course, still early days, the rapper’s decision to embark on a local university tour, especially given that he’s currently experiencing a career high, could go on to become a significant moment, one that potentially inspires a shift in the touring landscape in Nigeria.
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NATIVE PREMIERE: Tanika Is Stepping Out On Her Terms With The Kida Kudz-Assisted “FAST FWD”
From working her way out of London’s Myatt’s Field, Tanika is now setting her sights on the bright lights...
Across a career that’s in its second decade, Tanika has proven to be a force in her own right, holding her own on collaborations with Black British stars like Stormzy and Wretch 32, as well as popular record producer Naughty Boy–working with the Grammy-nominated beatmaker on his acclaimed ‘Hotel Cabana’ album.
Following a stint as an actor, she returned to the studio in 2021, releasing a new extended play, ‘333,’ in 2023. The project carried all the hallmarks of Tanika at her tantalising best: lilting cadences, well-paced narratives, a songwriting that reaches for the heart of the matter.
On her latest song, “Fast Fwd,” she’s growing into her own and stepping into a new era. In many ways, “Fast Fwd,” a hypnotic, sultry anthem, is landing just in time for summer revelry. Produced by her longtime collaborator, Naughty Boy, her silky vocals land effortlessly on the mid-tempo instrumental and pulsates with her desire for her love interest.
Joined on the song by her fiancé, Kida Kudz, they make an interesting duo and replicate the synergy they had on “Nobody,” off Kudz’s 2021 ‘Top Memba.’ Distinctively marked by use of neon lights, the video for the song captures the effervescence of romance that Tanika hums about throughout the song.
From working her way out of London’s Myatt’s Field to becoming a star with millions of streams, Tanika is now setting her sights on the bright lights of superstardom. Ahead of the official release of the single, we had a brief chat with Tanika about her career, the influences for “Fast Fwd,” and working with KIda Kudz on it.
Her answers, which follow below, have been lightly edited for clarity.
How would you describe where you are in your career right now?
I’m just enjoying the journey.
What does the release of “Fast Fwd” signify for you?
It signifies love.
Why is Kida Kudz a fit for the song? (
To be honest, we didn’t plan to do another song together. I have worked on two records with him before (“Nobody” and “Tasty Time” ) but we never thought to shoot a video for it.. “Fast Fwd” felt like a real testimony of our present moment in the relationship.
You’ve worked extensively with Naughty Boy and he’s helped with “Fast Fwd,” what’s your relationship like and why does it work?
Naughty Boy knows me very well. We’ve known one another for over 10 years, so he knows what fits me musically. We gel. I think him knowing me and being a fan of Kida’s music made it all work. Naughty Boy does his listening before he makes a beat for you. A lot of producers don’t really understand the importance of knowing the artist musically but he does.
What were you aiming for with the video?
To be honest, I’m aiming for nothing. I’m just enjoying the journey. It’s been a very long road and I know I still have a long way to go.
Catch an exclusive view of “Fast Fwd” below.
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