By Benjamin Njoku
Dubai-based Afrobeats. act popularly Ebuka Eze Menoti is poised to become the first Nigerian singer to break into the United Arab Emirates’ mainstream music world as his latest single, ‘Deme Deme’ is already generating a major buzz in the streets since its release.
The single, released a week ago on different digital platforms is getting rotation everywhere and Menoti, who started his music career back in the country, before relocating to Dubai in 2019, is enjoying the buzz his music is generating at the moment.
‘Deme Deme’ which he described as ‘a thanksgiving song’ to his maker following what he went through in a foreign land to hold his own in music, is part of a big thrust to get the Enugu state-born singer in the mainstream. “The song creatively captures my gratitude to God for what he has done and what He is yet to do for me,” Menoti enthused. “It also talks about where I am today, and where I envision to be in future,” he added.
Recounting how he has been able to popularize his music in Dubai, Menoti said, as a cab driver, he’s always playing his music to his passengers,who not only appreciate his creativity, but also, encourage him to keep working harder, while hoping for the best.
“I am a taxi driver, I always play my song to my passengers whenever I have the opportunity to do so. I can tell you that the responses I receive from them are enough encouragement for me. Being a taxi driver also exposed me to people of different nationalities. From listening to my music, I got to understand how Afrobeat stars and the genre are highly rated outside the shores of Nigeria. This kind of boosted my desire to pursue a career in music,: Menoti stated.
He recalled how he used his first salary to purchase musical instruments, which are functional till date.
The singer, who trained as a visual artist at University of Nigeria, Nsukka, before delving into music, is optimistic that he would soon penetrate into the mainstream music scene of Arabian countries, given the kind of awareness he has created playing his music while driving his taxi in the streets of Dubai.
Menito described himself as an artist in his ‘exploration stage’,adding that in five years’ time, he hopes to become a global household name. He vowed to be himself, as he does not intend to compete with any of the established artists including Burna Boy, Davido, Wizkid, Kizz Daniel among others, on the global stage
