Bubugaga (with its official release this year) definitely has to be the star afro beat track for the beginning of 2014with numerous radio plays across some of the big stations. So off the back of the absolutely huge track Bubugaga by Mr 2 Kay and his brilliant remix featuring May7ven and Moelego, I got a bit of time with the trio to talk about the effect of this banging cut but also to talk about Afro-beat and African music which if we are honest has really had a surge in the last few years.
Firstly-as an African music star what is your opinion of Afro-beat and its global impact?
Mr2Kay-Everything has its time and season and so Afro-beat is slowly taking over and I am proud because I am African and I am Nigerian and we are the heart of Afro-beat. I feel happy to say that Afro-beat is growing in the UK and loving the joy our music brings.
So with Bubugaga you must have been confident it would do well since it was huge back home.
Mr Kay-The first song the original was released in Nigeria and it did really well in Port Harcourt with radio stations, clubs and all of that but I wanted to do something else with the track and that is when I got May7ven Moelego down to feature on the remix.
Were you worried initially that people would not get the ‘track with the funny name’?
Mr2Kay-I believed in the song from the beginning. At first it started as a joke but then I realised it could actually work. My boss did not like it and when I told a female friend the name ‘bubugaga’ she just said that’s a crap name. It did not put me off though it actually made me want to make the song even more.
So May how did you get involved-indeed did you know it would also be a hit?
May7ven-I was working with a producer called Ozi and I was working on my own stuff. He told me about this song that he wanted me to jump but when I asked for the name it was so funny because he could not even pronounce it so but I think in the UK we love things that are a bit different so the track always had a chance. When I eventually heard the track I fell in love it was just so infectious. I heard Mr 2Kay’s verse and then recorded my verse straight away the same day and it was done but when Moelego then added his verse then the track was absolutely on fire.
Mo a great compliment!
Moelego-Well I knew I wanted to drop something really special and it was really easy because the beat on the track is crazy and it just engages but when I heard May7ven and Mr 2 Kay’s verses that was a sealed deal with me and a day after hearing it I completed my verses.
Since the word affords so much intrigue Mr 2Kay define ‘Bubugaga’.
Bubugaga is simply a beautiful lady that has a nice shape, like a figure eight-May7ven has it-she is ‘bubugacious’. When I first saw her at the video shoot I was like yes ‘bubugaga’.
Lastly what are the plans for three Afro-beat pioneers?
Moelego-Still pushing the EP trying to grow the fan-base and then I will be dropping the official single. People think that Bangolore was the single it wasn’t it was just a hype song so the official will drop at the end of this month.
May7ven-I am working quietly but I am trying to put together my album. I think the time I took out did damage my career but I am enterprising and I am doing other stuff to push the scene and so it is hard to push everything at the same time. This year definitely an album should be out.
Mr2Kay-I will be releasing my new song in Nigeria called Don’t Leave Me. Big things are going to happen definitely there will be a huge endorsement with a telecommunication company, there will be more shows and travelling for sure. I will be dropping some big collabos and there will be a massive collabo with someone where we will also introduce a new dance called the buga dance which means ‘to show off’-it will be massive.
Look out for more articles regarding Afro-Beat coming soon.
