Features : New artist Kushmay makes his statement with Afrobeats ballad “Alive”

Kushmay, a Nigerian immigrant living homeless in Toronto and involved in the legalities of immigration, still manages to put out some lovely Afrobeats music.

The latest is “Alive,” a song that is many things: a celebration of love for God; love for a woman; a statement of his faith in his future, despite the present hardship; and the story of his life.

“My faith is very important,” he said, “and ‘Alive’ is a way of me saying ‘You cannot count me out. God is with me.’ My prayer never fails. My God never fails. My God is going to come through. That was what the song ‘Alive’ is about.”

The music is an Afrobeats ballad, the beat quiet and comforting, the melody carried as much by the vocals as the instruments. Kushmay’s tenor-baritone voice and the backup vocalizations become instruments.

Born to be great they didn’t believe
Down on my knees praying for peace
Oh oh
Praying for peace
…
Girl you make me feel alive
You’ve been on my mind
We gon’ vibe tonight
Take you to Dubai

It is also a statement of his ambition: “Take you to Dubai,” Dubai being the epitome of luxury across Africa and in the Persian Gulf region.

“I have a very big vision, man, I have a big vision and I’m not gonna stop. It is beyond music — I see myself selling out stadiums.”

He moved to Canada in 2020 to go to college for a business administration degree in accounting. In 2021, he, as so many others, had to drop college because of COVID. He is living in a homeless shelter in a Toronto suburb, where he continues to write music.

He started writing songs in 2020 and put out his first tracks in 2022. By the time his college career was put on hold, music had become his passion, along with his passion for God.

His story is one of hardship, trauma and pain, from his upbringing in a poor and very tough area of Nigeria to his current situation. Some of his story is so bad, he says, that he doesn’t want to tell it in detail.

“I have a lot of traumas that I’ve been able to navigate and pray about. That’s why I’m able to stay focused and not lose my mind. I pray. Prayer is the only way.”

“Alive” is also a song about recovery, told in soft, soothing, hopeful tones.

“What I’m trying to express in this song is that I was actually down, depressed, antisocial. No one reached out for me.” Again, prayer was his comfort and his guide.

“I’ve been following my divine compass,” he said.

He believes all of that story should be in his music, the hardship as well as his faith, hope and dreams.

His next song, “Miami,” will be out in a few weeks. It is “a love song.”

“It’s like, a sexy song, a form of feeling for beautiful women, beautiful guys, the cool people that just love good music. It’s a summer feeling song, a happy song.”

It’s a faster tempo than “Alive,” more playful with a hip-hop beat, a pop vibe and more synth.

After that, he wants to put out an album.

In the four songs he has released so far, Kushmay has a variety of music. He plays with the production, the fusion of different styles, an Aftrobeats base fused with hip-hop, R&B and pop.

Right now his main focus, guided by God, is his music. It is his career aim, and he is determined to make it despite his financial hardship and his immigration difficulties.

“I invested all my money into my music, and I’m homeless right now because I said, ‘God, I don’t care. This music, I’m not going to let it go. This is what is going to change my family. This is what is going to break generational curses. I have to keep going.”

Go with his music and connect to Kushmay on all platforms for new music, videos, and social posts.

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