Finding an artiste whose music you can connect with is something very few consumers can boldly say they have. I like to believe I am one of the few people who have been able to connect with an artiste’s song like I wrote it myself, or it was written for only me. Over the years, I have connected with a lot of artistes through their music. One such act is Ghanaian UK-based artiste Ginius. As a singer/producer, Ginius has been involved in several music projects since 2018 including self-produced Amapiano/House projects, guest features, and productions with some of the young acts in Ghana and the UK. Over the last 4 years, she has been on a run, releasing projects spanning Amapiano, Alte, and Afrofusion. In an Exclusive conversation with SOOT Africa, she gives us an insight into her life and career as one of the future stars of Afrobeats within the continent and in the diaspora.
The conversation with Ginius gives us some backstory of herself and how she grew up. It would surprise many that Ginius did live a large part of her life here in Ghana before she moved to the UK where she presently resides.
Navigating Life
Ginius: I have spent half my life in Ghana (on the streets of Accra – primarily Nima, Kasoa & Motown), and the remaining half in the UK (between the north and south of the country – primarily Liverpool, Leeds & London). In Ghana, I schooled in De Youngster’s, and in the UK, I moved schools a lot but did my university education at the University of Leeds. I have early memories of learning how to moonwalk and performing for my family back in Ghana, so music has always been a part of me. I took influences from those around me, from my uncle’s Djembe drum band to the church music team rehearsals to orchestra club in secondary school in the UK to me finally learning FL studio back in 2012. It’s been quite the journey.
Ginius is not only a genius when it comes to the arts, but an academic powerhouse who is breaking the norms and setting new precedents for other black people especially black women in the diaspora. In 2020, she graduated from the University of Leeds as the first black woman with a degree in Chemical and Nuclear Engineering. Despite coming out on top of the academic world, she reveals her intentions of balancing both her career as an engineer and her passion for music.
Ginius: I was still doing music on the low and gaining some momentum at uni for my music. However, once I went viral for my achievement, I had new fans and new people paying attention to me. Most importantly though, in the words of one of my favourite musicians Tolu Dadi, “my dream is fucking expensive”. I am currently trying to balance having a 9 to 5 with doing music, as that funds the music. The dream is to transition full-time into music, with the right backing and investments. I am grateful for all the progress I have made so early in my career, but sometimes I do wonder what life would be like if I dropped everything and faced the music.
The Afrofusion Career
Starting in 2012 by learning how to produce via FL studio alongside being a singer, it was not very easy as people would be hesitant to allow her to put in the work. However, she kept on putting in the work and she would eventually meet people that aligned with her vision and believed in what she had. Eventually, she would start putting out music and projects. She did mention that contrary to popular belief, she did not start as an Amapiano producer.
Ginius: It’s trickier navigating the industry as a woman because sometimes you just don’t get taken seriously. However, being both a producer and a singer has granted me access to rooms to get what I want.
I did not start as an Amapiano producer/singer and I had always dabbled in the genres I am doing now. I just started gaining more momentum because I caught the Amapiano wave very early on when it first reached the ears of West Africans. You see, as a producer, I like to explore a lot of sounds so this means I also listen to a lot of new and emerging music. Love to DJ Kwamzy for bringing Amapiano to my attention. I was blown away by the new energy coming out of South Africa so I immediately jumped on it.
Some artists are considered to be “single artists” while others are known for churning out projects. Ginius has put out a project every other year since 2020 when I was introduced to her music. She shared with SOOT why she is drawn to projects as against singles. She also mentioned that although her projects in recent times have shown her range, she identifies as an AfroAfusion singer, but a producer across many diverse genres.
Ginius: I usually make music as a cohesive body of work so I prefer for my fans and my people to hear it as such. You’d be seeing more collaborations from me in the future, but whenever I release a single, you should know it’s coming off a project. Also, I have always released music around my birthday as I feel my talent is how I am going to change the world so it is only right they hear a collection of what I have been working on year after year on the day I was introduced to this crazy world we live in.
A few years into her career, Ginius has blessed her co-pilots (fans) with some amazing projects with the songs ‘Tonight’ with Freddie Gambini, and ‘Alone’. She talks about her recent project ‘Her Notions Since ’97’ which includes songs like ‘Feels like Magic’ and ‘Melody’ with Darkua.
Ginius: My projects represent seasons of my life, so my experiences have a huge impact on the music I release. They usually surround the theme of love or disappointments or those heavy thoughts in those during lonely times – whatever it is will be put into that music. Luckily for you guys, I have been in a good space, so most of the recent music has been positive, but this usually transitions into producing a beat one night and writing the lyrics the next day. This is exactly what happened with my recent tape. When I was sent the beat for ‘Consistency’ by Joker the producer, for instance, I tried not to overthink it and wrote what came naturally. At that time, I was thinking a lot about love and career progression. You guessed it, that’s exactly what I wrote about. That is how it usually happens to me.
Just like on HNS97, Ginius throughout her career has never shied away from collaborating with various creatives on different levels. From producers, singers, and rappers to A&Rs like Jxhn Hill, Joker Nharnah, Drakua, Freddie Gambini, Kwamzy, etc. She touched on the importance of collaboration and why she does not shy away from it. She went on further to share her opinion on the brewing conversation about the need for artists to be independent as opposed to being signed to a label.
Ginius: It is always a good idea to work with like-minded people and artists you believe are dope. Art is meant to be shared, so if it can be made even more beautiful by bringing multiple people together, why should anyone stop that? My main takeaway is that both sides should believe in the art, and enjoy the stories that get made and told after the art reaches its consumers; it is honestly fulfilling and humbling to have your inner thoughts embraced by so many human beings.
No system is the best, just pick what works for you at that stage of your career. I say this because the creative industry is a tricky one, but the most important things are to stay fulfilled and keep progressing. There are some things you can achieve as an independent artiste, and there are other heights you can only reach with a label’s backing; so do you!
She may reside in the UK, but Ginius has always kept in contact with her roots back in Ghana. During the recent December holidays, she was in the country making various appearances and gave a good performance at Citi TV’s breakfast show. She spoke about how she had received a lot of praise from people back home regarding her work and career trajectory. As a co-pilot myself, I have already placed a request for a proper ‘Ginius and Pilots’ concert in the not-so-distant future. In her closing remarks, she shows appreciation for the support she has received over the years and urges fans to remain with her through this journey.
Ginius: I love you guys with all my heart, you keep me going and keep me believing in this wild dream – I can’t wait for us to take over the world. The universe is honestly the limit of my co-pilots. The thing I ask is that you guys should keep sending the positive messages and memories you have when you listen to my art
If you are reading this and have not given Ginius a listen yet, this is your sign to give her a listen and make memories with her art, as this writer has been doing. You can stream her new project, Her Notions Since ’97, on all platforms and connect with her via the handle @official_ginius across all social media platforms.
