PROFILE: What Makes Singer Azawi Stand Out?

Singer Azawi’s song ‘Quinamino’ grew on me; you know those songs which, even though do not necessarily give you instant butterflies, go on to draw you in slowly (those turn out to be the best ones by the way).

Nonetheless, the name was catchy and easy enough to remember, which is why I remember the first time I heard it. The artist, on the other hand, did not quite catch my attention until ‘Repeat It’.

Now, before you think I am terrible, just remember how many new artists pop up every single day, most of whom disappear just as quickly as they came. Surely you understand why people are not that enthusiastic about new artists anymore. 

I went to visit a friend of mine one time and found ‘Quinamino’ playing on the stereo.

“Who is that chic anyway?” I asked.

“Some chic who writes songs for Swangz Avenue”, he replied, absent minded.

“Apparently she had written this song for Winnie Nwagi, but was advised by management to sing it herself”, he added.

• 

• 

The next time I watched it I tried to pay attention to this petite ‘little girl’ who had surely hijacked the music scene. The rest, as they say, is history. 

Her music is strikingly unique. But more than that, there is a simplicity to it. There is also something of a free spirit, something that lightens the mood, a sense of humor even, I dare say.

Take ‘Repeat it’ for example. The video concept was sophisticated enough, yet it was executed with such simplicity, and such good vibes. She seems to understand the principle of ‘less is more’, which is more than I can say for a lot of artistes in the industry today.

Also, very few artistes write their own music; another quality that puts her ahead. Her music fits her like a glove. The problem with hiring song writers is that sometimes the song does not look like the artiste (if you know what I mean), like some of Bebe Cool’s older songs (I will leave that at that for fear of a world war).

Anyway, the Swangz Princess’ new song is called ‘Lo Fit’. It is the same unique vibe that catches on slowly and gradually rather than instantly, but it is already causing a stir, having garnered 51,000 YouTube views in just over a week. 

Now some people will say she has good management. Sure, a lot of her newly found stardom can be attributed to Swangz Avenue, but a label in itself cannot do that much, and I know that because singer Byaxy is (or was, I am not sure) signed to the same record label (I will also leave that at that).

Azawi’s personal merit shows in her work. There’s also the gap in between her front teeth, if you don’t think it works magic, ask Lynda Ddane. Finally, there’s her accent, it is as if a subtle British ish ish accent, but damn if it doesn’t make men speak in tongues!