Irorosuayire Ogheneruemu, professionally known as Raymu, stands at the forefront of a new wave of African artists committed to using music as a force for inspiration, healing, and transformation. A first-class graduate of Mechanical Engineering from Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Raymu, began his musical journey under the name Amb. Lawrence, releasing several singles that garnered local attention. Raymu is a dynamic Nigerian singer, songwriter, and vocal coach whose music blends soul, Afro-pop, and contemporary influences into a sound that is deeply emotive and powerfully resonant. A Nigerian Idol Season 10 first runner-up, Raymus speaks to Ferdinand Ekechukwu
What kind of music do you do?
I’m a smooth R&B guy, everybody knows that, but the kind of artiste that I envision myself to be isn’t just an artiste that has numbers and fans. I also want to be a part of people’s lives. I want the kind of music that you can listen to 10 years later and you still be like, this is good, this is something I resonate with. I write R&B music, Afro, and Afro soul music, a bit of this and that. But most importantly, I want to sing about love, about life, about things that people can relate to. And you can check out one of my songs. ‘Love me’ by Raymu, it’s a really beautiful song, you should check it.
How did you prepare before coming into the show?
Interestingly, coming to the show, I was a very introverted guy coming from an engineering background, not used to a lot of things. But from the beginning to the end, as you could see during the finale, I was more in control of my artistry and myself as a performer, as well as a singer. There’s a lot of maturity from my singing to my performing and managing the dynamics that come with moving and singing. Also, understanding camera movement and just being a professional. It has been an amazing transition from where I was to where I am now.
How did you feel getting to the final stage?
I feel grateful and blessed. Nigerian Idol is one of the biggest platforms in Africa, and to come out of thousands of people to be the final top two and get to the finale is something that I’m very grateful for, and I see it as a real privilege.
What prepared you for this moment?
Just like every educated person, we study, do research and learn about things. So, I did read and look for information about how things are supposed to go. So I came onto the show with some level of information, from just gathering data about what the show is about.
Being in the pool of talented individuals, there must have been moments on the show that were quite challenging, what were those challenges you faced?
In the entertainment industry, talent is the cheapest commodity to be found. Talent is everywhere you look, but not everybody wants to put in the hard work. Not everybody has the character to transition from being just a talented person to becoming a superstar, because it takes a lot of hard work. It takes a lot of discipline and determination to get there. So, back to your question, I did see a lot of talented people, and I respect everybody’s talent. Like I said to someone at the beginning of the show, anybody amongst the top 10 could win the show. We are all individually, equally talented in our different ways. But there’s also a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes for the show, and for me, some of them were on unfamiliar ground. For me, it was the first time I was dancing and singing. I almost passed out at some point; that was very challenging for me, but I was able to eventually get a hang of it and understand the dynamics that go on with that. And so, that’s a lesson for me to take out of the show. In those challenging moments, I also realised that being in the entertainment space, you have to be mentally strong. Some people just say things based on what’s in front of them, not because they have all the facts or any information. You have to understand to be mentally guarded and to work with “I know myself. I know what I’m going through, and I know how I can best make the most out of what I’m doing.”
What should fans expect from you?
I think fans should expect as much as you expect from the winner. We have the same level of exposure, and I came into the show as an artiste, I am leaving the show as a better artiste. So, it means that every work that I’ve put in before the show has to be more after the show, because now I have a platform and I have visibility that I didn’t have before.
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