Today we’d like to introduce you to Onny Mbagwu.
Onny, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was born in Detroit, Michigan, where the original Motown was created. I first started singing at the age of five. Me and my older brothers were dancing to some random music and I decided to sing while my brothers were the background dancers. While we were all young at the time, one of my brothers shouted out “you sound like Britney Spears” which made me sing louder and more confidently. From then on, I started to sing more and more around the house and my parents noticed how my clear my voice sounded at a young age. I eventually joined the church choir. What really made me consider doing music was my choir conductor whom I looked up to. She told me that I had a unique and beautiful voice at a young age and that I should start singing at different places. I started dancing at the age of seven by joining community cheerleading team and taking ballet and hip-hop classes. As I got older, I started taking an interest in Nigerian dance, which is my native culture. At the age of nine, I wrote my first song. Til’ this day, I still have the original sheet lyrics. As of today, I have written over 65+ songs and produced the music on my own for some of them. When I wrote my first song, I think that is when my parents started to take my talent more seriously. They supported me by talking me to recording studios, and people who can teach me about making music. At the age of 12, I produced my first album called “He got Swag”.
We sold the CD products to friends, family members and people who will hear my music in the streets of Detroit. I received a great number of compliments for creating, writing music, vocalization, and harmonization at a young age. We then decided to move to Atlanta, Georgia. After moving to Georgia, it was a new experience for me. I was heartbroken to leave my friends, but I wanted to continue my dream of being a singer and songwriter. I met a producer who helped me with vocal and performance training. There were some ups and downs while working with my music and school at the time, but as I became more focused on my college courses, I went on a hiatus with music until I graduated in December 2019. Now I am back with the same passionate mindset that I had when I was five, ready to show my music and talents that I have been keeping inside. I plan on doing more auditions to music shows, I would like to write music for major artist in the future and I want to continue recording my music to show to the world.
Has it been a smooth road?
When you are doing something that you love, you will continue to do it regardless of the struggles. Because of financial issues after moving, it was not easy for me to produce as much music and promote it as much as I wanted to. These days, some music is based on talent and some are not. It depends on your fan base and how much you can spend to promote your song. Right now, I am taking it little by little and working hard for everyone to hear my music. I used to feel discouraged because I thought my music wasn’t going anywhere, but now, I realized that I am doing music because I love it, in hopes that someone will hear my passion through my music and lyrics.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I am Nigerian-American that excels in singing, writing music, producing music and beats, and dancing. It usually takes me a little less than a day to two days to write a whole song. Producing the beat takes a little longer because I tend to come back to the beat after a break so I can hear it freshly again to make sure the music and instruments complement each other. I also do afrobeat dancing and choreography. I have been dancing and choreographing modern afrobeat dance since the age of 10 when I started a professional afro dance group with my friends in Detroit. My accomplishments that I take pride in are my final products of my music. The songs that I write the lyrics create the beats and artwork for giving me great joy to know that a product that I dreamt of being finished is done and I can now share it with everyone.
My new single that came out Valentine’s day 2020, “No Sabi This Love” in now being played on a couple of FM radio stations in Nigeria. What sets me apart from other artists is my music and my voice. I was not as confident in my voice because I came out a bit nasally, but I realized that is my charm. If someone hears my voice, they say “That sounds like Onny”. I like that my voice stands out and that it can be associated with me. Believe it or not, I listen to every single genre of music. Some I may not have been exposed to yet, but If I have been exposed to it, best believe that I have that song in my playlist. Because I listen to so many different genres, I can create a lot of different sounds and put different instruments together to create a new sound that people have never heard before. My music is also unique because I combine music from both Afrobeat and RnB to create new music. I think that right there, will change up what people usually hear in music.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I hope to grow in music skills and to network with more artists who have the same passion for music as I do. As an artist and a music creator, there will be some of my music creations that I know will not be for me but will a better fit another artist. So, I would like to create music for other artists and big-name artists also. I would like to also create music for TV shows and movies. I have plenty of songs that will be great for sad scenes and for happy scenes. I wish to move further into the music industry independently. I will continue to produce more songs and music videos, so those who follow me will enjoy watching me develop as an artist.
Contact Info:
- Email: onnyadaeze@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_onlyoneonny/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onlyoneonny
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/_onlyoneonny/
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