Music and Me ...

In a some what dysfunctional setting made up of house parties which seemed to be the go to get together activity at the time for my "uncles" . Morning chores were accompanied with songs by Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston playing in the background, and watching MTV as a pass time activity was how the world of music and mine slowly began to intertwine. If my memory serves me right I was about 4 years old when I heard silent whisperer for the first time, a little too early for my innocent ears you would say.

Then came a huge change in the family, and with it a change in our lifestyle, where everyone was now lifting hands to gospel music. A lifestyle that required certain values which caused a shift in the kind of music I was being exposed to. I was now listening to the likes of Kirk Franklin, Israel Houston and other gospel artists. This in a nutshell marked the genesis of my love for music. To date whenever I come across an old tune on Youtube, it's like a time capsule back to the memories and emotions of those moments when I was younger.

Unlike then, when music was just this thing that adults would use as a way of amusing themselves, music to me now means different things at different times. In the beginning it used to be just about the artist, then the lyrics started having meaning and was what drew me to a song, which would again lead me to research more about the artist and their background. To my surprise it turned out that some of the artists I researched about had a similar music background as I did. Many of them grew up in a church environment, had a dysfunctional family and the list goes on and on, something I was able to relate to. There was a time when my emphasis was more on the soul of the music, then came a phase where I was obsessed with instruments and instrumentalist. One thing that music translated to me all throughout these stages was that it's the artists job to inspire people through their art . It always amused me how people could relate to an artists' vision, because they had the ability to capture a certain emotion.

In this current season, I am delving more into the technicality of music. The shaping of sound, and how it relates to certain moods. In other words, the sound engineering aspect of things. In music production, one gets to do a lot of technical things, but the end goal is bringing a vision to life. My role as a producer at the moment, is to help artists see the potential in a project and be inspired by music, so that together, we have something to give to the world. In a nutshell my job is to help the person polish up their craft. I do not want to be the artist that everyone knows, but I want to be the person that every artist knows. For it's always been a passion of mine to be a support system to someone, and in order for me to play that part, there are certain things I have to do behind the scenes to perfect the message the artist is trying to convey.

Every artist is different with different experiences, so it's crucial that they work with a producer who will help them express what they want to say in the most efficient way. I mean, as a Naija boy born in Turkey, everything I do will definitely be influenced by the kind of musical background I have. So you'll hear Afro beats, some gospel cords on the keys, a little bit of pop, Reggae, and R&B in my work. And what about the Turkish style of music you may ask? Well despite Turkey being my home, I haven't yet made a connection to traditional Turkish music. So that might not be in the mix for now, but that is not to say that I won't do projects that are out of my interest. I think that when you acquire more skills and developments in the art form [music], you are able to make connections to other genres. So depending on the artist, one has to be flexible to change accordingly, especially based on their [the artists'] level of experience.

My plans musically in Turkey are a bit different from what I have to share with the artists I work with, mainly because of the direction I want my work to go in at the moment. Here in Istanbul we don't really have any big names in the African community, so the type of artist we have are just attempting to create something. Given that Turkish music is very different from African music, trying to bring one culture into another will always bring out some issues. So if you try to mix the two cultures, you will have a difficult time trying to engage the Turkish people and vice versa. My aim for now is to spring up the hiphop and R&B genres, mainly because it's not that wide spread here. The only way to accomplish this is by embracing the nature within, while striving to be the best version of myself, and not copy-pasting from others. I believe you will always have an audience when you are authentic, because there's someone out there who is looking to be inspired. The other aspect is being humble, and actually serving people with what is needed at the moment. Which is sometimes conflicting for the artist, in that, should they just go for what they like and do it as they please or, should they actually do what would benefit the music culture. I think it's all up to the artist to decide what exactly they want to present to the world.

My goal at the moment is working on artists and people who could be of influence now or in the future. It is a big huddle trying to introduce a different kind of musical experience that one has never experienced before. In my case this is something I am pioneering because there isn't a big community here in Istanbul of people like me who were born and raised in Turkey. As an African producing music in Istanbul I may be among the first few to do so given that the community of like minded people is very small. So I find myself having to work with other people who have the same interest in music but not necessarily the vibe. Which at times proves challenging because of the extra work one has to put in, trying to inspire people into this different world. Most times people understand the concept but they don't fully get it and are not able to express it well because they're not familiar with this experience or are just rigid to what they know.

Whenever and artist comes to me, I always take the approach depending on the genre. For instance, in Rap, I'd ask the artist to sample something and as they do so, I get on an instrument and [begin] a melody. Whatever the flow is at the moment is what I try to produce. If we are dealing with a classical genre, one needs to prepare ahead and stick to the rules, as we try to fulfill the vision of the composer. In the case of something like Jazz, you assemble all the instruments and everyone plays uniquely but under the same umbrella. Learning and understanding some of these theories, has made me plan better, when I am approaching the music creation process. Spontaneity has its place, which is where I start from, but after that, there's a heavy systematic approach to whatever needs to be accomplished. Overall, the vibe is crucial to the music making process, because for me, when we are producing music, we are doing it now, according to what the feeling is here and now .

In the recent years I've noticed a change in the fame of African music and producers [in Turkey]. So I think the negative narratives around Africans being unsuccessful in the music industry is being changed by many artists. To be honest putting African inspired music on the Map of Turkey is not really my vision, but what I'd say is that when it comes to music and dancing this culture is very common in the African context unlike the environment here [Turkey] which it's something that is uncommon. Sending a child to a place where they can play an instrument, a dance school or arts is something people here are proud of, because music and dance isn't something common to everyone. In this part of the world, you need to actually facilitate things for music to happen. Whereas, in many African communities, the need to facilitate music is not prioritized, because one can easily express it . This in my opinion is why there isn't a lot of investment into the arts in many African communities, for when something is common it is devalued. As an artist, all you have is you and your craft, but to be able to make a living out of it, one has to be in an environment that facilitates it.

I believe no matter the level you are in as an artist, the art you produce is not necessarily for your own consumption. So my number one goal in collaborating with artists is to produce results that will have an effect on someone's life. I am not looking for thousands of millions but that one person I can impact positively. I do believe individuals are the corner stones of society and when you direct all your energy towards an individual then you'll be able to have a significant amount of effect on that persons life. If you are able to touch one person's heart, that individual will be able to impact society by influencing the people in their circle and the ripple effect continues. Something I think we are missing in the music world now especially because the emphasis is mainly on the likes and comments one can get, yet there isn't any meaningful communication happening between individuals. My aim is to make a positive impression on a persons life through my work and then see where it will lead. You know the blessing of touching one persons life is that it intern touches another's. The individual artists I was first introduced to when I was young touched me with their art and now their music inspires me to create more music.

My name is Eben Athony and I have big dreams.

It scares me lot to say that I will be a pioneer at something like music especially in Turkey but it's the force that makes me work harder to be better at what I do. The bigger the dream the better one gets to be in what they are doing.

Will I succeed ?

I don't know?

But will I get better?

For sure, because my dream is big ....