Azekel: The Multifaceted Afro-Fusion Star

Almost a decade ago, Ademola Ezekiel Adesuyi, better known as Azekel, kicked off his illustrious musical career. He was only a teenager born in the central region of Nigeria but was raised and brought up in the Eastern fragments of London, where he had lived most of his life.

With a headstart many could but dream of, Azekel’s earlier career had veered into turbo progressions upon releasing his first-ever single.

How many newbie singers could brag about venturing on a two-year music tour alongside one of the most reputable bands in Europe and doing so with nothing but their debut single? Well, Adesuyi could.

His ingenious debut, New Romance, catapulted his fortunes, upheaving his industrial rank from an unknown artist to a Glastonbury performing one, setting an inspiring precedent for his almost decade-long career.

So far in his nine-year musical career, Azekel has enjoyed his fair share of commercial success and has worked with incredible musical virtuosos such as three-time Grammy Award-winning American singer Neyo, five-time Grammy-winning British band Gorillaz, and legendary English trip-hop musical collective Massive Attack, the latter of which through their platform he got his first big international gig.

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Azekel’s impressive resume is further strengthened by his explorative musicianship and penchant for storytelling, evident in his musical projects, Raw, Vol. 1 (2015), and Analyze Love (2023).

In the current phase of his musical career, Azekel is intent on bringing his exquisite fusion of neo-r&b/soul sonics paired with Afro rhythms to the home-based audience, the African audience. This innate desire to connect his music with a diversified fan base informed his decision to relocate back to Nigeria about four years ago.

With a brand new distribution deal courtesy of music distribution and marketing company, Orchard Music, the talented vocalist and music producer is set to expand his audience reach, showcasing a refreshing sound that deviates from the status quo.

In this interview with African Folder, the star dives in about everything from the source of his unique artistry,  Inspirations, sonic evolution through collaboration, “accidentally” making music for TV and runway, new musical projects, and more.

Azekel: A Man Like Hendrix

At age sixteen, Azekel was already producing music for leisure. Although he hadn’t given the prospect of becoming a professional musician much brooding, he knew he loved music. For him, it was an indoctrination that stemmed from his childhood days. Azekel recalls being engrossed with music as a very young chap. “There was always music in the household; we had a variety to pick from. There was Fela Kuti, King Sunny Ade, Marvin Gaye, D’Angelo, and Lauryn Hill, to name a few. My Dad and Mom would play music from these artists. We had a considerably big sound system in the living room. They were from my Dad’s workplace. I can say being exposed to such quality music at a young age must have subconsciously inspired my taste as a music consumer and creator alike.”

Azekel was born in Abuja but later moved to London with his mother at the age of seven. It was in the Eastern parts of London that he spent his most formidable years. Although he would visit Nigeria occasionally, London was his default habitat.

There was always music in the household; we had a variety to pick from. There was Fela Kuti, King Sunny Ade, Marvin Gaye, D’Angelo, and Lauryn Hill, to name a few… I can say being exposed to such quality music at a young age must have subconsciously inspired my taste as a music consumer and creator alike.

Azekel, 2024.

Growing up, Azekel was the first of four boys—a fact that he intonates with pride. Being the first child meant he had to set a good example for his siblings. This was why initially, his parents’ reaction towards him dropping out of college, where he was studying medicine, to go pursue a music career wasn’t exactly warming. “I was doing more music, but it was like killing my soul to do the medicine. I knew what I wanted to do, and I knew that if I gave my energy, it would be a sustainable career for me, and I would love it, you know. So I thought, let me give it a try. So I told my parents, still being the eldest of four boys and being a boy, you have to understand that it wasn’t easy. I guess I prayed about it at the time. I was like pretty religious when I was growing up as a kid, so I thought God kind of called me into making music. So I prayed about it. Then I said if it’s meant to be like, make it easy. I let them agree, and they did the impossible. They agreed to it. And so they just told me I had to go and study music, to go to university and study, so I studied music at Kent University while I was in the UK.”

The journey that has led Azekel to his current destination has been an eventful one. The singer would like to describe it as one filled with ups and downs. Through music, Azekel has been able to live an amazing life, one that grants him the leverage to travel the world and experience amazing things he never thought possible. But none of this might have been possible without the singular push from his mom.

Azekel’s mother was the first person who believed in his greatness. He didn’t know it at the time, but a single-hearted gesture from his mom would inspire his desire to pursue musical excellence.

I was like pretty religious when I was growing up as a kid, so I thought God kind of called me into making music.

Azebel, 2024.

The moment happened when his mom got him a guitar while he was still very young. It wasn’t particularly the string instrument purchase that inspired him but rather what his mom said when he had asked her why she got him the guitar. “At that young age, I remembered asking her why she had gotten the guitar for me, and she simply said, You could be the next Jimi Hendrix. Although I didn’t know it at the time, that statement kinda shaped my self-beliefs. Here was my mom, a woman whom I love deeply, telling me that I could be like one of the greatest musicians of all time. In that simple but significant moment, I had a sense of belief in my abilities.”


Unconsciously, the bold words of Azekel’s mother would lead him on a pathway to discovering his musical talent. “My mom got me a guitar. And, yeah, I kind of started playing it. I mean, the first guitar I had. I must have, like I was, I was growing up with four boys. We were playing wrestling. I must have smashed the first guitar on my brother’s head. But as I got older and became a teenager, I got myself a guitar. I just had an attraction back to playing the guitar. So I started to do that and started to get into, like playing keys, church also as well. Like church played a big part, you know in my love for music as well. But, yeah, that’s how I kind of got into the discovery of my musical talent.”

Career Breakthroughs

Azekel reckons he started writing songs as a teenager. From his early teenage years, he began treading the path of self-discovery through musical expressions. He wasn’t interested in pursuing a musical career then. To Azekel, music was a form of leisure. He found relaxation through music, but little did he know he was to do it for a living, performing on big stages several years later. “I wouldn’t say, like, I knew I was going to be a music artist, but I knew I was singing then, and I liked writing songs, okay, expressing myself in that way, so I knew that I was playing my keyboard and I was interested in music, but working on my music, I would say I started when I was just like, maybe thirteen or fourteen.”

A few years later, Azekel’s curiosity widened. From writing songs, he began seeking its technical creation. He started teaching himself musical production. “I started producing when I was like sixteen or seventeen. In my school, I had like a little production suite, so I could, like, during my break time, instead of playing ball, I’ll go into the music room, and practice.”

Azekel’s practice would pay off. In the summer of 2016, Azekel caught the attention of the International English Band Massive Attack. His brilliant debut single, New Romance, had struck a chord with the group members, and they enlisted him on a two-year-long European tour. The experience would transform Azekel’s outlook.  “I didn’t know who Massive Attack was at the time, but they were a very big band. They are an international band based in the UK. And, yeah, it was amazing. Like, they heard New Romance and wanted me to go on tour with them. The experience took me outside my comfort zone. You know, I was working with people who were living a different lifestyle. I was working with proper Oyinbo people (laughs). They were very Italian. The music was amazing. It was an undeniable life-changing experience.”

Speaking of life-changing experiences, Azekel would experience yet another breakthrough as his career progressed. This time it came through an unexpected medium—TV syncing.

Azekel’s beautiful and soulful collaboration with French Senegalese singer Anaiis ‘Learn to Love’ had gained so much momentum amongst music listeners and certain music executives that it was selected for a couple of TV series such as CBS’ Power and ABC’s Blackish.

I didn’t know who Massive Attack was at the time, but they were a very big band. They are an international band based in the UK. And, yeah, it was amazing. Like, they heard New Romance and wanted me to go on tour with them. The experience took me outside my comfort zone. You know, I was working with people who were living a different lifestyle. I was working with proper Oyinbo people (laughs). They were very Italian. The music was amazing. It was an undeniable life-changing experience.

Azekel, 2024.

The craziest thing is that Azekel never foresaw the song’s success. Learn to Love is the singer’s most streamed song on Spotify, with over three million streams garnered so far. It’s one of those reassuring but unprecedented moments that are remarkably beautiful.  In his own words, “When we made Learn to Love, we knew it was a beautiful song, but I knew like, and I still believe it has so much potential. I know it’s reached millions of streams, but I know a lot of people still are gonna hear this song. We didn’t make it intentionally for the TV. You know that just happened. And it’s genuinely surreal.”

Azekel’s music is so cutting-edge that it can serve as a backtrack for varieties of entertainment niches.

Only recently, his Afro Ballad-themed song Chocolati from his Colours performance caught the eye of folks from the iconic fashion brand Saint Laurent who felt the singer’s style matched their campaign, so they invited him for a musical performance set in Paris, France.

Aside from performing at a Saint Laurent-spearheaded event, the singer has had other run-way opportunities, such as creating original music for Off White’s New York Run-Way show and having his latest album Analyze Love be a part of YSL’s (Saint Laurent’s) exclusive record collection at the Aquarius Website.

The multifaceted nature of Azekiah’s sound has granted him the leverage to tap into movie-syncing opportunities and fashion runway equivalents. These are some of the juicy perks of making great music, and the sky is certainly Azekel’s starting point.

Sonic Infusion

A real artist is one whose artistry is not stifled by complacency. A true creator perceives the need to evolve with the season. And one of the ways to achieve this is through collaboration. Thankfully,  the Afro-fusion star is one of such rare breeds. The singer nurtures a penchant for growth, which is seen when contrasting the singer’s last two projects.

The growth is evident and a testament to Azekel’s hard work. However, he doesn’t take all the credit. The singer is modest enough to understand the need for artistic collaboration and doesn’t shy away from giving his collaborators due credit.

“Lately, I have worked with amazing producers from around the world. I have worked with producers from Ghana and London. That’s the beauty of collaboration. Because I feel like everyone brings a different energy.  I love my earlier work because I self-produced a lot of it. I even mixed and mastered too; I did everything—a lot of my early stuff. So I wanted to try something different and got other musicians on board. I just learned how amazing. the spirit flows when there are other people in the room, you know, other people bringing such positive vibes and great energy, different worlds, you know. So I like the collaboration. So, I like working with good people. So a lot of it has been organic.”

“During my time in Ghana, I’ve worked with Obed from the SuperJazzClub. But, um, or when I spent time in LA, I worked with Omaz Keefe, who has worked with Frank Ocean and Anderson Park.”

“But in general, I don’t work with too many producers. It is just people I meet that bring great energy back when I’m in the room making music,” he added.

When it comes to inspiration, Azaekel is inspired by lifelong concepts like romantic love, spirituality, and “Life in General.” The music to Azaekel is a genuine medium of expression and he doesn’t take it with levity.

Preceding his 2023 Empawa-distributed album, Analyze Love, the singer took a hiatus from music. However, his recent endeavours reassure fans that he is back and better.

One of the ways he is gunning for such reassurance is via his forthcoming project coined ‘Sonic Infusion’.

Now under a new distribution deal courtesy of Orchard Music, the singer is set to realign music fans and listeners alike to the consciousness of the fact that there are so many musical sounds yet untapped in Africa, and this is what he plans to achieve with his forthcoming release. Fingers crossed.